I’ve seen various interpretations of Kit’s portrayal of Nick in the scene where he and his father are parting at the door. Some people say it is clear from Nick’s body language with the crossed arms and stiff posture that he is signaling to his dad that he’s not welcome until his dad demonstrates he is willing to be better. One person implied that his body language was pre-emptive, in that he knew his dad wasn’t going to hug him after their interaction, and so he made it clear that he wasn’t expecting a hug. I interpret the body language as Nick trying to hold himself together. He’s devastated at fully understanding that his father is not prepared to change. He gave his speech about not caring, but that was an in-the-moment feeling of not caring. As he begins processing how massively his father has failed at being a dad, the pain continues to worm its way in, and then he catches his dad trying to sneak out of the gathering without so much as saying goodbye. When Stéphane says he wants to be a better dad, belying the act of trying to sneak out, Nick can tell that, no matter how much he wants that to be true, this time he cannot afford to believe it without evidence. I see Nick, who hugs so readily for comfort and for healing, as hugging himself in this moment. He has his arms crossed, and the forearms tight against his ribs, actually pushing into his torso. He’s taking force and actively directing it inward. For me, this very subtle difference (which may very well be me reading way too much into it) is less about telling his dad “Stay away,” which would be shoulders braced, chest puffed out, and arms firmly out in front as a barrier between himself and his dad, and more about, “don’t fall apart,” which his him trying to keep everything contained when he just watched his dad hug his brother. From the look in his eye and the quiver in his lip when his dad pats him on the shoulder, I get the impression that if his dad had actually opened up his arms to extend a hug to him, he would have just melted and hugged him back. He keeps pressing his lips together and working his mouth to keep from trembling, and as he’s at the door watching his father walking away his breath hitches; he knows how dangerous it would have been to let himself be fooled into hugging him, and yet he still desperately wanted it anyway. Although he very clearly knows it the best thing for him to do is let his dad go, he's not yet truly at peace with it. I don’t know if that’s real or if I’m just reading all that into it, but that’s my take on Kit’s portrayal here.
The fact that David was nine, I’ve always wondered if David put up a fight when Sarah changed the kids’ names from Fournier to Nelson. It must have angered a nine year old who loved his dad.
The way Joe/Charlie manages to mimic a cartoon character with his "I'm here for you, mate. Pal. Bro. Supportive straight friend?" never ceases to amaze me.
The last scene with Darcy is hard for me to watch too. I'm relieved that it becomes harder to hear the dialogue btwn them as it progresses. I was raised in a toxic family and was picked on like this no matter what I did. It wasn't even homophobia or discrimination in my case, just any excuse to try to take me down when I was either already feeling down or was actually feeling good (which I shouldn't be allowed to feel). I conformed to heteronormativity quite a bit and still would get flack like this over the most petty bullshit. It felt like my existence and breathing was the problem, not my actions. Yes, Darcy's mom is homophobic but she would treat Darcy like that even if Darcy was perfectly heteronormative; she would find something else to bully her about bc that's what ppl like that do. Thanks for the insight into David's struggle of trying to get his dads approval and it never being enough. I felt frustrated with him when his Dad literally forgot which town David's school is in. Sheesh. A lot of stuff happens in this ep but it feels very balanced. Take care Thom!
You mentioned Nick’s Dad’s “bro hug” shoulder pat when he leaves. It struck me that this is exactly what Nick does way back in Episode 1 when he comforts Charlie after Ben’s assault. It’s fascinating to think that that’s how he has learned to express affection from his Dad, and that part of his learning is to open himself to more honest expressions of affection, the famous Nick hug, that he never received from his Dad. I have no idea if it’s intentional but it’s wonderful
Seeing the family dynamic at the dinner party really underscored for me how isolated Nick must have felt growing up. His father left when he was young, and his brother, who is several years older, doesn’t know how to relate to him like an actual person. He is closest to his mother, but she’s not as dialed in as Tao’s mom is, and when her son responds to her questions with a one-word answer, half the time she’s ok to just let him stay lost in his thoughts. For years his mates have been the rugby lads who prattle on about sport and gossip and all manner of superficial things. When he met Charlie and started texting him, that easy connection and that feeling of being really seen and heard for the first time must have hit him like a ton of bricks. No wonder he fell so hard for Charlie - here was this guy who was ready to talk to him about anything and everything for as long as he wanted and would make him feel special for what he had to say, perhaps for the first time ever. That is a powerful gift and intoxicating in its effect. No wonder Nick was in a panic when he led Charlie into the corridor on Sports Day, thinking he may have lost this person who made him feel this way, and no wonder he was so vehement in expressing why he thought Charlie was the most amazing person he’d ever met. Nick spent so much time being admired and esteemed and fully one of the team, and yet for all those years was so very, very alone.
In terms of Jane's reaction the Charlie saying he's not very good at rugby, the opposite could also be argued that her perfectionism kicked in and she went on alert, indicating to Charlie that he should never admit any weakness or deficiency (but she's self-aware enough to do it in a social/dinner party way). Jane is a puzzle, lol.
I enjoy the parallel of the first thing that David says to Nick when he is introduced this season is "have you found a girlfriend yet" which is all that Stèphane asks Nick when he sees him. David has fully absorbed his father's ideas that your worth is based on your ability to pull a girl.
I loved that they added "supportive straight friend" to Charlie's bro-y names for Nick, I like to imagine Nick and Charlie have shared a laugh over that attempt at sussing Nick out in S1E2. It says a lot that Sarah noticed Charlie's eating habits after a single meal, while we can assume Jane and Julio haven't picked up on them at all...
My favorite moment from the dinner party scene (or perhaps the whole episode) is actually a tiny little moment where Julio nods to Charlie to go after Nick and comfort him. He does this while holding Jane’s hand as she is so wracked with embarrassment about being on the periphery of the family fight that she’s hunched over the table, not making eye contact with anybody. He’s explicitly giving guidance and support to Charlie about how to be a supportive partner to his boyfriend while being a supportive partner to his wife. A critically important part of parenting is teaching your child to be a good partner to their significant other. One can do it through explicit lessons or one can do it through modeling the appropriate behavior, and Julio can be seen doing both. I really, really wish he would take more initiative with the parenting, as he has really good instincts and a loving, approachable demeanor. In Season 3, I think it would be lovely if there was a moment where Charlie is going through a rough patch and he seeks his father out for a bit of advice like Nick does with his mom.
I really appreciate and enjoy your observations Thom. Unrelated but I would love to hear your opinion on this , there has been a lot of filming of the filming of season 3 and I just wish they were left to film in peace . Their privacy is already so compromised, that I wish they were just left alone to work in peace and enjoy down time in peace . Filming has to be hard and these are young actors .
One of the things I like doing is watching reaction videos to Heartstopper by reactors who live in different countries so that I can experience a variety of perspectives. So many people are so angry at Nick’s dad, and I just wanted to share a different viewpoint. I watched a RUclips reactor who had objected volubly to Nick’s plan to come out at various parts of the season; he kept saying, “You don’t have to come out for anyone, why is this something you’re so set on doing? Why would you risk that?” Then when Nick’s mom told him before the dinner party, “You know, he doesn’t have to know, sweetheart; he’s got no right to know - you don’t owe him a thing,” he said, “EXACTLY! I love that - THIS is the message! Listen to your mom!” Then when Nick puts down his cutlery and says, “This is ridiculous,” in preparation for coming out to his dad, this reactor was saying “No! No! No!” and covered his face. Then Nick says, “I was really stressed out about telling you, but I don’t care what you think about it anymore,” and he says, “What if he beats you up?!” Then Nick leaves the dinner table and his dad doesn’t pursue him, and the reactor said, “I thought this was going to go way worse.” Cut to the scene with Nick’s dad leaving, and the reactor says, “And he apologizes! What was the point of introducing this tension about his dad’s response? Was I supposed to feel bad? I don’t feel that bad. Oh, I forget that this is a fantasy sometimes.” It turns out the reactor is/was from the Middle East, where revealing that you’re gay is inviting rejection, violence, and worse. Of course, the most common criticism of Heartstopper is that it looks at these issues through rose-colored glasses and downplays the harm that members of the LGBTQ+ community experience all the time. I consider Heartstopper a comfort show, and it’s nice that it doesn’t portray traumatic experiences onscreen that could trigger people. It seems relatable to a lot of people, but I also find it interesting to see the ways in which people find it not relatable. It’s helped educate me about the breadth of authentic experiences people have had in a way that wasn’t intuitively accessible to me before now.
Yeah I agree. Watching lgbtq+ reactors react to this show is like another layer to the show. You get to hear and see what is being shown on the screen from lived experiences. I find it a real privilege because everyone's take is valid, even if I took something different away from each scene. I guess that's the point of art - we all bring our own experiences to it and interpret it in different ways.
I note Sarah rolling her eyes at hearing Stéphane saying that rugby is a very attractive sport to women. I can just feel her trying to telegraph to the Springs that she didn’t fall for Stéphane for such an embarrassingly superficial reason, but he’s not giving her much to work with to explain why she would have chosen to be with him in the first place.
Certainly useless information, but... 😂 The match Stéphane and David are watching is a rugby match between the teams from Toulouse and Montpellier, two of the most important rugby teams in France 😉 Thank you so much for this new video and as usual highlighting so many points I hadn't necessarily seen 😍
Hahaha! I knew nothing about rugby before Heartstopper, and even though all I did was read Proud because Isaac was reading it (and then watched a few hours of intro-to-rugby RUclips videos to make sense of Gareth’s story), I immediately recognized the significance of the two teams playing when Stephane invites them to watch. They are SO famous, it’s like saying Manchester United is playing Liverpool or Kansas City is playing Philadelphia. You know the sport from the rivalry immediately!
** COMIC SPOILERS** The “drama queen boyfriend” comment is one thing where I think a bit is lost in adaptation. In the comics, David has actually known Charlie for a while (and knows about his mental health struggles), which makes that comment more cutting and personal. In the show it’s more of a “wow where did he get THAT from?!” moment. I kind of miss the context of it being a moment of mental ableism from David. It makes Tori’s response even more satisfying. There are a few things like that in the dinner scene that I think were lost/changed in the adaptation. Lots of context is different because of how much that scene was moved up in the timeline. Ultimately I think it works, but I’m a little sad we won’t get to see this scene in season 3, because the tension and depth would’ve been amazing. Though I do get why they did it, and also really appreciate the additional depth they added with Stephane and his nonrelationships with his sons in the show, particularly the impact it has on Nick.
The ableist undertones would have made the comment even more offensive, but it doesn't strike me as out of place in the adaptation because it's also exactly the kind of homophobic insult someone like David would fling at Charlie.
I agree with you about all of it. This scene works in the adaptation primarily because it is set up by the previous scene with Nick’s dad in Paris. The chronically absent and uninvolved father issue is set up there effectively enough for this to work, and we get a much deeper insight into what it does to Nick. The absent father issue in the comic is just a series of times Nick is really disappointed his dad doesn’t show up, but he doesn’t really open up about it. However, the implications of David’s behavior at the dinner is way worse in the comic precisely because of the timing and because we know he knows everything Nick and Charlie have been through, and he still chooses to be a little sh*t about it. I am ambivalent about them moving the scene, but I imagine there will be something in Season 3 to replace it in terms of Nick’s development. It was definitely nice to see Nick going through personal struggles in Season 2 at the same time Charlie did, so it doesn’t lock them into the broken boy/angelic savior dynamic that Charlie fears in Ep 8. It truly felt balanced this season in how Nick’s battles and Charlie’s (mostly internal) battles were concurrent, and they alternated being supports for each other.
I never get personal…but I love the highlights. Red looks good on you. Plus your intro was hysterical, an introvert who works from home called for duty at a trade show. What hell! Love your deep dives, as always.
I would be interested to know what it means that Nick's father was (I suspect) deliberately shown making the very same two gestures that Nick makes in S1, namely the wave and the shoulder pat. It seems to me to show that Nick has these from his father and that he maybe is growing out of them as he is stopping to please (or imitate?) his father, as his wave changes over S2. What does it say about the shoulder pat he gives Charlie in S1E1? What does it mean for the story and in terms of how Nick learns to perform "masculinity"? How much of it do kids/teens learn from possible father figures and how much from the rest of their environment?
While I think this has a lot of merit, they’re also just really common mannerisms in the UK exactly as shown (at least in my circles, even though we do also all hug a lot). That said though, they do draw a fair amount of attention to it which makes me think they’re explicitly making the parallel.
We know Nick is an almost pathological people pleaser. Here we see a bit more about what might have contributed to that. Both his father’s absence and David’s seemingly constant painting of him as ‘making a fuss’ for many years would probably give someone that world view. That makes the coming out here even more significant to me. This is the first time we’ve ever seen or heard of Nick doing something purely for himself. He didn’t come out to his father for his father’s sake, but because it was irritating him to have David playing games around it and he just wanted some peace. That’s an incredibly important character moment. We also see another way that Nick might feel the pressure of people pleasing: his father’s preoccupation with Nick getting a girlfriend (with the implication of mild disappointment that he hasn’t). Not only does this make more sense of Nick’s reluctance to challenge Harry, but it also feeds my head canon that Nick is demi. Not sure if that take seems incredibly out there? Last point from this episode: Tori gets angry and starts moving towards the stairs as soon as she hears him talking about *Nick* not Charlie. I think Nick is the brother she’s talking about. That warmed my heart. He’s another brother to her now, and it makes me wonder at what might be added to the October to December period arc.
Thom! I’m so sorry you went through all of this and I bet you were super handsome in your suit!!!! You are a boss! And we are all gayer and better for it
Hearing Stéphane scream at the TV when they arrive at Nick's house always gives me war flashbacks to my brothers/exes getting angry at video games. It makes me simultaneously want to jump off a cliff and break stuff. 😀 Also, him and David sitting on the couch while Sarah is cooking makes me irrationally angry. But I love how sweet Sarah is to Charlie. 🥲 And that table is way too small for 8 people. 😅 I'm so relieved that the title of the episode refers (mostly) to Ben and Stéphane's apologies. When they announced it, I assumed there would be conflict between Nick and Charlie that one of them would have to apologize for. Or something awful like that (it's episode 7 after all, we have to keep the emotional damage tradition). I'm glad my assumption was wrong. I love how they stayed a strong unit and were so understanding and communicative with each other this season. I don't think I'm ready for your episode 8 analysis. 🫣 I'm so glad you're back! But also grateful that you felt like you could take a break when you needed to. Thank you for the video! 🫶
I was always a bit confused by the time jump between when Nick, Sarah, and Charlie are talking outside about the dinner and the next scene when Nick catches Stéphane leaving without saying goodbye. Something had to have happened in the interim. The sun hadn’t even set yet when Sarah and Nick hug, and yet it’s full dark when Stéphane is heading to the door. In addition to that, David comes down the stairs to say goodbye to his dad from his room, showing that he has left the table and their guests for a time. I do like the way this scene was framed, with the difficult, important conversation about being a better father happening between Nick and Stéphane, with David entering the scene from above as an afterthought. It visually underscores the line where Stéphane mixes up what city he lives in. David admires Stéphane and wants his approval so much, but he’s still subject to Stéphane’s neglect.
Re Jane: I think this was the latest they could have had her forge a friendship with Sarah. In the comics at this point they’re already on a first name basis and catching up upon arrival (Sarah and Julio having hung out at the Paris info session). Certainly I’d expect everything to be firmly in place by the time the S3 content hits.
The Paris meeting scene seemed so stripped down to me that I thought it was weird. Like, why weren’t the parents there as they were in the comics? Was it a budget/production headache? Was parent-teacher night too much, and they had to cut elsewhere? The scene was somewhat useful in revealing some character dynamics, but it packed more punch in the comics (like having the parents mixing), and in the show it looks like kinda a waste of time. Like, here are some info packets. - now tell us your groups of 4 and skeddadle!
I think they've been doing well at tightening up the story -- really, on the whole, I think they've improved it. For the expense of production, making it a show that is able to reach a broader audience and remain relevant means reducing focus in some places in order to enhance it elsewhere (the Tao/Elle story especially, but also Darcy and Isaac's stories). In particular I think they've also been working at keeping continuity visible: I mention above that in the comics I infer Jane and Sarah have met before, though I certainly have no evidence beyond them greeting each other the way they do. On the screen, that level of familiarity would come out of nowhere and people would complain about it. Instead, in the way they have it here, they turn dinner into the way that Jane sees Nick for the person he really is (someone who *wants* to be seen as Charlie's boyfriend), and Sarah for who she is (someone who has her own child issues, but in defense of Nick and Charlie, and David if need be), and thus have a reason to warm up to N+C's relationship as something perhaps more than some school-age romance. Just a shift in placing the scene in the entire story I think makes the whole plot around Jane stronger, which she really needs for herself, and starts catering to the needs of her relationship with Nick for the upcoming plot line. So while on the surface, the dinner was the vehicle for Nick to complete his coming out story, but that could have been completed in Paris with the café scene. Instead, I'd say the dinner on screen was really about Jane.
@@deoradhyeah I think Jane seeing Sarah and Nick in a vulnerable state of family drama like this can help her feel it's easier to form a closer relationship with them.
Thom glad to see you back. Good news about your book. As always fantastic review. I totally missed Darcy's mom telling her to "get out!" And thank you for sharing that painful memory with us about your mom's reaction to you in a suit. I can see why this scene was extra hard for you.
8:08 I've found that shows like Heartstopper I have to watch multiple times because I need to watch one certain character through the whole scene, but then I miss what the other characters are doing or their facial expressions. I can't focus on multiple characters in a scene.
I do that, too! I also have watched on my phone, laptop, and TV, because having differences in depth and scale pull different things into my attention. The Heartstopper interactions are so layered that rewatching is an automatic must.
So excited to see this pop up today ❤ thank you so much for your very insightful and thorough commentary! A special thank you for being one of the few reactors that understood Darcy was kicked out. Hope you're well and recuperated as much as possible ❤❤
The difference between Stéphane here vs the comics is subtle: in the comics, he suggests getting together with N+C while he’s still in town. Definitely the start of repairing the relationship rather than basically failing to make a move as seen here.
Lots of points like this to explore in the next series of Comics vs Show. There are lots of little tiny changes that add up to being fairly significant differences in the characters’ development. I like the comics and the show both, but in spite of the fact that all of the plot, a lot of the dialogue, and many times the visual framing is the same, there’s a tangible divergence in the way the characters are portrayed.
Given the drive to explore the breadth of representation in the show versus the comics, I am pretty well convinced this was to make Stéphane into a demonstration of "distant parent who remains distant" instead of the related trope of "distant parent who grows closer". The latter is Jane's story (in both comics and TV), who cares very much about Charlie but doesn't know how to talk with Charlie, yet keeps trying to do her best. Not even remembering his favored son's school is a good sign that his life really is with Martine. Distant parents happen, it's good to acknowledge that fact, and it's good to acknowledge that sometimes you can't change it. Showing this is in line with the way Oseman & co seem intent on ensuring there's details for everyone among their audience to find inspiration/solace from.
Uargh, I can so relate to needing years of recovery after a trade show! 🥴 I'm so proud of you for feeling comfortable taking that time for yourself. 😊We are happy to wait for content until whenever you have time, energy and inspiration to create something. And, wow, there are so many things in here that you explained that I hadn't spotted/realized. Your videos are just invaluable. The only thing I wrote down for my essay-that-was-never-going-to-happen were the knives, haha. I loved how the knives were "coming out", held up, glistening and captured by the camera when the mood at the table rapidly got worse and worse. 🔪🔪 Of course, I knew the story of your suit from your blog and from a previous video, but ever since seeing episode 7 for the first time, I had been looking forward to hearing the story again in your reaction to this scene. Watching Darcy's mother's face hurts so much. 😓 Edit: It's not new new anymore, but I haven't yet mentioned that I love your new outro. 💜
It’s so important that this show portrays so many different styles of parenting, including the very harmful ones. Once again, I think adults/parents definitely need to watch this show and learn! The desire to have your kids take after you, like things you do, think like you, etc. is VERY strong. I find it’s an instinct I sometimes have to fight against, and that it’s something I need to frequently and proactively communicate to my kid (“you don’t have to be like me for me to love you”). Bit of a spoiler, but in the remainder of the comics (or in the novellas),we don’t see Stephane ever again after this dinner. I take that to mean that unfortunately he never does make the attempt to be in Nick’s life in any meaningful way. I wonder if they’ll keep it that way in the show as well. I think it’s good to keep it that way, because unfortunately it’s very realistic. As for Darcy’s family life, I do hope they continue the storyline in season 3 and it’s not just glossed over.
I saw Charlie blink while watching Nick’s dad greet him with that fist bump, and although Nick is trying to smile through the awkwardness, I imagined Charlie to be thinking “WTH - my dad would never….” Charlie, whose dad was not only saying supportive things and showing himself to be a protector, but who held his son in the car without hesitation while he sobbed after coming away from the party he asked to stay up late to attend. Also, before Season 2 came out, I used to be a Jane apologist. Jane is more nuanced in the comics, in my opinion, and even during Episode 2 when she is at her most combative with Charlie, I could understand her concern over his spiraling school performance and his willful disobedience. By the time we got to Episode 7, I heard her telling Sarah that “We are very used to drama in our house,” and my blood started boiling. I was like, “Ok, but who is the reason for that drama? Is it your reclusive, razor-witted daughter who barely makes an appearance because she’s always hiding in her room? Is it your concerned, supportive husband, who wants to make sure Charlie’s ok all the time because he recognizes how vulnerable he is? Is it Charlie, who has been bullied and isolated and harassed, and in spite of all of that still smiles at you when he has good news to share? No! It’s you! It’s you who raise your voice to steamroll over your son’s frustration and you who put the edge in your tone when you see disobedience instead of desperation.” That little throw-away comment about the drama is precisely where she lost me, and it’s going to take a lot to win back my empathy. Now when people try to defend her responses in Episode 2, I’m ready to lay out all of the ways in which her parenting style is dysfunctional and profoundly harmful, and although that’s probably what Alice intended, that is not where had planned to go until I heard that one little line.
I think I have made this observation elsewhere but I think it is the excellence of Kit's acting here that as he closes the door after his Dad's exit that he looks like he has matured ten years. I am so jealous of the acting chops of Kit and Joe and Edvin and Omar. All these spectacular young actors with such amazing talent. And I don't think I will ever quite forgive you for not loving Young Royals as much as I do. 😊
God do I feel that introvert pain XD Least you got through it though :D Now for the episode paragraph. David does seem to desire that strong connection with their Dad, in a way you could say that he feels the same way Nick does but from a different angle. David also does connect better with Stephan since he can be the whole "Oh Yeah Sport Sports SPorts, Girls Girls Girls." unlike Nick who wants his Dad to understand there's more to Nick's life than that. But then we can also see that David is still fighting to want Stephan's love as you can see how disappointed/sad David is when his Dad doesn't even know where he's studying for University ontop of being told at dinner he isn't what his father hoped he'd be. David's still a homophobic prick but it is a nice layer to his character that if he wasn't such a douche he'd maybe have a good relationship with Sarah and Nick if he stopped trying to be better and just try to enjoy his family. I also personally sympathize with Nick cause I never had the best relationship with my Dad and we saw each other very little, but we did butt heads a lot and kind of like David I just hung onto the very select things that we did bond over. (My Dad was also very hung up on me getting girlfriends so every conversation with Stephan that Nick has feels VERY familiar lol) I thought of this when you talked about Stephan's "bro" greeting for Nick, but Stephan seems very stuck in his college years mentally and I think that's why Sarah seems so done with him. All he cares about his very Frat Boy Bro things, Impressing the ladies, and Sports which might also be why he gets along with David a bit more. David is in that place currently so it's easier to blend into that mindset around him and keep that very 2D personality going. MAN THE DINNER SCENE IS SO GOOD!!! So much love to all of them for their facial acting in this scene. Sarah's faces and Tori's eyeroll just *chef's kiss*. Stephan is very good at "knowing what to say" and it's probably a work skill he's adapted so ironically while he says work isnt everything it's how he handles everything. David's poking also horribly triggers my anxiety cause god I would hate to be at this table XD We stan how aggressively defensive Tori is of both Charlie and Nick. As we've talked about before, Tori knows everything Charlie went through and is incredibly on the same page as Charlie of making sure Nick doesn't go through that either. Her vice-grip on David's arm is such a strong message of "Don't you dare out my brother to your father. AND ESPECIALLY DONT YOU OUT NICK." I do love how Tori and Nick's relationship grows from even episode 1. She has seen how happy Charlie and Nick make each other when no one else is around, she has seen both Charlie and Nick at some of their lowest, and she values both of them as her little brothers. Her calling David a prick after dinner to Nick is also one of the funniest background conversations and it's just another step in their growing relationship. (SIDE NOTE: I personally find it hilarious how scared of Tori David is cause I feel like it's easy to forget that Tori and Nick are the same age. David is terrified of this woman when he so easily picks on his brother of the same age lol Just that Gothic, Ghost Aura she emits) Also hard to not be biased when I know future stuff and how Tori loves Nick cause of him being there for later stuff. And I love Nick's speech, but I am always so hung up on how they made Stephan slightly better cause in the show Nick says he shows up twice a year but in the comic it's only once a year lol Very true though, Nick has had such a varying degree of coming outs and you worded it so well. Julio also being a stark contrast to Stephan in the next moment, cause you can see when Nick leaves Charlie looks to him and he nods to Charlie that he can go after Nick. I've seen no one really mention it but i love the small connection this gives between them, he knows Charlie doesn't want to be here and that this whole moment must have been rough on both of them. And the whole scene in the back garden just warms my heart a ton. Nick seems so relieved to be free of the stress but you can still feel how sad and distressed he is. The "Why doesn't he care?" line then proceeds to break my heart, and if I was Sarah I would have died. It can't be an easy thing to have to talk to your kid about why their parent doesn't do enough. She doesn have a great response though and this is why we all need a Sarah in our lives. Stephan just leaving feels so incharacter cause he's only been in two scenes now but both times he leaves as fast as he can. He seems very unwilling to kind of confront issues and seems more content to just move away from the situation. I will give Stephan some credit in that he does try to connect with him by saying Charlie's a good lad, as well as the fact he recognizes that Nick does not want a hug. I saw a reactor question why David gets a hug but Nick doesn't. Nick's body language is pretty clear that he is closed off from Stephan and even if Stephan "Doesn't really get it" he KNOWS he messed up and that he needs to rebuild that relationship with his son. So clasping his arm is sort of the most affection he can really give to say that he wants to still try without breaking Nick's current boundaries. I'd personally say the only thing better he could have done was maybe squeezing Nick's shoulder so it felt more affectionate and less "Bro" lol The end of this episode is just....*lays on the floor in a pool of sadness*. I love how quick Nick is to look up things and try to inform himself. And I think Sarah confirming it for him is what really sets him over the edge of this being an issue cause now it's someone who doesn't know Charlie as closely as Nick does noticing it and saying something. The whole scene with Darcy is just so powerful. For one I love how much attention everyone is getting now that Alice has this show. Darcy looks so happy and proud and the instant fear when her mother walks in. I cannot imagine how hard it would be living with that. I'm sorry you yourself had to deal with all that
As always, your insights and indepth analysis have made my day. Like I have said before, you are definitely worth waiting for. This episode is so emotional and I feel so heartbroken for Darcy and what her daily life must be like with a parent like that. I actually felt a little bad for David after watching this time too. He definitely is craving his dad's approval and attention and he probably won't ever get it.
I really, really enjoy your in depth analysis. I've watched the series a dozen times and watched many reactors and you caught and brought attention to several things that I haven't seen!
I kind of sensed that David doesn't like Nellie very much and in the drawing of Nick first getting her he looks very young like as if they got her around the same time the divorce went down leading David to percieve Nick as "the favourite" despite Sarah clearly loving them both as equally as she can despite being closer to Nick.
One of the things that stuck out to me in this episode was that we see more of Darcy's home life and not more of Ben's. Even though Ben says his parents would never accept him, we don't see any concrete evidence of that. If this were Ben's story, then maybe we would see more of his background and what caused him to become the way he is. When we see him at the art school, we aren't entirely sure why he doesn't think he can be out. Obviously we know his mental state and can guess, but we don't know the specifics. I think excluding that was really important because it makes it clear that this is the story of Nick, Charlie, and their friends. Even though they come from similar situations, Ben is controlling and hateful, whereas Darcy is just immature and a little misguided. It's clear that Darcy is doing the best she can with the only skills/tools she has available to her and Ben isn't.
Lmao - "watching some variety of sports ball" is such a mood, but also deeply relatable, akin to Headmaster Barnes's description of rugby in season 1 episode 8. And definitely also my level of sports knowledge. But my guess is that it's probably rugby based on the fact that we know they all like rugby.
Love this video!! I agree that Stefan probably going to leave without saying goodbye. I loved that David was scared of Tori a bit. I was so happy for that! Tori is my hero... David loves causing trouble with Nick because he was jealous of his relationship with his mother. I never liked David because of his troublesome attitude. Stefan didn't deserve Nick at all. I love how Sarah trusts Nick so much. I also love that Sarah steps up to Stefan about Nick! And that's where Volume four left and now we need to wait til Season three to come out and I can't wait for it!! Hopefully it'll come out by early next year so we don't have to wait long... I'll make a prediction which is that I believe the production of season three will end in three months since season one production ended after two months and season 2 production ended after three months. I also think that Jane in the series will be a bit different than from the comics. I can't wait for volume five comes out in less than two months.... love that Charlie is getting more confident while Nick getting more comfortable with his sexuality! Great job on the video! I loved the part where Tori kicks the phone out of David's hand. He deserved it... he actually had the nerve to call Nick Dramatic when in actuality it was him being dramatic. David loves to cause trouble and Sarah knows that so that's why she stopped the conversation. I liked how Stefan came and said that David was not the guy that you expect him to be. His facial expressions got me as he was hurting because of the divorce but I felt like he blamed Nick for it in a way. I don't like blaming people but it was Stefan's fault for that but he doesn't see it that way. One of favorite scenes is where Nick and Charlie are outside and Charlie starts teasing him about being called Bro and Mate. Nick's facial reaction just made me laugh because he knows that Charlie is teasing him.
I’m extremely behind. I went to Australia in November of 2023 to visit my boyfriend, and it was a lovely but intense trip. And I totally fell out of heartstopper as a fan. Possibly because my own heart has been tested due to my own heartache, while loving my own Nicholas Nelson in Queensland. But I’ve been so behind since even coming back, and I’ve avoided your content. But as of this writing I’m ready to come back
I hope we could also get young Tori & Charlie because I love Charlie-Tori sibling friendship. And it would be so cute to see a young Tori with young Charlie moments to how they are now. I would also like to see more Tori & Charlie moments and why Tori is so protective of her brother. Because I always wonder did something happen in the past that makes Tori protective & worried for her brother? Since it’s so obvious Charlie means everything to Tori when she was literally about to cry when she was talking to Charlie because she was worried about him but I want to see a backstory of there sibling friendship timeline from where they are young to where they are now. Like I get we do get some amazing scenes with Tori & Charlie having a sister-brother adorable moments but I want them to be more recognized and be one of the main plots of one of the storylines. And I would love to know where Tori’s killer instinct come from because she was SO SURE that she will end anyone if they talk bad about or to her brother (When she threatened David & kicked David’s phone),she would even commit murder if that means keeping bullies away from her brother (Harry’s crew & Ben are sure damn lucky they NEVER MET TORI because if they did and Tori knew what they are doing to her brother. She would put them in caskets,dig their grave up and make their funeral arrangements. And I’m pretty sure that their bodies would never be found). Because no one comes in between her & her family. If a bully is going to bully someone makes sure that they don’t pick a person who has a protective,supportive & killer instinct sister. Charlie may not have a lot of friends back then before but I’m pretty sure Tori made it clear that he would ALWAYS HAVE HER.
I think Tori’s protective instinct started with her being the older sibling dealing with the dysfunctional family dynamics that were damaging to their development as kids. Young Charlie in particular is described as a loving, sensitive soul who couldn’t hurt a fly. Tori cherishes that part of her brother and knows the toll it takes to be around their brittle, moody mom who is kinda unpredictable, and that having a loving dad who is still awkward in relating to his children and always defers to his wife fails to balance her energy. You can see her role in the family dynamics when she’s repeatedly insisting her dad stop saying “hanky lanky.” I think in that scene she’s upset at their cold reaction and wants to insert herself to diminish the effect on Charlie of their disappointing response. There’s a lot explicitly revealed in Solitaire and a lot implied in Vols 4 and 5 of the comics. To avoid spoilers, I’ll try to be vague. Suffice it to say that she knew he was getting bullied but didn’t go to his school, so couldn’t protect him, and it gnaws at her because she knew what it did to him. Charlie told Nick about his self-harm, but Tori didn’t need to be told, because she knew.
The way this dinner reminds me of Shrek and Fiona's first dinner together with King and Queen in Shrek 2 :D, their eye rolls say more than any words can express. Stéphane being blissfully unaware of the tension and weirdness and keeps going on about generic topics and the second one of his children expresses interests he's like nah, whatever, I'm just trying to impress the guests. Sarah saying the entire monologues with her eye expressions - I love how after Stéphane says "rugby is very attractive sport for women" Sara just gives him the look "can I just aggresively disagree...as your EX-WIFE". Also the way he shuts him down after he tells David off for "not growing up to a man he'd hoped him to be" - well, if he stopped actively avoiding both of his children maybe he would've turned out different whatever that may mean. David acting like an actual elementary school kid...I mean what did he expect would happen if he outed Nick? It's not like it would be a breaking news for the entire table. Btw it amuses me how genuinely afraid he is of Tori (as he should) who is the same age as Nick is, but like...had this been a different show, she'd probably pinned his hand to the table with a fork at "don't you dare" :D. And you're right, I think she already accepted the fact that she has one more younger brother to protect, although this one's just 5 months younger. :) Julio and Jane just sitting there (background noise of crickets) like Queen Lilian and her little: "It's so nice to have the family together for dinner" (whistling noises) As for Nick...I still feel bad for him in a way, because even though he says he doesn't care I've been there in a situation where I'd go above and beyond for someone who I thought was my friend, but clearly that was only when I could be useful for them and I also said f**k it at one point, but htere's still that little voice at the back of my mind asking where did I go wrong? (which is also his case, because he's still asking Sarah why doesn't his dad care about him) But at this point I'd also like to point out Charlie's hugs. Nick Nelson hugs™ are usually greeting/cuddles, but Charlie's hugs are comfort during proper full-on gay crisis or when Nick confides in him about the situation with his dad in the Louvre and this is another one of them. P. S. I think Darcy would really benefit with a presence of Aled in the series who has a similar "cheerleader" at home. The'd have lots of things to discuss.
Thank you for your reaction. I hope your edits for your books continue. I completely understand that as a writer myself. Looking forward to Episode 8 :)
Now I’m having nightmares about Darcy’s mom going through her closets and drawers and purging all of the stuff she finds inappropriate before Darcy gets back. Thanks for that image - I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that ruinous thought….
Omg, when Nick & Charlie comes in and see Stéphane and David...boah the scene was so hetero and I love the little wink from Julio to Charlie, like go look after him and thx thom 🙏🏼and to be fair charlies mom is not Darcys mom and david has a problem because nick is happy and he not
He could have just been talking out of his ass, or it's possible that he heard about Nick's efforts to recruit Charlie earlier in the year through conversations with Sarah?
I think he was just improvising. I mean, Nick didn’t need to be obsessed about getting Charlie to join the rugby team. Nick had the idea, he immediately posed it to Charlie, who accepted the invitation within the span of 3 minutes. It was the effort of getting Charlie to stay on the team that I think was more significant, but yeah, I agree that David wouldn’t have known any of that and is talking out of his a**.
I don’t think Stephane is much closer to,David than he is to Nick. David is desperate for his father’s attention and love that he does and says whatever he thinks his father wants to hear. As much as a horrible brother he is to Nick, he is to be pitied too.
Nick’s dad didn’t need to ask the question that if they have girlfriends or not because that specifically assuming that they just like girls. Nick’s dad should of ask this question “Are you dating anyone?” To not be too specific. By the way Tori has just won the award for the BEST PROTECTIVE SISTER award. And I love how she protects Charlie because when she threatened David it basically means that if you don’t leave her brother alone she will already make your funeral plans. A lot of them all felt uncomfortable when David made comments about Nick & Charlie and when Nick’s dad ask the questions if they have girlfriends or not because they all know that Nick & Charlie are a couple
I always think asking a teenager about their romantic relationships as an adult is such a problematic way of making conversation- whatever their sexuality. It's really not anyone's business.
hi iam sorry to ask this just wounding when u finish this season of reaction are u going to do reaction on heartstopper s2 v comic what u did on s1 i love how nick stand up to his dad and david they are i wont say but u know what iam going to say i just love everything in this episode
@@thom_is_trans cool cant waite i love your reaction and i keep watching them and this season is so powerfull and its is so beautiful to watch i just love it
Thank you for making my day go off on the right foot 😊 like others have said, I am not sure I am ready to hear your reaction to the last episode, but since I have seen it probably 80+ times, it'll be cathartic (hopefully)
"Work isn't everything" - it seems to be to you! Like, yeah, ok, if not work then what is your excuse for ignoring your sons, huh? Stéphane is so bad. It is brutal how much David is shot down. But it's David so it's hard to care. And of course I'm very glad he was wrong about the reaction to Nick's relationship. Obviously it's not a great reaction, par for the course with Stéphane, but he's ok with it, even if he doesn't really know how to react to it. Jane changes her tune a little. But she still has to get that barb in about the schoolwork. I still hate that they took all the joy out of Charlie first telling them about Nick. It ruined that scene, imo. I know it was probably to contrast more with her here but... it's not a good enough payoff, especially when she still brings up the homework thing.
Honestly, Nick always has his arms folded/crossed. I notice it all the time when he’s talking to people. I don’t know if that is an actor’s choice/tick or not. Consequently, I don’t read too much into his arms crossed at that moment with his dad. Otherwise, another enjoyable deep dive with insightful commentary. Thanks for sharing.
As @taraxacum_sp said the table is a way too small for 8 people. But I think the room itself looks a bit small for 8 people. 😂 So in my opinion Nellie lived her best life in the garden that day 🥰
I think Nellie is such a good dog that, unlike almost every other dog in the world, when the family eats, she stays in Nick’s room and leaves them alone.
I feel the head shake (11:20) from Charlie's mom is more about why are you downplaying yourself in front of another family. It felt more competitive. Nick is a star rugby player and Charlie saying that he's not good triggered that competitive urge in Charlie's mom to stop him from losing the 'battle' of who's son is good at rugby. Idk it just felt like that to me. Not very supportive.
The look on her face is quite soft, so I'm inclined to believe it's supportiveness rather than competitiveness, especially since she's shown no signs of being competitive with Sarah over who has the "better" son. But as with anything, it's of course very much up to interpretation. Thanks for sharing yours!
Charlie has many wonderful qualities that I’m sure Jane is very proud of, but I doubt she has any illusions about which of the boys is better at rugby.
I’ve seen various interpretations of Kit’s portrayal of Nick in the scene where he and his father are parting at the door. Some people say it is clear from Nick’s body language with the crossed arms and stiff posture that he is signaling to his dad that he’s not welcome until his dad demonstrates he is willing to be better. One person implied that his body language was pre-emptive, in that he knew his dad wasn’t going to hug him after their interaction, and so he made it clear that he wasn’t expecting a hug. I interpret the body language as Nick trying to hold himself together. He’s devastated at fully understanding that his father is not prepared to change. He gave his speech about not caring, but that was an in-the-moment feeling of not caring. As he begins processing how massively his father has failed at being a dad, the pain continues to worm its way in, and then he catches his dad trying to sneak out of the gathering without so much as saying goodbye. When Stéphane says he wants to be a better dad, belying the act of trying to sneak out, Nick can tell that, no matter how much he wants that to be true, this time he cannot afford to believe it without evidence. I see Nick, who hugs so readily for comfort and for healing, as hugging himself in this moment. He has his arms crossed, and the forearms tight against his ribs, actually pushing into his torso. He’s taking force and actively directing it inward. For me, this very subtle difference (which may very well be me reading way too much into it) is less about telling his dad “Stay away,” which would be shoulders braced, chest puffed out, and arms firmly out in front as a barrier between himself and his dad, and more about, “don’t fall apart,” which his him trying to keep everything contained when he just watched his dad hug his brother. From the look in his eye and the quiver in his lip when his dad pats him on the shoulder, I get the impression that if his dad had actually opened up his arms to extend a hug to him, he would have just melted and hugged him back. He keeps pressing his lips together and working his mouth to keep from trembling, and as he’s at the door watching his father walking away his breath hitches; he knows how dangerous it would have been to let himself be fooled into hugging him, and yet he still desperately wanted it anyway. Although he very clearly knows it the best thing for him to do is let his dad go, he's not yet truly at peace with it. I don’t know if that’s real or if I’m just reading all that into it, but that’s my take on Kit’s portrayal here.
According to the Yearbook, Sarah divorced Stéphane when David was nine and Nick was five.
Oh real? I have to bye it
Thank you for this information! Someone else had said this, but I couldn't find it in the webcomic.
Thank you! I had recently heard this on another reactor's video but couldn't find a source to share it with Thom.
The fact that David was nine, I’ve always wondered if David put up a fight when Sarah changed the kids’ names from Fournier to Nelson. It must have angered a nine year old who loved his dad.
The way Joe/Charlie manages to mimic a cartoon character with his "I'm here for you, mate. Pal. Bro. Supportive straight friend?" never ceases to amaze me.
The last scene with Darcy is hard for me to watch too. I'm relieved that it becomes harder to hear the dialogue btwn them as it progresses. I was raised in a toxic family and was picked on like this no matter what I did. It wasn't even homophobia or discrimination in my case, just any excuse to try to take me down when I was either already feeling down or was actually feeling good (which I shouldn't be allowed to feel). I conformed to heteronormativity quite a bit and still would get flack like this over the most petty bullshit. It felt like my existence and breathing was the problem, not my actions.
Yes, Darcy's mom is homophobic but she would treat Darcy like that even if Darcy was perfectly heteronormative; she would find something else to bully her about bc that's what ppl like that do.
Thanks for the insight into David's struggle of trying to get his dads approval and it never being enough. I felt frustrated with him when his Dad literally forgot which town David's school is in. Sheesh.
A lot of stuff happens in this ep but it feels very balanced. Take care Thom!
14:07 Yes, I love that Tori has embraced Nick as a brother she needs to protect, just as much as she protects Charlie. Tori is the best!
You mentioned Nick’s Dad’s “bro hug” shoulder pat when he leaves. It struck me that this is exactly what Nick does way back in Episode 1 when he comforts Charlie after Ben’s assault. It’s fascinating to think that that’s how he has learned to express affection from his Dad, and that part of his learning is to open himself to more honest expressions of affection, the famous Nick hug, that he never received from his Dad. I have no idea if it’s intentional but it’s wonderful
Seeing the family dynamic at the dinner party really underscored for me how isolated Nick must have felt growing up. His father left when he was young, and his brother, who is several years older, doesn’t know how to relate to him like an actual person. He is closest to his mother, but she’s not as dialed in as Tao’s mom is, and when her son responds to her questions with a one-word answer, half the time she’s ok to just let him stay lost in his thoughts. For years his mates have been the rugby lads who prattle on about sport and gossip and all manner of superficial things. When he met Charlie and started texting him, that easy connection and that feeling of being really seen and heard for the first time must have hit him like a ton of bricks. No wonder he fell so hard for Charlie - here was this guy who was ready to talk to him about anything and everything for as long as he wanted and would make him feel special for what he had to say, perhaps for the first time ever. That is a powerful gift and intoxicating in its effect. No wonder Nick was in a panic when he led Charlie into the corridor on Sports Day, thinking he may have lost this person who made him feel this way, and no wonder he was so vehement in expressing why he thought Charlie was the most amazing person he’d ever met. Nick spent so much time being admired and esteemed and fully one of the team, and yet for all those years was so very, very alone.
In terms of Jane's reaction the Charlie saying he's not very good at rugby, the opposite could also be argued that her perfectionism kicked in and she went on alert, indicating to Charlie that he should never admit any weakness or deficiency (but she's self-aware enough to do it in a social/dinner party way). Jane is a puzzle, lol.
I enjoy the parallel of the first thing that David says to Nick when he is introduced this season is "have you found a girlfriend yet" which is all that Stèphane asks Nick when he sees him. David has fully absorbed his father's ideas that your worth is based on your ability to pull a girl.
Great point, and I totally missed that!
I loved that they added "supportive straight friend" to Charlie's bro-y names for Nick, I like to imagine Nick and Charlie have shared a laugh over that attempt at sussing Nick out in S1E2.
It says a lot that Sarah noticed Charlie's eating habits after a single meal, while we can assume Jane and Julio haven't picked up on them at all...
My favorite moment from the dinner party scene (or perhaps the whole episode) is actually a tiny little moment where Julio nods to Charlie to go after Nick and comfort him. He does this while holding Jane’s hand as she is so wracked with embarrassment about being on the periphery of the family fight that she’s hunched over the table, not making eye contact with anybody. He’s explicitly giving guidance and support to Charlie about how to be a supportive partner to his boyfriend while being a supportive partner to his wife. A critically important part of parenting is teaching your child to be a good partner to their significant other. One can do it through explicit lessons or one can do it through modeling the appropriate behavior, and Julio can be seen doing both. I really, really wish he would take more initiative with the parenting, as he has really good instincts and a loving, approachable demeanor. In Season 3, I think it would be lovely if there was a moment where Charlie is going through a rough patch and he seeks his father out for a bit of advice like Nick does with his mom.
I really appreciate and enjoy your observations Thom. Unrelated but I would love to hear your opinion on this , there has been a lot of filming of the filming of season 3 and I just wish they were left to film in peace . Their privacy is already so compromised, that I wish they were just left alone to work in peace and enjoy down time in peace . Filming has to be hard and these are young actors .
One of the things I like doing is watching reaction videos to Heartstopper by reactors who live in different countries so that I can experience a variety of perspectives. So many people are so angry at Nick’s dad, and I just wanted to share a different viewpoint. I watched a RUclips reactor who had objected volubly to Nick’s plan to come out at various parts of the season; he kept saying, “You don’t have to come out for anyone, why is this something you’re so set on doing? Why would you risk that?” Then when Nick’s mom told him before the dinner party, “You know, he doesn’t have to know, sweetheart; he’s got no right to know - you don’t owe him a thing,” he said, “EXACTLY! I love that - THIS is the message! Listen to your mom!” Then when Nick puts down his cutlery and says, “This is ridiculous,” in preparation for coming out to his dad, this reactor was saying “No! No! No!” and covered his face. Then Nick says, “I was really stressed out about telling you, but I don’t care what you think about it anymore,” and he says, “What if he beats you up?!” Then Nick leaves the dinner table and his dad doesn’t pursue him, and the reactor said, “I thought this was going to go way worse.” Cut to the scene with Nick’s dad leaving, and the reactor says, “And he apologizes! What was the point of introducing this tension about his dad’s response? Was I supposed to feel bad? I don’t feel that bad. Oh, I forget that this is a fantasy sometimes.” It turns out the reactor is/was from the Middle East, where revealing that you’re gay is inviting rejection, violence, and worse. Of course, the most common criticism of Heartstopper is that it looks at these issues through rose-colored glasses and downplays the harm that members of the LGBTQ+ community experience all the time. I consider Heartstopper a comfort show, and it’s nice that it doesn’t portray traumatic experiences onscreen that could trigger people. It seems relatable to a lot of people, but I also find it interesting to see the ways in which people find it not relatable. It’s helped educate me about the breadth of authentic experiences people have had in a way that wasn’t intuitively accessible to me before now.
Yeah I agree. Watching lgbtq+ reactors react to this show is like another layer to the show. You get to hear and see what is being shown on the screen from lived experiences. I find it a real privilege because everyone's take is valid, even if I took something different away from each scene. I guess that's the point of art - we all bring our own experiences to it and interpret it in different ways.
@@ThatsMyUsborneBookYes! Exactly this!
I note Sarah rolling her eyes at hearing Stéphane saying that rugby is a very attractive sport to women. I can just feel her trying to telegraph to the Springs that she didn’t fall for Stéphane for such an embarrassingly superficial reason, but he’s not giving her much to work with to explain why she would have chosen to be with him in the first place.
Certainly useless information, but... 😂
The match Stéphane and David are watching is a rugby match between the teams from Toulouse and Montpellier, two of the most important rugby teams in France 😉
Thank you so much for this new video and as usual highlighting so many points I hadn't necessarily seen 😍
Hahaha! I knew nothing about rugby before Heartstopper, and even though all I did was read Proud because Isaac was reading it (and then watched a few hours of intro-to-rugby RUclips videos to make sense of Gareth’s story), I immediately recognized the significance of the two teams playing when Stephane invites them to watch. They are SO famous, it’s like saying Manchester United is playing Liverpool or Kansas City is playing Philadelphia. You know the sport from the rivalry immediately!
** COMIC SPOILERS** The “drama queen boyfriend” comment is one thing where I think a bit is lost in adaptation. In the comics, David has actually known Charlie for a while (and knows about his mental health struggles), which makes that comment more cutting and personal. In the show it’s more of a “wow where did he get THAT from?!” moment. I kind of miss the context of it being a moment of mental ableism from David. It makes Tori’s response even more satisfying.
There are a few things like that in the dinner scene that I think were lost/changed in the adaptation. Lots of context is different because of how much that scene was moved up in the timeline. Ultimately I think it works, but I’m a little sad we won’t get to see this scene in season 3, because the tension and depth would’ve been amazing. Though I do get why they did it, and also really appreciate the additional depth they added with Stephane and his nonrelationships with his sons in the show, particularly the impact it has on Nick.
The ableist undertones would have made the comment even more offensive, but it doesn't strike me as out of place in the adaptation because it's also exactly the kind of homophobic insult someone like David would fling at Charlie.
I agree with you about all of it. This scene works in the adaptation primarily because it is set up by the previous scene with Nick’s dad in Paris. The chronically absent and uninvolved father issue is set up there effectively enough for this to work, and we get a much deeper insight into what it does to Nick. The absent father issue in the comic is just a series of times Nick is really disappointed his dad doesn’t show up, but he doesn’t really open up about it. However, the implications of David’s behavior at the dinner is way worse in the comic precisely because of the timing and because we know he knows everything Nick and Charlie have been through, and he still chooses to be a little sh*t about it. I am ambivalent about them moving the scene, but I imagine there will be something in Season 3 to replace it in terms of Nick’s development. It was definitely nice to see Nick going through personal struggles in Season 2 at the same time Charlie did, so it doesn’t lock them into the broken boy/angelic savior dynamic that Charlie fears in Ep 8. It truly felt balanced this season in how Nick’s battles and Charlie’s (mostly internal) battles were concurrent, and they alternated being supports for each other.
The “ why not slay” made me laugh so hard ❤️😂
I never get personal…but I love the highlights. Red looks good on you. Plus your intro was hysterical, an introvert who works from home called for duty at a trade show. What hell! Love your deep dives, as always.
I would be interested to know what it means that Nick's father was (I suspect) deliberately shown making the very same two gestures that Nick makes in S1, namely the wave and the shoulder pat. It seems to me to show that Nick has these from his father and that he maybe is growing out of them as he is stopping to please (or imitate?) his father, as his wave changes over S2. What does it say about the shoulder pat he gives Charlie in S1E1? What does it mean for the story and in terms of how Nick learns to perform "masculinity"? How much of it do kids/teens learn from possible father figures and how much from the rest of their environment?
I love this observation!!!
While I think this has a lot of merit, they’re also just really common mannerisms in the UK exactly as shown (at least in my circles, even though we do also all hug a lot). That said though, they do draw a fair amount of attention to it which makes me think they’re explicitly making the parallel.
Great observation!
We know Nick is an almost pathological people pleaser. Here we see a bit more about what might have contributed to that. Both his father’s absence and David’s seemingly constant painting of him as ‘making a fuss’ for many years would probably give someone that world view. That makes the coming out here even more significant to me. This is the first time we’ve ever seen or heard of Nick doing something purely for himself. He didn’t come out to his father for his father’s sake, but because it was irritating him to have David playing games around it and he just wanted some peace. That’s an incredibly important character moment.
We also see another way that Nick might feel the pressure of people pleasing: his father’s preoccupation with Nick getting a girlfriend (with the implication of mild disappointment that he hasn’t). Not only does this make more sense of Nick’s reluctance to challenge Harry, but it also feeds my head canon that Nick is demi. Not sure if that take seems incredibly out there?
Last point from this episode: Tori gets angry and starts moving towards the stairs as soon as she hears him talking about *Nick* not Charlie. I think Nick is the brother she’s talking about. That warmed my heart. He’s another brother to her now, and it makes me wonder at what might be added to the October to December period arc.
Thom! I’m so sorry you went through all of this and I bet you were super handsome in your suit!!!! You are a boss! And we are all gayer and better for it
Hearing Stéphane scream at the TV when they arrive at Nick's house always gives me war flashbacks to my brothers/exes getting angry at video games. It makes me simultaneously want to jump off a cliff and break stuff. 😀 Also, him and David sitting on the couch while Sarah is cooking makes me irrationally angry. But I love how sweet Sarah is to Charlie. 🥲
And that table is way too small for 8 people. 😅
I'm so relieved that the title of the episode refers (mostly) to Ben and Stéphane's apologies. When they announced it, I assumed there would be conflict between Nick and Charlie that one of them would have to apologize for. Or something awful like that (it's episode 7 after all, we have to keep the emotional damage tradition). I'm glad my assumption was wrong. I love how they stayed a strong unit and were so understanding and communicative with each other this season.
I don't think I'm ready for your episode 8 analysis. 🫣
I'm so glad you're back! But also grateful that you felt like you could take a break when you needed to.
Thank you for the video! 🫶
Lol as to the table size - UK homes are small and this small table situation is very typical for dinner parties! Forever the bain of our existence!
I was always a bit confused by the time jump between when Nick, Sarah, and Charlie are talking outside about the dinner and the next scene when Nick catches Stéphane leaving without saying goodbye. Something had to have happened in the interim. The sun hadn’t even set yet when Sarah and Nick hug, and yet it’s full dark when Stéphane is heading to the door. In addition to that, David comes down the stairs to say goodbye to his dad from his room, showing that he has left the table and their guests for a time. I do like the way this scene was framed, with the difficult, important conversation about being a better father happening between Nick and Stéphane, with David entering the scene from above as an afterthought. It visually underscores the line where Stéphane mixes up what city he lives in. David admires Stéphane and wants his approval so much, but he’s still subject to Stéphane’s neglect.
Re Jane: I think this was the latest they could have had her forge a friendship with Sarah. In the comics at this point they’re already on a first name basis and catching up upon arrival (Sarah and Julio having hung out at the Paris info session). Certainly I’d expect everything to be firmly in place by the time the S3 content hits.
The Paris meeting scene seemed so stripped down to me that I thought it was weird. Like, why weren’t the parents there as they were in the comics? Was it a budget/production headache? Was parent-teacher night too much, and they had to cut elsewhere? The scene was somewhat useful in revealing some character dynamics, but it packed more punch in the comics (like having the parents mixing), and in the show it looks like kinda a waste of time. Like, here are some info packets. - now tell us your groups of 4 and skeddadle!
I think they've been doing well at tightening up the story -- really, on the whole, I think they've improved it. For the expense of production, making it a show that is able to reach a broader audience and remain relevant means reducing focus in some places in order to enhance it elsewhere (the Tao/Elle story especially, but also Darcy and Isaac's stories).
In particular I think they've also been working at keeping continuity visible: I mention above that in the comics I infer Jane and Sarah have met before, though I certainly have no evidence beyond them greeting each other the way they do. On the screen, that level of familiarity would come out of nowhere and people would complain about it. Instead, in the way they have it here, they turn dinner into the way that Jane sees Nick for the person he really is (someone who *wants* to be seen as Charlie's boyfriend), and Sarah for who she is (someone who has her own child issues, but in defense of Nick and Charlie, and David if need be), and thus have a reason to warm up to N+C's relationship as something perhaps more than some school-age romance.
Just a shift in placing the scene in the entire story I think makes the whole plot around Jane stronger, which she really needs for herself, and starts catering to the needs of her relationship with Nick for the upcoming plot line. So while on the surface, the dinner was the vehicle for Nick to complete his coming out story, but that could have been completed in Paris with the café scene. Instead, I'd say the dinner on screen was really about Jane.
@@deoradhyeah I think Jane seeing Sarah and Nick in a vulnerable state of family drama like this can help her feel it's easier to form a closer relationship with them.
Thom glad to see you back. Good news about your book. As always fantastic review. I totally missed Darcy's mom telling her to "get out!" And thank you for sharing that painful memory with us about your mom's reaction to you in a suit. I can see why this scene was extra hard for you.
8:08 I've found that shows like Heartstopper I have to watch multiple times because I need to watch one certain character through the whole scene, but then I miss what the other characters are doing or their facial expressions. I can't focus on multiple characters in a scene.
I do that, too! I also have watched on my phone, laptop, and TV, because having differences in depth and scale pull different things into my attention. The Heartstopper interactions are so layered that rewatching is an automatic must.
So excited to see this pop up today ❤ thank you so much for your very insightful and thorough commentary! A special thank you for being one of the few reactors that understood Darcy was kicked out. Hope you're well and recuperated as much as possible ❤❤
The dinner scene is just so great! So many excellent acting moments!
The difference between Stéphane here vs the comics is subtle: in the comics, he suggests getting together with N+C while he’s still in town. Definitely the start of repairing the relationship rather than basically failing to make a move as seen here.
Lots of points like this to explore in the next series of Comics vs Show. There are lots of little tiny changes that add up to being fairly significant differences in the characters’ development. I like the comics and the show both, but in spite of the fact that all of the plot, a lot of the dialogue, and many times the visual framing is the same, there’s a tangible divergence in the way the characters are portrayed.
Given the drive to explore the breadth of representation in the show versus the comics, I am pretty well convinced this was to make Stéphane into a demonstration of "distant parent who remains distant" instead of the related trope of "distant parent who grows closer". The latter is Jane's story (in both comics and TV), who cares very much about Charlie but doesn't know how to talk with Charlie, yet keeps trying to do her best. Not even remembering his favored son's school is a good sign that his life really is with Martine.
Distant parents happen, it's good to acknowledge that fact, and it's good to acknowledge that sometimes you can't change it. Showing this is in line with the way Oseman & co seem intent on ensuring there's details for everyone among their audience to find inspiration/solace from.
@@deoradhExcellent point and very insightful!
Uargh, I can so relate to needing years of recovery after a trade show! 🥴 I'm so proud of you for feeling comfortable taking that time for yourself. 😊We are happy to wait for content until whenever you have time, energy and inspiration to create something. And, wow, there are so many things in here that you explained that I hadn't spotted/realized. Your videos are just invaluable.
The only thing I wrote down for my essay-that-was-never-going-to-happen were the knives, haha. I loved how the knives were "coming out", held up, glistening and captured by the camera when the mood at the table rapidly got worse and worse. 🔪🔪
Of course, I knew the story of your suit from your blog and from a previous video, but ever since seeing episode 7 for the first time, I had been looking forward to hearing the story again in your reaction to this scene. Watching Darcy's mother's face hurts so much. 😓
Edit: It's not new new anymore, but I haven't yet mentioned that I love your new outro. 💜
Nice work spotting the subtle brandishing of the knives!
It’s so important that this show portrays so many different styles of parenting, including the very harmful ones. Once again, I think adults/parents definitely need to watch this show and learn! The desire to have your kids take after you, like things you do, think like you, etc. is VERY strong. I find it’s an instinct I sometimes have to fight against, and that it’s something I need to frequently and proactively communicate to my kid (“you don’t have to be like me for me to love you”).
Bit of a spoiler, but in the remainder of the comics (or in the novellas),we don’t see Stephane ever again after this dinner. I take that to mean that unfortunately he never does make the attempt to be in Nick’s life in any meaningful way. I wonder if they’ll keep it that way in the show as well. I think it’s good to keep it that way, because unfortunately it’s very realistic. As for Darcy’s family life, I do hope they continue the storyline in season 3 and it’s not just glossed over.
I can’t think of a better way to end my evening than to have this pop up on Patreon. 😀
I saw Charlie blink while watching Nick’s dad greet him with that fist bump, and although Nick is trying to smile through the awkwardness, I imagined Charlie to be thinking “WTH - my dad would never….” Charlie, whose dad was not only saying supportive things and showing himself to be a protector, but who held his son in the car without hesitation while he sobbed after coming away from the party he asked to stay up late to attend.
Also, before Season 2 came out, I used to be a Jane apologist. Jane is more nuanced in the comics, in my opinion, and even during Episode 2 when she is at her most combative with Charlie, I could understand her concern over his spiraling school performance and his willful disobedience. By the time we got to Episode 7, I heard her telling Sarah that “We are very used to drama in our house,” and my blood started boiling. I was like, “Ok, but who is the reason for that drama? Is it your reclusive, razor-witted daughter who barely makes an appearance because she’s always hiding in her room? Is it your concerned, supportive husband, who wants to make sure Charlie’s ok all the time because he recognizes how vulnerable he is? Is it Charlie, who has been bullied and isolated and harassed, and in spite of all of that still smiles at you when he has good news to share? No! It’s you! It’s you who raise your voice to steamroll over your son’s frustration and you who put the edge in your tone when you see disobedience instead of desperation.” That little throw-away comment about the drama is precisely where she lost me, and it’s going to take a lot to win back my empathy. Now when people try to defend her responses in Episode 2, I’m ready to lay out all of the ways in which her parenting style is dysfunctional and profoundly harmful, and although that’s probably what Alice intended, that is not where had planned to go until I heard that one little line.
I think I have made this observation elsewhere but I think it is the excellence of Kit's acting here that as he closes the door after his Dad's exit that he looks like he has matured ten years. I am so jealous of the acting chops of Kit and Joe and Edvin and Omar. All these spectacular young actors with such amazing talent. And I don't think I will ever quite forgive you for not loving Young Royals as much as I do. 😊
God do I feel that introvert pain XD Least you got through it though :D Now for the episode paragraph. David does seem to desire that strong connection with their Dad, in a way you could say that he feels the same way Nick does but from a different angle. David also does connect better with Stephan since he can be the whole "Oh Yeah Sport Sports SPorts, Girls Girls Girls." unlike Nick who wants his Dad to understand there's more to Nick's life than that. But then we can also see that David is still fighting to want Stephan's love as you can see how disappointed/sad David is when his Dad doesn't even know where he's studying for University ontop of being told at dinner he isn't what his father hoped he'd be. David's still a homophobic prick but it is a nice layer to his character that if he wasn't such a douche he'd maybe have a good relationship with Sarah and Nick if he stopped trying to be better and just try to enjoy his family. I also personally sympathize with Nick cause I never had the best relationship with my Dad and we saw each other very little, but we did butt heads a lot and kind of like David I just hung onto the very select things that we did bond over. (My Dad was also very hung up on me getting girlfriends so every conversation with Stephan that Nick has feels VERY familiar lol) I thought of this when you talked about Stephan's "bro" greeting for Nick, but Stephan seems very stuck in his college years mentally and I think that's why Sarah seems so done with him. All he cares about his very Frat Boy Bro things, Impressing the ladies, and Sports which might also be why he gets along with David a bit more. David is in that place currently so it's easier to blend into that mindset around him and keep that very 2D personality going.
MAN THE DINNER SCENE IS SO GOOD!!! So much love to all of them for their facial acting in this scene. Sarah's faces and Tori's eyeroll just *chef's kiss*. Stephan is very good at "knowing what to say" and it's probably a work skill he's adapted so ironically while he says work isnt everything it's how he handles everything. David's poking also horribly triggers my anxiety cause god I would hate to be at this table XD We stan how aggressively defensive Tori is of both Charlie and Nick. As we've talked about before, Tori knows everything Charlie went through and is incredibly on the same page as Charlie of making sure Nick doesn't go through that either. Her vice-grip on David's arm is such a strong message of "Don't you dare out my brother to your father. AND ESPECIALLY DONT YOU OUT NICK." I do love how Tori and Nick's relationship grows from even episode 1. She has seen how happy Charlie and Nick make each other when no one else is around, she has seen both Charlie and Nick at some of their lowest, and she values both of them as her little brothers. Her calling David a prick after dinner to Nick is also one of the funniest background conversations and it's just another step in their growing relationship. (SIDE NOTE: I personally find it hilarious how scared of Tori David is cause I feel like it's easy to forget that Tori and Nick are the same age. David is terrified of this woman when he so easily picks on his brother of the same age lol Just that Gothic, Ghost Aura she emits) Also hard to not be biased when I know future stuff and how Tori loves Nick cause of him being there for later stuff. And I love Nick's speech, but I am always so hung up on how they made Stephan slightly better cause in the show Nick says he shows up twice a year but in the comic it's only once a year lol Very true though, Nick has had such a varying degree of coming outs and you worded it so well. Julio also being a stark contrast to Stephan in the next moment, cause you can see when Nick leaves Charlie looks to him and he nods to Charlie that he can go after Nick. I've seen no one really mention it but i love the small connection this gives between them, he knows Charlie doesn't want to be here and that this whole moment must have been rough on both of them. And the whole scene in the back garden just warms my heart a ton. Nick seems so relieved to be free of the stress but you can still feel how sad and distressed he is. The "Why doesn't he care?" line then proceeds to break my heart, and if I was Sarah I would have died. It can't be an easy thing to have to talk to your kid about why their parent doesn't do enough. She doesn have a great response though and this is why we all need a Sarah in our lives. Stephan just leaving feels so incharacter cause he's only been in two scenes now but both times he leaves as fast as he can. He seems very unwilling to kind of confront issues and seems more content to just move away from the situation. I will give Stephan some credit in that he does try to connect with him by saying Charlie's a good lad, as well as the fact he recognizes that Nick does not want a hug. I saw a reactor question why David gets a hug but Nick doesn't. Nick's body language is pretty clear that he is closed off from Stephan and even if Stephan "Doesn't really get it" he KNOWS he messed up and that he needs to rebuild that relationship with his son. So clasping his arm is sort of the most affection he can really give to say that he wants to still try without breaking Nick's current boundaries. I'd personally say the only thing better he could have done was maybe squeezing Nick's shoulder so it felt more affectionate and less "Bro" lol
The end of this episode is just....*lays on the floor in a pool of sadness*. I love how quick Nick is to look up things and try to inform himself. And I think Sarah confirming it for him is what really sets him over the edge of this being an issue cause now it's someone who doesn't know Charlie as closely as Nick does noticing it and saying something. The whole scene with Darcy is just so powerful. For one I love how much attention everyone is getting now that Alice has this show. Darcy looks so happy and proud and the instant fear when her mother walks in. I cannot imagine how hard it would be living with that. I'm sorry you yourself had to deal with all that
As always, your insights and indepth analysis have made my day. Like I have said before, you are definitely worth waiting for. This episode is so emotional and I feel so heartbroken for Darcy and what her daily life must be like with a parent like that. I actually felt a little bad for David after watching this time too. He definitely is craving his dad's approval and attention and he probably won't ever get it.
Darcy deserves all the love she can handle 💜
I really, really enjoy your in depth analysis. I've watched the series a dozen times and watched many reactors and you caught and brought attention to several things that I haven't seen!
I kind of sensed that David doesn't like Nellie very much and in the drawing of Nick first getting her he looks very young like as if they got her around the same time the divorce went down leading David to percieve Nick as "the favourite" despite Sarah clearly loving them both as equally as she can despite being closer to Nick.
Not liking Nellie? 🚩🚩🚩
One of the things that stuck out to me in this episode was that we see more of Darcy's home life and not more of Ben's. Even though Ben says his parents would never accept him, we don't see any concrete evidence of that. If this were Ben's story, then maybe we would see more of his background and what caused him to become the way he is. When we see him at the art school, we aren't entirely sure why he doesn't think he can be out. Obviously we know his mental state and can guess, but we don't know the specifics. I think excluding that was really important because it makes it clear that this is the story of Nick, Charlie, and their friends. Even though they come from similar situations, Ben is controlling and hateful, whereas Darcy is just immature and a little misguided. It's clear that Darcy is doing the best she can with the only skills/tools she has available to her and Ben isn't.
Lmao - "watching some variety of sports ball" is such a mood, but also deeply relatable, akin to Headmaster Barnes's description of rugby in season 1 episode 8. And definitely also my level of sports knowledge. But my guess is that it's probably rugby based on the fact that we know they all like rugby.
Headmaster Barnes is a whole mood, each and every time!
Love this video!! I agree that Stefan probably going to leave without saying goodbye. I loved that David was scared of Tori a bit. I was so happy for that! Tori is my hero... David loves causing trouble with Nick because he was jealous of his relationship with his mother. I never liked David because of his troublesome attitude. Stefan didn't deserve Nick at all. I love how Sarah trusts Nick so much. I also love that Sarah steps up to Stefan about Nick! And that's where Volume four left and now we need to wait til Season three to come out and I can't wait for it!! Hopefully it'll come out by early next year so we don't have to wait long... I'll make a prediction which is that I believe the production of season three will end in three months since season one production ended after two months and season 2 production ended after three months. I also think that Jane in the series will be a bit different than from the comics. I can't wait for volume five comes out in less than two months.... love that Charlie is getting more confident while Nick getting more comfortable with his sexuality! Great job on the video! I loved the part where Tori kicks the phone out of David's hand. He deserved it... he actually had the nerve to call Nick Dramatic when in actuality it was him being dramatic. David loves to cause trouble and Sarah knows that so that's why she stopped the conversation. I liked how Stefan came and said that David was not the guy that you expect him to be. His facial expressions got me as he was hurting because of the divorce but I felt like he blamed Nick for it in a way. I don't like blaming people but it was Stefan's fault for that but he doesn't see it that way.
One of favorite scenes is where Nick and Charlie are outside and Charlie starts teasing him about being called Bro and Mate. Nick's facial reaction just made me laugh because he knows that Charlie is teasing him.
I’m extremely behind. I went to Australia in November of 2023 to visit my boyfriend, and it was a lovely but intense trip. And I totally fell out of heartstopper as a fan. Possibly because my own heart has been tested due to my own heartache, while loving my own Nicholas Nelson in Queensland. But I’ve been so behind since even coming back, and I’ve avoided your content. But as of this writing I’m ready to come back
I hope we could also get young Tori & Charlie because I love Charlie-Tori sibling friendship. And it would be so cute to see a young Tori with young Charlie moments to how they are now.
I would also like to see more Tori & Charlie moments and why Tori is so protective of her brother. Because I always wonder did something happen in the past that makes Tori protective & worried for her brother? Since it’s so obvious Charlie means everything to Tori when she was literally about to cry when she was talking to Charlie because she was worried about him but I want to see a backstory of there sibling friendship timeline from where they are young to where they are now.
Like I get we do get some amazing scenes with Tori & Charlie having a sister-brother adorable moments but I want them to be more recognized and be one of the main plots of one of the storylines.
And I would love to know where Tori’s killer instinct come from because she was SO SURE that she will end anyone if they talk bad about or to her brother (When she threatened David & kicked David’s phone),she would even commit murder if that means keeping bullies away from her brother (Harry’s crew & Ben are sure damn lucky they NEVER MET TORI because if they did and Tori knew what they are doing to her brother. She would put them in caskets,dig their grave up and make their funeral arrangements. And I’m pretty sure that their bodies would never be found).
Because no one comes in between her & her family. If a bully is going to bully someone makes sure that they don’t pick a person who has a protective,supportive & killer instinct sister.
Charlie may not have a lot of friends back then before but I’m pretty sure Tori made it clear that he would ALWAYS HAVE HER.
I think Tori’s protective instinct started with her being the older sibling dealing with the dysfunctional family dynamics that were damaging to their development as kids. Young Charlie in particular is described as a loving, sensitive soul who couldn’t hurt a fly. Tori cherishes that part of her brother and knows the toll it takes to be around their brittle, moody mom who is kinda unpredictable, and that having a loving dad who is still awkward in relating to his children and always defers to his wife fails to balance her energy. You can see her role in the family dynamics when she’s repeatedly insisting her dad stop saying “hanky lanky.” I think in that scene she’s upset at their cold reaction and wants to insert herself to diminish the effect on Charlie of their disappointing response. There’s a lot explicitly revealed in Solitaire and a lot implied in Vols 4 and 5 of the comics. To avoid spoilers, I’ll try to be vague. Suffice it to say that she knew he was getting bullied but didn’t go to his school, so couldn’t protect him, and it gnaws at her because she knew what it did to him. Charlie told Nick about his self-harm, but Tori didn’t need to be told, because she knew.
So glad you're back! Great vid as always, thanks.
The way this dinner reminds me of Shrek and Fiona's first dinner together with King and Queen in Shrek 2 :D, their eye rolls say more than any words can express.
Stéphane being blissfully unaware of the tension and weirdness and keeps going on about generic topics and the second one of his children expresses interests he's like nah, whatever, I'm just trying to impress the guests.
Sarah saying the entire monologues with her eye expressions - I love how after Stéphane says "rugby is very attractive sport for women" Sara just gives him the look "can I just aggresively disagree...as your EX-WIFE". Also the way he shuts him down after he tells David off for "not growing up to a man he'd hoped him to be" - well, if he stopped actively avoiding both of his children maybe he would've turned out different whatever that may mean.
David acting like an actual elementary school kid...I mean what did he expect would happen if he outed Nick? It's not like it would be a breaking news for the entire table. Btw it amuses me how genuinely afraid he is of Tori (as he should) who is the same age as Nick is, but like...had this been a different show, she'd probably pinned his hand to the table with a fork at "don't you dare" :D. And you're right, I think she already accepted the fact that she has one more younger brother to protect, although this one's just 5 months younger. :)
Julio and Jane just sitting there (background noise of crickets) like Queen Lilian and her little: "It's so nice to have the family together for dinner" (whistling noises)
As for Nick...I still feel bad for him in a way, because even though he says he doesn't care I've been there in a situation where I'd go above and beyond for someone who I thought was my friend, but clearly that was only when I could be useful for them and I also said f**k it at one point, but htere's still that little voice at the back of my mind asking where did I go wrong? (which is also his case, because he's still asking Sarah why doesn't his dad care about him) But at this point I'd also like to point out Charlie's hugs. Nick Nelson hugs™ are usually greeting/cuddles, but Charlie's hugs are comfort during proper full-on gay crisis or when Nick confides in him about the situation with his dad in the Louvre and this is another one of them.
P. S. I think Darcy would really benefit with a presence of Aled in the series who has a similar "cheerleader" at home. The'd have lots of things to discuss.
I love all your videos. It makes me so happy to hear your thoughts on the show :)
Thank you for your reaction. I hope your edits for your books continue. I completely understand that as a writer myself. Looking forward to Episode 8 :)
Since we don't have Aled, I wonder if Darcy's mum is sort of a stand-in for her. She definitely has a similar vibe.
Now I’m having nightmares about Darcy’s mom going through her closets and drawers and purging all of the stuff she finds inappropriate before Darcy gets back. Thanks for that image - I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that ruinous thought….
Great video as always, Thom!!
Omg, when Nick & Charlie comes in and see Stéphane and David...boah the scene was so hetero and I love the little wink from Julio to Charlie, like go look after him and thx thom 🙏🏼and to be fair charlies mom is not Darcys mom and david has a problem because nick is happy and he not
I'm glad you're back 😻 looking forward to The final episode, But it's also sad that Season 2 ist already done 😭
How does David know Nick was obsessed with getting Charlie on the rugby team?
He could have just been talking out of his ass, or it's possible that he heard about Nick's efforts to recruit Charlie earlier in the year through conversations with Sarah?
I think he was just improvising. I mean, Nick didn’t need to be obsessed about getting Charlie to join the rugby team. Nick had the idea, he immediately posed it to Charlie, who accepted the invitation within the span of 3 minutes. It was the effort of getting Charlie to stay on the team that I think was more significant, but yeah, I agree that David wouldn’t have known any of that and is talking out of his a**.
I don’t think Stephane is much closer to,David than he is to Nick. David is desperate for his father’s attention and love that he does and says whatever he thinks his father wants to hear. As much as a horrible brother he is to Nick, he is to be pitied too.
Nick’s dad didn’t need to ask the question that if they have girlfriends or not because that specifically assuming that they just like girls. Nick’s dad should of ask this question “Are you dating anyone?” To not be too specific.
By the way Tori has just won the award for the BEST PROTECTIVE SISTER award. And I love how she protects Charlie because when she threatened David it basically means that if you don’t leave her brother alone she will already make your funeral plans.
A lot of them all felt uncomfortable when David made comments about Nick & Charlie and when Nick’s dad ask the questions if they have girlfriends or not because they all know that Nick & Charlie are a couple
Even lovely Sarah made the same mistake in season 1. “Don’t worry, the right girl will come along.” :/
I always think asking a teenager about their romantic relationships as an adult is such a problematic way of making conversation- whatever their sexuality. It's really not anyone's business.
hi iam sorry to ask this just wounding when u finish this season of reaction are u going to do reaction on heartstopper s2 v comic what u did on s1 i love how nick stand up to his dad and david they are i wont say but u know what iam going to say i just love everything in this episode
I'm hoping to do season 2 comics vs. show, yes!
@@thom_is_trans cool cant waite i love your reaction and i keep watching them and this season is so powerfull and its is so beautiful to watch i just love it
Thank you for making my day go off on the right foot 😊 like others have said, I am not sure I am ready to hear your reaction to the last episode, but since I have seen it probably 80+ times, it'll be cathartic (hopefully)
"Work isn't everything" - it seems to be to you! Like, yeah, ok, if not work then what is your excuse for ignoring your sons, huh? Stéphane is so bad.
It is brutal how much David is shot down. But it's David so it's hard to care. And of course I'm very glad he was wrong about the reaction to Nick's relationship. Obviously it's not a great reaction, par for the course with Stéphane, but he's ok with it, even if he doesn't really know how to react to it.
Jane changes her tune a little. But she still has to get that barb in about the schoolwork. I still hate that they took all the joy out of Charlie first telling them about Nick. It ruined that scene, imo. I know it was probably to contrast more with her here but... it's not a good enough payoff, especially when she still brings up the homework thing.
Honestly, Nick always has his arms folded/crossed. I notice it all the time when he’s talking to people. I don’t know if that is an actor’s choice/tick or not. Consequently, I don’t read too much into his arms crossed at that moment with his dad. Otherwise, another enjoyable deep dive with insightful commentary. Thanks for sharing.
yaaay i'm so happy about your new video!!!❤
I’ve been waiting for this reaction! Tori OP is all want to say 👏🏽
Where is Nellie?!
As @taraxacum_sp said the table is a way too small for 8 people. But I think the room itself looks a bit small for 8 people. 😂 So in my opinion Nellie lived her best life in the garden that day 🥰
@@Einnaginivir But don't they go into the garden after the fight?
I think Nellie is such a good dog that, unlike almost every other dog in the world, when the family eats, she stays in Nick’s room and leaves them alone.
Hopefully Nellie is off leaving some "presents" in David's and Stephane's shoes. :P
@@thom_is_trans 😂😂😂
I feel the head shake (11:20) from Charlie's mom is more about why are you downplaying yourself in front of another family. It felt more competitive. Nick is a star rugby player and Charlie saying that he's not good triggered that competitive urge in Charlie's mom to stop him from losing the 'battle' of who's son is good at rugby. Idk it just felt like that to me. Not very supportive.
The look on her face is quite soft, so I'm inclined to believe it's supportiveness rather than competitiveness, especially since she's shown no signs of being competitive with Sarah over who has the "better" son. But as with anything, it's of course very much up to interpretation. Thanks for sharing yours!
Charlie has many wonderful qualities that I’m sure Jane is very proud of, but I doubt she has any illusions about which of the boys is better at rugby.
I sort of have to agree with you here. Like a "no, no" to say in front of company vs empathy.