Credit: Netflix

Well, this is it then. The Heartstopper franchise has officially reached the end of its screen journey, and no, we are not coping particularly well. After watching Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring fall in love and become more secure in who they are, Heartstopper Forever closes the door on their story with an ending that feels hopeful but still leaves a lump in your throat.

Don’t worry, the finale does not throw some ridiculous shock twist at us, which would have felt completely wrong for this series anyway. Instead, it brings Nick and Charlie to a point most young couples eventually face: what happens when love is still there, but life begins pulling both people in different directions? Nick is preparing for university, whereas Charlie is still at school. It turns out their relationship has to survive more than the sweet romance we all fell for.

Nick wants to study in Leeds, although the idea of living hours away from Charlie is upsetting him far more than he admits. Charlie, meanwhile, has become more self-assured. He does not want Nick to choose a university simply to stay close, because that would place far too much responsibility on their relationship. Sounds sensible, right? Unfortunately, sensible thoughts do not always lead to sensible conversations.

When Charlie suggests they might need space, Nick assumes he is being dumped. Charlie then mistakes Nick’s reaction for confirmation that he wants to leave. Before either of them properly explains what they mean, the relationship is over. Weren’t we all devastated for a second there? Miscommunication: the bane of good romances. But the question still remains the same.

Do Nick and Charlie stay together?

Yes, Nick and Charlie do get back together, but not immediately.

The breakup absolutely floors Charlie, and you can see his mental health starting to go west. In fact, his eating disorder creeps back in. His friends are trying to be supportive, and Nick’s hurting too. However, he goes the other way with it. He starts blaming himself for the whole thing.

Talking to his mum, Sarah, is what finally helps him understand why the breakup has rattled him so badly. Nick realises his dad leaving left him with this fear of being abandoned that he never properly dealt with. Somewhere along the way, he’s convinced himself Charlie will only stay if he is patient and never puts a foot wrong. That is a brutal way to live, isn’t it? Carrying all that.

Charlie eventually reaches out by leaving photographs and handwritten notes for Nick, along with an invitation to meet him at the beach. When they finally talk, there are no dramatic declarations designed for applause. They admit they were frightened and acknowledge how badly they communicated. Both accept that loving each other cannot mean giving up their separate futures.

And how does a good tween rom-com end? At the prom. At the end of Heartstopper Forever reunite and attend prom together and decide to try long distance when Nick moves to Leeds. Charlie later visits him at university, where he finds a scrapbook containing memories from their relationship. Several pages at the back are still empty, making the message pretty clear: their life together continues, even though the audience will not be there to see it.

Isn’t it the perfect ending of Hearstopper we all envisioned? And though Nick and Charlie stay together, we have reached the point where we must leave them behind. The franchise ends with possibility rather than finality, which is comforting, but it still feels like saying goodbye to people we have known for years.