I rewatched Heartstopper (yes, already. shut up.) and found another thing I just love about the series [SPOILERS]: While watching for the first time there were many moments where I was sure something devestating was about to happen and even the second time around I held my breath a couple of times - despite knowing it all works out fine. I think that is because most lgbt+ media has conditioned to believe that if you are queer on screen, bad things will keep happening (even in a harmless genre like coming off age).
In Love, Simon for example Simon gets blackmailed for months, his friends temporarily abandon him, his coming out at home is not exactly ideal, he gets bullied in school and his not-yet boyfriend also stops talking to him for a while. All in all it's still a sort of feel good movie, happy end and all, but shit piles up there for a while.
But in Heartstopper everything goes well. For example I was sure Nick was gonna mess up the love triangle situation with Imogen and Charlie, but he got advice from his mum and was open about the story, he told Charlie all about it and apologised, then went on and talked to Imogen about everything. Then I was sure "oh no, she will find out, be jealous and do something terrible", but Imogen was just a kind person through and through. Like. The whole thing couldn't possibly have gone better! Good things happen, people are kind and everyone does the right thing. Mind blowing!
Or at Harry's party, I was so sure that something really bad would happen. Ben showed up while Nick wasn't there and I got really scared for Charlie for a second, but he handled the situation just fine at it was okay. I saw Tara and Darcy kiss and thought "oh please god let this just be a happy moment for them" - and it was! When Imogen tried to get Nick to dance with her I thought Nick might get cold feet and take "the easy way out" and get with her, but he went to look for Charlie. And the kissing scene, omg. Before the actual kissing started I was afraid Nick might get scared and say something he'd regret, then during the kiss I was certain Harry or somebody else would walk in on them and ruin everything. Instead, they just had a wholesome first kiss.
Sure, all the different queer characters in the show have their struggles but it is always immediately made clear that this isn't the end of the world and the problem is usually dealt with a few scenes later. They struggle, but it never escalates. I'm so used to lgbt stories - even the happy ones - coming with a ton of drama and trauma that the one thing I never saw coming is that things might just work out and be wholesome.