Heartstopper recap guide: All episodes explained and questions answered

Heartstopper episode guide and recaps

Heartstopper is about to be one of the biggest Netflix shows of spring 2022 and you don’t want to miss it! Chances are, you’ve heard of the new LGBTQ+ romantic series based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman. Fans have been blowing up social media talking about how excited they are to see the love story between Charlie Springs (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) unfold on the small screen.

The new show just debuted today, April 22, and we’re sure many have started to binge all eight episodes. If you’re watching Hearstopper and need some moments explained or haven’t checked it out yet and want to get a peek at the show through recaps, look no further! We’re breaking down the biggest scenes in the show episode by episode.

Without further ado, here’s our recap guide for Heartstopper.

Spoilers ahead for Heartstopper.

Heartstopper episode 1 recap: “Meet”

The premiere episode of Heartstopper introduces us to Charlie Spring, a slightly nerdy teenager who’s in a secret relationship with a boy named Ben Hope (Sebastian Croft). Although Charlie is out as gay, Ben definitely is not and doesn’t even want to be seen with Charlie in public. They meet in secret during school where they share kisses without anyone knowing.

How do Nick and Charlie meet in Heartstopper?

It’s the start of a new year and Charlie is seated next to a rugby player named Nick Nelson in class. Despite his initial frustration that he’d have to sit next to a popular athlete who’s in a year above him, he sees Nick and starts to swoon. Charlie’s crush starts to form right away, though he’s under the assumption that Nick is straight.

Charlie and Nick continue to see one another in the halls at school, and we get this adorable montage of the two boys saying “hi” every time they run into each other. There’s certainly flirty vibes between them, but Charlie can’t tell if Nick’s just being nice or what. They see Ben in the hallway, but when Charlie greets him, Ben acts like he doesn’t even know him. What a shame.

We also get to meet Charlie’s friend group, Tao Xu (William Gao), Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan), and Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney). We find out that Elle no longer attends their all-boys school, Truham, and now goes to the all-girls school, Higgs, after coming out as a transgender woman. The guys are happy for her, though Tao really misses her. He even continues to buy her favorite juice during lunch out of habit. Charlie’s friends find out that he’s crushing on Nick, and Tao makes fun of him for it.

Over at Higgs, Elle struggles to make friends, and though she’s happy at the school she also misses her group back at Truham.

Ben apologizes in private for ignoring Charlie, though it doesn’t seem he believes it. Charlie takes shelter in his teacher Mr. Ajayi’s (Fisayo Akinade) classroom during lunch. They talk about bullies and Charlie tells him he has a boyfriend. Outside school, Charlie sees Ben kiss a girl. Because of this, he tells Ben he doesn’t want to see him anymore.

Charlie tells his sister Tori (Jenny Walser) that he broke up with his boyfriend, which she seems to approve. While they’re on the bus together, she asks what type of person he’d want to date. When describing his dream guy, Charlie says he wants someone he can laugh with, someone who is kind, and someone who likes being with him. He also mentions someone tall would work as he sees Nick through the reflection when they pull up to school.

To Charlie’s surprise, Nick asks him to join the rugby team after he saw him running in P.E. class. Charlie is hesitant, but agrees with Nick’s persuading.

Ben confronts Charlie in the hallway and Charlie sticks up for himself, also saying he knows he has a girlfriend. Ben gets defensive and really mean in response, and then starts to aggressively kiss Charlie, who tells him to stop. Nick shows up and throws Ben off of Charlie, telling him to leave. It’s obvious that Nick cares about Charlie and wants to be there for him. But could it be anything more than platonic?

Olivia Colman makes surprise cameo in Heartstopper

Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman makes a surprise appearance in Heartstopper as Nick’s mom, who we meet as she’s driving him home from school.

Heartstopper episode 2 recap: “Crush”

We catch Nick creeping on Charlie’s Instagram page as episode 2 opens up, and the boys chat in their DMs. Charlie opens up about everything that happened between him and Ben, recalling how they started seeing each other and how badly he was treated.

Tao advises Charlie to get over Nick because they think he’s straight, but Charlie’s confused. He goes to see Mr. Ajayi for advice, but he doesn’t want to listen to anyone. He really likes Nick by now and doesn’t want to stop seeing him.

At Higgs, Elle starts socializing after her classmate Tara Jones (Corinna Brown) invites her to sit at lunch with her. She also meets Tara’s best friend Darcy Olsson (Kizzy Edgell) and they all start hanging out at school.

To Charlie’s surprise, Nick invites him to his house over the weekend to meet his cute dog and hang out. But before Charlie can go, Tori questions him at the door and likely suspects he has a crush. The two boys have a wonderful time together, playing video games and running around outside in the snow. They even make snow angels and take plenty of selfies together with Nellie the dog. It’s the perfect day!

At school, Nick starts to message Charlie to ask him to hang out again, but a girl named Imogen Heaney (Rhea Norwood) interrupts him. He gets self-conscious and deletes the message.

Charlie tells Tao he thinks that Nick isn’t straight and might have feelings for him too, to which Tao informs him that Nick is actually in love with a girl. This is obviously a huge shock to Charlie, and Tao explains that he did some digging and heard that Nick’s really into Tara at Higgs.

When Charlie meets up with his friends later, Elle tells the group she knows Tara and reluctantly agrees to find out what’s going on with her and Nick. At school, Elle groups up with Tara and Darcy during French class and starts to suspect something. Later on, Elle finds the two girls and they reveal that they’re dating.

Nick goes over to Charlie’s and they have another great time. When Charlie falls asleep during a movie, Nick almost holds his hand but stops himself out of fear Charlie would notice. When Nick leaves, Tori pops up and tells Charlie she doesn’t think Nick’s straight. At home, Nick looks through Charlie’s Instagram again and all the photos they took together in his camera roll. He’s crushing for sure!

Do Nick and Tara like each other in Heartstopper?

At the end of the episode, Elle breaks the news to the group that Nick and Tara are definitely not a thing and will never be. She doesn’t reveal that Tara is a lesbian, but she makes it very clear that Tara doesn’t like Nick. Meanwhile, Nick takes to Google and researches homosexuality.

Heartstopper episode 3 recap: “Kiss”

In an attempt to figure out what’s going on with him, Nick continues to do research. At school, he hears about a big party at his friend Harry Greene’s (Cormac Hyde-Corrin) place. Imogen wants to go with him, but he ends up inviting Charlie. Of course, Charlie is happy to accept but starts making Tao jealous of their relationship once Tao finds out. Charlie forgot he had plans with his group of friends and chooses Harry’s party over them. Elle and Isaac seem to be very understanding while Tao is annoyed.

In the gym locker room, Charlie listens while Nick’s friends bother him about girls who like him and who he should pursue. It’s very awkward for both Charlie and Nick.

Charlie arrives at Harry’s party which is an extravagant, huge celebration that only teenagers in movies and TV shows host. He quickly finds Nick and the two spend a big portion of the night together, talking in a quiet room. Harry comes over and interrupts them, informing Nick that Tara is there.

Tara explains to Nick that she’s actually dating Darcy, which makes him feel relieved. Ben goes up to Charlie and tries to apologize, but Charlie tells him to leave him alone. Ben won’t listen, so Charlie pushes him against a wall and walks away. Meanwhile, Imogen tries to dance with Nick on the dance floor and she tells him she likes him. He doesn’t answer, and while trying to find Charlie he watches Tara and Darcy dance together and share a passionate kiss. Nick sees how happy they are and starts to realize he could have that, too.

Charlie and Nick eventually reunite and go to another room where no one else is so they can talk, when things start to heat up between them.

When do Charlie and Nick kiss for the first time in Heartstopper?

Charlie and Nick sit on the floor as they inch closer together. They share a kiss for the first time, though it makes Nick really confused. Before they can talk about it, Nick hears his friends calling his name and he abruptly gets up and leaves. Charlie’s dad picks him up from the party and Charlie cries in his arms.

Elle and Tao go on with their movie night where they lay in bed and chat. Tao keeps talking about missing the old times and is disappointed that things have been changing. They agree that they’ll always put their friendship first, no matter what happens.

The episode ends on the next morning, with Charlie feeling terrible about the night before. Nick hasn’t texted him which is worrying, but when he hears a knock on the door he’s shocked to see Nick standing there in the rain.

Heartstopper episode 4 recap: “Secret”

Charlie opens up the door to Nick, who’s standing outside in the rain. They two go upstairs to Charlie’s room where they kiss, though Nick says he isn’t ready to come out and be in a public relationship with a boy yet. He apologizes about the night before and admits he’s having a “proper full-on gay crisis.” They decide to keep their relationship a secret, which is a potential red flag considering Charlie’s previous romance with Ben. But Nick does seem like a really genuine guy who wouldn’t hurt Charlie.

Charlie starts to get better at rugby after some practice and he starts eating lunch everyday with Nick. Mr Ajayi questions Charlie about their relationship. Meanwhile, Imogen continues to flirt with Nick and she believes they’re actually an item. Nick doesn’t know what to do as he doesn’t want to let her down or make people suspicious.

Elle and Tao continue texting and it seems like they might have a crush on one another, although neither of them have said so yet.

Later on in the episode, there’s a rugby tournament where Charlie gets injured. Nick doesn’t comfort him on the field, but he goes to find him at the school infirmary soon after. Charlie apologizes for being clingy, to which Nick says he’s the one who should say sorry.

Before the credits roll on episode 4, Imogen asks Nick out on a date and he doesn’t know how to answer, so he agrees.

Heartstopper episode 5 recap: “Friend”

Tao hears that Nick is going on a date with Imogen and struggles with the decision to tell Charlie or not. Things get even more awkward for Tao when Charlie tells the group that he wants to invite Nick to his birthday party.

At school, Nick is about to tell Imogen he doesn’t want to go on the date with her, but she starts crying and tells him that her dog died the night prior. Nick feels horrible, of course, and he decides not to cancel the date. She seems so happy and he doesn’t want to make her even more sad.

Charlie tells Nick that his birthday is coming up and invites him bowling with his friends, and Nick immediately agrees. Of course, it’s on the same day as his date with Imogen, so Nick has to figure out something soon.

While Nick is sitting with Harry and his friends, Harry starts to picking on Charlie and Tao. This makes Nick defensive, but Tao is able to easily tell off Harry and he walks off with Charlie. Feeling embarrassed, Charlie tells Tao not to even respond when Harry bullies them.

At home, Nick struggles with his decision between Imogen and Charlie’s birthday. He seeks advice from his mom, who tells him he shouldn’t date anyone just because he feels bad. She also notes that the right girl will come along eventually, which makes Nick feel uncomfortable.

Does Nick go to Charlie’s birthday party in Heartstopper?

Nick shows up at Charlie’s birthday and even brings him a gift. He gets to officially meet the friend group, which actually goes pretty well. While everyone’s bowling, Tao ambushes Charlie in the bathroom and tells him that Nick has a date with a girl. Meanwhile, Nick goes to get more snacks and overhears Tao and Charlie arguing about him.

Nick hugs Charlie when they leave the bathroom and later tells him he heard what they were saying. He explains what happened with Imogen and says he’s going to come clean with her. He also tries to be friendly with Tao by sitting next to him, but Tao gives him a warning about not messing with Charlie.

Charlie opens up Nick’s present which is an adorable framed photo of the two from their snow day. Nick tells Charlie that he really likes him, which takes Charlie by surprise but he says it back. They share a kiss in public which is a huge deal, though it doesn’t seem like anyone sees them.

The next day, Nick meets up with Imogen and tells her he doesn’t like her romantically. He tells her he’s been feeling like he isn’t being his true self, to which she understands. At school, Harry asks how the date went and Imogen says they decided they’re better off as friends.

Heartstopper episode 6 recap: “Girls”

Nick explores his sexuality more in episode 6, realizing he might be bisexual. The episode starts off with Nick and his mom deciding on a movie to watch together, and they put on Pirates of the Caribbean. According to his mom, they’ve seen the movie many times and she suspects that’s because Nick had a crush on Keira Knightley. As they watch the movie together, Nick watches the actress and seemingly comes to terms with the fact that he still likes girls. He researches bisexuality online afterwards.

Tara goes Instagram official with Darcy and watches all the comments come flooding in. At lunch, Elle admits to Tara and Darcy that she has a crush on Tao, though she’s afraid to ruin their friendship. Darcy and Tara are judged at school for being lesbians, which is super hurtful especially for Tara who takes it to heart.

Nick talks to Charlie about his sexuality, asking how Charlie knew he was gay. He admits he doesn’t know what he is and is still afraid to kiss in public.

Later on, Nick confides in Tara and tells her he’s going out with Charlie but asks her not to tell anyone. He gets advice from her and Darcy about coming out, which seems to be super helpful and comforting for him.

Nick tells Charlie he wants to go to his school concert, and they plan a double date for milkshakes ahead of the show with Tara and Darcy. Darcy suggests inviting Tao and Elle for a triple date, though they don’t know they’re being set up.

Before the concert starts, Nick tells Charlie he thinks he’s bisexual but isn’t sure. Tara runs off and hides, and when Darcy finds her she explains that she wasn’t prepared for everything to change after coming out on Instagram. Darcy comforts her before the group barges in to say they’ve got to get up on stage.

Heartstopper episode 7 recap: “Bully”

Charlie decides to tell his sister that he’s dating Nick, though he’s nervous about putting a label on it. He thinks back to his time with Ben, remembering that Ben rejected the idea that they were boyfriends. Of course, this scared Charlie out of doing the same thing with Nick.

In an unexpected turn of events, Charlie goes to hang out with Nick and Nick’s friends. Nick assures him that Ben and Harry won’t be there, but as a surprise to him, they are. The group goes to the movies, where Nick and Charlie sneakily hold hands. After the movie, Harry starts to harass Charlie, forcing him to leave. Nick runs after him and apologizes, but Charlie’s dad is already there to pick him up so he leaves.

But before getting into his dad’s car, Charlie is confronted by Ben who asks if he’s dating Nick. Ben says he saw the two holding hands and is super, super mean to Charlie. He even says that he’s not gay and only hung out with Charlie because he felt bad for him. Ben is so nasty for no reason, leaving Charlie upset.

Back at the movie theater, Nick calls out Harry for making fun of Charlie, and Harry gets even more aggressive. He calls Charlie a “f*g” which pushes Nick over the edge and the two get into a physical fight. On the way home, Nick’s mom asks what happened and Nick explains, admitting that Charlie is a “special friend.”

At school, Charlie and Nick talk about what happened, and Nick says he doesn’t want to be friends with his group any longer. He rests his head on Charlie’s chest in the middle of class, which is really cute. Charlie feels really bad about the whole situation and starts to take the blame.

Elsewhere in the episode, Tao and Elle talk about Charlie, where Elle lets it slip that he’s dating Nick. Tao gets really mad about this and feels like no one tells him anything.

At the end of episode 7, Charlie and Nick talk at lunch and Charlie almost ends things between them. However, they’re interrupted by the news that Tao and Harry are fighting outside. They rush out and Nick breaks up the fight.

Heartstopper episode 8 (finale): “Boyfriend”

Charlie has a really touching heart to heart with Tori at the beginning of the Hearstopper finale. He feels like he’s ruining Nick’s life and that everything would be better off if he didn’t exist. It’s honestly a heartbreaking scene because we know Charlie has the best intentions and brings so much joy to people’s lives.

Tao still won’t talk to Charlie after finding out that he kept his relationship with Nick a secret. Meanwhile, Charlie is avoiding Nick because he doesn’t know what do. He feels terrible about the way things have turned out and thinks he’s the problem. Of course, this isn’t true at all and Nick still wants to be with Charlie.

While trying to find Charlie at school, Nick goes to sit with Tao and they have a really nice conversation. Although Tao is mad at Charlie, he tells Nick how Charlie feels and what he wants. Tao says he understands if Nick can’t come out and be with Charlie 100%, but Charlie might become insecure because of that. Nick continues to try and talk to Charlie, DMing him but getting no response.

It’s Sports Day at school, and when Tao is forced to compete in a race, Charlie volunteers to run for him and ends up winning. He confronts Ben on the field, and Ben tries to threaten to tell everyone about Charlie’s relationship with Nick. Charlie says he could also tell everyone about their fling, and has the last word with Ben. He tells him off in a respectful way and we love to see it. Go Charlie, go Charlie!

Do Tao and Elle get together in Heartstopper?

Tao and Charlie apologize and hug after the race, which is obviously a huge relief for both of them. Tao and Elle then decide to go explore the school, as Elle wants to see her old classrooms. In the art room, they lay down on a desk together and hold hands. It’s pretty intimate, and the two even look like they’re about to kiss at one point. However, Elle then says she wants to go find her old locker, ending the romantic moment. The two characters do not get together in Heartstopper, but if there’s a second season their feelings for each other will likely be explored.

Do Nick and Charlie end up together in Heartstopper?

Nick and Charlie officially make up in the finale, with Nick going outside to find Charlie on the field and holding his hand in front of everyone to lead him back to school. In the hallway, Nick gets super vulnerable and says his life is better with Charlie in it. He convinces Charlie that he wants to be with him despite any drama that might happen from other people, and the two share a kiss.

Heartstopper ending explained

The ending of Heartstopper sees Nick and Charlie going to the beach together and having a really great time. They lay down on a towel in the sand and decide they’re boyfriends, running into the water and having such a romantic moment. We then cut to Nick coming home and talking to his mom, where he comes out as bisexual. She’s incredibly loving and supportive, which is great to see.

The final moments of Heartstopper see Nick and Charlie back at the beach deciding they’re going to tell people that they’re together. Yay! The ending is just as wholesome and adorable as the whole show is.

How much are you loving Heartstopper on Netflix? Let us know in the comments section what your thoughts are!