Heartstopper Season 2 Changed A Lot Of Big Stuff From The Books

Before Heartstopper became one of the most tender romances on Netflix, it was an equally adorable graphic novel series. In Season 1, the TV adaptation brought a lot of the same charm Alice Oseman’s books had to life... with a few notable changes. But Season 2 really opened the floodgates when it came to taking some big swings that even Heartstopper readers couldn’t have seen coming. From completely new couples to unexpected character revelations, these are the biggest changes Heartstopper Season 2 made to the books’ story.

Spoiler alert: This post discusses details from throughout Season 2 of Heartstopper, including its finale. Diehard Heartstopper readers already had a basic idea of what to expect with the big Paris trip arc. Sure enough, the show remained largely faithful to Charlie and Nick’s relationship growing closer, as well as more complex, while in Paris, at the same time that Tao and Elle were finally confessing their feelings for one another and Tara and Darcy had become #couplegoals.

But the season added a few new relationships into the mix as well, which added so much more flavor to the whole group. Not only that, the TV season provided some pivotal new backstory for certain characters, and even explored asexuality in a way the graphic novels haven’t. All in all, these changes add more color to Charlie and Nick’s love story, as well as all the people surrounding them.

1. Ben and Imogen’s relationship isn’t in the books.

The most surprising twist in Season 2 is Charlie’s former abusive hookup Ben starting a relationship with Nick’s longtime friend Imogen. Of course, the fling didn’t last long, as Imogen was quickly able to realize Ben was a terrible boyfriend to her, but their time together deepened the two characters much more than the books did. Imogen doesn’t even exist in the graphic novels, so anything her character does in the show is a totally new addition.

2. Imogen and Sahar’s spark isn’t in the books.

While Sahar does exist in the novels, she hasn’t been explored much. In the books, she mainly just pops up to hang out with the main group from time to time, and her sexuality is never specified. But judging from Season 2’s ending, it looks like Imogen and Sahar will both be exploring their bisexuality, as they take a liking to one another in the finale.

3. James’ attraction to Isaac isn’t in the books.

Like Imogen, Isaac is a creation for the Heartstopper show, so his storylines will always deviate from the books. James, however, is pretty different from the book version of himself. In the books, James is a minor character who nervously attempts to kiss Charlie while playing truth or dare, and becomes flustered when Charlie pulls away. It’s only suggested James may be gay, but in the show, James is known as the only other openly gay student at Truham. And the object of his affection isn’t Charlie, but Isaac, whom he pursues relentlessly throughout the Paris trip.

4. Isaac’s asexuality isn’t in the books.

Isaac in general is probably the biggest change that’s happened from page to screen this season. In Season 2, Isaac realizes he is asexual, one of the few sexualities that hasn’t been represented in Oseman’s novels. Oseman shared that their own experience as an asexual and aromantic person inspired Isaac’s arc in Season 2.

5. The show changes Charlie and Nick’s timeline.

The Paris trip plays out pretty much how it did in the books, but other major stepping stones in Charlie and Nick’s romance get a bit jumbled around in the TV adaptation. Most notably, Charlie and Nick say “I love you” to one another much earlier in the books — the show instead made that moment a cliffhanger in the season finale. Nick also doesn’t come out to his brother and dad until much later in the books, rather than confronting them earlier on in the series.

6. Tao’s backstory about his dad isn’t in the books.

In both the books and the show, Tao is fiercely loyal to his friends, so much so that he has deep-rooted issues ever letting them go. The books don’t explain why Tao is so overly attached to the friend group, but the show dropped a bombshell in its Season 2 finale. Tao revealed his attachment issues stem from his father dying when he was a child, causing him to develop a fear of loved one abandoning him.