Heartbreak High
Director - Michael Jenkins
Extension - 2 seasons, 16 episodes (ongoing)
Studio(s) - Netflix
Release date - September 2022
(bad) Synopsis
The kids are alright. Or they will be, once the shrooms wear off.
Notes/Opinion
Australian shows for teens and young adults are just such a vibe!
I could’ve just as easily talked about Heartbreak High in the Summer, because it would fit thematically, but I decided to include it as part of my January list. You know, back to school, something bright for the cool months.
Needless to say, I love it! I don’t know if my enjoyment is straightforward enough to call it a ‘favorite’, but to me this one is definitely a gem of recent television. Not even kidding.
First of all, the characters are pretty cool! Granted, I don’t know if Amerie and Harper are my favorite characters. I mean, in general I don’t think you like any of them because of their chronic pleasantness; they all have flaws and moments where you just can’t support their choices.
Quinni is sweet, but she can get overwhelmed and grow blunt or uncooperative. Darren is iconic, but he was deeply inconsiderate when he found out that Ca$h was asexual. Malakai isn’t a bad person, but he can be rather avoidant.
Harper definitely has anger issues (which she does work on during S2). Amerie has an approachable, bubbly personality, but she’s not above recklessness and taking things too far.
Still, the messy aspect is part of the appeal. Someone said this is a great representation of how Gen-Z actually is and behaves, from the wardrobe to the slang. I have to say that I can see it. Heartbreak High introduces us to a group of young students who are lively and competent but not infallible, and I like that. Feels honest.
The show also deals with an abundance of sensitive topics; including sexual assault, radicalization, toxic masculinity, colonialism, abortion, organized crime, and police brutality.
Wow, it’s a lot when you see it put all together like that!
Now, in fairness, the narrative never gets too heavy with the subject matter (the overall tone is actually pretty light-hearted). Still, the things it chooses to dig into, it manages to do so with the necessary care.
The plot can get dramatic and kind of ridiculous in a Soap Opera type of way, but it’s precisely what makes Heartbreak High so fun to watch, rather than end up with something unbearable.
Obviously the show is not flawless, and I feel the need to discuss it. Some viewers don’t love the “both sides” kind of position when it comes to its politics, which is understandable. They’ve also pointed out how Spider, a straight white boy with some very questionable views, is allowed to have nuance and sympathy. Meanwhile Sasha, a queer Asian girl, is turned into a parody of herself. In season two she’s almost an exaggerated, conservative image of a “woke” person: annoying, petty, incoherent, chronically butthurt. See, I don’t think that’s fair. The girl should’ve had the chance to be and remain human.
Anyway, it’s kind of hard to talk about the series without going into a lot of detail, so for the time being, I’m just gonna leave it there. Admittedly I’m not too concerned with spoilers, but this time I wanted to do more of a general vision.
If you haven’t watched it yet, please go ahead, you won’t regret it!
Sources: Google, Wikipedia, IMDB.