It’s the holiday season in Heartstopper season 3 and as Nick awaits to be reunited with Charlie after two months apart, he writes in his journal about the events that have led them to this point.
Let’s recap this new episode of Heartstopper and see how Nick spent his time while Charlie worked on getting better, and how Charlie’s mental state changed throughout the months.
NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Heartstopper season 3 episode 4, “Journey”.
Nick’s journal
This episode opens as Nick patiently waits for Charlie’s return. We come to learn, through a phone conversation with Tara, that Charlie has been away for two months. Being apart has been tough on Nick, who has been concerned about his boyfriend’s well-being, and Tara reminds him that journaling is a good tool to help sort out this type of feelings.
Nick takes the advice and starts writing down what has been going on in his life lately. It turns out that back in September, after Charlie’s conversation with his parents, Charlie managed to get a GP appointment fairly quickly and was then referred to an eating disorder specialist. That referral, however, could not get him in front of that doctor sooner than January.
The timeline is important here as Heartstopper takes this opportunity to show that NHS waiting times can be very problematic. Indeed, Charlie got worse after that and Nick describes how his eating disorder worsened, how quick to anger he became and how he eventually stopped talking to Nick about it. Charlie stopped going to school and eventually confided in Nick that he sometimes practiced self-harm. But as much as Nick tried to be there for him, it wasn’t enough.
In October, Charlie’s parents found a clinic for him where he could be treated sooner. Off he went and Nick tried to distract himself in his absence. He hung out with the Squad and watched as Darcy got a drastic haircut. He went to the huge Halloween party that Sahar organized. He recorded a message for the video Tao filmed for Charlie. But in the end Nick could not help worrying about Charlie and he ended up crying in Tao’s arms about it at the party.
In November, Charlie was able to call Nick and told him he was diagnosed with anorexia and OCD, and that the compulsive disorder surprised him. After that call, Nick visited him every week with his family, and came to the conclusion that the time away had been a good thing for Charlie.
Charlie’s journal
The episode then switches point of view and rewinds the story to tell it through Charlie’s eyes. We see the first GP appointment after which everything started spiraling down. We hear him say that he was lucky his parents could afford to send him to a clinic, and that they found one that actually managed to help him.
There, he met Susan, a professional who helped him work through his issues. He also had the support of Geoff, the therapist who allowed him to put words on what was going on in his mind. Charlie explains he used to think he had control over food but realized it was in fact the other way around, and as the weeks went by and he talked more with Geoff, he started to untangle that.
Although he did make friends at the clinic, Charlie missed the people back home and especially Nick, although he did not feel ready to call him. During a visit, Tori told him that Nick was her favorite in Charlie’s friends group, and that his boyfriend really wanted to talk to him. That prompted the call Nick wrote about in his journal, and a following call that Charlie made to Tao.
Talking to Tao, Charlie apologized for not telling him what had been going on with him, but added that going away to this clinic was a good decision. Tao then said he was sorry for not realizing what Charlie was going through.
During one of his visits, Nick showed Charlie the video Tao made for him to let him know what he had been missing. It opens with Isaac saying he hopes Charlie knows he doesn't need to lie about how he is doing, that he and their friends will never judge him for it and that he can rely on them. We then see the drama that unfolded between Imogen and Sahar at the Halloween party, where the two girls were caught making out before Sahar stormed away when it appeared Imogen was kissing her as a joke.
There is also a message from Darcy who reveals their pronouns are now they/them, and also a message from Elle who says she posted one of her paintings on Instagram and now has 10 000 followers. Meanwhile, Tara is now a prefect and Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk are absolutely dating, since Tao filmed footage of them pretty much snuggling in the art room.
All in all, Charlie’s friends are doing well, but they miss him. The video ends on Tao and Isaac telling Charlie they love him and hopes that he feels loved. After watching it, Charlie gives Nick one of their signature big hugs.
It’s now December and Charlie gets ready to leave the clinic. The path ahead is not completely clear but he will continue to have the support of his therapist and his family as he returns to his regular life. Once back home, Charlie asks his mother if he can visit Nick before dinner, and the episode ends with them hugging once more.
Journey covered quite a bit of time in the show’s story. Is Charlie’s healing complete? No, these things take time, but he is on the right track. No doubt the next episodes of Heartstopper, now available on Netflix, will continue to see him improve.
