As of recently, my daily life has become an endless abyss of job applications, rent payments and checking to see if I can afford to Uber Eats some dumplings to cheer myself up. I reminisce about my golden days of carelessness and boredom: my teen years. So naturally, whenever a new teen drama comes out on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max or any streaming platform of your choice, I binge-watch it.
“Heartbreak High” (2022–) tells the story of two high schoolers in Australia, Amerie and Harper, who have been best friends since kindergarten. Their previously inseparable friendship and interest in drama and boys led them to create an “incest map” of their peers’ sexual escapades, both rumored and confirmed. As soon as the school discovers the map, there is a deep dive into the characters’ personal lives as the show discusses heavy, but necessary, topics such as sex education, drug abuse, domestic abuse, racial profiling, LGBTQ topics and disabilities such as autism. The story also has an element of mystery added when Amerie and Harper have a falling out that viewers follow throughout the season. The unknown cause of their “breakup” adds tension as they, along with their friends, navigate high school, friendships, romantic relationships and broken family trauma.
While the show revolves around the sexual relationships of its characters, there is a strong emphasis on friendship and the struggle of losing and forming platonic relationships. Amerie and Harper’s complicated relationship is constantly mentioned as their differences are compared to one another. However, there is something simple and sweet about the continuing storylines surrounding platonic relationships, especially with the central love story of the show being about rekindling a friendship.
Another pair of unlikely friends in this show are Darren and Quinni. Darren is an openly queer and nonbinary person of color who struggles with their dad still learning about their identity. This narrative, combined with Darren’s lack of understanding that figuring yourself out does not come as easy for others as it did for them, makes their storyline complicated, confusing and relatable for the LGBTQ community. On the other hand, Quinni identifies as a lesbian and has a love interest in the show who initially does not know that she is autistic because of her mastery of imitation and masking. Quinni’s storyline explores the complexities of being a young person with autism and how a romantic partner does not need to help her but just needs to be there for her. Luckily for Quinni, she has Darren, and the two have the strongest and most enduring relationship in the entire show.
“Heartbreak High” is an elaborate show with complex characters. The ground that the first season covers makes it difficult to not find a single character in the show relatable. Its inclusivity and ability to talk about the difficulties that some teenagers experience is groundbreaking, and I’m excited to see how future teen dramas adapt to fit this honest and tough style of storytelling. However, the show did also remind me that my fond memories of high school are not as kind as they seem.
