Heartstopper Season 3: Confirming the Aro and Ace Representation in Isaac’s Journey
When Heartstopper first kicked off, the groundwork for Isaac’s journey was laid out subtly, but well. By the end of the first season, folks were ruminating over whether or not Isaac (Tobie Donovan) would eventually come out as asexual, and then Season 2 saw him definitely exploring this idea. Well, Season 3 is upon us, and the moment of truth is finally here: Isaac is using the words Aro and Ace to describe his sexuality! It’s a massive win for the asexual community, as asexual representation – especially in characters citing he/him pronouns – is sorely lacking on mainstream television.
Although Isaac is still a teenager, the story arc is so well developed that it’s likely to spark commiseration from asexual viewers of all ages. The asexual banner of queerness is vast and varied, and the aro/ace version that Isaac’s journey represents is just one form of asexuality.
So come with us as we walk through the asexual representation presented by Isaac’s character in Heartstopper and what this means for him as he moves out of adolescence into the next phase of his adult life.
Self-Awareness and Exploration
Even in Season 1, it seemed that Isaac knew there was something different about him compared to his circle of friends. As his friends began coupling up and forging their romantic relationships, Isaac seemed to understand that he should also be doing that but lacked the impetus to try. Then, in Season 2, viewers watched on as he tried to have a romantic relationship with James (Bradley Riches), and despite how cool James was and they probably would have been great together, Isaac never settled into the idea properly. It was actually his attempts to date James that forced him to confront his own identity and look for a possible explanation.
At the end of Season 2, we see him picking up literature about asexuality, but as the season comes to a close, he’s still not officially saying that word for himself. However, in Season 3, Isaac’s journey comes full circle and he tells his friends that he thinks he’s probably both Aro and Ace, despite the lack of confidence with which he makes that statement. And it’s not that he’s unsure about his asexual identity. In Season 3 he does seem to settle into that space quite well. What appears like uncertainty or discomfort on the exterior is more than likely just the isolation he’s been feeling settling down around him.
We spoke with Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman regarding Season 3, and they discussed this very notion when contemplating Isaac’s journey. They said, “The idea that your friends might not understand you, or might think you’re a bit weird for using these terms, so that’s the challenge that he kind of faces this season because it’s a very isolating experience to know this about yourself but to feel that people around you might not understand.”
Like everyone, Isaac wants to be accepted and loved by his friends, and his journey is about working through those feelings for himself. He is, of course, still adored and loved by them all, but that doesn’t make his experience any less scary.
What is the Aro/Ace Label?
According to the Asexuality Visibility & Education Network (AVEN), an asexual person “does not experience sexual attraction – they are not drawn to people sexually and do not desire to act upon attraction to others in a sexual way. Unlike celibacy, which is a choice to abstain from sexual activity, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are, just like other sexual orientations.”
The banner of asexuality can then be broken down into a myriad of differing orientations based on needs. In Heartstopper, Isaac says that not only is he asexual, but he’s also aromantic. This means that in addition to not being sexually attracted to people, Isaac is also not romantically attracted to anyone either. And while other forms of asexuality do allow for romance and relationships, the ‘aro’ label typically means that an ace person of this kind doesn’t desire romantic relationships at all. So dating is most likely off the table for him now.
So, for Isaac, who looks out into the world and sees the people around him all finding happiness and joy in such couplings, it’s no wonder that this realization about himself is isolating and unsettling.
Alice Oseman says that the message of Heartstopper will always be that ‘it gets better, and everything will be okay’ so we’re absolutely sure that, despite these initial tumultuous moments while he settles into his identity, a happy and fulfilling life for Isaac is on the horizon.
Is Isaac Lonely?
At this point in Isaac’s journey, it certainly appears that he is a bit lonely right now. Alice Oseman confirmed as much when we spoke to them on this subject. Oseman says, “I think what he is ultimately frustrated with is society. Because he lives in a world where sex and romance are apprised above everything as this sort of ideal human experience. And him learning that that’s not really want he wants out of life is really difficult to accept when you have been socialized to believe that these things are the sort of pinnacle of human existence, so that’s a really big thing and Isaac is surrounded by couples who all seem to him to be very very happy and it makes him feel lonely, yeah.”
That doesn’t, however, mean that Isaac will always be lonely, or that other asexual/aromantic people are also lonely. It also doesn’t mean that the kind of loneliness that he’s experiencing means he wants a relationship. A person can be lonely, and still not want that. What is special about watching Isaac’s journey unfold is that he really seems to be looking at what the world says our human experiences are and should be based on, and realizes that his own experience sits outside those realms. It’s watching him come to terms with that and be okay with that idea that is particularly heartwarming. Those are quite complex emotions for a 16-year-old boy to navigate and Isaac walks through them all like a champ!
If there is a Heartstopper Season 4, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Isaac and how the creators will continue to develop Isaac’s journey and this incredibly important representation for the asexual viewers tuning in!
Heartstopper Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix globally now. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Footage © Netflix
