In the LGBTQ+ teen coming-of-age canon, a scene in which a closeted character googles “am i gay?” in the midst of a sexuality crisis has become a staple. This familiar moment of self-questioning is present in, but not in the way we are used to. It’s not the protagonist hesitantly spelling out G-A-Y, but the love interest.
When Charlie is allocated to his new form room, he’s seated beside Nick Nelson , a rugby boy in the year above who radiates golden retriever energy. Timid greetings are exchanged between the two high schoolers, but Charlie is not interested in repressing his feelings . Across eight episodes, their friendship-turned-relationship is chronicled with considerate detail and heartwarming earnestness.
While the show is largely a diverse, uplifting portrayal of LGBTQ+ youth, there is nevertheless antagonism that lingers in the Instagram comments on coming out posts, and animosity in snide jokes laced with homophobia laughed at by the popular lads. Impressively, however, the presence of these tie-wearing middle-class posh boys is secondary to the core characters who have been given dimensions that are wonderfully naturalistic.
The soundtrack is comprised of nearly all women artists, including the likes of Wolf Alice, girl in red, Orla Gartland, and Maggie Rogers. Baby Queen’s catchy track “Colours of You,” written for the show, captures the electricity of teen spirit. This is paired with the rhythms of the internet generation, where silence is broken by the clacking of keyboards and the chimes of Instagram DMs coming and going.
With the warmth of bright sunlight and the liveliness of mixed pastels and neons, Oseman’s deftly written script has a certain lightness about it that doesn’t sacrifice watchability, an achievement in itself.also finds these glints of gold with supportive parents who check in on their children’s feelings and pick them up at parties with a 10 p.m. curfew, as well as a handful of teachers who genuinely care about the wellbeing of their students.