Alice's Discord Q&A

Alice did a Q&A on the official Heartstopper Discord today. Here are all the questions and answers:

Were there certain scenes or details that you wish were in season 3 but had to be cut?

Absolutely! This season was the hardest to fit into just one season due to how much source material there was, and if we'd had more time and resources, I would have loved for it to be 9 or 10 episodes, which would have allowed me to fit in everything I wanted to fit in. We didn't have that time and those resources - as always, me and the team just have to do the best we can given the circumstances. I remember I wanted to allow Charlie's relapse in ep 6 much more space than it ended up having - maybe I could have figured it out if I'd had more time to think about it and rework the script. And I wanted there to be a whole section where the gang go ice skating in ep 6, not sure where I could possibly have fitted that in!

Episode 4 was hands down the best episode, amazing storytelling and it was like watching a short film. imo, one of the best episodes of TV ever! What was the writing process like for that episode? Was it always going to be adapted as diary entries, like the comics, or were there other ideas on how to tell Charlie’s journey?

I'm so glad you liked ep 4, we all felt it was pretty special while we were working on it! I remember feeling very clear about the structure of it from very early on, as I was basing it almost exactly on the comic - seeing Nick's POV, then rewinding and seeing Charlie's POV. I toyed with the idea of the narration instead being Charlie talking to Geoff (and Nick talking to someone too, not sure who!) but that ended up feeling more unnatural and taking us emotionally out of the scenes too much. The journal entries are more detached from the action on screen, which allows us to remain in what's happening on screen and be really present in both Nick and Charlie's journeys.

What storyline did you enjoy expanding the most in S3 (compared to the comic)?   (Personally, I've got to say, I love how close Tao and Nick have become over the seasons, and that moment in the hallway at the Halloween party was incredibly touching. Thank you for adding that!)

I love the Tao and Nick enemies-to-friends arc too 🥲 But I actually think my favourite thing to expand in S3 was Tori and Charlie's sibling relationship. It's a big story in S3 that spans the entire 8 episodes and there are so many Tori & Charlie moments that aren't in the comics. Their sibling relationship is so special to me, obviously being two of my most longstanding characters, and it was very very fun to get to delve into all of the pain and love that they share in this part of the Heartstopper story!

How different was it adapting This Winter into a script, compared to the comics?

Well, it needed a lot more ADAPTING, I guess... aka, a lot more tweaks and adjustments in the story and dialogue! In my older works (Solitaire, This Winter, and Nick and Charlie), the characters often say and do things that I don't feel align with the people they've become through the 8 years I've been working on Heartstopper. So I had to tweak things a bit to make the story make sense for Heartstopper. I also think This Winter has a bit of a black-and-white morality viewpoint at times, and I tried to let things be a little more grey in the show - the show is more sympathetic towards Charlie's mum and David, for example, which makes them feel more human and complex (I hope!).

Has your vision of Nick & Charlie's future changed since you started writing the comic years ago?  If so, what's different?

Honestly... I don't think so? My vision for their future - being physically apart at uni, moving in together post-grad, getting a dog (or two), eventually getting married and having a family - has always been what I've imagined for them, and still makes total sense to me despite all the years I've been developing their characters and relationship!

Wondered if there were ever any discussions about having more than 8 episodes in season 3, especially with so much plot to cover?

Twas a fleeting dream, but I didn't have enough time to write more episodes, and we didn't have enough money to shoot more episodes. Maybe in another universe!

We know that Nick and Charlie celebrated their one year anniversary between episodes 5 and 6 but didn’t see it because of the time jump. How do you think they would have celebrated it if it was included in the show?

I'm sure they were terribly sappy and romantic about the whole thing... gifts and an anniversary date for sure. I've always wanted to write/draw a scene where Nick and Charlie go to London for a day out, maybe they would have done that! OR I've also always wanted to write/draw them going to a concert. I'd have to think about which artists they might both be into 🤔

Do you care to depict "reality" or do you prefer heartstopper to be a safe space show where viewers don't worry about melodrama?

I think my aim with Heartstopper is to find the middle point between these two things! Reality but optimistic ❤️

What would you consider the most cinematic scene in season 3?

This is probably just personal preference, but some of my faves cinematically are ep 3 in Nick's bedroom when Nick and Charlie are unwrapping gifts and the chat after, ep 4 Halloween sequence (but soooo much of ep 4, tbh!), Tao's video in ep 4, the firework sequence in ep 5, and the final scene of ep 8!

What was the most difficult scene to get through, and why?

For me, it was seeing the cast have to go in the sea when it was a cloudy 17'C day 😓 I felt genuinely terrible! It's also always difficult when we're running low on time on a day and everyone has to rush to get a scene done, those are the moments I feel most anxious on set.

Early in episode 3, Charlie begins to talk to Mr. Ajayi. What are we to think about what this may have led to? Does Mr. Ajayi have an obligation in this circumstance to follow up on this? If not, should he?

There's actually a deleted scene where Mr Ajayi and Mr Farouk have a very brief conversation in the car about whether Mr A should alert Charlie's parents about what Charlie has said! Mr A is very worried, but Mr F thinks that telling his parents might make things worse for Charlie. They decide not to tell Charlie's parents, but it's left unclear whether this is the right call or not... even I'm not sure! But at the very least, I expect Mr A will be more vigilant in looking out for Charlie after their conversation.

How do you choose Isaac's books? Are they relating to his personality, his current mood or moment of his life he's currently in? I love reading so I'd love to know.

I usually try to match the book choices with what's happening in the story, ideally relating to Isaac himself and where he's at emotionally!

What’s your favorite song from this season?

I have soooo many.... definitely up there are 'Best Day of My Life' by Tom Odell, 'Wish on an Eyelash' by Mallrat, both Sufjan Stevens songs, 'Bruises Off The Peach' by Ryan Beatty, 'Pegasus' by Arlo Parks and Phoebe Bridgers, 'Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat' by Del Water Gap (my choice 😏) and 'Duet' by Frankie Cosmos (also my choice 😏)

What were all the improv bits this season? If there were any?

There are always lines that the actors ad lib that make it into the final edit! One of my favourites is Imogen's 'Is it sustainable? I'm trying to do my bit' in ep 6, cracks me up every damn time. Shout out to Rhea for coming up with that absolute gem!

How did you come up with Imogen’s comphet storyline?

Well, when brainstorming ideas for Imogen's queer journey, it was the story that made the most sense in our minds - she's a girl who's seemingly had a lot of 'crushes' on boys, but they've all been very surface level, and tied tightly with her self-image and her social status at school. She clearly has wanted a boyfriend because that's the cool thing to do, and so... wouldn't it be interesting if that's actually not what she's wanted at all? As an aroace person I relate a lot to growing up thinking that you want one thing but actually discovering that you don't want it at all, and you only wanted it in the first place because society told you to, and all of the pain and confusion that comes along with that!

This season has got me thinking more about gender roles in parenting as I was wishing that Julio would have taken more of a lead in being Charlie's support through his mental health journey and the progress in his relationship with Nick. Julio strikes me as more 'maternal' than Jane. Is that something you intended for us to be questioning as well? In addition to the effects of generational trauma?

Hmm... I don't think it was an intentional subversion of 'maternal'/'paternal' archetypes, more simply who I feel Jane and Julio are as people and as parents. I think Jane and Julio are each a little emotionally absent in different ways, which does make it harder for their children to reach out to them for help and support. Charlie and his mum have a more tempestuous relationship for sure, but equally Charlie isn't able to have deep, open conversations with his dad (in the way Nick is with his mum, for example). I think the general idea when it comes to the Spring parents is that they have their own flaws and baggage, which does cause problems for their kids, but they're also not evil, and they love their kids.

If there were to be a season 4, what songs would you like to have in the soundtrack?

'Charlie' by Mallrat and 'Bury Me' by PinkPantheress are top of my list... I'd also love to get a Daudi Matsiko song and an Adrianne Lenker song in there. Oh also 'My Phone' by Frankie Cosmos is one I've dreamed of since S1, but it's a tricky one to fit into a scene…

In season 3 we see both Nick and Charlie writing at different points - wondered whether that’s their handwriting or yours or someone else’s?

It's mostly someone else's (usually someone from the art department, or if you're seeing a hand actually writing in a scene then it's a cast member or a hand double), with the exception of the 'you gave me a photo of us in the snow' message in the photo album - I wrote that! 🥹

After the entirety of the Heartstopper show is over, would you release/unprivate the instagram accounts used in the series?

I'll certainly be suggesting that we do!

I'm in my mid thirties and have bonded with a 7th grader that sings in a community choir with me because she noticed my heartstopper pin. How do you feel about age diversity in the heartstopper fandom and do you think about it differently since the Netflix adaptation?

I think it's a really lovely facet of the Heartstopper readership and viewership - not something I expected at all, but I love that people of all ages can find something in the story that they like or that helps them in some way. It's something I noticed before the tv show came out as it was the same with the comic too! It's really lovely that people of very different ages/experiences can bond over this story!

Mr. Ajayi and Farouk were a good representation of the impact of older Queer relationships. How important was it to showcase that in a show mainly focused on the younger generations struggles?

I think it's a really lovely nod to those older readers and viewers of Heartstopper - a way to say to them 'hey, you can also have your Heartstopper moment, it's not just for the teens!'

What is your favourite blooper of this season?

I actually can't remember many of the bloopers now... I always review them to make sure there's nothing really embarrassing or awful for any of the cast, but that was many months ago now... I'm looking forward to seeing the final compilation! I do remember Tobie falling off the bed when Isaac, Tao and Elle were watching the movie in ep 2, I'm pretty sure that'll be in there 😂

Are there many deleted scenes?

There were quite a few, yes! Many of them are so small that there's no point even sharing them because they make no sense out of context, but I have flagged one or two to Netflix that could be good to share in the future. I haven't heard anything from Netflix about sharing deleted scenes (or bloopers) yet, so I don't know what their plans are for sharing those!

If there is a season 4, what can we expect from it?

Season 4 would cover Volume 6 of Heartstopper and the 'Nick and Charlie' novella! It'd be very focused on Nick and Charlie's co-dependency and impending separation when Nick leaves to go to university, and would explore a role shift when Charlie becomes Head Boy and gains popularity while Nick's anxiety regarding his future and identity causes him to shut down emotionally. And of course I'd want to bring all of the supporting characters' stories to an emotional conclusion too so we feel content to bid them all farewell! 🥲

What was (in your opinion) the key time that bought Charlie and Nick together closer?

I will end with this final question... in season 3, I think the key moment that brings Nick and Charlie closer is when Charlie breaks down in front of Nick at the end of episode 3! Charlie has always been very careful about when and how he expresses his feelings, and is always thinking about other people's reactions. But in that moment he can finally let go and release so much of the pain that he's been holding onto for so long. Which brings them both so much closer!

Thank you so much to everyone for your wonderful questions!! I had a great time unpacking the season with you! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend, and enjoy the deleted scenes and bloopers that'll hopefully be coming your way sometime soon