Heartstopper Episode 5 Tees Up The Game-Changing Moment That Was A Season And A Half In The Making
Turns out, all you need is Louvre. After Heartstopper sent Tao and Elle on the date from hell in Season 2's third episode (recapped here), we were afraid that that was it; they were friend-zoned for life. But in Episode 5, "Heat," a trip to the museum gives the would-be sweethearts an unexpected second chance at romance.
Inspired by her surroundings, Elle sits down to sketch. (Alas, no shoe potato this time.) Right by her side, Tao is suggesting that more movies should be shot in the Louvre and complaining that the only one he can think of is the "monstrosity" that is The DaVinci Code when it happens. It. The It. You know the one. She just leans over and kisses him!
Immediately, Elle is embarrassed. She steps away and apologizes. But Tao isn't sorry that it happened. He follows her and gives her a tender kiss back. "I don't know how to do this," he admits in a way that all but defines "sweet." "Me, neither," she replies. Yet it certainly looks like they're doing just fine!
'ARE YOU GUILT-TRIPPING ME INTO BEING NICE ABOUT MYSELF?' | In other developments, the hickey Nick gave Charlie in Episode 4 (recapped here) becomes a source of fascination and speculation for the whole Paris contingent, many of whom assume it was a gift from James, the only other openly gay kid on the trip. For his part, Ben snarks to Nick that as bad a boyfriend as he may have been, "at least I was nice enough not to give [Charlie] a hickey where everyone can see." The d-bag even goes so far as to accuse Nick of stealing Charlie and suggest that maybe he wants his ex back. (As if.)
Also, Tao confesses to Charlie that he, of all people, is the reason he was outed last year. Someone had overheard Tao talking about Charlie, and in a nanosecond, maybe less, the rumor was all over Truham. Charlie doesn't hold it against Tao, of course. "That was clearly an accident," Charlie notes. To underscore how dear a friend he considers Tao, Charlie leaves a lock with their names on it on the Pont des Arts. (Aww.)
Finally, as we've seen, Charlie is eating next to nothing, and at last, it catches up to him: He faints in Nick's arms at the Louvre. As he recovers, he admits to his boyfriend that he knows he doesn't eat like everyone else. Some days it's fine, but others... like when the bullying was really bad, he might feel the need to control it — if only to give him a thing in his life that he can control. As you'd hope, Nick is 100-percent supportive and understanding. "I'm your boyfriend, Charlie," he reminds him, "and I... really care about you." Ah, you could all but see the "love you" on the tip of Nick's tongue!
So, your reaction to Tao and Elle's long-awaited first kiss? Thoughts on the show's handling of Charlie's eating disorder?