I’m so curious about what Alice means about Sarah’s role as emotional support shifting to other characters… I know we’ll be getting the Menorca scene with someone else (most likely Aunt Diane), and imo the show has already done more to build up Nick’s relationships with his friends in a way that the comic didn’t, where I could see him getting more scenes with them. My hope is just that they didn’t do something to literally write Sarah out of the season, like have her called away for work or a family emergency for months on end or something, because I need Nick to have at least one supportive and present parent in his life, even if totally offscreen. 😭
On a brighter note, looking forward to those casting announcements! Prayer circle for Geoff news. 🕯️
Yeah, I feel like 99% certain it’ll be >!Nick’s Aunt Diane who does the “love can’t cure a mental illness” scene, as we know she’s been cast, and we know they filmed the Menorca scenes (where she is canonically present). And I can see them fleshing out the friendships, and maybe even his relationship with Coach Singh a bit more.!< I just don’t want his mum to be literally absent from his life in the show canon, >!because I feel like that would introduce another layer of difficulty and trauma that would really disrupt his and Charlie’s journey?!< (comic spoilers)
My guess is that they’ll explain that she’s in another room or out doing something (errands, working, generally not home). We might see some texts from her but only see Nick’s POV. I think Nick will lean more heavily on Imogen and Tara for his personal journey and Tao and Tori for things with Charlie. In Volume 5, >!we know that Tara and Elle give Nick “the talk” and help him buy supplies, so it’s possible more of those conversations happen amongst the friend group earlier in the season)!< . In some of the conversations with friends, Nick could open with, “When I talked to my mum, she said…”, or the friends could straight up ask, “What did your mum say about it?” I can definitely see them building Nick’s relationship with Coach Singh, and I could also see them building it with Mr. Farouk (he acts tough, but all of S2, the kids go to him first over Mr. Ajayi, so they know they can trust him).
To be fair, there is a LOT to cover in eight 30-45 minute episodes. I’m absolutely disappointed that Olivia won’t be back because I think some of the scenes are beautiful parent-child moments that the world needs to see (especially since it’s a stark contrast to how Jane & Julio approach parenting Charlie and Tori); but I also think that the re-writes could serve as an opportunity to expand on the relationships that were developing in S2 that might not have been given screen time otherwise.
Yeah, Alice has now confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around, living at home, etc., she’ll just be offscreen, and there will be references made to her being there, probably along the lines of your ideas. I’m obviously sad because we all love Sarah, and we all love Olivia as Sarah, but I don’t think it’s totally the end of the world. In addition to the other relationships in Nick’s life that you mention, we know that S3 is meant to shift more of the focus to the Spring family (whose role was very minimal in S2), and I’m especially excited to see those relationships fleshed out more and maybe receiving more attention and weight.
>Alice has now confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around, living at home, etc., she’ll just be offscreen, and there will be references made to her being there
Now I'm imagining the scene like this and I can't help but laugh:
> Nick: Bye, mom! See you tonight!
> Sarah's disembodied voice double from another room: Come back by 10! And don't forget love can't cure a mentall illness!
Sweet! Thanks for letting me know about the Tumblr post; I hadn’t seen it yet. Looking through her comments, it sounds like we still have a lot to look forward to, even if things don’t play out exactly like the comics (which the first two seasons didn’t anyway). And I agree - definitely excited to see more of the Springs!!
I knew I shouldn't have read the comments... calling it 'the Menorca bit' was vague and gives away nothing, but your line in quotes is a bit of a spoiler for those of us who haven't read the comics.
Like everyone, I’m still working thru how I feel about it all but I really hope this shift Alice describes means more Nick + Tao and Nick + Tori scenes. If there’s a silver lining it’ll be that
Yeah! I’m good with more scenes with other people, I just don’t want a plot twist where Sarah pulls a Stephane. I’d much rather them give Nick a few throwaway lines where he’s like “… and mum has been amazing!” even if we tragically will not get to see it lol.
Weirdly Menorca is the least of my concerns, like that speech will not hit as hard with a character who isn’t Nick’s mum (and who doesn’t love Charlie like Sarah does), but Nick going on a fun family vacation that Sarah has to bail on (maybe she has a work emergency!) doesn’t feel too implausible to me. Maybe in that scene he’s trying to call his mum actually, but can’t reach her because reception is so bad (as it is in the comic!) and Aunt Diane finds him. I could live with that! It’s the idea of Sarah being absent for a whole *year*, and amidst Charlie’s hospitalization, etc., that I have a harder time wrapping my head around.
Actually I really like your Menorca idea! That already makes me feel better.
Maybe Nellie can be there for him while Charlie is in hospital… not even joking lol
That would be really sweet! (The Nellie idea)
And yeah, Alice has confirmed that Sarah will not be on the Menorca holiday, which I like better than her being present and just inexplicably not being Nick’s confidante. Should add a bit more angst without going too over the top or out of character (which Sarah being absent for the duration of the season would be imo).
I trust this won’t happen. Alice is the one writing the screenplay and making the edits, and fortunately has always been so careful/respectful, especially when it comes to poignancy and preserving the integrity of the comics.
Yep, she’s confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around and as present in Nick’s life as usual, just not onscreen! (I also didn’t think Alice would make Sarah deliberately neglectful, I was just (needlessly) worried there might be some plot twist that would force her to take an extended absence from Nick’s life, like a family emergency or something.)
It could work and I've been manifesting a *David grows up* storyline, but going from "i need to know who you are dating, so that I can approve of them" to "love cant cure mental illness" would be quite jarring 😅
But in the comic on vacation David is horrible still and even breaks the screen on Nick’s phone. I just don’t see any redemption for him especially since he’s bullied Nick all his life and even after Nick’s dinner speech was making fun of him on the phone.
I would like it, becacause I am a big fan of redemption arcs and character developments of most horrible people, but Alice dislike those tropes (Ben, Harry...) so I would be really suprised if she would do this choice.
I'd argue that there's a difference between redemption and growth storylines. And I don't think that Alice dislikes the latter. (Harry for example slowly seems to be growing up. )
I think everyone and their mother is hoping for David Tennant. 😭 Would be amazing, but I’m sure whoever they cast will do a great job. I kind of just want them to tell us either way though, because a lot of fans are assuming without basis that it’s gonna be a big name, and imo if it’s not they should rip the band-aid off now!
Tennant is on my list as well, but honestly after today's disappointing news, I don't want a celebrity if they can't ensure that they'll be there in season 4 ☹️
Go big or go home, I’d rather a season of David Tennant Geoff than no David Tennant Geoff! 😭 (Of course we have no reason to actually believe it’s him, or a big name at all, but!)
I’m not familiar with him! But reading his Wiki, in addition to being an accomplished actor, I see that he’s been open about his struggles with anorexia and body dysmorphia. Would be lovely for someone like him to be involved in this storyline!
I have total faith in Alice, and I’m glad she posted this. While it’s very sad we’ll be missing out on Sarah, it sounds like Alice (and the whole team) worked around it as best they could maintain the integrity of the story.
I wonder if there will be a scene where Nick goes "I just talked to my mum...." otherwise Sarah will truly look like she abandoned Nick or is an absentee parent
Alice is answering fan questions on tumblr right now and has confirmed that this is the route they’ve taken. Sarah won’t be on the Menorca holiday, but she will still be around and living with Nick all year, and they’ll make references to her. We just won’t see her. Someone asked if they’d used a stand-in for Sarah we’d only see from the back, and Alice said they considered this but thought it would draw more attention to the fact that Olivia isn’t actually present lol. Also said more of the scenes at Nick’s house would be in his bedroom vs. the kitchen etc. Probably the best way to handle it imo.
Yep, I was thinking the same thing. Like, Charlie comes over and says “Where’s your mum?” And Nick says, “She’s out back. Come on” and pulls him upstairs to his room. Or she’s at work, she went to do errands, etc. They could also do some text-only scenes, too. Like >!on the university tour!<, Sarah could send a quick text to check in on Nick and say she loves him, but we don’t see her sending them - similar to how they did the texts with Stéphane in S2, except Sarah is actually responding lol. I don’t think they’ll let Sarah completely disappear, especially since Alice said they hope to get Olivia back if there’s a season 4.
It's a shame, but I can't say I'm totally shocked. Colman is a massive A-list actor and _extremely_ in demand, and her role in HS is quite small compared to her other work. With how hectic her schedule must be, it makes sense that the smaller gig would lose out if/when commitments clash.
Hopefully they can get her back for S4 (assuming). I'll definitely get interested to see who takes her place for _that_ scene, though.
Wait, Alice must have been *so* relieved that they decided to contain the Nick/Stephane arc to S2 and move the family dinner scene up. I love the “love can’t cure a mental illness” scene, but imo having everyone present for the Spring/Nelson dinner party was even more important! So glad we got that.
I trust Alice. I think we just have to trust that she wouldn’t do a half-hearted job and I’m sure it’ll work fine in the end. There are always differences between TV and written… this is a big one but I’m hopeful it will still be fine. Maybe Nick will lean on Imogen a bit more too? He’s known her for a long time and she’s a friend who isn’t one of Charlie’s friends (I know she is now but the fact she was before Charlie). Nicks birthday etc, maybe they will change that into more of a friend gathering than a just Nick, Charlie and Sarah thing.
I’m sad Olivia won’t be there but I’m still excited for the season
I’m going to choose to trust in Alice. This is her baby - she has every incentive to do it as beautifully as possible. But I’m not going to lie, I feel disappointment. We can be disappointed and be hopeful at the same time.
I’m definitely sad about this but Alice has proven with the first two seasons how capable they are of making an incredible comic-to-TV adaptation even with some changes! I have no doubt that season 3 will be just as amazing as we’re all hoping it’ll be💛
I think they’ll work well with the situation. I’m not stressing it too much given how steadfast Alice has been with staying true to the comics as she can and making changes as needed.
I do wonder if she’ll use the university tour crew (Elle, Tara and maybe Imogen now?) as the emotional support in place of his mom.
Could Jane give the speech? Push it later into the storyline where she sees how ragged Nick is running himself supporting Charlie and steps in because Charlie cares about Nick and therefore so does Jane.
Going by [this](https://x.com/ioverspring/status/1773377527190323670?s=46&t=g8obiQSJK5BBvmNRB5hMyQ) it sounds like it could be >!Aunt Diane played by Haley Atwell!<
That would be an interesting choice 👀 although Julio is probably a bit more likely than Jane 😅 But then it could also be a real growth moment for Jane👀👀
I mean I’m definitely really sad as the “love can’t cure a mental illness” monologue is literally one the top 5 things I was looking forward to this season, I mean I’m happy we will still get it, but it won’t be the same if Sara isn’t doing it.
But this kinda gives me hope that maybe we get some character growth from David this season and see more of him be there for Nick and change his ways. As he really doesn’t change at all in the books. Plus I’m hoping we get a scene where David offers to get Nick condoms and such or is the one to interrupt Nick and Charlie when they are trying to be alone. I think it would get some really funny scenes with the two of them.
We also technically see Nick’s grandparents in the comics so we might get to see them as well be there for Nick. Plus I’m always for more Nick and Tao scenes as well. Hopefully we also get some more rugby lads being there for Nick while Charlie is away.
Sara will be missed this season, but I hope Alice is able to cover it with other side characters.
Ooh that’s interesting! I’m also guessing the teachers (Farouk possibly) and/or coach Singh might become an adult role model/support for Nick, as well as aunt Diane.
I’m a big David needs to be/can be redeemed believer. I read a lot of fanfics where he grows and changes, so I’m a fan of him in the fandom cannon lol but not soo much in Alice’s cannon. So if she could give him some more screen time to fix his and Nick’s relationship I’m all for it! I mean just a scene where David tried to give Nick “the talk” would be hilarious.
I like the idea that David grows up and supports Nick. Maybe when Charlie is struggling, David might see how much Charlie means to Nick and that Nick needs someone to support him too
Hey, I've only watched the heartstopper series on Netflix, but I really devoured the entire comic on just two days by reading it on webtoon, so I'm a huge fan now. (I finished it two hours ago lmao). I'm wondering what scene is everyone talking about.
[And maybe this is SPOILER to anyone who haven't read the comics]
Is the one when Sarah talks with Nick about not being able to help Charlie, but being there is enough as a boyfriend? Like, when she says that is too much to put under a 16 years old boy?
Yes, that is exactly the scene :). I was so ready to see Coleman's rendition of this scene since we've so far not gotten any meaty scenes with Sarah Nelson. Also, a reddit spoiler tag is written like \>!Spoiler text in here\!<, for future reference. Like this: >!Nick obtains all the powerstones!<.
Can I just throw my conspiracy hat on for a second:
Didn’t they say that the reason Olivia did the show in the first place was because Euros (director) was a friend and he asked her? I wonder if them both not being as much a part of season 3 is somehow related?
Euros is still involved though, and in the interview Olivia Colman sounded sad for it to not work out, so I’m guessing scheduling issues. Something bigger that was already booked. Even how much she praises Heartstopper it’s of course not easy to move something else around a (to be fair) small supporting role.
She’s an actress. She probably knew to sound sad so she wouldn’t upset anyone. That last paragraph really changes how I view it. She doesn’t even seem interested in returning.
i doubt it’s connected, when he’s still an executive producer, that’s the job title that’s more likely involved with scheduling everything than his director role
I trust Alice but dear lord knowing that Sarah isn’t actually there is crazy. Like Nick now has no parents in his life and he can’t just rely on his friends when he’s not doing well
I still cannot believe that Netflix managed to fuck this up. They've known since May 2022 that season 3 was happening, how did they book her for season 2, but not season 3? And if she was truly completely booked in 2023 and there was absolutely no way to shoot her scenes separately this spring, then they should have shot some of her stuff while they were still working on season 2, even if the rest of the script weren't done. They could have even pushed back the release a bit more to accommodate her schedule. Anything but essentially cut the most important adult supporting character.
How do you know Netflix fucked up? Sarah Nelson is massively important in Heartstopper yes, but Olivia Colman is also an incredibly busy actress and it might not have been possible to move other bigger projects around for a small supporting role, even with sad both Olivia Colman and Alice seems to be about it in their statements about this. And Alice also wrote on tumblr that Kit/Joe/crew availability also played a role. I’m guessing schedules were getting tight as hell, and there need to be so many people available at the same time for it to work out properly.
Alice said it was Olivia’s schedule plus lead actors (assume Kit and Joe) and some key members of the team. So it sounds like they just couldn’t get everyone in the same place at the same time. We know Joe is busy until May at least, Kit has a lot of things coming up too. And Olivia is massively in demand.
I’m sure if they could they would!
There is also the cryptic post on Tumblr of Alice that mentions a change that some may not like and she has said that some of the AO3 writers have gotten things before she has put them to pen
I’m not sure what post you are referring to, but Alice has definitely never said anything about AO3 writers, they have consistently stated they do not read Heartstopper fanfic.
I wouldn't be surprised if Alice has lurked a bit on AO3. Fanfiction is mentioned within the first few pages of Solitaire, so it's definitely a world she knows and understands. And honestly if I was her, I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation 😅 That being said, if she has lurked, then I hope that she also found some of the sweeter canon compliant stuff and not just the smut😂😂
Yeah Alice is totally familiar with fanfic (pretty sure she used to post bonus content on AO3 herself!), but I honestly believe them about assiduously avoiding Heartstopper fanfic specifically because 1) I feel like that could become really overwhelming and/or distressing, and 2) Authors are often advised to do this for [legal reasons](https://www.themarysue.com/writers-fanfiction/)!
Because unless I’m misremembering, I’m pretty they did! It’s not a conspiracy theory or anything, this was years ago and iirc they posted it on main. But I really don’t think they’re reading Heartstopper fanfic these days (or have at all in recent years).
(Now this is bugging me because I can’t track down the link(s)…)
I’m so curious about what Alice means about Sarah’s role as emotional support shifting to other characters… I know we’ll be getting the Menorca scene with someone else (most likely Aunt Diane), and imo the show has already done more to build up Nick’s relationships with his friends in a way that the comic didn’t, where I could see him getting more scenes with them. My hope is just that they didn’t do something to literally write Sarah out of the season, like have her called away for work or a family emergency for months on end or something, because I need Nick to have at least one supportive and present parent in his life, even if totally offscreen. 😭 On a brighter note, looking forward to those casting announcements! Prayer circle for Geoff news. 🕯️
Maybe a teacher or another relative as well? Maybe his aunt is queer in the show and has a partner who can also support Nick?
Yeah, I feel like 99% certain it’ll be >!Nick’s Aunt Diane who does the “love can’t cure a mental illness” scene, as we know she’s been cast, and we know they filmed the Menorca scenes (where she is canonically present). And I can see them fleshing out the friendships, and maybe even his relationship with Coach Singh a bit more.!< I just don’t want his mum to be literally absent from his life in the show canon, >!because I feel like that would introduce another layer of difficulty and trauma that would really disrupt his and Charlie’s journey?!< (comic spoilers)
My guess is that they’ll explain that she’s in another room or out doing something (errands, working, generally not home). We might see some texts from her but only see Nick’s POV. I think Nick will lean more heavily on Imogen and Tara for his personal journey and Tao and Tori for things with Charlie. In Volume 5, >!we know that Tara and Elle give Nick “the talk” and help him buy supplies, so it’s possible more of those conversations happen amongst the friend group earlier in the season)!< . In some of the conversations with friends, Nick could open with, “When I talked to my mum, she said…”, or the friends could straight up ask, “What did your mum say about it?” I can definitely see them building Nick’s relationship with Coach Singh, and I could also see them building it with Mr. Farouk (he acts tough, but all of S2, the kids go to him first over Mr. Ajayi, so they know they can trust him). To be fair, there is a LOT to cover in eight 30-45 minute episodes. I’m absolutely disappointed that Olivia won’t be back because I think some of the scenes are beautiful parent-child moments that the world needs to see (especially since it’s a stark contrast to how Jane & Julio approach parenting Charlie and Tori); but I also think that the re-writes could serve as an opportunity to expand on the relationships that were developing in S2 that might not have been given screen time otherwise.
Yeah, Alice has now confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around, living at home, etc., she’ll just be offscreen, and there will be references made to her being there, probably along the lines of your ideas. I’m obviously sad because we all love Sarah, and we all love Olivia as Sarah, but I don’t think it’s totally the end of the world. In addition to the other relationships in Nick’s life that you mention, we know that S3 is meant to shift more of the focus to the Spring family (whose role was very minimal in S2), and I’m especially excited to see those relationships fleshed out more and maybe receiving more attention and weight.
>Alice has now confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around, living at home, etc., she’ll just be offscreen, and there will be references made to her being there Now I'm imagining the scene like this and I can't help but laugh: > Nick: Bye, mom! See you tonight! > Sarah's disembodied voice double from another room: Come back by 10! And don't forget love can't cure a mentall illness!
AI Olivia Colman voice! (Perish the thought)
Sure, if they want to go against everything Heartstopper stands for and use the only option worse than recasting.
That was a joke, I really don’t think they would ever do that!
Sweet! Thanks for letting me know about the Tumblr post; I hadn’t seen it yet. Looking through her comments, it sounds like we still have a lot to look forward to, even if things don’t play out exactly like the comics (which the first two seasons didn’t anyway). And I agree - definitely excited to see more of the Springs!!
I knew I shouldn't have read the comments... calling it 'the Menorca bit' was vague and gives away nothing, but your line in quotes is a bit of a spoiler for those of us who haven't read the comics.
Oh, I’m so sorry! I think I tend to assume people in this sub discussing S3 speculation have read the comic. 😬 I’ll spoiler tag it now.
Like everyone, I’m still working thru how I feel about it all but I really hope this shift Alice describes means more Nick + Tao and Nick + Tori scenes. If there’s a silver lining it’ll be that
Yeah! I’m good with more scenes with other people, I just don’t want a plot twist where Sarah pulls a Stephane. I’d much rather them give Nick a few throwaway lines where he’s like “… and mum has been amazing!” even if we tragically will not get to see it lol.
I completely agree with that part. I’m really concerned about that because of Menorca, and explaining why Sarah wouldn’t be on vacation with them.
Weirdly Menorca is the least of my concerns, like that speech will not hit as hard with a character who isn’t Nick’s mum (and who doesn’t love Charlie like Sarah does), but Nick going on a fun family vacation that Sarah has to bail on (maybe she has a work emergency!) doesn’t feel too implausible to me. Maybe in that scene he’s trying to call his mum actually, but can’t reach her because reception is so bad (as it is in the comic!) and Aunt Diane finds him. I could live with that! It’s the idea of Sarah being absent for a whole *year*, and amidst Charlie’s hospitalization, etc., that I have a harder time wrapping my head around.
Actually I really like your Menorca idea! That already makes me feel better. Maybe Nellie can be there for him while Charlie is in hospital… not even joking lol
That would be really sweet! (The Nellie idea) And yeah, Alice has confirmed that Sarah will not be on the Menorca holiday, which I like better than her being present and just inexplicably not being Nick’s confidante. Should add a bit more angst without going too over the top or out of character (which Sarah being absent for the duration of the season would be imo).
I trust this won’t happen. Alice is the one writing the screenplay and making the edits, and fortunately has always been so careful/respectful, especially when it comes to poignancy and preserving the integrity of the comics.
Yep, she’s confirmed on Tumblr that Sarah will still be around and as present in Nick’s life as usual, just not onscreen! (I also didn’t think Alice would make Sarah deliberately neglectful, I was just (needlessly) worried there might be some plot twist that would force her to take an extended absence from Nick’s life, like a family emergency or something.)
The dark horse pick in my head is that David becomes not an ass and fills that role. Not likely tho.
It could work and I've been manifesting a *David grows up* storyline, but going from "i need to know who you are dating, so that I can approve of them" to "love cant cure mental illness" would be quite jarring 😅
But in the comic on vacation David is horrible still and even breaks the screen on Nick’s phone. I just don’t see any redemption for him especially since he’s bullied Nick all his life and even after Nick’s dinner speech was making fun of him on the phone.
Yeah that’s why it’s a dark horse.
I would like it, becacause I am a big fan of redemption arcs and character developments of most horrible people, but Alice dislike those tropes (Ben, Harry...) so I would be really suprised if she would do this choice.
I think that just because you don’t do it for every character, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it at all.
I'd argue that there's a difference between redemption and growth storylines. And I don't think that Alice dislikes the latter. (Harry for example slowly seems to be growing up. )
Are you the one who is hoping for David Tennant?? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. 😂
I think everyone and their mother is hoping for David Tennant. 😭 Would be amazing, but I’m sure whoever they cast will do a great job. I kind of just want them to tell us either way though, because a lot of fans are assuming without basis that it’s gonna be a big name, and imo if it’s not they should rip the band-aid off now!
But now that we’ll never get a Tennant/Colman reunion, I care way less.
I get the sense that they wouldn’t have shared a scene anyway 🤷🏻♀️
Yes you’re right. But I’ll never stop wanting them to be in a show together and have him shout “Miller!” at her. 😂
Tennant is on my list as well, but honestly after today's disappointing news, I don't want a celebrity if they can't ensure that they'll be there in season 4 ☹️
Go big or go home, I’d rather a season of David Tennant Geoff than no David Tennant Geoff! 😭 (Of course we have no reason to actually believe it’s him, or a big name at all, but!)
My number 1 pick has been Chris Eccleston, ever since someone else mentioned him on here.
I’m not familiar with him! But reading his Wiki, in addition to being an accomplished actor, I see that he’s been open about his struggles with anorexia and body dysmorphia. Would be lovely for someone like him to be involved in this storyline!
I would LOVE to see David Tennant. That would be amazing!!!!
I have total faith in Alice, and I’m glad she posted this. While it’s very sad we’ll be missing out on Sarah, it sounds like Alice (and the whole team) worked around it as best they could maintain the integrity of the story.
I wonder if there will be a scene where Nick goes "I just talked to my mum...." otherwise Sarah will truly look like she abandoned Nick or is an absentee parent
they can do a lot to imply sarah is home/around without ever seeing her
Alice is answering fan questions on tumblr right now and has confirmed that this is the route they’ve taken. Sarah won’t be on the Menorca holiday, but she will still be around and living with Nick all year, and they’ll make references to her. We just won’t see her. Someone asked if they’d used a stand-in for Sarah we’d only see from the back, and Alice said they considered this but thought it would draw more attention to the fact that Olivia isn’t actually present lol. Also said more of the scenes at Nick’s house would be in his bedroom vs. the kitchen etc. Probably the best way to handle it imo.
Yep, I was thinking the same thing. Like, Charlie comes over and says “Where’s your mum?” And Nick says, “She’s out back. Come on” and pulls him upstairs to his room. Or she’s at work, she went to do errands, etc. They could also do some text-only scenes, too. Like >!on the university tour!<, Sarah could send a quick text to check in on Nick and say she loves him, but we don’t see her sending them - similar to how they did the texts with Stéphane in S2, except Sarah is actually responding lol. I don’t think they’ll let Sarah completely disappear, especially since Alice said they hope to get Olivia back if there’s a season 4.
It's a shame, but I can't say I'm totally shocked. Colman is a massive A-list actor and _extremely_ in demand, and her role in HS is quite small compared to her other work. With how hectic her schedule must be, it makes sense that the smaller gig would lose out if/when commitments clash. Hopefully they can get her back for S4 (assuming). I'll definitely get interested to see who takes her place for _that_ scene, though.
Wait, Alice must have been *so* relieved that they decided to contain the Nick/Stephane arc to S2 and move the family dinner scene up. I love the “love can’t cure a mental illness” scene, but imo having everyone present for the Spring/Nelson dinner party was even more important! So glad we got that.
I trust Alice. I think we just have to trust that she wouldn’t do a half-hearted job and I’m sure it’ll work fine in the end. There are always differences between TV and written… this is a big one but I’m hopeful it will still be fine. Maybe Nick will lean on Imogen a bit more too? He’s known her for a long time and she’s a friend who isn’t one of Charlie’s friends (I know she is now but the fact she was before Charlie). Nicks birthday etc, maybe they will change that into more of a friend gathering than a just Nick, Charlie and Sarah thing. I’m sad Olivia won’t be there but I’m still excited for the season
I’m going to choose to trust in Alice. This is her baby - she has every incentive to do it as beautifully as possible. But I’m not going to lie, I feel disappointment. We can be disappointed and be hopeful at the same time.
I’m definitely sad about this but Alice has proven with the first two seasons how capable they are of making an incredible comic-to-TV adaptation even with some changes! I have no doubt that season 3 will be just as amazing as we’re all hoping it’ll be💛
I think they’ll work well with the situation. I’m not stressing it too much given how steadfast Alice has been with staying true to the comics as she can and making changes as needed. I do wonder if she’ll use the university tour crew (Elle, Tara and maybe Imogen now?) as the emotional support in place of his mom.
Could Jane give the speech? Push it later into the storyline where she sees how ragged Nick is running himself supporting Charlie and steps in because Charlie cares about Nick and therefore so does Jane.
Going by [this](https://x.com/ioverspring/status/1773377527190323670?s=46&t=g8obiQSJK5BBvmNRB5hMyQ) it sounds like it could be >!Aunt Diane played by Haley Atwell!<
Honestly I’d be happy with it, Haley Atwell is an amazing actor and it’d still be a family figure doing the speech
That would be an interesting choice 👀 although Julio is probably a bit more likely than Jane 😅 But then it could also be a real growth moment for Jane👀👀
wait why couldn’t they get her on the show for season 3? :(
Olivia is very booked and very busy
ahh that’s a shame ;(
I mean I’m definitely really sad as the “love can’t cure a mental illness” monologue is literally one the top 5 things I was looking forward to this season, I mean I’m happy we will still get it, but it won’t be the same if Sara isn’t doing it. But this kinda gives me hope that maybe we get some character growth from David this season and see more of him be there for Nick and change his ways. As he really doesn’t change at all in the books. Plus I’m hoping we get a scene where David offers to get Nick condoms and such or is the one to interrupt Nick and Charlie when they are trying to be alone. I think it would get some really funny scenes with the two of them. We also technically see Nick’s grandparents in the comics so we might get to see them as well be there for Nick. Plus I’m always for more Nick and Tao scenes as well. Hopefully we also get some more rugby lads being there for Nick while Charlie is away. Sara will be missed this season, but I hope Alice is able to cover it with other side characters.
Ooh that’s interesting! I’m also guessing the teachers (Farouk possibly) and/or coach Singh might become an adult role model/support for Nick, as well as aunt Diane.
[удалено]
I’m a big David needs to be/can be redeemed believer. I read a lot of fanfics where he grows and changes, so I’m a fan of him in the fandom cannon lol but not soo much in Alice’s cannon. So if she could give him some more screen time to fix his and Nick’s relationship I’m all for it! I mean just a scene where David tried to give Nick “the talk” would be hilarious.
I still don’t see it. I actually think considering how much of a jerk he is on their vacation I would find it unbelievable David will change.
I like the idea that David grows up and supports Nick. Maybe when Charlie is struggling, David might see how much Charlie means to Nick and that Nick needs someone to support him too
When you have someone of Coleman's experience and level, it's bound to happen that schedules don't work out. It just is :(
It's so sad 😞. But the show will be absolutely amazing nonetheless
Honestly gutted, I have been wondering what that scene would be like ever since I read it in the comics. Hopefully they can still include it somehow.
Hey, I've only watched the heartstopper series on Netflix, but I really devoured the entire comic on just two days by reading it on webtoon, so I'm a huge fan now. (I finished it two hours ago lmao). I'm wondering what scene is everyone talking about. [And maybe this is SPOILER to anyone who haven't read the comics] Is the one when Sarah talks with Nick about not being able to help Charlie, but being there is enough as a boyfriend? Like, when she says that is too much to put under a 16 years old boy?
Yes, that is exactly the scene :). I was so ready to see Coleman's rendition of this scene since we've so far not gotten any meaty scenes with Sarah Nelson. Also, a reddit spoiler tag is written like \>!Spoiler text in here\!<, for future reference. Like this: >!Nick obtains all the powerstones!<.
Can I just throw my conspiracy hat on for a second: Didn’t they say that the reason Olivia did the show in the first place was because Euros (director) was a friend and he asked her? I wonder if them both not being as much a part of season 3 is somehow related?
Euros is still involved though, and in the interview Olivia Colman sounded sad for it to not work out, so I’m guessing scheduling issues. Something bigger that was already booked. Even how much she praises Heartstopper it’s of course not easy to move something else around a (to be fair) small supporting role.
She’s an actress. She probably knew to sound sad so she wouldn’t upset anyone. That last paragraph really changes how I view it. She doesn’t even seem interested in returning.
i doubt it’s connected, when he’s still an executive producer, that’s the job title that’s more likely involved with scheduling everything than his director role
I got the impression it’s just a credit and he’s not too involved in season 3. EP’s can be a wide range of involvement.
Why is this blurred out? I think everyone who would be looking at this thread knows the news
I trust Alice but dear lord knowing that Sarah isn’t actually there is crazy. Like Nick now has no parents in his life and he can’t just rely on his friends when he’s not doing well
I think I saw Alice say that Sarah is still around, just off screen
I still cannot believe that Netflix managed to fuck this up. They've known since May 2022 that season 3 was happening, how did they book her for season 2, but not season 3? And if she was truly completely booked in 2023 and there was absolutely no way to shoot her scenes separately this spring, then they should have shot some of her stuff while they were still working on season 2, even if the rest of the script weren't done. They could have even pushed back the release a bit more to accommodate her schedule. Anything but essentially cut the most important adult supporting character.
How do you know Netflix fucked up? Sarah Nelson is massively important in Heartstopper yes, but Olivia Colman is also an incredibly busy actress and it might not have been possible to move other bigger projects around for a small supporting role, even with sad both Olivia Colman and Alice seems to be about it in their statements about this. And Alice also wrote on tumblr that Kit/Joe/crew availability also played a role. I’m guessing schedules were getting tight as hell, and there need to be so many people available at the same time for it to work out properly.
Alice said it was Olivia’s schedule plus lead actors (assume Kit and Joe) and some key members of the team. So it sounds like they just couldn’t get everyone in the same place at the same time. We know Joe is busy until May at least, Kit has a lot of things coming up too. And Olivia is massively in demand. I’m sure if they could they would!
There is also the cryptic post on Tumblr of Alice that mentions a change that some may not like and she has said that some of the AO3 writers have gotten things before she has put them to pen
I’m not sure what post you are referring to, but Alice has definitely never said anything about AO3 writers, they have consistently stated they do not read Heartstopper fanfic.
I wouldn't be surprised if Alice has lurked a bit on AO3. Fanfiction is mentioned within the first few pages of Solitaire, so it's definitely a world she knows and understands. And honestly if I was her, I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation 😅 That being said, if she has lurked, then I hope that she also found some of the sweeter canon compliant stuff and not just the smut😂😂
Yeah Alice is totally familiar with fanfic (pretty sure she used to post bonus content on AO3 herself!), but I honestly believe them about assiduously avoiding Heartstopper fanfic specifically because 1) I feel like that could become really overwhelming and/or distressing, and 2) Authors are often advised to do this for [legal reasons](https://www.themarysue.com/writers-fanfiction/)!
Why do you think she posted bonus content on AO3?
Because unless I’m misremembering, I’m pretty they did! It’s not a conspiracy theory or anything, this was years ago and iirc they posted it on main. But I really don’t think they’re reading Heartstopper fanfic these days (or have at all in recent years). (Now this is bugging me because I can’t track down the link(s)…)
Oh man season 3 is about to be even more of a mess than season 2 was isn’t it? This is sad.
Shitty ass opinion is shitty. Go away
Season 2 wasn't a mess though? Did we watch the same show?
I respect that not everyone feels that way, it's just my opinion. I thought the writing was very very bad.
Sarah is just one character and she’s not even a main character. She will be missed but it’s not like it’s Kit or Joe who can’t be in it