Glad you’re back.❤

Extremely nerdy film thing about Elle and Tao's date: They're seeing a Wes Anderson film. Wes Anderson, as a director, has a signature style - he sets up shots with bright contrasting colors that are very symmetrical with the characters dead center of the frame. (You can google "Wes Anderson style" to see some examples) Now watch the date scene again 😂 Its absolutely full of Wes Anderson shots, especially the one of them in the seats with the huge popcorns.

Something, among many things actually, that I totally find myself confused about....is if "DEATH" cannot KILL, but only take and guide, then what would have happened if Agatha hadn't took the "kiss of death" from Rio or Billy said, "Oh sorry...I changed my mind" take Agatha instead......What could Rio do next?

I don't necessarily disagree with Jane on her banning Charlie and Nick from seeing each other and in grounding Charlie. He's 15 and at this point should make an attempt to focus on his schoolwork. Yes, he's clearly head over heels in love with Nick, and Nick is the best thing that's ever happened to him, but letting his grades go down the crapper for a relationship is really irresponsible, especially considering he's historically been a top student. Charlie is an idiot for sneaking out; how does he manage to do this under his parents' nose? I think Mr. Farouq may have some knowledge of what Charlie went through the previous year, hence his out of character kindness to him, and yes, I think he's picked up on Nick and Charlie being a "thing" (I mean, really, could they be any less obvious?). As far as Ben is concerned, Ben is a classic manipulator, and he's really good at it. I think most sexual assaulters are manipulators. I don't think Ben ever really accepts the truth that he literally assaulted Charlie. Charlie's still not outing Ben was, to me, no longer necessary after the assault, I think Charlie should have brought this up to someone in the school and had Ben kicked out. End of Ben problem. Let me point out that Nick's "niceness" is overboard here. He clearly outweighs David and, as you pointed out, has put on some impressive muscle. Why he doesn't just deck his douchy brother is beyond my comprehension. Yes, I know, violence is not the answer, but David is a dick. He's always been a dick. He will always be a dick. More on that later.

Wet socks and sneakers = ugh!!! Last summer I went to Disney World with family; August in Florida = lots of pop-up rainstorms. We had a day where it rained all day and we all walked around in wet sneakers. By the time we got back to the airbnb everyone's feet were . . . .let's just say, not pretty. I'm totally jealous of Kit's forearms, especially when he crosses his arms like that. It's just not fair. What does he have that I don't have, other than maybe at least 50 pounds of muscle?? It's very good to see Joe, Kit and Bash just sit there and flirt with each other, it's easy to tell that they've all become friends through this production.

Thanks for another great reaction video, Thom. Ok, everyone whose eyes filled with tears when Charlie tells Tori that maybe it would be better if he didn't exist, raise your hands. That line just got me in the feels. I understand that in the unrevised version of Alice Oseman's "Solitaire" there's a reference to Charlie having made a suicide attempt. I guess this was excluded because one would think that if that had happened Charlie would have been in therapy much sooner. Kudos to Nick for manning up and sitting with Tao at the lunch table, despite the fact that Tao clearly has no use for Nick, and for starting a conversation. You can feel that maybe Tao is beginning to thaw a bit toward Nick because they both want Charlie to be happy. I agree, Kit Connor has great hair; I wouldn't mind having that, or his physique as well. In my opinion Andrew Garfield also has great hair. The fact that I'm balding has nothing to do with this, nope. I loved Charlie taking Ben down immediately and standing up to him. I loved the close up profile of Charlie's face as he's waiting for the signal to begin the relay; Joe Locke has a beautiful face and that shot just emphasizes it. I've seen comments on other sites asking what Nick sees in Charlie. Charlie is clearly attracted to Nick physically from the start, and this attraction grows to include Nick's persona as Charlie gets to know him. We don't know yet that due to the laws of attraction Nick is also physically attracted to Charlie, and of course at the beginning Nick doesn't identify as queer so he may not recognize or acknowledge a physical attraction. However, Nick and Charlie are kindred spirits despite the fact that physically they're opposites. Both of them are extremely empathetic, kind, thoughtful of others. They're both giving people who have no expectations of getting or receiving anything back from acts and gestures of kindness. I think that Nick and Charlie are attracted to each other based on the fact that they're so much alike in this respect. You've mentioned how "balanced" they are with each other, working to bring each other up as much as they can. When Nick tells Charlie "You're the kindest, most thoughtful and caring and amazing person" he could very well be describing himself, and he know that this is exactly what Charlie needs to hear. They slip up, occasionally, of course, but only for what they may think of as good reasons. Charlie's distancing himself from Nick instead of communicating with Nick may not have been the right approach, but he was doing it because he thought it was in Nick's best interest despite the pain it would be bringing on himself. Now time to get started on your season 2 videos. Thanks again, Thom.

Thanks, Thom. Some observations; First - great shirt (avacados?). I wonder if Charlie's father was looking in his rearview mirror and saw the reflection of Charlie getting another wonderful Nick Nelson hug. Nick's increasing comfort with giving Charlie PDA's is really heartwarming, especially the scene in class where he puts his head on Charlie's shoulder. The scene with Ben in the parking lot was not in the comics; obviously the comics are a snapshot of events, and Alice and the team needed to flesh out some of the plot lines to create a more complete episode. This cruel encounter sets us up for Charlie's confrontation with Ben in episode 8 after he kicks Ben's ass in the relay. Unfortunately, Ben just doesn't learn from this and just keeps up the toxicity through season 2. I liked the development of Nick's realizing his former friends suck big time; this abandonment must weigh on him much more when he realized Charlie intends to break up with him. I'm sure Charlie did not and would not tell Nick about his exchange with Ben in the parking lot because he know Nick would just go and kick Ben's ass, like he promised in episode 1; so once again Charlie just internalizes his pain and tells no one, not even his father who actually saw something going on. All this contributes to his conversation with Tori next episode about his ruining other people's lives. And in closing, Harry is just a prick and really needed a punch in the face.

Thanks for another great reaction/analysis video. I love your donut shirt! I also love the embracing and owning of the word "queer"; when I was this age I was short and scrawny and not good at sports (okay, I'm still short and scrawny and not good at sports, at lease I'm consistent), so of course my classmates flung this word at me a lot, since this was the highest insult, falling just short of the "F" slur. I find it interesting that there would be a room in a school with a door that locked so you couldn't get out; seems like a fire hazard to me, but what do I know? Tara shows how perceptive she is with her gentle leading questions to Nick about his friendship with Charlie; I wonder if this was a well meant attempt to get him to open up a little (this foreshadows the question she asks in S3E8, when she observes that Nick doesn't open up to a lot of people). The comments about catching the dreaded Lesbian disease just pinpoint how cruel kids can be particularly at this age; they have no filter and it's all about establishing your place in the pecking order, so what better way to rise up than by shoving someone else down? I'm glad Charlie is giving Nick another drum lesson, but I think giving one before the concert might not really be the time and place. I also played the clarinet back in grade school, thankfully it was only for three years (a fact which I think my parents were very thankful for, I was pretty awful) and absolutely not only does the reed have to be moistened, you need to put copious amounts of cork grease on that thing so the parts go together easily and come apart easily.

I loved this episode because of how they developed the characters; with each episode they become more "real". A few thoughts: 1) Nick's hug in the bowling alley is my favorite hug in season one; he hugs Charlie as if he's afraid Charlie will fly away and he needs to keep him anchored. When I saw this, the first thing that came to my mind (yes, I'm a geek) is the quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet; "Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel". That's what I think Nick is doing, making sure his soul and Charlie's are meshed together. 2) I actually had to look up what the word "bellend" meant (Tao's insult to Harry). This made this much funnier, and helped me understand why the Rugby lads laughed so much. 3) I think we need to keep in mind that these are teenagers; Charlie is only 14 at the beginning of season 1, Nick is 15 and I imagine that his year 11 classmates are all 15 or 16. The peer pressure at that age is extreme, and in light of that I think we can understand Nick's caving into accepting Imogen's date. 4) I totally agree that Isaac is the Heartstopper Oracle of Delphi - he sees all, he knows all, but he says nothing. He does smirk a lot, though. 5) One final point/question; am I correct in saying you have a book on your bookshelf, visible over your right shoulder, titled "Balls"? If so, I am intrigued.

Not my favorite episode, for obvious reasons, hate to see Nick being put into a situation he has no control over. I'm glad they had the cliche scene of kissing in the rain under an umbrella, just like the romance films of the 40's.

Rewatching Nick's conversation with Imogen in season one after watching season 3 i feel that Imogen really did understand what Nick was saying to her. She knows that she really doesn't fancy Nick and feels pressured to behave like she's heterosexual.

Thanks Thom for a great reaction video. I found it amusing that Tara's gaydar lit up big time when she and Nick were talking about his knowing Charlie Spring. Elle's emotional security is very impressive, particularly considering what her experience with transitioning must have done to her. The scene where Nick ran away from Charlie was heartbreaking, although I think I agree with comments that he did not want Harry & Company to find him alone with Charlie in a secluded room and make Charlie the subject of bullying (or as the British seem to call it, "banter"). I'm glad you left out the scene of Charlie crying on his dad's shoulder; that scene broke me.

Hi Thom. Our boy Nick is falling, and falling pretty hard, if you ask me. I'd be interested to find out what the culture of Guy Hugs is in the U.K. I 'm a Baby Boomer. I was brought up with the culture that males did NOT touch each other affectionately, ever. My own father never hugged me, never gave me a kiss on the head, never told me he loved me, because guys didn't do that. The most I got was a handshake. I think it's a bit better in these times, but the kind of spontaneous hug Nick gives Charlie might still be out of the norm. I love that Nick gives in to the rush of affection he feels for Charlie and wraps him up in his arms, and the look on Nick's face clearly shows the confusion he's feeling at his wanting to do this. I'm sure the thoughts running through his head are along the lines of "Why am I feeling this way?", as the comic shows. I'm probably old enough to be Kit Connor's grandfather, but I too would love a Kit Connor/Nick Nelson hug. Going back to what I mentioned in the beginning, you can rest assure that I made sure I hugged and kissed my sons, and told them every chance I got that I loved them, because I never wanted them to feel the emotional void that I felt. But enough sadness, on to reaction video 3. I love your videos, Thom, and you have a very soothing speaking voice and great insight into what's happening behind the scenes, so to speak. Thank you.

Hi Thom; I finished watching season 3 last night, and hope that you will continue your reaction videos to this fantastic series. Now that I'm done I'm rewatching from season 1 I hope you don't object to my also rewatching your videos and making observations I may not have made initially. I think you're spot on on Charlie's reaction to being informed that he's seated to "Nicholas Nelson; one of the rugby lads". This must have made him panic; we don't know it yet, but these were the guys who bullied him mercilessly the year before. However, just like in the comic, we are immediately shown that rather than being a typical jock asshat, Nick is friendly, does not judge Charlie, and is accepting. Kit Connor's acting here reminds me of Nicholas Galitzine's in "Red, White and Royal Blue". He speaks volumes with a change of facial expression, something seasoned actors may not do as well (e.g., actress Joan Fontaine from the 40's kept her face expressionless in so many of her films that her nickname was "the Wooden Woman"). I wonder if Nick and Charlie will invite Mr. Lange to the wedding, since he's the one responsible for putting these two guys together!

Bro, role-playing far off is so fun, especially when Tobias and fenn are shirtless

A very short time, like 3 days as a Maximoff, while having 3 years as a Kaplan. IDK how don't realize this, but Agatha All Along wouldn't have happened if he remembered. He wouldn't want to seek to Agatha out at all.

Good, thank you ! I voted for it in the Goodreads Choice Awards - even though I haven’t read it yet 🫢. I’ll give it a read soon. Thanks again ! 🫶

Thom, do you know if this new book is good ? Most Ardently, by Gabe Cole Novoa. It’s Pride and Prejudice revisited from a trans perspective.

This video definitely did help me and I'm sure others as well. I have suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life, probably from early childhood trauma and also brain chemistry. After so many years (40+) of dealing with it and being on medication which at a minimum didnt help and at worst caused terrible side effects, i got a DNA test done and was finally put on meds that help. I'm not magically better, but its much more manageable. You are right that it takes courage and perseverance to deal with mental illness. I am very grateful that it is finally destigmatized to a certain extent, and people like you being open about your struggles only further that cause. We are not alone ❤

Thom, you are a wonderful human being 🤗. Thank you for sharing. Your voice is very soothing and I admire your composure and how coherently you went through everything in less that 15min and without notes. I teared up simply because people started talking about mental health and so many doors and floodgates are getting open, so many lightbulbs are being switched on in our brains. Thank you ❤❤❤ Recently Shaaba's videos are helping me with my undiagnosed adhd.

Thank you so much Thom for this very enlightening and helpful video. As a child I had enormous difficulties with OCD behaviors, many of the same ones you talked about here; checking locks over and over, light switches, arrangements of objects, etc. But the most intense and anxiety provoking was 'Sensory Processing Disorder,' or 'Tactile Defensiveness.' Happily it faded with time as I entered late adolescence and has never reared its ugly head in adulthood with exception of one two things: I still cannot touch cotton balls or anything with a similar texture. The condition was a nightmare because no one realized it was a 'condition.' I was made to feel ashamed of my anxiety and that I was being deliberately difficult and disobedient. I was often severely punished when I reacted to the intense discomfort of the fabrics touching my body. Education and information about these kinds of conditions are essential and need to be discussed often. I can only imagine what a relief I might have felt had I been diagnosed with an actual condition and received professional treatment, or simply looked upon with some compassion. I will definitely look into the OCD Workbook. Thank you again for giving voice to this very important topic.

I wish Nick would have used 'Char' nickname more often, it's so cute, but in the show he rarely says Char.

Thank you so much for this video. A person very dear to me is going through a tough time related to her mental health. Listening to you makes me want to educate myself and take better care of myself so that I can be a source of support for her. Thank you for being so open and sharing this with us. I'm sending you love and I hope that every day you feel better!