Heartbreak High has returned with a second season, bringing back beloved characters as they navigate growing up in Australia. Here’s what we thought.
Netflix’s hit Australian comedy-drama is back with a second season of Heartbreak High, packed with plenty of relevant coming-of-age and political themes.
As the beloved cast of Season 1 returns to continue exploring sexuality, Amerie (Ayesha Madon) takes the wheel while previous side characters find a front-row seat in navigating the highs and lows of high school.
There’s a whole new mystery to solve, fresh characters, and an overall sense that this Aussie drama has properly found its footing in Season 2.
Beloved characters make a spectacular return
Kicking off where its predecessor left off, Season 2 revolves around the mystery of “Bird Psycho” — an unknown antagonist determined to bring Amerie and her reputation crashing to the ground.
Thankfully, this time Amerie has the support of Harper (Asher Yasbineck), with the show focused on exploring their friendship on a deeper level now that the pair are once more on speaking terms.
Other familiar faces include Darren (James Majoos), who is rekindling his relationship with Ca$h (Will McDonald), Quinni (Chloe Hayden) who has her heart set on discovering Bird Psycho’s identity, and Malakai (Thomas Weatherall) who is coming to terms with his sexuality.
Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish) and Missy (Sherry-Lee Watson) step into more predominant roles this season, with some unexpected but tantalizing tension between the pair. Ant (Brodie Townsend) and Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran) also return, the former offering comedic relief while the latter remains mostly infuriating.
But Season 2 is not just a repeat of the past, bringing about some new additions to the cast. Joining are transfer student Rowan (Sam Rechner), PE teacher Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson), and sworn celibate Zoe (Kartanya Maynard). The three bring much of the season’s main conflicts and add some new romances to the mix.
Performances in Heartbreak High are stronger than ever and it’s clear that the cast feels comfortable portraying their characters. The writing and acting have both been stepped up a notch and while season 1 felt performative at times, this new batch of episodes rarely runs into the same problem.
The occasionally awkward lines or preachy moments are easily forgiven when enjoying the season as a whole
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Crazy conflict, complex character arcs, and difficult conversations
In between Bird Psycho’s attacks, the overarching storyline featured in season 2 is the political conflict between Jojo’s (Chika Ikogwe) SLTs and Voss’ CUMLORDS. An impending school election sees Amerie look to redeem herself by representing the SLTs and running for school captain.
However, the competition is hot. Spider steps up to speak for the CUMLORDS under Voss’ “pro-male” rule, and Sasha is all about striving for ethics while boasting a self-righteous mentality that ostracizes her target audience more often than not.
Heartbreak High does well criticizing all sides of the debate and pointing out real issues each political party brings to the table. While Spider’s “toxic masculinity” and Voss’ extreme ideologies are obvious choices for the chopping board, it is refreshing to have a more nuanced approach that doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations and gives every person a chair at the table.
Beyond the main plotlines, every character is given the time for an arc that explores their individual struggles. And Heartbreak High isn’t afraid to tackle the uncomfortable and complex.
One storyline in particular that stood out was the aftermath of Harper’s assault and how she approached moving forward. While this could easily have missed the mark, the show handled this with fantastic care and showcased the fear and claustrophobia that so many survivors face when attempting to navigate the court system.
The taxing process involved in chasing justice and Harper’s decision to ultimately drop the case in favor of her own healing journey was a necessary message, demonstrating why so many perpetrators escape without consequence.
Perhaps most importantly though, Harper’s conversation with Ca$h stood out as one young viewers should let sink in — you do not have to make those who hurt you feel better for their benefit; “I’ve never blamed you. But I’m not going to help you feel better about it. Because it sucked. It really f****** sucked arse.”
Heartbreak High Season 2 review verdict: 4/5
Heartbreak High season 2 is a binge-able banger, with standout performances from its cast and some incredibly captivating storylines. However, this doesn’t mean the show is entirely without its faults.
The biggest issue this season was its climax. Prior episodes felt like an accurate (if not slightly camp) dramatization of Aussie youth, packing in as many relatable problems as possible. But a high-school face-off between teachers that included setting fire to the school felt just a little too far-fetched.
The reveal of Bird Psycho’s identity was a good twist, but the reasoning seemed a little extreme and unlikely to resonate with many viewers. In the end, Heartbreak High performs best when focusing on the everyday life of its characters — a fun and colorful slice of life that isn’t afraid to delve into darker topics. The extreme plot points are best left to Riverdale.
