Heartstopper has been a phenomena long before Netflix released the first season back in 2022. The story about two British boys falling in love in their all-boys secondary school began as a free webcomic on Webtoon. (It still remains free, by the way.) The sweet story became wildly popular with people all over the world and author/illustrator Alice Oseman eventually released the comic as a series of graphic novels. Alas, the popularity continued from form to form, now as a hugely popular series on Netflix. But with the recent release of Season 3, we’re now all caught up with the source material. Will there be a Heartstopper Season 4? Is Alice Oseman continuing the webcomic? When are either coming out? While we don’t have all the answers, we do have some.

Any official news on a Heartstopper Season 4?

Netflix isn’t the type to release this kind of news right away, and that remains true right now. While the Netflix UK show has already beat the odds when it comes to the streaming service’s penchant for prematurely canceling fan favorites, that doesn’t automatically mean we’ll definitely get to see Charlie, Nick and the gang living out their cute queer fairytales on our devices. So far there hasn’t been an official statement, and it may be a while before we get one. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t heard from the author…

What does Alice Oseman say about a Season 4? And continuing the books/comics?

Alice, as you might expect from the chronically online (one of us, one of us), has already given her opinion on her desire for another season. As of now, the show is totally caught up with the webcomic, of which it’s been following very closely. So what does that mean for the comic and the show? Though Netflix hasn’t voiced their plans, Alice did say this on her Patreon back in May:

I will most likely be drawing vol. 6 simultaneously while writing the season 4 scripts, even if we haven’t been renewed. And the other thing that I have to keep in mind is that I really, extremely, devoutly need the volume 6 book to come out before season 4 comes out, so people experience the end of the story from the books first. […] I can start writing scripts for S4 before any kind of renewal potentially happens – I will probs want to do this to make sure I have as much time as possible to work on them.

So, at the very least, Alice is working on the source material. Even if Netflix cancels the show after this current season, you’ll still get to see what happens with your favorite characters beyond what you’ve already watched. I have some bad news for you, though: The show won’t go on forever regardless.

Will there be more after a potential Season 4?

If it’s up to Oseman, no. She has no intention for the story to go beyond Season 4, and she’s writing the story with that in mind. She told The Guardian:

I’m only 50 pages in, but I know what’s going to happen, what all the dialogue is going to be, and now I’m just sitting down and drawing it, which is my favourite bit. […] I’m really excited about what’s going to happen towards the end of the story, but it’s also very bittersweet. I also feel it’s absolutely the right time for it to end. It’s very sad, but it’s time.

That would be bittersweet, wouldn’t it? Both for the author and for fans. We’ve watched these characters grow, find themselves, and allow love into their hearts (or the absence of it) in a way that feels authentic to them.

Should there be one more season?

After watching Season 3, I was left with many feelings, but one of them was a hesitancy for a final fourth season. I may change my mind about this after I have more time to digest the story arcs from this season, but it feels like the show doesn’t need a Season 4. Here’s why: (Season 3 spoilers below.)

At the end of the season, half of the characters are ready to move on. Since some of them are a grade above the others, they’re leaving their younger counterparts behind to go to university, splitting up all the couples that have drawn our attention. And with Nick considering the University of Leeds in London, over four hours away from Charlie, what would a final season even look like? Would it just be pining and long-distance relationship drama?

So few shows survive when their characters graduate high school. The dynamic changes. It has to! This is a transition period that few come away from unscathed. We change. We drift apart from each other. We create entirely new lives that look so different from what came before.

Do I want to see Charlie and Nick or Tao and Elle or Darcy and Tara drift apart? No, I don’t. So, with the final installment of the story, whether it’s a Season 4 or just a culmination in the form of a webcomic or graphic novel, it might be better to finish right before everyone moves away. We get to see their final months in each others’ spheres. And we can end the series hopeful that, somehow, these young love stories are the ones that break the odds. They’re the ones who are in love for decades, who get to tell their grandchildren how they met in secondary school so many years ago.

Anything less and I’d rather not have it at all.