Joe Locke and Kit Connor finally have sex

(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

One of the big criticisms Heart stopperOlder fans in particular criticized the series for its complete lack of sex.

That doesn't mean people are demanding that teenage characters deal with it intensely on screen, which would be concerning for obvious reasons. But the complaints have merit – it's certainly strange that two teenagers who are madly in love with each other and spend most of their time in each other's bedrooms seem interested in nothing other than staring into each other's eyes. Additionally, there are many ways to show people's intimacy on screen without feeling explicit or exploitative, especially when it comes to underage characters.

Both Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) have been together since the show's first season, and in the third season, now streaming on Netflix, they finally do what fans have been waiting for: they have sex.

Of course, it is precisely this lack of sexual energy that accounts for much of it Heart stopperhas become increasingly popular in its first two seasons. Created by Alice Oseman and based on her graphic novels, the show is almost relentlessly cheesy. Sentimentality has always been the name of the game here – compared to other popular teen shows like euphoria And Sex education, Heart stopper is practically a eunuch. The show has always been more interested in exploring, say, the electrical power of a hug or the intense feelings that come from staring into each other's eyes than in sex.

So of course it was a big deal when it was announced that season 3 of Heart stopperCharlie and Nick were finally going to have sex. Finally! Joe Locke and Kit Connor revealed they had filmed sex scenes for seven hours, leading to speculation online about what it might look like. And now this Heart stopper is back on Netflix, we know the answer – and it fits the series perfectly.

Both Charlie and Nick are ready and by the end of Episode 7, “Together,” they are ready to have sex for the first time. The pair run back to Nick's house and quickly begin undressing each other – but they are quickly interrupted by Nick's older brother, unsurprisingly ruining the mood. The moment feels like a knowing joke – the fans have been waiting The They are craving sex, so they can wait a few more minutes.

At the end of the episode the crucial moment finally comes. Things begin in earnest when Charlie and Nick have an emotionally vulnerable conversation in bed together.

It's Charlie who struggled the most in season three, particularly with his eating disorder, but this moment allows Nick to reveal his own concerns. Nick, a year older than Charlie, panics about the future and goes to university while Charlie still has a year left of school. Nick apologizes for his rambling, but Charlie comforts him by saying that he understands and that “sometimes it's okay to be a mess.” They kiss tenderly, and usually that's where a Heart stopper The scene would end.

Instead, the two begin to kiss passionately, with lively sparks flying (a Heart stopper bracket). Charlie sits on Nick and asks him if anyone is home. Nick says no and off we go. There's an “Ode to A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat” by Del Water Gap, and the lyrics set the scene perfectly:

“I don’t want to fight it anymore / I just want to sit back and watch you tie me to the bed.”

“That’s literally the only thing I could think of,” Nick tells Charlie, knowing what’s coming next. “Me too,” Charlie replies.

In a series of close-ups, Nick and Charlie hug, kiss, look longingly into each other's eyes, and begin to undress – even wondering if it's okay to do so with respect and care. It is slow, patient and full of love. Unsurprisingly, there is no sex, as the camera pans to the bedroom wall and shows an old Polaroid picture of the boys kissing, ending the episode. However, that doesn't stop the sequence from being exceptionally romantic and sweet.

The magic of the scene is that it finally delivers what fans have been longing for – Nick and Charlie having sex – while preserving the essence of it Heart stopper.

A sex scene similar to what you would see in it euphoria or Sex education would be irritating at worst: completely out of place and unrelated to anything the show is doing. Nick and Charlie's first sex scene in Heart stopper may be surprisingly short, but it effectively conveys the heightened emotions that come with discovering sex – the nervousness, the dizziness, the awkwardness – and emotions are what this show is about. It's always been about the connection between Nick and Charlie, and the long-awaited sex scene expresses it beautifully.