Heartstopper season 3 will be here soon so I watched season 2, again and I'm glad I did. There's this one scene in season 2 that I will never forget.
When Charlie confronts Ben in Episode 7 Sorry
This scene hits home hard and is relatable on so many levels to me.
I'm in my late 20s and I still carry a lot of trauma that comes from my school days.
What I like about this scene is that Charlie is not expected to "forgive and forget". He states every single thing that pained him and how Ben's behavior affected him.
"I'm glad you realize what you did was wrong, but you don't get to ambush me into forgiving you."
In so many cases of school bullying stories or just any victim abuser storyline, in the end, the abuser always apologizes and the victim forgives them, and in some cases, (which are the worst) they even become best friends. I cannot imagine staying in the same room as my bully let alone becoming BFFs with them. None of us should have to deal with bullying and harassment in the first place and then be expected to shake hands with the person who made us feel so unsafe.
So when Charlie said
"I really hope you become a better person so you don't hurt anyone else, but I don't want to be there to see that happen" I was furiously nodding my head while bawling my eyes out.
Me and my friend were having a conversation over text once, I don't remember about what exactly but there was an instance when my friend said
"We don't know what they(bullies) went through, they have their own share of ups and downs".
I felt this was similar to how some part of the audience reacted to this scene. Sympathy to the abuser. Ben had his fair share of struggles, yes, but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass to be mean to Charlie. I don't sympathize with Ben or my bullies.
"We were all kids, they didn't know any better"
I don't care what they went through in their life. I don't even "wish them a good life" or a bad life. I don't even want to think about them, witness their "growth" journey, or whatever... They are the reason I need therapy. Why would I even "wish" them a prosperous life?! That's just foolish and unnecessary. Whatever they "went through" is none of my business.
In Mr.Farouk's own words "I don't give a rat's arse" and I'm glad Charlie didn't too.
Some of us don't even get that apology we need because people in real life don't even realize what they did was wrong.
I'm so glad Charlie called him out. I was living vicariously through Charlie in this scene. This scene gave me a sense of relief that I never found all these years. Thank you to the makers and writers of this scene. It's therapeutic to me.
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Glasgow pride, have the best time today! Go and see the Heartstopper pop up if you are in the area and look out for Leila and Corinna who are there too! 🍂🍂🍂
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