Netflix’s Heartbreak High: Everything you need to know about season 2

Queer teen dramas reigned in 2022 thanks to Netflix, with the inaugural seasons of Heartstopper and Heartbreak High proving so successful that they were renewed minutes after release. That was hyperbole: it took a month for Heartbreak High, but it didn’t come as much of a gasp after it reached the top 10 on Netflix in over 43 countries and the hashtag amassed over 300 million views on TikTok. 300! Million! Views! 

A reimagining of the classic Australian drama of the same name, the series follows the story of Amerie (Ayesha Madon), a student at Hartley High who becomes a social pariah when a map she co-created with her ex-best friend Harper (Asher Yasbincek) is discovered, detailing all of the sexual exploits at the school. The students are subsequently forced to attend a sexual education course covering topics such as substance abuse, consent and discrimination. 

Heartbreak High was lauded by critics, with praise aimed at the writing, the cast’s performances and the diverse representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Carly Heaton, producer, told The Hollywood Reporter that the global response has been “overwhelming”: “I had to step away from the internet for a few days, because there was just so much coming in — particularly locally. But it’s all been phenomenal. We had a great critical response, which we were really happy about. But I’ve always got this fear in the back of my mind: ‘critical success, commercial failure’.

“So after we got some good reviews, I still sort of kept quietly to myself, but then it just totally took off on Netflix. This is the first time an Australian scripted show has had the ability to go out on a platform globally like this. Netflix kept warning us, but I don’t think we were prepared for what that would be like. You know, kids finding my number and email and hitting me up with calls to tell me how much they love it. It’s been absolutely overwhelming — in the most delightful of ways.”

Here, we detail everything we know so far about the highly-anticipated second season, from potential plot points to returning cast members.

When will it be released?

Heartbreak High will finally return on 11 April. 

What is the plot of season 2?

Netflix are yet to release details, so it’s prediction time! With the central mystery of season one solved (the music festival tragedy) and Amerie and Harper finally reconciled, we’re expecting season two to (at least) start with a sisterhood-vs-the-world vibe. Amerie is finally aware of Harper’s toxic relationship with her mentally ill father, who she was forced to stab in self-defence, which will undeniably bring them closer together. Additionally, the duo will have to deal with the consequences of destroying Chook’s car, Ca$h’s menacing drug dealer who tried to sexually assault Harper. 

Season one memorably received universal critical acclaim for its autistic representation in Quinni: the actress behind the beloved character, Chloe Hayden, became one of the first openly autistic actresses to play an autistic lead. Hayden, a disability activist and author, collaborated with the writing team of Heartbreak High and shared her own personal experiences, delivering one of the most trailblazing depictions of a character on the autistic spectrum in the process. While particular praise was aimed at how Quinni’s storyline didn’t entirely revolve around her neurodiversity, we expect season two to continue exploring all facets of her identity in a meaningful – and celebratory – fashion. 

Other storylines we expect to be addressed include: Amerie hooking up with Hartley High’s resident bully and clown Spider; Malakai and Dusty’s bisexuality; as well as the respective romances between Amerie and Malakai, Quinni and Sasha and Darren and Ca$h. The latter couple will run into issues, however, as a result of Ca$h’s incarceration.