Heartbreak High Final Season Review: A Colourful Yet Contrived Farewell
James Majoos, Ayesha Madon, and Asher Yasbincek star in the third and final season of Heartbreak High, a Netflix remake that bids adieu to Hartley High. This concluding chapter delivers a spritely energy and an appealing fresh-faced ensemble, yet it struggles to capture the compelling essence that made the long-running original so iconic.
Honouring the Original Versus Carving a New Path
When remaking a classic television show, a delicate balance must be struck between paying homage to the source material and establishing a distinct tone and style. Netflix's Heartbreak High remake possesses certain virtues, including its lively pace and charismatic young cast. However, it takes a blinged-out U-turn away from the gritty, lived-in aesthetic that defined the 1990s original. That earlier series boasted a thrilling near-verite realism and a diverse cast, predating the modern diversity movement's focus on representation in popular culture.
In stark contrast, the new iteration presents a polished, bubble-wrapped appearance, coupled with a jokey tone and pat writing. While it tackles significant issues relevant to youth—such as abortion, mental health, gender politics, bullying, and racial tensions—it lacks the fearlessness and courage that characterised its predecessor.
Plot and Character Dynamics in the Final Season
Set during the gang's last year of high school, the drama kicks off with a traditional muck-up day prank, a chaotic final day for Australian students. This scene, however, feels unreal, featuring near-naked young men from another school storming Hartley High in G-strings and colourful balaclavas, reminiscent of Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers. Throughout the eight-episode season, a central mystery unfolds: which character started a theme park ride after hours, leading to an employee's coma? This pseudo-whodunnit element feels forced, serving to heighten stakes artificially.
Other narrative threads delve into soap opera-like territory, including the complicated romantic tensions between Amerie (Ayesha Madon) and Malakai (Thomas Weatherall), as well as between Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish) and Missy (Sherry-Lee Watson). Character aspirations are explored, such as Darren's (James Majoos) dream of becoming an actor and Harper's (Asher Yasbincek) pursuit of visual artistry.
Emotional Depth and Directorial Approach
Creator Hannah Carroll Chapman may have aimed to craft an Australian equivalent to Sex Education, a series that adeptly blends humour and drama while addressing contemporary youth issues with frankness and sincerity. Similarly, the Australian series Bump achieves this balance effectively. However, the directors of Heartbreak High—Jessie Oldfield, Adam Murfet, Tig Terera, and Nina Buxton—adopt a colourful yet contrived approach that rarely achieves a strong emotional pull. Explicitly emotional moments often feel designed to generate feeling rather than earn it, exemplified by an opening montage where Amerie reflects on high school hardships over a swelling soundtrack.
The "show, don't tell" rule is frequently overlooked, resulting in neat, overdetermined writing. A late-season line, "Giving someone a second chance is giving yourself one," underscores the show's preference for sentiment over subtlety in its conclusion.
Heartbreak High seasons 1-3 are now available for streaming on Netflix, offering viewers a final glimpse into the vibrant but flawed world of Hartley High.
