“Heartbreak High,” a brand-new Netflix original, was released on Sept. 14 With 33 million hours streamed since its debut. It is now the sixth most-watched TV show on Netflix in the entire world.

Heartbreak High was originally a series on air from 1994-1999. This Australia-based show was about the students of Hartley High getting a crash course in how to face the difficulties of love, racism, mental health, homophobia, dysfunctional families, poverty, and drug addiction that life throws at them. This show was a major hit among teens and when it ended, it left many wondering if their beloved show would ever return. Much to everyone’s delight, almost 23 years later, Netflix announced a revival of Heartbreak High.

According to critics, this reboot is everything a teenage drama should be: passionate, entertaining, heartbreaking, and sure to shock some people. It all starts with the fictional Hartley High and the focus is a web of relationships that are put to the test by the uncovering of an “incest map” that has been inscribed on a hidden school wall and displays the sexual interactions between multiple students which was created by Amerie and her best friend, Harper. The moment this map is exposed, every student’s world is turned upside down, and their personal lives are pushed to places they could have never imagined. 

Heartbreak High is not another cliché, implausible, ridiculous story. It pushes the boundaries by portraying aspects of youth in today’s society. Several characters are represented coping with typical situations that do affect adolescents nowadays.

 “I have never seen an accurate representation of myself in any series. Quinni was the first autistic girl I have seen accurately portrayed how it feels to be autistic. And to top it off, Quinni was actually played by an autistic actor! I finally felt really understood,” Sarah Long, an avid fan of Heartbreak High, said.

 Being able to identify with a character so strongly is a rarity for many teens, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, thus many other interviewees share the same sentiments.

On Oct. 19, Netflix officially announced a second season. While the release date for season two is still unknown, 2024 is the most likely year for it to debut. Given that season one’s casting, production, and post-production took around a year and a half to complete, we can anticipate that season two will follow a similar timeframe. Amerie, Harper, Darren, Quinni, Malakai, Ca$h, and countless others still have unfinished stories to tell and they will continue on in the wild atmosphere of Hartley High.

If you are personally struggling with any of the issues, there are many resources you can utilize. Some of these include the suicide hotline and counseling services available on campus. The number for the suicide hotline is now 988 and the counseling services number is 254-968-9885, which can also be found on the back of your Texan card.