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Kit Connor, Joe Locke share favorite ‘full-circle moments’ from ‘Heartstopper Forever’

Kit Connor as Nick Nelson and Joe Locke as Charlie Spring in ‘Heartstopper Forever.’ (Samuel Dore/Netflix)

Heartstopper Forever bid farewell to Nick, Charlie and friends, but not before revisiting memories of seasons past.

The film is peppered with nostalgic references and callbacks to iconic scenes from the teen romance series — from Nick and Charlie’s (Kit Connor and Joe Locke) first kiss to their first date on the beach. 

“When we shot at Herne Bay on the beach [in Kent, England], it was four years to the day that we had had our final day on season 1 at the beach,” Connor tells ABC Audio. “So it was a strange coincidence that we were shooting at the same beach four years apart, but it was really a beautiful day and quite a full-circle moment.”

Aside from Nick and Charlie, some of the other characters get their full-circle moments, as well. Locke, who served as a producer on the film along with Connor, says he suggested the “really lovely moment” between Charlie and art teacher Mr. Ajayi (Fisayo Akinade) in the film.

There’s also a moment between Nick and Tao (Will Gao) — a culmination of poignant scenes between the two unlikely friends that’s been building since season 1. Connor says they only had 40 to 45 minutes to shoot it and they tapped into their real emotions as close friends off-screen. “That final scene is quite meta in a way, because it was sort of me and Will talking about saying goodbye to this experience,” he says.

When it comes to parting gifts from set, Connor and Locke say they’ve both taken some items over the years, including clothes, a Truham tie and a rugby ball. Connor laments not taking anything more sentimental, before quickly changing his mind.

“We didn’t need to,” he says. “We’ve taken each other.” 

Heartstopper Forever is out now Netflix, with the behind-the-scenes special Heartstopper: Ending on a Hi out July 24.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Nearly 1 year after Annunciation shooting, Fletcher Merkel memorialized with lakeside fishing bench

Click here for updates on this story    MINNESOTA (WCCO) -- When Fletcher Merkel's family moved into the Kenny neighborhood in south Minneapolis, neighbors told him he wouldn't have much luck casting his fishing line at Grass Lake. He proved them wrong, which his mother said is a constant reminder of his perseverance and passion. Mollie Merkel said that one day last summer, 8-year-old Fletcher caught a bullhead catfish. Mollie said it was "disgusting," but Fletcher didn't care. He paraded that fish around the neighborhood in a bucket. Mollie shared that story with around one hundred of her neighbors in the Kenny neighborhood on Tuesday evening. She joined the Kenny Neighborhood Association in unveiling a bench that overlooks Grass Lake, designed to honor her son. Fletcher and 10-year-old Harper Moyski died in the mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis last August. The bench is positioned so that the sunset is clearly visible in the evening, a daily event that Mollie says reminds her of Fletcher. The inscription references Fletcher's bullhead catch, reading, in part, "For the boy who proved there are fish in Grass Lake." "Fletcher would have loved sitting here, but mostly, we would have loved running around it," Mollie said, drawing laughter from the crowd, "but we used to watch the birds and the ducks here." Barbara Brady, chair of the Kenny Neighborhood Association, said that she and her team reached out to the Merkel family last fall to see what kind of memorial they could aim to set up in Fletcher's honor. Once they settled on a bench, at one of Fletcher's favorite spots, they raised $3,000 to make it happen. "Everyone swung into action and the neighbors are just amazing for the Merkels," Brady said. "People were bringing them food for months, anything they wanted; we were there for them." Mollie said that she was happy to see some of Fletcher's friends be among the first to make use of the bench, which is now in place just ahead of the one-year marker since the shooting. "We hope that this bench can be a place for calm and reflection," Mollie said. Earlier this summer, the Merkels started what they hope will be an annual event on Lake Harriet to teach kids how to fish and raise money for scholarships at Annunciation.Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
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