We are back into the chaotic halls of Hartley High and the finale rests on a pressure buildup that leans more towards boring than entertaining!!

As we land into the finale of “Heartbreak High”, we have a more somber cast settling into quiet lives after the main building was burned down two months ago. Season Three marks the end of high school life, with students eagerly looking forward to their graduation. Amerie (Ayesha Madon) is hellbent on acting like a saint while trying to achieve academic excellence as she makes sure that best friend bestie Harper (Asher Yasbincek) joins her wherever she goes. Surprisingly enough, Ant (Brodie Townsend) is a part of the gang now, with Quinni (Chloé Hayden) running things as school captain while vying desperately for a veterinary science scholarship. Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish) and Missy (Sherry-Lee Watson) are officially dating while Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran) has been shunned by the group. Darren (James Majoos) wants to try his hands at acting while Ca$h (Will McDonald) is set to do a tattooing apprenticeship while completing his HSC as per his grandmother’s wishes.

Things are going fine until rival private school, St Bruno’s stages a water attack & steals the head off Hartley’s Ibis mascot. Amelie stays silent for twenty microseconds, before deciding that instigation must be answered with another stellar stealing attempt. Going against the teacher’s consistent warnings, Ameria steals a bust from St Bruno, even though her new boyfriend Noah (Ioane Sa’ula) studies at the same school. Their maverick attempt to humiliate St. Bruno goes awry when they try to hoist the bust at a roadside carnival and a worker is seriously injured. The rest of the show rests on the suspense surrounding the one who pushed the button and started the joyride.

In the midst of this turmoil, Amerie reunites with Malakai (Thomas Weatherall) whose sudden return from Geneva is marked with surprise and shock. In classic Hartley High fashion, Amerie and co try their best to hide this secret, so they won’t get arrested. The tension pushes them through their resilient boundaries. The “Amerie- Malakai- Noah” melodrama tests their relationship, as Amerie has to make a choice between a past ex-boyfriend with whom things remain unresolved or her current boyfriend, who clearly understands her better. Harper struggles between maintaining two jobs while trying to become a virtual artist and maybe telling Amerie that she isn’t ready for the big future planned by her for them both. Missy and Spider are all right until a casual comment from Spider derails their relationship. Tensions spike when a new student, Taz (Aki Munroe), who has come to live with her aunty, Hartley headmaster Woodsy (Rachel House) joins the school. Taz is a serious troublemaker and swings between Sasha & Quinni while causing serious chaos in the school halls. Darren spends a lot of time worrying about his acting skills until deciding to fly abroad to pursue acting. Ca$h decides to join him as well.

The tone of this season was fun, but there was an inevitable pressure to end the show with a resounding bang. “Heartbreak High” is well known for its LGBTQ representation. The show remained true to its roots, the romance was mature, the interpretation was realistic and depicts Australian teenage lives quite accurately.

Final Impressions

The finale fails to make as deep an impression as its predecessors!!

You are left with mixed feelings as the show ends. The characters have become more mature, they understand the endgame and have their own goals to pursue. Some relationships are resolved while others bloom. There is closure but it seems unsettling. It is slightly disappointing that the season ends in a lackluster manner.

Rating- 3 out of 5

Streaming on- Netflix