*Spoilers for season 1 of Heartbreak High ahead!*

Tiktok convinced me to watch Heartbreak High, it knew that we would be soulmates way before I even considered the show. And I won’t lie, the Australian accents were a driving factor. So I sat down one evening, went to Netflix and started watching this show about teenagers.

By the end of episode 1, I was hooked. I watched the entire show within one weekend and consistently bugged all of my friends to watch it as well. I told them the many reasons to watch Heartbreak High. I needed people to discuss this show with. I needed to know what happened to Harper. I needed to see as much of the gorgeous Quinni as possible.

My manifestations and pagan sacrifices have paid off, as season two has been confirmed! There is still no date, and I’m guessing it’ll take a while, but the hope of seeing more is keeping me going. So to fill the time until my favourite Aussies take to the screen again, here is everything I want to see in season 2 of Heartbreak High, including all the questions I need answered.

Image created by author using Netflix promotional image.

1. Will Spider and Amerie get together?

After discovering the big ‘reveal’ regarding Spider and Amerie, I went back and watched the entire show again. I know, I’m a little obsessed, but in my defence I had Covid, so what else was I meant to do? Plus I saw a Tiktok of Spider and Amerie’s scenes against a Taylor Swift song, so I didn’t have much choice.

Once you know, you do catch a lot of lingering looks throughout the show. You also notice Ca$h and Harper’s interactions more, but that’s a whole other conversation.

Okay, rationally I know Amerie and Spider are very wrong. He was cruel, he was a bully, he was ignorant and so much more. Spider is a terrible person. But the show did such a good job with their scene at the festival. The way he looks at her and speaks to her makes my legs turn to jelly. I hate myself for even entertaining the thought of them.

And while his actions are completely wrong and perpetuate the whole ‘he is mean because he likes you’, they’re also unfortunately realistic. When hooking up, Spider was unable to get an erection and then Amerie mentioned that she doesn’t want anyone to know and nothing has even happened now. At that age, the embarrassment of not being able to perform and feeling rejected by his crush, would turn a guy mean. Many of us have experienced someone turning cruel after a hookup didn’t turn out the way either party had hoped. So I’m glad they portrayed this, but naturally it doesn’t make it okay.

What do I think will happen with Spider and Amerie in season 2? I think we’re about to see a secret friends with benefits storyline. I think Amerie and Malakai will try being just friends and she’ll get jealous seeing him with someone else, and Spider will be there. I think we’ll see this no-strings-attached storyline for a few episodes until Spider admits his feelings. In any other show, I’d think Amerie falls for him too, but not Heartbreak High. Amerie and Spider don’t seem like end-game to me, and while my head is glad, my heart is a little sad.

I definitely see more scenes ahead for these two as the chemistry is undeniable. I think this would also be matched with a Dusty-Spider friendship breakup. I definitely don’t see anymore Dusty and Amerie storylines.

2. Will Ca$h go to jail?

The final episode saw our favourite drug dealer (sorry Mum!) being arrested for being on the footage of Harper’s abduction. But right before this was one of the most beautiful scenes of the whole show, where Ca$h admits he has loved Darren for years and wants to be with them, followed by a tear-jerking kiss.

What’s next to Ca$h? Well, they’re not in the clear. Their rationale for staying in the car to try and protect Harper makes sense, especially in their panicked state. They also did help Harper to get away, in one of the scariest scenes I’ve watched in a long time.

Ideally, Harper’s testimony that Ca$h helped her will protect him, but I’m not sure that it’ll be so simple. The police know he isn’t innocent and might try pin more on him. Also what will happen when the others learn of his actions? And let’s not forget that Harper and Amerie burned down Chook’s car so there are bound to be consequences for that.

I think Ca$h has some legal troubles ahead but I have no doubt he’ll come through and remain an integral part of the show. I’m excited to see his relationship with Darren, as I think the portrayal of his asexuality was handled really well, particularly highlighting that he is not aromantic. I’m definitely excited to learn more and see how Darren works through it with Ca$h.

3. Will Harper return to her dad’s?

After watching Heartbreak High, I nagged several friends to watch the show as well. I needed people discuss it with and I was eager to see how their opinions might differ from my own. What I wasn’t prepared for was to hear any Harper slander.

Harper’s actions throughout the season were painful to watch, not just because of the pain she caused Amerie, but how much she was clearly hurting herself. The season was spent wondering what had happened to her as everyone could tell it came from a place of hurt. Ultimately this was revealed in the season finale, and yeah, Amerie was in no way to blame and didn’t know. Harper had to escape the attempted assault and could hear Amerie not letting her in. She then went home where her father, high on drugs, tried to attack her. Yikes.

But trauma isn’t fair, reactions to trauma are not fair. Harper is aware of this now and clearly regrets her actions, but she needed someone to blame. She had a traumatic experience and felt betrayed by Amerie. She felt alone and scared. Also, when we’re struggling, it feels easier to push away the people that know us best. With Amerie, she’d have to talk about her dad or what happened in the car, and without her she could ignore it.

Was Harper right to hurt Amerie? No. Did she make many mistakes? Yes. But she was acting out of trauma and that has to be acknowledged.

I predict season 2 will have a redemption arc for Harper and personally I don’t think it’s needed. She is allowed to be flawed and I just hope we see her begin to heal and stop self-sbotaging. I think we’ll get a lot of her friendship with Amerie next season rather than a romantic focus. I think she’ll continue living with Amerie, or we’ll see an aunt or other family member come in to help. This would be a great chance for another adult character in the show. Ultimately, we’ll see her make peace with her father, but I hope they show how this responsibility isn’t on her.

4. Will Sasha and Quinni get back together?

By the end of season 1, it seemed like Sasha and Quinni were over, at least for now. They had a big argument following the book event, and then Quinni’s subsequent meltdown led her to go non-verbal until the final moments of the season. Sasha apologised and Quinni didn’t give much away, but Quinni later asked Darren if she is “too much” - HEARTBREAKING!

I could see season 2 aiming to have a redemption arc for Sasha, either by winning back Quinni and being a better girlfriend, or by having her go through a personal journey, e.g. with a sick parent. I really hope they don’t do this! I think every show needs less likeable characters. Sasha infuriated me, but I also thought she was a very important aspect of this show. She existed to show how people think they can handle neurodivergence, or say people with mental illness, but are frustrated the minute it impacts what they want. She loved the idea of Quinni’s autism but wanted to still do everything she wanted. She had such a saviour complex and completely belittled Quinni.

I hope they don’t get back together, maybe Sasha tries, and Quinni meets someone better suited for her in season 2 - maybe a hot new character! I want Sasha to remain as an example of how people can fake acceptance and a selfish character. But I am concerned that we haven’t seen the last of them.

5. What’s next for Malakai?

Even with the warning before the episode, that was such a difficult scene to watch. As a non-Australian, I’m limited in what I know, but I can tell this was important to show. It highlighted an important issue, and showed non-Australians the treatment and attitudes towards First Nations individuals. He was the subject of police brutality, and the video went viral, bringing mockery with it. We watched him turn to alcohol and try to forget what had happened.

What’s next for Malakai in Heartbreak High? I think we’ll see him leaning more into his culture, which already started with his friendship with Missy and her brother Jai. I think we’ll see him embrace his identity.

Will Malakai and Amerie get back together? I wouldn’t rule it out, but I think we’ll first see them focus on a friendship. I think they could be endgame and so it can’t happen too quickly. As mentioned previously, I think Malakai will start seeing someone, or just become close with someone, and that will make Amerie jealous.

Will Malakai explore his sexuality? This is a question a lot of friends who watched the show have raised to me. While his threesome doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t heterosexual, the scenes following where he fixated on Dusty and other men could mean he is wondering this question. It could be that he is straight but was worried the threesome meant he wasn’t. Or he could be queer and explore it in the season to come. There’s a lot of possibilities here. If I were writing the show, I would use this opportunity to explore the male bisexual experience, as this is underrepresented. It would also tie in very naturally as they introduced it early on.

6. Will Dusty ever stop being such a terrible person?

The true villain of Heartbreak High is not Spider, certainly not Harper, and not even Sasha. It is Dusty, he is the biggest antagonist of Heartbreak High. I could write an entire article on why Dusty is such a terrible person, but I’ll keep it brief:

• He knew Amerie had feelings for him and led her on.
• He and Harper took advantage of Malakai at a vulnerable place.
• He turned on Harper after the threesome.
• He made false sexual allegations which resulted in Miss Obai being investigated.
• He used Amerie to get back at Harper and Malakai.

Dusty is a despicable character but a necessary one. Everyone I’ve spoken to has known a Dusty or multiple Dustys. He is the fake feminist man, who acts like a nice guy but is a terrible person at heart. He is the best gaslighter you’ll ever meet. He is a rich boy who feels sorry for himself.

I don’t see them trying a redemption arc for Dusty. I think they’ll keep Dusty as the antagonist, as to have both Spider and Dusty turn into better people would be too unrealistic. Heartbreak High stands out to other shows because they have a commitment to being real. Their characters are imperfect and that’s the beauty of it. The only character who has yet to do wrong in my eyes is Quinni, and yet I forgive the other characters as their flaws are honest. Dusty is the antagonist the show needs.

There you have it, everything I expect to see in Heartbreak High 2. I have no doubt these talented writers will come up with unexpected twists and turns. But we'll still retain Heartbreak High's focus on friendship. I also think we’ll have some new incredible characters join the cast! I hope you liked my predictions, and if you think Heartbreak High should hire me for their writers room, be sure to comment and help convince them!

What do you want to see in season 2 of Heartbreak High? Or what are you worried we'll see in the next season?