Summary
A solid finale leaves some things unresolved but does make for a reasonably satisfying and emotionally resonant conclusion.
This recap of Heartbreak High (2022) season 1, episode 8, “Three of Swords”, contains spoilers, as well as a discussion of Heartbreak High’s ending.
READ: Our spoiler-free season review.
It might have taken all season, but as of “Three of Swords”, Harper is finally ready to talk to Amerie about what happened on the night of the festival.
Buckle up, folks. I think this might get a little dark.
Heartbreak High (2022) season 1, episode 8 recap
So, a lot of the early portion of this finale is dedicated to flashbacks we’ve already seen snippets of, but with some of the additional context we’ve picked up along the way. For instance, we now know who Harper was worriedly texting — her dad, who was messaging her asking if she’d locked all the doors and windows. She kept it quiet perhaps to protect him and refused to pop the drugs presumably for her own protection. She wanted to be clear-headed and aware.
But she ended up on her own. Amerie left with Spider, which we saw (and we also learn that Spider was, in Harper’s words, “obsessed” with Amerie — and it seems like he still is.) She ended up getting high anyway. And then she woke up in the back seat of a car with Chook and his goons, including Ca$h.
Thankfully, Ca$h must have had some idea of what the boys had in store for Harper, so he took the first opportunity he could to facilitate her escape. Harper eventually staggered her way back to civilization and to Amerie’s house, where, as we saw earlier, she and Spider were hiding inside. With nowhere else to go, Harper returned home to find her dad frantic, ranting about some wolf circling the house and trying to steal his milk. Eventually, he decides that Harper is the wolf and chases her. She’s able to lock herself in her bedroom until he calms down, and the next morning she wakes up in the same position, braced against the door. Justin is being carried out on a stretcher, and she’s being sent to temporary foster care. That’s the point when she shaves her head.
And from there we know the rest. When we cut back to the present day, Amerie is in tears. She apologizes, Harper explains that she hasn’t been deliberately trying to punish her, and they have an understandable laugh at Spider’s expense. It seems an olive branch has been extended and amends have been made. We learn that Harper’s dad is awake and wants to see her, but she isn’t ready to speak to him yet.
So, what else is on the agenda? Well, Darren’s dad shares a beautiful scene with him in which he gives him advice about Ca$h. Malakai is back from his excursion in the bush. And everyone’s back at school — even Dusty and his cronies, facing basically no punishment whatsoever for what they did. But at least Jojo is back, and following the protest, media coverage of Hartley High is positive for once. So, there’s a silver lining.
Heartbreak High (2022) ending
But Amerie wants revenge for how Harper was made to feel. She confronts Ca$h about being there that night, and while she commends him for intervening, she still chastises him for continuing to hang around with Chook and his cronies. She also tells him to stay away from Darren, which makes it kind of awkward when Ca$h goes home and finds Darren waiting to pour his heart out to him. Ca$h is forced to reject him once again.
But Ca$h makes a major decision. He takes Jayden’s phone and sends Harper the video from the night of the festival, which implicates Jayden, Ca$h, and some guy called Tiller in what was essentially Harper’s kidnapping. This means that the police come for Ca$h, and he’s forced to flee. He runs straight to school to tell Darren that he loves him, and has since Year 8 until the police cuff him and drag him away.
It’s unclear what’ll happen to Ca$h. But everyone else seems in pretty good spirits. Amerie, Harper, Darren, Quinni, and Malakai go for a swim, and sure, there’s a lot of unresolved sexual chemistry. But everyone keeps their hands to themselves. Well, except Amerie and Harper, I suppose. The season ends with them spotting Chook’s car, smashing it to bits, and setting it on fire. Why not?
You can stream Heartbreak High (2022) season 1, episode 8, “Three of Swords” exclusively on Netflix.
