such drama

Move over ‘Heartstopper’, this slow-burn British teen romance has TV viewers swooning

Emmerdale, British soap opera, Marshall, Arthur, gay romance, kiss, storyline, LGBTQ+, heartstopper
Arthur and Marshall share an intimate moment together in Emmerdale.

Move over Heartstopper — there’s another British queer teen romance that’s making waves on TV.

The romance is unfolding in the long-running soap opera Emmerdale and the storyline involves the characters Arthur Thomas (played by Alfie Clarke) and his crush Marshall Hamston (played by Max Fletcher).

Arthur was initially cagey about his sexuality, admitting that he worried he’d disappoint his dead father for not following a path the old man might’ve approved of. But Arthur came out in a December 2022 episode, finally admitting to an adult female friend, Nicola — through a game of Hangman — that he’s gay.

But while Nicola was kind and accepting, the boy that Arthur had a crush on, Marshall, wasn’t initially so kind.

When Arthur’s schoolmate April found out about his crush, she suggested Arthur invite Marshall to a party at her house while her parents were out of town — sneeeeaky!

So Arthur did, but a bunch of troublemakers crashed the party too. When the teens got a moment alone on the party’s front porch, Marshall asked him what he liked about him. Arthur said he liked that so many girls seem to “fancy” Marshall, to which Marshall asked Arthur if he “fancied” him enough to ask him on a date.

When Arthur said yes, the troublemakers began hooting and hollering from a window above the porch. They had watched and recorded the entire thing to humiliate the poor kid. When they asked how Marshall was able play gay without becoming sick, he replied, “Trust me, I nearly did.”

Heartbreaking… but wait!

In a recent episode, Arthur worked hard creating a presentation on LGBTQ+ issues at school. The school eventually canceled the presentation after a single person complained (something that happens a lot these days in U.S. schools). Upset about the cancelation, Arthur sat outside of the pirate ship, a unique local site, to brood.

Seeing him looking upset, Marshall approached Arthur. But Arthur’s mom told him to avoid Marshall after the homophobic party incident. He mentioned this to Marshall, who admitted that — even though his troublemaking pals dared him to see if Arthur wanted a date — he had no idea they were listening into their conversation.

That is, Marshall admitted to Arthur that he did actually have feelings for him! Surprised, Arthur looked at Marshall, and the two agreed to go on a date. Marshall started leaning in for a kiss…

… but it was interrupted by a phone call from Marshall’s dad telling him to get home. (Dang it, Dad!) Marshall then said, “I shouldn’t be here,” leaving Arthur as his crush yelled for him to come back.

The showrunners likely delayed the kiss to build up fan anticipation and drama — it is a soap opera after all. But the romance has apparently struck an emotional chord with fans.

Here’s what they’ve been saying…

P.S. It actually turns out that Marshall’s dad is the homophobe who called the school to get Arthur’s LGBTQ presentation canceled! So dear old dad is likely to get between the young lads. But the show clearly depicts Marshall coming in for the kiss, so it’s likely that he’s gay or bi, but just having doubts…. ah, adolescence!

How will it turn out? Hopefully for the best, but the storyline has proved a hit for most viewers, and some well-deserved representation for young queers across the globe.

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