5 reasons why Imogen Heaney is underrated & overhated:

Fans who have previously read Heartstopper via the online series or books, know that Imogen Heaney is a completely new character that has been introduced into the Alice Oseman universe through the show's adaptation. At the start, there was obviously some speculation when Imogen's character was announced (which was to be expected of course) about where exactly she would fit in, to the story of Nick & Charlie and all of their friends. However, when the show was released on April 22nd of this year, there was a vast split between Imogen's supporters and her 'haters'.

Although the majority of fans really seemed to take a liking to the newcomer, there is nonetheless, still a portion of them that haven't been able to connect with her quite like they have with the originals. But here are my top five reasons as to why Imogen Heaney is truly an underrated and overhated sweetheart.

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1 : The girls only human

Imogen's character really brought me back to being sixteen years old and head over heels for that one special boy whom you genuinely believe to be your soulmate- whatever that is. A lot of the negative conversation regarding Imogen has been about her 'clingy and annoying' behaviour towards Nick Nelson, which personally I thought was rather normal. Imogen is a teenage girl experiencing the soul crushing journey that is pining for your first crush. Her mild and mostly contained crushing on Nick was nothing short of adorable and yes, admittedly at times it was awkward to watch but that's just the raw reality of being a teenager and having a crush for the first time. The girl should not be getting trashed on for having real human emotions just like every other adolescent on the planet.

2 : She's an ally!

Yes, the most iconic line that Imogen had in season one took place during lunch at Higgs school for girls where she was enquiring to lesbian legends, Tara and Darcy about a certain rugby player. After receiving the news (she all but deems music to her ears) that Tara is in fact a lesbian and not interested in Nick Nelson, Imogen sets the record straight that she is in fact in full support of the couple in front her as well as other LGBTQ+ members.

She quite comedically announces that she's not homophobic, but is an ally. This is then proven even more at the `Truham x Higgs sports day. During a moment that is being shared between Nick and Charlie (and the pupils surrounding them), Nick takes Charlie's hand into his own before guiding him through the sea of blue and red vested pupils.

The camera is slightly pointed at Imogen who witnesses this simple yet beautiful gesture and she appears to be smiling to herself as the couple walk past her. A crucial scene that many people missed the first time round.

3: She understands

When Imogen finally plucked up the courage to ask Nick out on a date it was a bittersweet moment to watch. As a fan of Nick and Charlie I screamed 'No!' but as a fellow female who knows how it feels to bear such strong feelings for someone, I felt a great deal of sympathy for her. Nick does agree to go on a date but it was only to save both of them from embarrassment and being hounded with questions from their respective friend groups.

Nick does do the right thing in the end by taking the time to make things right with Imogen and when he does, she takes the rejection much more gracefully than I ever would.

Imogen listens to Nick attentively as he confesses all of his own confused feelings to her. Although Nick didn't say in so many words exactly, what was going on with him and his self discovery journey, he didn't need to elaborate because Imogen understood. She never pushed for details and that was genuinely considerate of her.

4: She's a true friend

When returning back to school the following Monday after her talk with Nick, Imogen could have went running to all of their friends and told them everything. Now, not saying she gets a pat on the back for being a decent human being because that should be a given. What I am pointing out though, is that Imogen didn't owe Nick anything after being turned down but she chose to remain friends with the boy she had a crush on because Imogen knew that their friendship was solid and it was worth keeping.

Imogen told their friends that the decision to not be romantically involved with each other was a mutual decision, saving them both (but especially Nick) from the torment his friends would have surely gave him.

Again, this is adding to the solid fact that she is a great friend to have because Imogen knew that there would be questions if she did mention the real reason, which would mean Nick would have gotten questions he wasn’t ready to answer and she was trying to protect him from all of that.

5: She can take a hint

It's shown throughout the remainder of episodes, after Nick and Imogen have their talk, how their dynamic completely shifts from a one sided romance to being just friends and after Nick told her how he feels, Imogen never tried to make any untoward advances.

She completely respected that Nick had made his decision and she never made him feel uncomfortable by flirting or putting him on the spot with questions. Imogen was respectful about how Nick wanted their relationship to be and she embraced that by never letting things become awkward or tense between them, which I think is really admirable considering she had been all giddy about going on dates with Nick only a few episodes before.

She allowed Nick the comfort of having somebody there for him, even if she wasn't fully aware of what was going on with him. Imogen took her new found role of 'just a friend' seriously and never once betrayed Nicks trust, again referencing back to her keeping their conversation between them and them only.

Imogen also looked genuinely happy for Nick in the last episode when he faced his fears and made a public gesture to Charlie. It was a wholesome full circle moment that doesn't get the proper acknowledgment that it rightfully deserves.

The overall message to take away from this article post is that Imogen Heaney, undeniably isn't the villain here. What may at first, appear to be an annoying/ clingy girl (who is maybe a bit too painfully obvious about her feelings for Nick) is actually a regular teenager who believed that she's in love with her childhood best friend.

Imogen doesn't deserve to be painted in such a negative light simply because of this . If you just take a small second to actually dig deeper into who Imogen is as a person, you'll find that she's a remarkable friend and a true breath of fresh air.

Rhea Norwood, the actress who brought Imogen to life, does an incredible job of portraying how your first crush / love can make you feel and an even better example of how getting your heart broken doesn't always mean it’s the end of the world.