#young royals thoughts

[retrieve-the-kraken]

Okay, so I’ve finished my taxes, and I’m basically out of the woods with some overwhelming work stuff, and everything turned out well with a medical situation with my mum, but I am still very tired, but I also cannot keep going without putting my preliminary thoughts on my very first viewing of season 3 down on a post…

It seems my worst characterization so far is assuming that these two idiots would learn to communicate. They haven’t, they’re stupid teenagers, they’re really bad at it, they get mad at each other for everything, and they don’t listen. And that needs to change soon if we want Wilmon endgame.

Boris, do you do couples therapy? PLEASE HELP THEM.

I think a big reason Wilhelm lashes out, besides getting caught up in his own head, is the fact that he’s also constantly afraid of saying the wrong thing and pissing Simon off. But the stakes for Simon are clearly higher. Wilhelm really needs to learn to communicate, but he’s dragging a whole life of terrible communication and zero support, so HOW is he supposed to learn, if he naturally feels afraid to open up?

It shows in the way he reacts to learning about Erik. Simon might be right, and Erik maybe just gave in to peer pressure, like everyone else in that school (which we see over and over again, like with the strike, and that guy who just repeats ‘yeah hilarious’ when Vincent tells him, and the graduation rituals and basically everything that everyone does at that fucking school), and maybe he wasn’t particularly homophobic. Or maybe he was, but if he had found out about Wilhelm maybe he would have changed his views (after all he was a stupid kid too)… But how would Wilhelm know? Erik is dead, there’s no way of asking him, confronting him about it. And people still call him perfect, and still compare him to his brother.

It must be so traumatizing to have held this person in your head as the one you trusted for everything, the one who would support you most, the one who probably knew you better than anyone else, who would love you and be there for you no matter what, and it turns out that he might not have accepted you at all. And just like that Wille is all alone and angry and afraid again.

(This is why it’s extra cruel that August posted that fucking video, especially how premeditated it was to share it over the whole world, but also then tell Wilhelm that his brother was possibly a homophobe. It doesn’t matter that he went through that horrible hazing, it doesn’t matter that he put a stop to it, and it doesn’t matter that he’s a stupid kid too, the fact that he did THAT to someone, anyone, is awful and he should have known better.)

So that scene in season 1 when Erik teases Wilhelm about his crush potentially changes completely. Maybe he didn’t suspect anything, maybe it was just a coincidence that he never used any pronouns…

And that makes it even more traumatizing that his parents still think of Erik as the figure of perfection, and Wilhelm, who is queer and scandalous and rebellious, is the real thorn on their side. Fucking Ludvig saying that Erik really was perfect, that he didn’t have “that darkness inside of him”, to his surviving son… But for all we know maybe Erik’s death was not accidental, maybe he did have “a darkness” inside of him.

On the other hand, that “darkness” doesn’t excuse Kristina at all. I am convinced that this depression/burnout that she’s going through is absolute bullshit. Sure, she might be depressed, she’s still grieving her “perfect” heir, and she’s going through a lot. But it’s like Wilhelm says, how convenient that she shuts down and breaks down now. She wasn’t like this when the video happened, because she could still cover it up. And she wasn’t like this when Wilhelm called her to scream that he was going to abdicate, because she could still drag him out of Hillerska. It was only when he told the whole world, and there was no covering it up anymore, that she suddenly became fragile with grief.

And even if it were true, even if she’s going through a severe depression or burnout, as a result of everything that’s happened, that doesn’t excuse her previous lies and manipulations. And it makes the fact that she still really wants Wille to become her successor, despite knowing what it could do to him, despite knowing that he’s already extremely anxious and that he does not know how to manage his own emotions, is evil.

(And even if she wants August to be the backup too, knowing how he is, knowing his own family history, and how it could affect him too, is evil too.) MORE on this later.

Kristina uses her breakdowns to emotionally manipulate Wille into trying to do his best to be the perfect crown prince, now indirectly through Farima and Ludvig. And Wille’s so concerned with her and her fragility that it affects his relationship with Simon. Because he’s anxious about the possible imminence of having to take over, of being the new monarch, when he can barely control his own feelings, when he just wants to enjoy his first relationship and just be in love.

Of course he made things worse for himself and Simon when he publicly revealed their relationship, but we can understand where that’s coming from. He didn’t want to hide anymore, he didn’t want to not be able to be himself anymore, not be able to be with the boy he loves. But they’re still forced to hide, because people start hating on Simon, because people won’t stop talking about them (as much as I HATED Wille shushing Simon, I also understood that he didn’t want anyone to hear their argument, because he didn’t want to give people more reason to talk about them, but also there’s probably a lot of ‘keeping up appearances’ embedded in his mind), because they are very different and almost incompatible for many reasons, and because being the crown prince means conforming to a lot of things (no tattoos, no cutting your hair shorter than, no nail polish, no expressing political opinions, etc etc), and so he has to remove the nail polish and he doesn’t want his foundation to be geared toward LGBTQIA+ people or mental health issues… He can’t express himself, he can’t be himself, because what he is or who he is for real is not compatible with his role or what is expected of him… he’s so repressed still.

(The whole nail polish scene, and the scene where Simon suggests that Wille’s foundation could be geared toward LGBTQIA+ youth, reminded me a little of Isak in SKAM saying that he wasn’t just going to start marching in the Pride parade or wearing makeup. Wille is not necessarily about identity expression, or at least he doesn’t think that he should be. He just wants to be himself, and be with the boy he loves, and that’s it).

As for Simon, he can do no wrong, and I absolutely agree with everything he says and does, but he has always been very idealistic, and he does come across as a little more naïve than I expected, especially with the whole social media comments and his song. It wasn’t the first time he experienced it, because things went south for him when he appeared on the video, so for him now to think that people are magically not going to be cruel.

But I understand how much he’s sacrificing for Wille, and Wille not appreciating it at all must sting. Just like he points out that he didn’t have contact with Micke for years, for Sara’s sake, and suddenly she’s living with him… that fucking hurt. Simon has always been very opinionated and outspoken, and he’s very authentically and proudly himself, but he’s also always molded himself to what other people need, like being a parented child and taking on too much in the house to relieve Linda, and taking care of Sara, and worrying about his father, and letting himself be manipulated by Marcus, and now basically giving up a lot of himself to be with Wille. And as a result Linda treats him like he’s a drug addict, and Sara goes to the father she didn’t want to have contact with, and Marcus talks shit about him to the press, and Wille doesn’t listen to him…

Sara saw the light (sort of), so maybe hopefully Wille will too. More on that later too.

Anyway, it would have been nice for someone from the royal court to sit Simon down and explain to him what being the boyfriend of a royal involves, so that Wille doesn’t have to figure out how to tell him all these difficult things himself. Wille is so used to some of these things, they seem so obvious to him, that he might not immediately think of how weird or outlandish it might seem to Simon. (THat scene with the cake, I mean… it was funny in a way, but I wonder how many terrifying thoughts crossed Simon’s mind, the obvious “wait what??? did I just eat poison???” but also “wait what??? someone’s trying to poison my boyfriend????” and “there are kids here, have they also accidentally been poisoned????”).

I really really hope that, since he’s being forced to go to Boris with August, that Wille will think about going with Simon, and trying to work things out. They need to be able to say all these things to each other, get on the same page.

More importantly, I need a callback to what Boris said to him in season 2, about the expectations of his family, about being able to make his own choices. Which Wille internalized beautifully with that speech to Simon outside his house.

Anyway, this is already very long. Moving on to more general thoughts:

- I did think that the fact that they sort of resolved the whole issue with the police report and the drugs felt a little anticlimactic. It was built up and built up and the whole season 2 finale was about that, and we had a cliffhanger and everything, and then… bye. I wonder if it will come back (more on that later).

- And for that matter, Alexander just became a background character. Did he even have any lines? I could barely spot him.

- August telling Wilhelm in front of everyone at the table that he’s sure Wille will fuck up on his own… rich.

- Also Stella and Rosh was sort of hinted at, it happened in a blink, and then Fredrika was… jealous? Confused? Homophobic? All of the above? But then… NOTHING. Stella was even missing in the last episode, because she was “sick”… (scheduling conflicts for Felicia? Actually sick?)

- I think it’s interesting that Sara preached and preached to Simon about giving people a second chance, including their dad, and then she… goes and does it? It wasn’t the first time she did, she was with August despite the awful thing he did. And then she goes and… gives August ANOTHER chance????

- Someone needs to tell Sara that she needs to stop getting wtih August, because every time they get together somehow, Wilmon go south… It seems these two couples cannot exist simultaneously…

- So I still have to rewatch, but… is August then in the middle of selling his father’s estate to pay Simon? Are any of his friends aware of this?

- I have a cultural question: what was the whole deal about travelling to the US? I mean, I thought they were asking if these kids have never travelled abroad, but they mentioned the US specifically, several times… Is that a thing in Sweden, traveling to the US? Not any other part of Europe? Not Asia? Just wondering. Made me curious.

- Still waiting for this season’s Elias song… just one episode left… If we don’t get one, or a callback to Revolution, I might claw my face off…

- Nils repeating that maybe Wille would have been better off with someone from the inner circle. Seriously, Nils, who do you mean? WHO? Who could you be referring to? Hmm?

- Something else about Nils… a part of me really wished that Wille would have asked Nils for confirmation on the Erik thing. Wille obviously doesn’t want to believe it at first, but then he does, and hearing it from August makes it even worse, so maybe hearing it from someone like Nils would be the final confirmation that he would need, that his brother was the worst. On the other hand, for him to ask Nils to confirm something like that, as a gay, and possibly hearing what happened to him as a result of it… that would have probably made it even worse.

- Really hate that Marcus was mentioned, that he came back to haunt Simon in a way, even if it was minimal. But props to Simon for not rising to the bait in that moment.

- Simon, my love, i understand that you’re upset and heartbroken, but… it would have been nice if you tried to get Wille to talk to you one last time, before breaking up with him on his birthday… especially seeing everything he’s going through. Not that your feelings are any less important than his, of course, but… are you trying to get him to jump out the window????

-Eternally saddened by the disappearance of the orange sweater. Eternally saddened by the fact that Wilhelm did not set foot in or around Simon’s house this season. Although who knows, still one episode left…

Things that I liked most:

- Seriously the chemistry between Edvin and Omar is OFF THE CHARTS. The intimacy coordinator this season was very good.

- Especially that sex scene. Not just because it makes me immensely happy when my favorite ship fucks, because holy shit that was hot, but also because there’s a whole theme around all the hate mail and messages and classism and homophobia and toxic masculinity that Simon is a target of, especially being Latino, whilst Wille, being white and privileged and high class and the heir to the throne, is probably seen as the “man” of the relationship (especially since in the video he’s also the one “in control” whilst Simon is the receiver), so it’s very VERY satisfying to see that they are both top and bottom at times, and they both equally enjoy it.

- Also the use of choir music during the sex scene, giving it a very holy feel, much like Elias’s Holy playing when they have sex again in season 2… seriously I NEED my Elias song this season or I WILL START A REVOLUTION.

- At first I was annoyed at the whole “school possibly closing” plotline, because I thought it was unneeded. Or that maybe it would play a bigger role in the whole video-drugs controversy. But the truth is that it was really good, how it highlighted these kids’ privilege and the absurdity of wanting to cover things up and uphold traditions, and it also worked wonderfully to highlight the divide between Simon and Wille. As Simon says to Wille, he only takes a stand when he has nothing to lose.

- Felice. Felice this whole season was magnificent. Her whole breakdown over the end of her friendship with Sara, showing how truly important it was to her. And Madison saying that sometimes breaking up with a friend is worse than getting dumped, and I AGREE SO MUCH. But then I also think she loses her sense of self, because despite being popular and beautiful, she still gets used and treated badly, by August (obviously), but also by Wille (the kiss), and worst of all by Sara (who in a way used her for her horse, but also for the clout). And in the meantime, she’s treated differently than the other students for being one of the few black girls, and she gets singled out for her hair… and yet, the school is using her to make themselves look good. And now she decides to give Sara a second chance, because she really missed her, because it really hurt to lose that friend, and Sara goes and… does that…

- One of my favorite things about Simon is how he is proof that just because you’re gay doesn’t mean that you have flawless fashion sense. And i can’t help but wonder how fashion and style icon/ELLE’s Best Dressed Man/OMR Beauty founder Omar feels about Simon’s fashion choices. Never change, Simon, never change.

- Vincent was every bit of the tremendous asshole that I hoped he’d be this season. Did not disappoint. I wanted to punch him in the face every time he opened his mouth. Marvellous.

- I’m happy that we got more Madison, but still not enough. Still, iconic. Forever one of my favorite characters.

- I don’t know what to say about Sara and Micke. Just maybe that, when he played that song in the car, even before they started singing, i just knew “oh fuck, it’s all going to shit soon…” I guess Sara felt lost enough that she was suddenly willing to give him a second chance. And the whole “is that going to happen to me?” bit really made me sad. That she understands that mental health and mental illness is unfortunately many times hereditary, and worries that she might become just like him… But despite not being entirely like him, with addiction problems and such, she was still unreliable like him, she did bad things to her family like he did… I was rooting for you, Micke, we were all rooting for you.

- I feel that August’s love for status and for the monarchy might be starting to fray at the edges. First with the fact that he was reminded of his own traumatizing initiation, and reminded of how the crown prince, his cousin and friend and idol, himself was part of that. Second with the fact that Simon points out that he might have an eating disorder, how he would probably not fare any better than the queen if he were in such a stressful position as crown prince or king, how difficult it is for him to handle stress and anxiety. And third with seeing how it affects Wille and Simon and realizing that something similar might still happen to him and Sara. And the fact that he reveals to Sara why he is the way he is, that he lets his guard down with her, might point to even more growth (even though I hate that Sara sort of gave him a “second chance” again). Also I feel the reality of how they, the Royal Court, would control his life is finally sinking in. Hopefully he will also soon realize that they also use him as a manipulation tool. So maybe he won’t let himself be manipulated by them much longer.

- I loved Wille’s ultimate outburst at his mother and father, i love that he told them everything they needed to hear, about their emotional abuse, their neglect. Unfortunately they still refused to acknowledge how terrible parents they have been, and walked off, instead of trying to resolve it. So Wille throwing around the gifts, as impulsive and tantrum-ish it might come across, makes perfect sense. He tries to talk and gets nothing in return. If he’s repressed it’s bad, but if he expresses himself then nothing happens either.

- And I love that Simon got to see what Wille is really dealing with. As privileged as he might be, he’s still lacking the most important things: unconditional support and love. No amount of money or status can make it better, and Wille is broken. The only thing is that, Simon saw how broken Wille was over the death of his brother, whom he loved very much, but I don’t think he quite grasps the gravity of Wille learning that maybe that beloved brother wouldn’t have been so cool with him, because he has never had to deal with a parent or sibling rejecting him for his sexuality. It’s something very different to be rejected by society at large than it is to be rejected by your own family, and not everyone has the emotional strength to deal with that. So for Wille’s parents to still like his potentially homophobic dead brother more than him, is heart-wrenching. But I don’t think Simon really gets that because he’s probably not surprised that Erik might have been like that, because in his eyes those privileged kids in that school (except obviously Wille, and Felice and Madison, who is asking about the non-binaries) are probably all massive homophobes.

- Despite this, I love that Simon sets boundaries nonetheless. I mean, it hurt like fucking hell for him to tell Wille, on his fucking birthday, that maybe they shouldn’t be together. But just because Wille is hurting doesn’t mean that Simon has not also been hurting too. And if they can’t comfort each other, and try to support each other when they both obviously most need it, then maybe they’re just not going to work. And it took a lot of guts for Simon to bring it up in that moment, in Wille’s bed, in the palace, where he’s basically trapped, with nowhere to go, no way to get away (I doubt he called Linda in the middle of the night to come pick him up more than two hours away in Stockholm).

My hopes for the final episode (I don’t think I have any predictions other than, open ending or not, Wilmon will be endgame and there will be a revolution, I just don’t know how):

- Wilmon talk. An actual, healthy, heartfelt talk. A reconciliation for the ages.

- That the fucking school will close and August won’t be able to graduate, and he’ll realize that maybe he shouldn’t have “lived for that school”, as Erik once put it.

- That Wille will realize that, if Erik was not the person he thought he was, then maybe he no longer has to live up to his legacy anymore. @foreverunraveling pointed out how, now that the big Erik revelation is confirmed, then maybe the queen’s trump card to manipulate Wille into being the ideal crown prince is gone. Wille doesn’t care about the monarchy really, but he did care about not disappointing his brother, the “perfect crown prince”, and now we know that he was far from perfect. Erik lived a double life, as Wille points out, there was “public Erik” or crown prince Erik, and there was “private Erik”, or the real Erik (or so Wille thought, now we know there was a “secret Erik” which was the real Erik) and Wille struggles so much with the idea of having to split himself in two, . Wille cannot live a double life, he withers away when he has to hide himself, and now he gets the opportunity to leave that stifling life behind, and blossom.

- That Simon will get a fucking break. I hate that his whole life was turned upside down from the moment the video was leaked, and it’s just never going to be the same, whether he stays with Wille or not, he’ll always be the boy from the crown prince sex tape, he’ll always be the crown prince’s ex, or the crown prince’s boyfriend. But I want some positive feedback for him, someone bigger than the woman and the little boy wanting a selfie. I want him to have his own fanclub or something. Maybe that’s too idealistic…? (I may be imagining something like that scene in Red White and Royal Blue, when they realize that there’s a whole crowd outside the palace all excited to the the Prince and his First son boyfriend… one can dream).

- I want whatever Felice said during the interview to be taken seriously, and for her to stop doubting herself.

- I want a genuine apology from August.

- Also one from Kristina.

- I get the feeling that the fact that August leaked the video might still come out publicly, what with the whole school issue. And in that case, I would like for it to be Simon might to do it, tossing the money from the settlement in his face. It looks like Simon still feels guilty about accepting it, especially when he chided Wille about his privilege and Wille (figuratively) threw the money back in his face. What if Simon does it literally?

- I really wanna know what’s going to happen between Felice and Sara now. The outlook is not good.

- Is it too much to ask to know what’s going on between Stella and Fredrika?

- Most importantly, is the whole thing with Erik going to come out eventually? And how will people react? With support for the monarchy, or with support for Wille?

I have so many more thoughts, but I’m slightly burnt out, and I really should take a break. Also this is way too long. Might have more thoughts once I’ve rewatched the first five episodes, calmly over the weekend…

Also this is very long and I’m sorry.

[hanna-kin]

Top ten Wilmon kisses

This was harder than I expected because they are all so special. But I tried.

10.

This feels like a crime, ranking the their "first" kiss last but here we are. There are just so many good ones and this one is still so perfect. It's not their first, first kiss but it feels like it's one of the most significant because they are both on the same page. They both want it, even if they are a little hesitant, it such a tender moment.

9.

I'm such a sucker for domestic kisses which is why this little cutie just had to make the list. It's just sweet, innocent and happy.

8.

Again with the happy kisses. So few but so needed. They had so little time to just be happily in love but here in Simon's room they are blissfully happy. They are playful and teasing and without q care in the world. They are like any young couple that are falling in love for the first time.

7.

Unsurprisingly, this one has similar vibes as nr 8. But it's for the exact same reasons. I could probably just copy past my motivation. This one just feels a thad more intimate. They've just had their first time together and woken up together and again they are just so happy. And the way Simon just holds Wille's jaw and kinda guides Wille towards him.

6.

Their final kiss. It kills me to know this was the last time they had before Wille's interview. Gone is their innocence, gone is the blissful happiness.

The stakes are all high and even if they are on the same page here you can feel how scared and neevous they are. And knowing how it ended it hurts even more. Simon was so strong for Wille while probably being scared shitless himself and he put on a brave face for Wille. And Wille was so scared too. They way Simon rests his forhead against Wille's, I can't.

5.

Domestic kiss for the win. I don't know what to say, my heart just melts. Is it a forehead kiss? Is it a kiss on the nose? I don't care. I love how sure Simon is. Despite everything they have been through they are finally together and Simon feels so reasured and sure of himself. They will be okay, no matter what happens.

4.

It's their smiles. It's the way they look at eachother. They are finally reunited again. Smiling into a kiss is something so special.

3.

This is still my favourite scene if the whole show and there's something about this kiss that's also so special. The song, the cinematography, the acting, it just hits home. Simon is calming Wille down by holding him and gently stroking his face and Wille is initiating the kiss while still being a little breathy from crying.

2.

I've already talked about this today and for good reason. And like I said then, it's the way they are so intune and in sync with eachother.

They are touching eahother's necks. They have to physically touch eachother. Compared to their first kiss of the season, their runion, this is more eager. They are horny. They want eachother. And while the first one is also very desperate, which I'll get to very soon, this is another type of desperation. They've spent so much time longing for eachother, yearning for the eachother and it's like they physically need eachother but compared to their reunion, which again I'll get to, it's less vulnerable. They have been through yet another hurdle but even if it feels like they have everything against them they are so sure of eachother. They don't know what will happen to them but they know they can figure it out because they both want it. They want eachother and it's worth it.

And they are open with eachother. They are voicing their feelings and concerns which allows them to come to this. Even if they are still scared it feels like they know they'll have eachother. One way or another.

1.

Maybe it's cheating to include the same scene twice. I made a point of not doing it with any other scene with multiple kisses but this was just too good. It had to be number one.

We'd waited for it the whole season and they didn't let us down.

And it's also so important that it was on Simon's terms. He initiated their first kiss and it's a lovely parallel. But most importantly it's him kissing Wille and having agency.

And Wille waits for him, waits for his lead and lets Simon make all the decisions. He knows he's hurt Simon and he's taken responsibility for it finally by deciding to let Simon go even if it kills him.

And Simon has tried to move on and protect his heart. He's tried to do what shouldn't be so hard. Only it is. He doesn't want to lose Wille. In fact losing him scares him shitless.

Here their vulnerability is at it's peak. They are so careful with eachother, hesitantly and slowly leaning into eachother, rubbing eahother's nose and taking their time. It's like they are both taking it slow both for their own sake but also for the other's.

I don't want to use the word painful because it's a negative word but it almost looks like Simon is in pain, but not in a bad way. I don't know what else to say.

They are so desperate for eachother but still nervous and scared. Maybe that's a batter way of putting it. They are desperate but scared. It's like they are kissing for the first time again but they are finding their way back to eachother instead.

There's a nerve to it. The stakes are high. They are both scared. They are both hurting so much and have hurt so much up to this point. But they are so tender with eachother. So fragile. But their bodies are intune with eachother. They belong together.

I would love to here your favourites.

[andyouloveme]

I'm sure I there must be some symbolism behind it but why do Wilhelm and Simon always sleep in Wille's bed upside down? Is it showing they're subverting expectations? Doing things their own way rather than what people expect of them?

[misfithive]

I know people say that Micke’s absence in s2 is a plot hole but honestly i think its so fitting that when Simon is going through one of the worst things in his life Micke is completely absent. Like your son was the victim of a crime (which was also s*xual violence btw) his face is plastered all over the media, they live in a small town so there is no way he doesn’t know. Yet Micke is absent again. Which is the whole point.

[allthefakepeople]

i hope in s3 (which i already need) we get a scene where Simon allows himself to break down fully in front of wille. like at this point we’ve seen wille emotionally in front of Simon but simon still keeps that part of himself for the people he trusts the most so i really just think he needs a scene in s3 where he breaks down in front of wille and wille just comforts him (i feel like this was something people wanted in s2 now but i feel like it’s an actual possibility in s3 (if/when we get one)) maybe surrounding the Sara situation or simon finally opens up about micke or just everything in general. he deserves to break down and have someone be there for him through it. he should be able to learn that he can be vulnerable that way with people

that’s all for now :)))

[justfriendsbestthings]

Sometimes I do wonder how many of the other first years (and maybe other years) harbour a secret crush on Simon because some of them might be elitist snobs but they’re probably not blind and also they’re teenagers.

[boldwille]

I was thinking random thoughts…

We often talk about how young royals give the audience the liberty to have their own interpretations of things. Which is wonderful and very true. To me, for example, the cross necklace and its symbolism, can also speak to many people in one specific way. I like to think that even if Wilhelm wouldn’t have been a prince, and if he would’ve had the same social status as Simon, but raised in a conservative and very religious family, things would’ve been quite the same. (Rojda also slightly mention it in the permanent rain press interview that “those families aren’t that different”.)

Maybe people have a hard time to connect with royalty (ofc who could ever?) but if you come from a modest family where a conservative education was the norm you definitively can relate to Wilhelm more, even if he’s a prince. The prohibitions, indoctrinations, the taboos, the alienation, and the lack of freedom isn’t something to overlook that easily. Especially when it comes to teenage hood. They are in fact children…

I believe that a regular queer teen who’s coming from a conversative, or religious family can see themselves in him; the back and forward, the “I want this, but I’m scared of the consequences” while trying to figure themselves out in that short period of time, isn’t that unusual. So talking about Wilhelm’s behavior as if he’s the worst human in the world because he’s a bit lost, torn and need time to even understand what’s happening to him, is not only unfair to him but also to all of those teens who can relate to that complicated state of mind of: “I know I’m not allow to, but I want it so bad”.

The overlook and the gaslight only make them feel even more shameful, failures and not deserving to want to feel or even imagine to love because they’re not “free” yet. As if it isn’t life experiences that makes one grow. Hurt and being hurt is part of life. Even with best intentions and kind words one can unfortunately hurt another individual. So it’s maybe time to put all of this in perspective and accept the way life and social interactions function in reality. Same goes to those broken promises that we were sure and deeply wanted to respect, but couldn’t, the deep regrets, the frustration, all those human emotions that will make one a better person one day, but for now, life is about mistake and lessons and its definitively okey that way too.

I get that it could be hard to fully understand or relate to people when we’ve always grew up in “the privilege of freedom and tolerance” how cloud we really? But make it sound like it’s easy to be rebellious when you always have been free to be, is quite insensitive, dismissive and let’s be real kind of ironic. It gives: if it was me, I would’ve done it better. No, your free self might’ve done it in a different way or think that you would’ve done it better (but no proof that you even would’ve succeed), which is absolutely not the same btw.

The condescending pov only shows the lack of comprehension about Wilhelm character, but that’s okay I guess, and not quite new. So maybe if it’s hard to feel empathy for a privilege prince (which is valid I guess), maybe try to think about those teens on those countries where queerness isn’t allowed, watching young royals at home. They all know what is right and what is wrong, how Wilhelm’s constant indecisive behaviour isn’t fair to the one he is in love with, how they also can definitely see themselves break because of their parents and the deep fears of consequences, and yet… the need to try, to feel, to naively hoping that they never will have to justify themselves to the world only for living and loving while being in that specific situation, might make them become the Wilhelm of their own story..

The thing is, even if you grew up in an open family, the queer journey is a journey by itself, unique to each individual and absolutely doesn’t mean that things are less complicated, because it’s not. But I also like to think that one doesn’t need to relate to someone to be able to feel empathy, and no .. definitely not: being out in a supportive environment isn’t still the norm around the world and yes.. definitely yes: it’s a privilege.

Some teens have all their high school years to try to figure themselves out, to gain some sort of psychological freedom, seeing that things can be different of what they’ve always been told at home, and yet don’t finish their journey at the end of it, because it’s never that simple, especially when it’s deeply integrated in you. And here we have Wilhelm (yes failing several times, but keep trying step by step to unlearn what an old, complex, and heavy institution has made of him) still be able to make one deeply angry because he couldn’t done in 3 months something that can take a lifetime to someone else. 3 months .. season 1 gave us a period of 3 months, and here we are talking about how much of a coward, crying baby and selfish bitch is Wilhelm to not being able to shake off 16 years of a peculiar and heavy education: “do better wille!!! get your shit together wille !! No.. please.. YOU do better, I beg.

We know that s2 Wilhelm is here to break is chains and fight back, but let’s face it, this is a luxury that not everyone can afford. But in some way, I like to think that it may also give hope and some sort of satisfaction to those teens that aren’t in that place yet. The things is .. it’s not unusual when someone who was so much restrain in everything in their life that once they flip: it goes on the extreme way.

And I’m absolutely not surprised that Wilhelm journey turns out that way. That being said, I’m not worrying because while the revenge plot can make Wilhelm completely lose himself, the “fighting for his great love” will bring a balance in it. Also, I love to think that he does it also for himself, especially for himself, giving the audience who can relate to him once again: hope and satisfaction. “Maybe for now it can’t be me, but seeing someone doing it brings me comfort” sort of.

And for that you don’t have to be queer, you can only relate with the deep willing to break free of a strict and suffocating education which gives Wilhelm journey even more depth than bringing his crush back or to get revenge on someone. (Even though I do realize that those 2 things are the only ones that keep him “alive” right now)

But I’m also aware that Wilhelm is naked.. whatever he does, say or not say, he’s in a public eye and people allow themselves to have opinions and often harsh ones.

Because people see Wilhelm’s life and life events in the media, they might think they know him or understand what he’s going through, how he feels, or that they can guess his thoughts: but this is an illusion. S2 won’t be about a random rebellious teen phase, but rather become some sort of a reality show where people who are absolutely not concerned by it will give their opinion, projecting and judging harshly something that they could never understand even if they try very hard to intellectualize it.

Personally I’m all here for it: “Wilhelm, your goods and your mistakes will be even more deeply lurk and criticize. Be aware that whatever you decide to do you’ll never fully “win” or being “right”; so.. thinking that way, the best thing for you to do, it’s just go for it, because even if people will have opinions about you, YOU on the other hand have only one god: Lisa Ambjörn”

(lmao I’m so dramatic)

[frogmanfae]

So Sara called in to report August. August is going to think Simon did it. Sara can testify against August in court as an eye witness, but that isn't super strong defense. Even if it does work, there are the drug bottles with Micke Erikson on them that will be brought up. Perhaps Sara takes the blame? As a way to apologize and show sacrifice to Simon? Just a little thought after rewatching.

[joenotexotic99]

Ok but imagine if the whole royal family is totally cool with whilem and Simon's relationship and they're at wilhelm place and there racing the giant hallways and mocking the guards and recreating some of the many paintings because they're in love and they can.

Like can you just imagine

Or they kiss echother in front of Kristina just to prove they're love because she thought that they were just some silly teenage romance.

Uggggggggg

[retrieve-the-kraken]

I don’t know if someone has already said this, but to me sending Wilhelm to Hillerska was never about him adopting the right routines or learning responsibilities. And it wasn’t, like the Queen said, about keeping him from scandalous situations or making sure that they don’t arise. Sure, maybe it was a part of it, but not the only reason. Ultimately, it was about keeping Wilhelm a secret.

Tucked away in the middle of nowhere in a boarding school where the press can’t catch a whiff of anything, and it can’t damage the image of the monarchy. What happens in Hillerska stays in Hillerska, and the Queen knows this very well, having attended there. She talks about going to wild parties at the Palace and being aware of the culture of drinking and drugs and sex and partying, because it’s encouraged. It is an environment that fosters secrecy, that enables bad behavior and keeping it under wraps, it is part of the code, both the Royal code and the Hillerska code.

So Wilhelm could do whatever he wanted over there, he could be as wild as he had been before, he could do anything, hook up with anyone, the important thing was that it would stay out of the news, out of the public eye.

Except that it didn’t.

(It was a particularly big deal that the video, “the truth”, was revealed by August, one of the strongest advocates for the secrecy code, the one that claims that they could kill someone and get away with it… so for him to break the code of secrecy is brutal… but it’s worth pointing out that he only did it after Wilhelm broke the code himself, when he revealed in front of the members of the secret Society that August had financial problems. An eye for an eye…)

So maybe the whole commotion regarding the video being public wasn’t so much about Wilhelm being queer, although it probably was in part, but mostly it was about him being queer on a video spread all over the internet. It was about how public it got, how very un-secret it became.

And the only way that the Royal Court resolves to fix this secret coming out is to cover it with more lies. The show itself opens with a lie, when Wilhelm has to give a statement saying that he’s willingly going to Hillerska, and the season ends with him lying about being in the video, hiding his own identity, having to pretend that August wasn’t behind everything, and having to hide his relationship with Simon. Then season 2 is about him dealing with the aftermath of all of that, with complying with the secrecy, being offered new ways to stay secret (Nils and his invitation to Verbier, to hook up with men that will be discreet, etc).

Wilhelm is never really okay with secrecy, he is an advocate for privacy. He doesn’t want to say anything but he doesn’t want to hide either. He is not ashamed of his sexuality, but he is worried about how it reflects on the monarchy, on his family, his brother, and he is stressed about having to maintain appearances, having to hide his anxiety, having to be a public figure, having to be basically perfect, or at least perceived as perfect.

Wilhelm is very aware and a victim of the toxic masculinity around him, and it makes me wonder where he gets it from: from little things like when he looks annoyed when August talks about getting with Felice before she develops self-esteem (to which, to my dismay, Erik did laugh) or being affectionate with his brother or being a perfect gentleman when Felice kissed him and when she apologized for kissing him, to bigger things like being close friends with Felice and refusing to participate in “on the table” and of course, revealing his relationship with Simon on national television.

(Wilhelm does, unfortunately, play into the toxic masculinity a lot this season, because that is what often happens in toxic environments, in masculine competitive culture. You have to “play the game” if you want to survive, and Wilhelm sees that the only way to get revenge on August is to play the same game: playing with power, taking away power, being dominant when he wants to get into the party and when he dismantles the seniority hierarchy in the dining hall, when he challenges August knowing that he has him “by the balls”, cheating during training, lying to Alexander… and ultimately pointing a gun at August. All of these things are enabled by the environment of Hillerska, and they work for a while, but they definitely don’t work with Simon. What ultimately helps Wilhelm get Simon back is showing all the non-toxic qualities that he already possessed: being kind, being honest, owning up to his mistakes, being patient, giving him space, letting him go, even if it hurts like hell… It’s obvious that Wilhelm is not perfect, but fortunately Wilhelm never aims for perfect, he aims for good.)

(It’s worth mentioning that, as a monarch and as a former student of Hillerska, Kristina was probably a victim and a perpetrator of the same toxic masculinity, competitive culture, because as a woman in a male dominated world, she probably also felt that she had to play the game. She continues to enable this culture by maintaining the secrecy code, to her own detriment and the detriment of her son, but she probably knows no other way. But we’ve already talked at length about this. EDIT: I forgot to add that I think that’s part of the reason why she looks so disconcerted and tense when Wilhelm says what he says during his speech, because she’s scared, because she’s aware that it’s a toxic man’s world out there, and it’s particularly harsh and toxic for anyone who doesn’t fit into the masculinity role, that means women like her, queers like Wilhelm, and minorities like Simon… )

Simon also likes his privacy, he doesn’t need to be public with Wilhelm, until the whole thing comes out, and Wilhelm is forced to lie. Then of course he feels awful, like he’s some dirty little secret. He doesn’t understand that that’s just how Hillerska works, how the monarchy works, that is the secrecy code, and he doesn’t understand the pressure that Wilhelm is under to continue to uphold that code. That is until he has a secret of his own to hide, the drugs he stole from his father, and that he has to protect himself and his family. When he finally understands that the secrecy is a monster that he will never defeat, he realizes that maybe it’s not worth fighting it anymore, the important thing is to be with Wilhelm, to be able to love him, no matter what, even if it has to be in secret. As long as there are no more secrets between them.

And that’s when it hits Wilhelm. The moment that Simon tells him that he’s okay with being a secret, is the moment that Wilhelm realizes that he is not okay with that, that he doesn’t want any more secrets at all. He realizes that he will always be trapped in one lie after the other, always be a victim of the secrecy code, unless he puts a stop to it.

So he tells the truth. The ultimate truth. “It was me in the video. Me and Simon. I lied because it was private. But it’s me.” In one single moment the video goes from a raunchy sex tape to a horrible violation of privacy, he condemns the “unknown” perpetrator of this violation, he makes it seem that it was his choice to lie and absolves the Monarchy from having forced him to lie, he advocates for privacy, he regains control of the narrative for himself and for Simon, he condemns secrecy, and he sets himself free.

The truth will always set you free.

Or at least we hope.

[hanna-kin]

Wilmon top five hugs

You know what is just as good as kisses? Or even better? Hugs!

These were so much harder than the kisses but here we go.

5.

I love how assertive Wille is. Hr obviously feels so safe in Simon's room and in Simon's company and it shows. He's such a cuddler and we know it. But here we see just how much touch ia his love language. It's the way he hugs Simon from behind, snuggles against his neck and lets their arms intertwine, rendering Simon speachless. And Simon reciprocates to it my melting into him.

4.

I love the parallel to season 1. I love how they are on the same page, which is the opposite of how they were in season 1. But the love they have for eachother is still the same. That never changed. But there they are and they have both grown so much and they are peaceful because they have eachother and it's them against the world now. It's all that matters at the moment.

And I love Simon's I love you.

3.

This was such an important moment for them. They are open with eachother, they are honest and they communicate. They are listening to eachother!

Again they have come such a long way in such short time and this is another scene that so clearly shows that.

And that's also what allows them to be there for eachother. Both are obviously struggling here but they are leaning on eachother. Even if their future is uncertain and they have no idea what will happen there's still so much hope.

Simon is going to report August but they are still going to be okay.

Wille is scared shitless about what the future will hold for him but they are still going to be okay.

One way or another.

2.

This is still my favourite scene. You knew it was coming. It's just so beautiful, with the cinematography and the music being absolutely perfect.

I can not not rank it thia high.

It's a scene that breaks my heart every time. It curshes me every time I watch it and I love it.

Wille is obviously in a very vulnerable place and he let's it show with all his guards down and his heart on his sleeve. I think this is the most vulnerable we ever see him.

He is sacred of losing Simon. Terrified even. Because he's lonely without Simon in his life and the thought of losing Simon swallows him whole.

Gone is the confident Crown Prince that took charge in the Society meeting and over ruled August's decision. Because Simon’s thoughts about him matters. He can't lose Simon.

Simon of course is disappointed with Wille at first and their fight from before lingers. However I don't think he realises how vulnerable Wille was. And when he sees it his anger melts away and he realises that Wille probably did the best he could do and that the fight affected him too.

And he's so gentle when he wraps Wille into his arms. So protective and comforting. Wille lets himself be held and kinda sinks into Simon's arms and he feels so small.

It's sad because we gets so little comfort from anyone but Simon and this is a moment where it just gets too much and it bursts.

And Simon with his huge heart and kind soul takes care of him.

1.

How could I not? I feel so many things watching this scene. It's such a beautiful scene and the perfect ending to season 1.

Wille is obviously drowning in guilt for what he did and he realises how much he messed up and he needs Simon to know how sorry he is.

He's timid at first, gently complimenting Simon's singing but there's so much sadness and sorrow in his voice.

Simon is alot better at hiding his feelings and his heartbreak but it's obvious that he's hurting so much.

Especially when Wille hugs him and he closes his eyes and grabs at Wille's coat. You can feel he's as desperate for Wille's love as Wille is for his. You know that he's absolutely crushed over losing Wille. It's like he allows himself one final moment together. He knows he's made the right decision but it hurts. So much.

It's an important hug because it's Wille validating their love. It's him saying he's sorry and that he loves him even before he says it out loud. But it's also important because Wille is hugging Simon infront of everyone. He's not hiding.

And then he says I'm sorry and I love you.

You know how much it means to Simon to hear Wille say it but it's not enough. It can't make everything alright. He knows that. He still loves Wille but they can’t be together and he has to be strong.

He's so strong. So brave. He has so much integrity and he stands up for himself even if he hurts.

[mydignityisinflames]

One thing that's interesting in S2 is how Simon (rightly) points out that Wille is acting just like his mother in hiding the truth to 'protect' Simon but then Simon goes and does the exact same thing to his mother too.

Kristina hides it was August from Wilhelm, Wilhelm hides it was August from Simon and now Simon is pretending he was wrong and it wasn't August to Linda because he's trying to protect her from the truth about the drugs.

[misfithive]

YR S2 “I lied” thoughts (ramblings)

This is random and I’m sure been discussed but i think it was really important that Wille said “It was a moment I didn’t want to share so I lied about it”. He could have easily said he was told to do it or blamed someone else or just been more passive about what happened. But it was important for him to actually take accountability and take back control of the situation.

It’s esp important to Simon that Wille acknowledges he did have a choice. It was obviously a really messed up situation and it makes sense why he denied it. But owning the decision and giving a real reason is important in gaining Simon’s trust back bc he is taking responsibility and not just blaming his circumstances. Bc yeah his circumstances are not ideal but it’s always gonna be that way -Simon needs to be able to trust that Wille is going to be there for him, have integrity, and make his own decisions regardless of the circumstances. It is kinda a lot to ask given the extreme of being a prince but Simon has always treated Wille like a regular person. It also wouldn’t be an fair/healthy relationship if Simon was just always having to bend to Wille’s circumstances.

[allthefakepeople]

can’t really explain it

but tell me why i feel like wille is the “love” “darling” “älskling” type 

while simon is the “baby” “gorgeous” “cariño” type

[andyouloveme]

Just realising that when Wille and Alexander play chess, Alexander checkmates Wille which is foreshadowing his part in forcing Wille and Simon into not reporting August

[justfriendsbestthings]

The most hilarious gen Z thing to me is how everyone in Young Royals always answers their texts immediately my millennial ass could never I need at least one to three business months agejkfkfkfb