Young Royals Season 3 - Tumblr Posts

august not being the villain for once is actually amazing

Oh my fucking god.

praying that wille and simon get a happy ending and that vincent gets fucking impaled

can we just talk about how august is one of the most well-written antagonist characters in modern media? he’s done some unforgivable things but you still see him as human. he’s not just an evil person to make the storyline more interesting, he’s so much more complex than that. from a writer’s perspective i absolutely love his character and his storyline so much. also props to malte gårdinger for playing him so well. wow. just. wow.

I think Young Royals got the Fancy Boarding School trope right when so, so many other stories have gotten it wrong. The rich kids aren’t evil, they’re privileged. Some of them kind of suck, and some of them are very nice. The poor kids aren’t innocent orphans who are always the victim, they’re disadvantaged. Some of their choices are good, and some are bad. The kids may do things that really hurt each other, but at the end of the day none of the kids is the villain– they’re just kids in very different difficult situations. The situation– the class system that pressures the aristocratic children to be perfect and grow up too soon and pressures the poor children to conform and backstab to succeed–is the villain. 

That’s the fucking point of the Fancy Boarding School story. The rich kids aren’t all bad. The poor kids aren’t all good. The teachers aren’t all out to ruin the students’ lives. The class system is the bad guy.

fuck i finally watched young royals s3 and i am so???? it was!! im a.. i need to talk with someone wtaf i love this show more than i ever loved a man

Young Royals is anti-monarchist propaganda (always has been) 

I think it’s fair to say that most of the fandom was quite happy with the finale. However, I’ve seen a handful of posts by people who were unhappy, specifically  those who were unhappy with Wille giving up his place in the line of succession. These criticisms range in everything from dismissing Wille’s choice (Wilhelm has made a harsh decision without thinking of the consequences, this won’t actually make the media circus around him go away), to those disappointed in how the monarchy in general was represented (Wille could have modernized the institution, no one in the show attempted to consider how the monarchy could be good, actually). I don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings about the finale. If you didn't like it, that’s more than ok and I don’t want to argue with anyone about their taste. 

But when it comes to criticism about Wilhelm giving up the throne,  I do find myself frustrated at what I see as a fundamental misunderstanding of what this show was trying to communicate. Young Royals, plain and simple, is a story that  denounces the incompatibility of antiquated and hierarchical institutions (Hillerska, the monarchy) with equality and justice. 

If you’ve had the displeasure of being my fandom friend you’ll know that I’ve spent the last 3 years yelling about how this show is about abolishing the monarchy. I even wrote a lengthy  fanfic with the sole excuse of having Wilhelm arrive at this conclusion. Still, I knew that whatever statement the show wanted to arrive at, we’d only really be getting to it at the end of the show. 

Seasons one and two were setting up all the characters on the chessboard for the end: Wilhelm is the Crown Prince, although he does not want to be. He and Simon are in love, but Wilhelm’s role drives a wedge between them. Erik’s legacy and August's spot next in line are keeping Wilhelm in his place.

 From episode one, I think the show was telling us about the many things that are wrong with the monarchy, but I don’t think it’s until season three that these discussions become more explicit. Is this why some people were disappointed by the ending? Maybe so. Still, I wanted to look at how season three in particular answers some of the questions or issues  people are bringing up regarding both the monarchy and the Wilhelm’s choice. 

What do you like about the monarchy? 

Season 3 Episode 4 is the first time we hear an explicit discussion about why the monarchy could potentially be a good institution. I’ve seen some people complain that the show didn’t give this idea enough thought. 

I completely disagree with this take: the short conversation Wille and Simon have in this episode  is succinct, but still effective at presenting both arguments in this debate. A  longer and more drawn out conversation would have been a bit unrealistic and probably boring to watch. These are not academics having a debate, but two teenagers who are talking about what for them is emotionally charged.

There’s also no need for a longer, more detailed discussion. Wilhelm does provide a very good answer to the question: The monarchy is there to unite the people. To be a neutral party in situations when the government cannot or will not interfere. 

A quick civics lesson: In parliamentary democracies, the monarch serves as the Head of State. 

This role is predominantly representative, although in many places the government is formed in the name of the monarch. This could, theoretically, grant them some political power-- since they could technically reject the winning party from forming a government. However, in most parliamentary monarchies, the King or Queen simply has to accept whatever decision is made based on election results.

However, the value of the Head of State is precisely in its apolitical nature. Regardless of who’s in power, the head of state is a neutral ambassador of the nation, both in and outside of their country. Their job is diplomatic and representative, and one that is thoroughly divorced from politics. This is what Wilhelm meant when he said that the monarchy was there to ‘unite the people’. Whenever I’ve spoken to pro-monarchy folks about their beliefs, they cite this as the reason why they like it. 

It’s easy to see why Wilhlem would latch on this as his main argument to defend the institution. I don’t think there is anything inherently bad about having a separate head of state that represents the country. I don’t think the major grip with this issue is the having a head of state, but the fact that the head of state is a hereditary position. Simon says this himself twice in this episode: the issue is not that the head of state exists, but that the head of state is not an elected position. Furthemore, the head of state is a role that is imposed on a person not by their talent as a public speaker or negotiator, but by a simple accident of birth. 

The job’s legitimacy or importance should not be above any individual’s right to autonomy and self-determination. Furthermore, considering that taxpayers are the ones who finance this position, shouldn’t they be able to elect who it is? 

Let’s imagine a scenario where a friend tells you they’ve gone into a career because everyone in their family works in that industry, and they simply had no choice in the matter. It wouldn’t even matter if they were good or bad, they had a job in this career guaranteed from birth. 

 Would you not be concerned that maybe your friend is unhappy for a rather unnecessary reason? Would you not think that perhaps someone who actually wanted the job would be better suited for it? Would you think it right for a company to hire someone simply because of their family history? Would you consider any of this fair? And what is so special about monarchy that makes us have a different answer for it than we would if the question was about law or medicine? 

You’ll always be famous. 

Another common criticism I’ve seen is that Wilhelm will inevitably regret his decision, especially once he realizes that public scrutiny will not be going away. This is true, Wilhelm will likely always  be a figure of public interest. But to me, this has always been a negative consequence of the monarchy, and I have a hard time seeing this is a valid reason why he should stay in it. 

From the second we meet him, we know Wilhelm is uncomfortable with both the public attention and the scrutiny placed on him. However, this goes a bit further than that. I’d argue than more than the  scrutiny itself,  Wilhelm is weighed down by having to keep a public image. Because, remember folks, Wilhelm is not merely an awkward teenage boy with acne and a crush. No, no, Wilhelm is the State. Wilhelm is going to be a publicly-funded representative of the nation . This means, of course, that there’s a narrative, as he mentions himsef, that needs to be put forward. One that’s generic, serious, and unproblematic: 

From the get go, Wilhelm is uncomfortable with the inauthentic and performative aspect of his role.This is a constant we see with Wilhelm in seasons one and two: every ‘performance’ he has to do fills him with nausea, anxiety, or some sort of discomfort.

In season three, Wilhelm begins acquiescing to this performance. Uncomfortable as he may be, for most of season 3 he’s accepted that this is his role. However, the attention this season shifts from Wilhelm to Simon, who’s now the one facing public scrutiny. The difference is that, unlike Wille, there’s no role for Simon to play. Nothing about who he is or what he believes is compatible with the public image the monarchy is putting forward. The only thing he can do in this situation is disappear, and Wilhelm is tasked with having to ask that of him. 

I know a lot of people were exasperated at Simon’s very bad and clumsy social media presence. I’m not gonna argue that my boy wasn’t being a bit cringey, because he absolutely was. But I think the larger commentary here has more to do with the expectation that these two teenagers have to censor and edit themselves to comply with a particular PR image. 

Ultimately, the criticism that Wilhelm will always be famous leads us straight back to the institution. Why does an underage boy have the same PR expectations as a politician? Why is a teenager dating his classmate + being cringe online justification for doxxing him? Unfortunately, no abdication is really going to undo any of this, and things are certainly going to be crazy once Wilhelm announces he’s stepping down .

However, this time around both he and Simon will at least have the agency to decide what they want to do with their public image, including the decision to disappear from the public completely if that’s what they want.

Queer representation 

This a sentiment that has been in the fandom for some time now. This was the main argument why some people wanted Wille to stay in the monarchy. Sure, the institution has always been about bloodlines and tradition. But wouldn’t it be so nice to have Wilhelm as a symbol for the queer community? I’ve always found this idea a bit shallow. I’m not sure how much of a symbol of a queer and progressive country Wilhelm could be, when the whole idea is predicated on absolutely no one having a choice in the matter. Is it really impressive to accept the queerness of the guy you already had no choice in accepting?  

There’s three scenes in season 3 where the potential Wilhelm -and by extension Simon-  could have for the queer community come up.  Farima brings it up in the first episode, but the framing here is reversed. Wilhelm isn’t serving the LGBTQ community by being a queer Prince, but the monarchy is using Wilhelm (and his queerness) to appear progressive.

The show, however, does humor this idea with the May 1st photo. We see what Simon and Wilhelm could potentially do for the community by simply existing as who they are: they’re inspirational. It gives Simon, briefly, hope that maybe something good could come out of this. 

But this moment is quite literally framed by politics. It doesn't matter that Simon is not participating in that manifestation, anything that is slightly connected with politics is a challenge to neutrality of the monarchy. This same idea is stated more explicitly int the next episode, when Wilhelm is reviewing the options for his charity.

Ultimately, any action significant enough to be truly impactful, would be bordering the limits of what could be considered political. He's got to stick it out with these quite frankly boring and limited themes, all for the sake of staying on the very narrow lane of things that are not political.

The weight of the crown. 

Stories about Kings and Queens usually carry the same fundamental tension of duty vs self. 

In order to rule, our protagonist has to sacrifice themselves, usually for the sake of their country and people. The Crown is an excellent example of this type of story. Sacrifice in that series is framed as something noble and selfless. 

Young Royals started out with this same fundamental tension, but the main difference is that Young Royals has framed this debate as a question: 

Why should Wilhelm give himself up, his happiness, the love of his life, and  his mental well-being? What’s so important and valuable about this institution that requires this sacrifice?

Wilhelm’s journey is about accepting and voicing his answer. He doesn’t want to be Crown Prince, he doesn’t want to be King. 

But by virtue of taking part of this journey with him, we’re able to examine this question from a different perspective: Is this institution valuable enough to justify all of this? I think the show is inviting all of us to evaluate this situation and arrive at the conclusion that it isn’t.

Even someone like August, who wanted this, is weighed down by the realization of just how much the crown weighs. Of course, a big part of the fandom probably doesn’t live in countries with parliamentary monarchies. Still, considering the worldwide popularity of the British Royals, for example, I still think it’s a worthwhile exercise to question the validity of these institutions. Are they really worth sustaining? And if they’re not, why should we continue to drag them on into the present, citing tradition?

The parallels between Sargust and Wilmon have always been very prominent but I think this goodbye is such a perfect mirror of conversations Wille and Simon had as well but now, it ends in a different way.

We have August pleading for Sara to give them another chance just like Wille did with Simon. August telling Sara how she is the only person who truely sees him for himself like Wille told Simon he is the only person he can talk to. The Eriksson sibling standing their ground and walking away because other than Wille, August has not worked to make this relationship work, and love alone is not enough.

What do you mean it's already been a month since Young Royals season 3 premiered???????

they are just SEVENTEEN

me, a fleabag fan, when sara said "it'll pass" to august:

it was either that or netflix would be paying for my therapy

wilhelm abdication truthers we won!!

I watched the finale of young royals and here are some of my rambles, collected while watching. Enjoy.

Spoilers!!!

So i didn't make it a minute, i paused at 00:59 because i could already feel the tears coming up. What the hell.

I honestly didn't expect the reactions to the closing to be that way. A lot of screaming and blaming? Sure. But August breaking down? Very in character, but unexpected.

I was especially surprised by Vincent going for a hug to calm him down. Really surprised me.

Felice is probably my favorite person in this show ngl

And they see each other from across the room, through the partying people, and we have come full circle back to the first episode. Honestly poetic. I love it.

August got redeemed. And although i am still rationally thinking about the consequences, emotionally it works. My emotional side thinks he's earned it. Somehow.

Felice and Sara making up is healing my soul

Nils finally coming out to his friends. No comments, just that.

They are wrapping everything up so beautifully in the first 30 mins. All the smaller things. The rush from the "last" everything, everybody finally getting their shit in order, all of it. Beautiful.

I am also insanely worried about what is going to happen now. I am writing this at timestamp 26:25 and the 30:53 of emotional damage on the other side of the progress bar is still staring at me. We'll see.

And the interaction between August and Sara just killed me. And its not even over. I had to pause so i could handle Augusts puppy eyes after the rejection. Judging from the big sip of cider i just took i was subconsiously rooting for them. I think i just want them to be happy. All of them. Even Sara and August.

Okay homebro is panicking so bad he PROPOSED, he is down BAD

Also the line "You love who you are when you are with me" was killer, oh my god

The last kiss. The wiping away the tears. "It will pass." Wound, Salt, and then they twist the knife.

But it is a fitting ending. It works. It fits their characters, their journeys. They wouldn't have worked out in the long run and they get their ending. Both heartbroken, but on their way to healing.

I love and hate the idea of "one last night together". It implies and ending i am still dreading. But they deserve to forget everything for a night.

I honestly didn't realize it was still sun out and it caught me off guard so bad (or is that a sunrise? I am so confused)

I don't have the scene on hand but i am pretty sure they framed the scene in the bed at the end of s3e5 the same way as them lying on the blanket (?) here. Super interesting visual storytelling.

(Small detail here, i recently had a crash course on tv journalism and a big part of that was scenes and pictures, thats why i pay so much attention to the visual language here)

The entire lake scene is beautifully shot. The way they have mirroring motions (like brushing hair out of Willes face) in different perspectives, the way the water is shot, the entire calmness of all of it. And then they have these emotional conversations under it that build up these emotions, with these big pauses in speech, drawing out this bit of retrieve from everything.

The way they show Simon swimming away, the distance between them, when they speak about exactly that.

And how they go from Wille sitting at the lake, watching Simon swim, being physically not in the same thing as him (the lake), Simon swimming away, and then the cut over to him alone in his bed.

Beautiful, artistic storytelling.

Also fucking heartbreaking, i am nearly crying already and there are 23 minutes and 54 seconds left to completely destroy me.

I am clutching to the hope that twenty minutes are left to figure everything out and that that would be too long for this to be the end. Twenty minutes, 30% of the finale, cannot and will not be the epilogue, i dont think thats likely and i also refuse to believe that.

Okay, Stella and Frederika are finally together, at least some of my sanity is clutching on. I literally yelled "fuck yeah" and punched the air.

Henry and Valter (i hope i spelled that right) together in the fields also makes me happy. I know they were shipped a lot and although I am not a religious shipper of them, i am rooting for them. Go them.

Wille taking down the pictures could also be taking the happiness out of my heart. Whats wrong with the showrunners for making us do this rollercoaster?!?!

Also him taking off Erik and him before Simon and him. Beautiful.

OH MY GOD THE BIRTHDAY GIFT

I am not prepared. Not at all. Oh my god.

Is that like a farewell? Or a "stay with me"?

Not ready. Will press play though and hug my pillow expectantly.

I made it like three seconds. WILLES SONG?!?!?!!?!?

Wille walking through Hillerska. Seeing all those spots. All those memories.

EVERYONE TAKING DOWN PICTURES. THE GOODBYES.

THE SONG. THE SONG.

Don't let them make you hide yourself.

The callback to the football field.

"WE WERE NEVER WHAT WAS WRONG" !!!!!

All the callbacks. "I could be free" was from the "he would give up the crown for you" scene, if i recall correctly. Simon is revisiting every moment in their story.

"'Cause we were a revolution" WHY IS THIS IN PAST TENSE? NO. NO!

It shouldn't be a revolution to love another.

That quote itself. Then showing August and Sara. Back to Wille.

What is slightly concerning to me is that they haven't shown Simon yet. His voice is singing, but they show everyone but him. (Sara was on the picture, i count that, but he is nowhere. Just a ghost of memories.)

"You were my revolution before it fell apart" I'M SORRY JUST TAKE MY HEART, BREAK IT AND STOMP ON IT. SURE, GO AHEAD, DIDN'T NEED IT ANYWAY

(sorry, this shit is getting to me)

(Although, you apparently read this far through my chaos, so honestly your fault)

(Still cool you're still here)

THE SNOW GLOBE. IN THE TRASH. BROKEN. DISCARDED.

Now, are we discarding Erik or are we discarding broken and damaged things? Like this relationship? fucking tell me i am losing it here

Wille looking at August after he officially graduated. I can't read his look. And i am so confused to the situation and emotions here. Because last time they were drunk, now they are sober and both their relationships with the Erikssons are basically over. That is an interesting dynamic.

SIMONS SONG INSTEAD OF THE CLASSIC HILLERSKA HYMN. SIMONS SONG ABOUT LOVING WILLE. THE ENTIRE REVOLUTION.

Wille standing alone. Then seeing his parents, behaving different from the other parents, but at least being there.

His mom trying. The hug.

And i am finally crying. These breaks to write down my thoughts have kept this at bay so far, but a mother trying and asking for forgiveness has finally broken me. (I should bring this up with my therapist)

Wille going after Simon. And his mother smiling at that.

The heartbeat in the background. After "I never gave up on us." Hope.

WHY ARE YOU SAYING GOODBYE

YOU STILL HAVE THIRTEEN MINUTES TO FIGURE IT OUT

And again Wille is telling Simon to enjoy a holiday. It was christmas. Now its the summer holidays.

But no "i love you"s. Just a heartbeat.

Simon leaving. Again.

And Wille is hesitating. I swear the heartbeat is speeding up. He is hesitating.

And i find myself yelling at the tv for him to finally move and go after him. Fight for him. Fight for them.

Fucking move. Get your man.

And this idiot walks physically backwards. Back to society and his parents, away from his love.

Fuck me, he called Simon the love of his life. And maybe he's young and doesn't know better. But i am not much older and am fairly sure someone would not say that if they didnt mean it. SO BETTER FUCKING GO AFTER HIM.

WHY ELSE WOULD THE HEARTBEAT BE THERE? i mean i am not a medical expert but i am pretty sure that was not one heartbeat, that sounded off. I hope it was two, two hearts and their beats, two lives entangled.

Felice and Sara are actively healing my soul. I am pretty sure i have written that sentence earlier but i refuse to check.

Also Wille being uncomfortable in the car. He should have run after Simon, than he wouldnt be, change my mind.

"You will be a fantastic king."

What if i don't want that?

Ladies, Gentlemen and friends of other assorted genders: FUCKING FINALLY

An honest, open, (somewhat) calm conversation. The one thing they have needed for three seasons. We finally have it. Finally.

The visual conflict of emotions in the queen. The motherly pride and concern for her child and the disappointment and fear of the monarch losing their heir. It's brilliant acting.

The realization on Augusts face hitting him when he sees Wilhelm leave.

The shaky camera as Wille is looking around, searching. The camera was steady in the car, a bit shaky around August, and now it is full on wobbling around. It is a panic, with the music, the emotions swelling.

And then he runs. And yells. And the camera gets steadier.

The regret in his face when he can't keep up anymore. And then the hope when he sees the car stop.

The relief in Willes voice when he tells Simon. And the pain in Simons eyes. Slowly morphing into hope.

The distance between them. When Wille was coming clean, they showed the faces, not the distance between them. Just that they were talking face to face. Now, as Wille asks, if Simon is done with him, they show this distance between them.

Simon starting to smile.

And now, paused, my brain moving faster than i can type, i was wondering why he was sitting in the backseat. They must have someone else in the car. And you can see Felice peeking through the rear window.

And the way they kiss. Passionately. Not holding back. Finally free.

All their moments. Their story. Their love. Finally, them saying i love you. To each other. In the open. Free. Declaring themselves. Together.

And Wille coming with them. Their little found family. Them whoooing in the car, like they did on that night at the football game on the motor bikes.

Them being happy.

And then that final look in the camera. Finally happy, finally free.

Cut to black.

Okay, that was absolutely brilliant.

I loved it, every second of it. It was a beautiful way of wrapping everything up, a happy ending at last. For everyone.

August becomes king. Or whatever. We dont care.

Sara and Felice make up. Are friends again. Are free together.

Felice finds herself outside of money and in people. In her friends.

Sara realizes she has people that care for her and see her as she is. She finds happiness in platonic love, not romantic.

Simon and Wille end up together, overcome their differences. Find a way.

Simon has his love and reconsiled with his sister. He can be true to himself and created his song, his music. Music that touches others, Music that others like.

And Wilhelm got out of that system that caused him so much pain. He got closure, threw away the snow globe, quit being royalty. He is free, the one thing he wanted all this time. Be happy, be himself, be free.

Sometimes family is a former crown prince, his musician boyfriend, a neurodivergent horse girl and the worlds best best friend.

[I think this is the point where i thank you for reading all this. I am going to post this without reading it a second time to keep myself surprised and not edit any reactions. But i hope the rambling made some sense. Thank you!]

I don't see how the "revolution" thing would work in the context of Wilmon not being together at the end. 

Isn't it supposed to be about change? Before season 3 came out, I was sure that Wilhelm's arc would go towards him using his position for good, for some positive change. Then, even if their relationship didn't work out, we'd get a Wilhelm who had come a long way and actually learned something from Simon. And that thing would have been the ability to stand up for himself and his community. And we've seen more than once that Wilhelm knows how to get his way, especially using his position. Just combine the two.

But a third season? Wilhelm really took a step backwards. Whereas in season two he kind of learned to be more open (yes, I'm talking about the scene where he literally came to Simon to explain how he feels and why he's doing this, not telling about August), in season three we got Wilhelm shushing Simon and putting words into his mouth and taking offense to it. No, that's not a hate towards the character, that's a complaint solely against the show's creators. Because these moments make me question whether it all had a point. He says what he learns something from Simon, but is he really?

Wilhelm explicitly rejects Simon's idea of choosing charity topics that are closer to him without even trying. Yes, I remember "she's clearly trying to push these topics by putting them on top", but seriously? Not even trying? As far as I know, in real life, there are royal foundations and stuff like that who deal with mental health issues, especially among children and young people. Where does Wille's claim that he can't use it even comes from? WHEN HE HASN'T EVEN TRIED? And this in my opinion fits in with Farima's words about her intention to use Wilhelm to create a new generation of royalists. Yes, it's dirty, but it would work really well.

The moment in the trailer when Simon asks Wilhelm what he likes about the monarchy was sooo important to me. I expected it to be a moment where Wilhelm seriously considers how he can use that power to do something good. That's partly what he says ("sometimes members of the royal family were able to manage conflicts that diplomats couldn't handle"), but he doesn't sound sure. In the same scene, Wilhelm repeats his mother's words that his status is a privilege, not a punishment, but to me it looks more like an attempt to convince himself because, again, he's trying to find some footing in what he's been taught. He says this not because he sincerely believes it, but because to admit otherwise is to admit that he is trying to fight for something that doesn't deserve the effort. I think destroying Erik's perfect image belongs here as well. Wilhelm leans on his brother, he explicitly says that he doesn't want to let Erik's legacy down, and then he finds out that his brother wasn't such a perfect person at everything, and it shakes him up a lot.

What can we get at the end of this season? Well, it's now obvious that Wilhelm has to make a choice between "being a somewhat happy person and abdicating" and "condemning himself to a miserable existence for ideas he doesn't even believe in." It's Simon or the crown. No other way.

If they break up with Simon, there will be no revolution. Simon will get his heart broken and for the rest of his life his relationship with Wille will pop up here and there, but he'll handle it. Wilhelm will remain a hostage to the situation without trying to change anything, because if he can't even with the support of the person he loves, alone he will definitely stop fighting.

That way, it looks like everything was just pointless.

Now that I know how it ended, I'm going to pretend the series ended on season two. 

Am I glad for the Wilmon endgame? Of course I am. Am I happy with the whole season three? Uh-uh. 

For the entire first five episodes, I felt like the writers were trying to create a lot of drama that was unnecessary while dumping really important stuff. After having video and dr*gs thing looming over the characters for two seasons, we got a resolution to those problems in what, ten minutes in the first episode? And after that, we're supposed to worry about the school closing? Ah, okay.

Once again, I'll agree with everyone who's already said it before me: this season has really messed up Wille and Simon's relationship. And while it's written logically, I still have a strong feeling that it was just for the sake of drama, just to keep us in suspense, to keep us wondering if they'll get over it. And that's just too damn bad. 

And the last episode in particular cranked that problem to the max (for me). Most of the episode was devoted to how they're trying to come to terms with the breakup. Thanks, I had a whole season two to know they weren't going to make it, they're in love and will never be fully over each other, can we move on?

Wille's reconciliation with his parents is wonderful, but it felt so strained, like, wow, one fight was enough for them to realize their mistakes. One conversation after that was enough for him to be allowed to leave? No, I believe he can leave his role (he shouldn't have been so active in it until after high school anyway) and live a relatively non-public life, but it seems so quick and easy.

The only thing that really felt like something earned after the long journey was Wilhelm's "reconciliation" with August. I didn't think I needed it, but this season made me look forward to something like that.

No, I believe that Wille and Simon will get through whatever it is, I believe they will be together, get married, have their three tiny dogs and be happy. I knew that before season three came out. My problem with this season is that all the drama for the sake of drama feels like it stole a lot of priceless time from the plot. Oh no, Erik might not have been the nicest person! Ah, bygones, he's a great brother after all. (Yes, this storyline was important to Wille, but I'm sure it could have been shown much better). School might close and our heroes won't be able to be around each other! Oh, you know, that hasn't been decided definitely yet. Anyways, they were willing to date long distance. Simon getting physically threatened by fanatics? Surely it won't get any worse when Wilhelm's abdication is announced and these nutjobs connect the dots and blame Simon. Our heroes have obvious communication problems and their difference in backgrounds does become an issue sometimes? Oopsie, we'll turn a blind eye to that now. And it feels like that from almost every storyline this season. A lot of new problems going unresolved.

Honestly, I've read fanfics that continued their story way better than season three did. And this is just sad. Still, happy Wilmon endgame everyone! 

I think I realized my main problem with season three. 

Wilmon as a couple didn't need it. 

Yeah, yeah, I know: we've been teased for months with the whole "will they be together", "endgame or not" thing, but really... why? In season two, it was made clear that they love each other more than anything and were willing to fight for it. Simon was willing to keep everything a secret if it meant being together, and Wilhelm was willing to face the consequences of his public confession if it meant they would be together. They had made their choice. They had already chosen each other. And so they did again, but as they hadn't before?..

And all this conflict around their relationship in season three seems unnecessary. They still, without a doubt, had to face all the problems that publicity has brought them and how different they are. But instead, for the sake of building tension, we got their bickering and almost complete inability to communicate, which left many people with the feeling that their relationship was toxic. 

And, yes, all of this was just to bring Wilhelm to the point of finally giving up the title of Crown Prince, but... he kind of didn't do it at the end of the season? In the moment Kristina let him go, yes, she admitted she was wrong, yes, but that's not the end of it. Stripping Wille of his heir status will have many consequences, and I want to remind you that Kristina is not the only one to make a decision. 

Wilhelm will likely remain a prince, and given that the show has limited the royal family to, literally, four people, he will be a working member of the royal family. Even if he's gonna renounce his title entirely, it won't make him less of a public figure. And just think of the shitwave that Simon would receive after all those statements...

So, it's as if we've been tried to be told: the main problem with Wilmon was the royal family, and now Wilhelm is no longer crown prince, so there's no problem! But that's not really true, this season has made their main problem a communication problem, and it's not going to go away, and neither is Wille's connection to the royal family.

That's why the ending, while happy, doesn't feel satisfying. It is indeed an open ending, but not in a good way for me. The play with feelings, the breakup, the TWO scenes of the main couple saying goodbye make me wonder: is Wilhelm's renounce of the title really going to help them to be together? Add to that the suspense with the school closing, the possible move of Simon and his family, and that means a long-distance relationship.... I don't know. Instead of closing all the storylines, this season added a few new ones, and almost none of them were given a proper conclusion. It's just not the kind of ending that answers all the questions.

I'm glad someone in my feed has said that, so I can dedicate an entire post to this point. 

I didn't like The Hallway Scene. I swear I can explain. 

It wasn't bad, of course. It was good. I've seen quite a few intimacy scenes in different queer media (watched Queer as Folk for fox's sake) and so I'd say… there's an overall good intimacy scenes. And then there's YR intimacy scenes. For me s3 one was “overall good”, but not “YR-good”. 

Now, I know the creators wanted to do something more explicit from the very beginning. But they didn't, due to different reasons. In my opinion it ended in a very special way of portraying intimacy that can be rarely seen in the media. Gentle, sincere, sensual. It displayed not only the characters' desire, but also their other feelings about each other - and sometimes, perhaps even themselves. It felt like talking without words, like exploring oneself and one's feelings. This style was completely unique. Perhaps it was an accident, but it was a good thing.  

I won't even stop on the two scenes from s1. They were pure perfection and everything possible has been already said about it. But I want to stop on s2 scene. Remember how people discussed how beautifully it was set, how the viewers would not see anything after Wilhelm closed the curtains, symbolizing the boys finally getting privacy? This little action ment so much for them. We still saw their passion and love, but it wasn't explicit, and it was perfect. Like I've said before, here they are talking without words.

So for me, personally, the s3 scene didn't match with that style. It was closer to classic depiction of passion, with this rapid montage and how explicit the whole thing was. Once again, it's not a bad thing at all. I'm not trying to shame this type of scene here. It just makes me sad that yet another thing in s3 wasn't as special as it used to be in previous seasons. When I see people talking about how different s3 felt, this scene is one of those things I think about with "yeah, I know what you mean" in my head.

I am beyond happy about the ending of Young Royals. I was so worried it would ruin everything, and I would be disappointed but somehow this episode made everything perfect. I'm so sad this show is over it took over my life since I first watched it when it premiered.