Young Royals Mess

[youngroyalsanonymous]

[marty-f33ly]

Have this while you’re waiting for chapter 13

[cyberdelph]

by cunyu997

[kingwille]

Anybody else sad and angry about the treatment of Wilhelm and Simon as characters and wilmon as a relationship in s3 and how much they were done dirty?

How Wille was such a shitty friend towards Felice and a shitty bf towards Simon, deliberately ignoring both of their troubling predicament and feelings about Sara in pursuit of his own happiness and was never there for them and put his own issues behind for once, no, it was always Simon and Felice who had to swallow down their own feelings and support him even when they weren't feeling good and he never even seemed to notice or care.

I hate how Wille was painted as extra selfish and self-centered this season and unaware of his privileges and not once truly acknowledging and recognising that and his own faults and taking responsibility for his actions. Or being interested in speaking up and inspiring change and not wanting to hold up the status quo. And stopped going to therapy and working on his anxiety and other problems. I hate how he regressed from S2 and any of his growth and parts of his character were ignored for the message they wanted to convey. I love him to bits but S3 Wille is not my Wille. Honestly it's character assassination and it makes me furious.

And there being such an emphasis on the negative and the narrative making Simon suffer so much and be so miserable for most of the season. It sucks. Also Simon reacting the way he did to online hate, him being uncharacteristically naive and clueless and putting so much weight on what people say on the internet about him. I understand it's something that affects you and they're both teenagers who don't always behave rationally and their situation is a lot to handle but I still expected from Simon to understand their circumstances better because I think of him as clever and smarter than to be against having a private insta and responding to trolls.

I want to put a huge disclaimer that this is not me hating on the characters! I love them both and that's why this behavior is so upsetting to me. I'm not so much judging them, I'm more judging the writer's decisions for these character developments.

If you have to twist your characters like that to make your plot work and bring across your message then maybe that plot is not working...

And how wilmon was never allowed to have good communication and growth but only had fanservicey makeout moments in between the fighting and always talked past each other and were not truly able to be there for each other and work with each other as a united front and have meaningful conversations about their lives and get to know each other better, which is all we wanted from s3. But instead they were torn apart and their relationship made worse and worse, only succeeding on proving how incompatible they are and what a terrible couple they actually make.

And no, it was not necessary to do all these things. I absolutely refuse to accept the argument that this is all the crown's fault and that's the excuse for Wille's behavior and they could've never been happy and Simon has to give himself up and lose himself. No. That is a choice. The writers decided this is the only way they can bring their message across and get to the outcome they wanted. I'm not saying there shouldn't be any conflict but we could've had problems and drama that built off of what has been established in s1 and s2, showcasing the growth they both went through and find a way for them to work it out and be genuinely happy boyfriends in the season. The writers just didn't want that.

It truly makes me upset that I can't even enjoy their "happy"/makeout scenes because they are only enjoyable out of context but I can't appreciate them for real because it doesn't actually feel earned and they were only little reprieves in midst the miscommunication and Wille and Simon were not really in a good place for almost all of it.

And now I'm supposed to be happy for them and believe that everything is fixed and better in the future without them having given me any indication about it in the show? Ignoring facts that will always be true for them. Being in the public eye. Having to deal with hate comments. Wilhelm always being a part of the royal family. That allegedly they don't have to deal with any of that in the future anymore?

They specifically made this arc and made their gap and differences so wide and severe in s3 to tell me they are not capable of working through and handling these things together that will realistically always be a part of their relationship no matter what but I'm supposed to be rooting for them?

Like any of their mistreatment is justified and worth it for the "happy" ending they got and makes it all okay. It is not, they were done dirty and they (and we) deserved better.

[brownbitchshit]

S3 ending is basically putting a bandaid on a gunshot. The entire 5 episodes were built to show how bad they are for each other. I mean yeah monarchy was a big part of it but Wilhelm's problems are his problems alone. It's not gonna go overnight just because he will abdicate, neither will the scrutiny on them. Wilhelm will still be privileged, out of touch, someone with anxiety, impulsive urges and anger issues. Taking away his title will mean nothing because now he will have to deal with the real world which he has no experience dealing with and no support or protection from the monarchy. Do you think he will cope well then and wont take it out of simon?

I feel like they wasted 5 episodes worth of time building plots with no payoff. They could have easily explored Wilmon's trouble and their eventual reconciliation in this time. Putting an abdication bandaid doesnt fix their problem.

We can be delulu but in the Wilmon universe, they don't last, they dont work out in the end because abdication doesn’t fix their problems, not really.

I'll just pretend the series ended in s2. Because S2's ending was actually perfect and that Wilmon may have a chance in the world.

[myshadesofwrong]

Thank you!

This is exactly how I feel about the finale.

No adult is going to take a 17 year old's abdication declaration seriously just like that, especially one as impulsive as Wille is shown to be. Especially not for a relationship that has already been on and off multiple times because of their differences.

I also want to add the timing of it all. I think we forget that the show literally takes place over only a few months. A lot happened to both SImon and Wille in that span of time. Wille went through a lot of upheaval in just a few months and anybody with half a brain would make him wait to make such a decision that affects literally the whole country. Because all that upheaval, Erik's death, the pressure, the sex tape, would all mess with his head that already has anxiety and fear.

Really, there's a lot in s3 that I disagree with. Plots suddenly appeared that should have been hinted at to begin with (Erik, Queen's breakdown) and while I'm happy that Wille and Simon ended together, I fully agree that abdication does not set Wille free or magically fix him nor does it mean that he and Simon will last past a year. And I didn't think the season would end like that. I honestly thought the plot building with Wille's issues and flaws being front and center were leading to a more open ended ending with Wille realizing that yes the monarchy needed to change and he needed to work on himself as well to be the best man for Simon. For example, August could have said something about how yes Erik participated in the initiation, whether under his own pressure or pleasure, but August and Nils made the effort to change it when they lead it, showing Wille that he could affect change as well. Things didn't have to remain the way they were and it was shown that Wille had the power of privilege. He could have done it.

I'm admitted disappointed in the very cliched ending and I know it's an extremely unpopular opinion. I love a good romance and I wanted them as endgame but the ending just doesn't work for me.

[invisiblewille]

Idk why wille kinda looks like Henry fox sorry

[ohjustcomealong]

'Abdication team' this and 'Wille the king team' that. What we should be really looking for is S3 existence deniers

[ohjustcomealong]

What makes you say there wasn’t a love vs duty conflict? Duty was what kept Wille in the role so long. Love was sure Simon but also wanting a normal life outside of the public eye, however he felt that his duty as crown prince (really his duty to his family and Erik) was so important he couldn’t leave. Just because in the end he chose love doesn’t mean there wasn’t a conflict and people can be conflicted about what to do even when it’s clear what they really want.

(I say with a friendly tone, not trying to be rude)

I don’t mean to tell you how to feel about the last season or the ending - it for sure was flawed!!

I just don’t think it’s fair to say that „love vs duty“ was false advertising..

Another thing you wrote a while back, sorry, about how normalcy was missing and you can’t imagine wilmon having a conversation without fighting. That’s why I hate these short seasons, we need filler episodes to see that our characters can be happy and be happy together! It’s always just drama after drama..

Indeed, a very nice and friendly message. Thank you.

What I meant by saying 'love vs duty' conflict never existed was the response to the sentiment shared by the anon: Wille never wanted to be a public figure. And by the end of the story, he still doesn't want to be one.

In a story about a prince I thought this decision would be something harder to make, you know. If he never wanted that life, if he never even valued whatever his family represented then where's the conflict about it? For two seasons I thought he struggled to make this decision because his role was something important to him as well. If it never was, then...

As I said, season 3 made it very clear that he was only carrying this role for Erik... When Erik turned out to be... um, less than an optimal person, Wille suddenly didn't want this role - at least that's what it looked like when it comes to his internal motivation.

Yes, I'm aware all the additional drama was there to make sure everybody saw how stressful and difficult that life was supposed to be so the audience would feel relieved when he finally leaves that life.

I would argue however that the problem wasn't the length of the series or the number of episodes. The creators were very aware of these restrictions. The problem was that they threw in so many conflicts, so many things they wanted to touch on they couldn't resolve any of them properly.

There was no room for Wille's relationship with Simon - that's one problem. The other one is that I think the show was trying very hard to elicit the highest of emotions by creating all the drama all the time. In the first season, there was already enough conflicts for two more seasons to dismantle. Instead, s3 created even more conflicts (that weren't a natural progression of the story) and it felt very dissatisfying to watch that rushed ending. It was like: look! there's a happy ever after! The prince is free, you can imagine the rest yourself!

It didn't make me imagine a happy future for Simon and Wille. Not with what the s3 did to their relationship.

[ohjustcomealong]

"So... the 'love vs duty' conflict never even existed?

Wow"

You nailed it with this one. Exactly my thoughts. Why put it like that if it is not the case. Was it just a flash headline for them? To attract audiences?

Why S2 Wilhelm did that speech? Why S3 Wilhelm said "I can be Crown Prince and your boyfriend" when talking to Simon at the library? Why him being with a boy was on the headlines if it was not a problem in the first place?

It was a nice conflict to have in theory. Such a big one too. A prince who chooses love over his status... But the execution 💀

It would be great if Wille genuinely valued his role. S3 made it look like Wilhelm wanted to carry on his duties only and solely because he loved Erik. When that went sideways he was like: okay, so I don't want it anymore, no biggie!

One of the most popular posts in Young Royals tag was that one about Wille being ready to throw away the crown for a bag of jellybeans.

Sure, the show made it look like that. I just wanted something more. I wanted it to be a real conflict.

I think people like me just got tricked into thinking that they were watching something good. The resolution of this entire story is something I can't get behind because it was done so poorly.

[ohjustcomealong]

I don’t think the problem was that the monarchy wouldn’t change, the problem was that Wille did not want to be a public figure. In the first episode he says he wants a normal life, in the final season after the choir performance he tells Simon that he hates being in front of a crowd. The whole point is that he’s being put into a role that he never wanted, and that wasn’t the life he wanted. The court even started to be accepting of Simon. The problem there wasn’t that Simon was male but that his politics and life plans did not line up with that of a royal consort.

Sure.

So let me get this straight - it was a story about a prince who never wanted to be a prince, never even had doubts about it and by the end, he still didn't want to be a prince?

So... the 'love vs duty' conflict never even existed?

Wow.

[ohjustcomealong]

Being queer is not political

LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.

I don't understand why Young Royals - the show that claims to be so woke and progressive - tries to frame it as one.

"IT'S BECAUSE THE MONARCHY WOULD NEVER...!" - nope, the real life royals speak about issues like this. They can and should openly support human rights. Remember when Queen Elizabeth drove a car with the prince of Saudi Arabia? The country where driving for women was illegal at the time? It was political, but she was supporting human rights with a gesture like this. It does happen.

"WILLE COULDN'T CHOOSE HIS OWN TOPIC TO SUPPORT!" - Well, I didn't even see him trying. He was the one claiming it's too political. Nobody forced him. (Also, claiming that mental health is somehow political or controversial too? What kind of bullshit is it?)

Framing this topic as political is just agreeing with the homophobes and all the right wing rhetorics. It shouldn't be controversial because it's simply not.

I don't know why Young Royals was so adamant that THE MONARCHY WOULD NEVER CHANGE. It could. In real life, it changed a lot over the years.

Please, don't form your life beliefs on a piece that didn't explore the topic properly because its creator didn't bother to be truthful about how those things work in real life.

[ohjustcomealong]

Now that I think about it, I feel that I always both loved and hated how Young Royals couldn't decide what genre it was exactly.

I loved it because even if it's generally categorized as 'teen drama' it showed some very mature level of storytelling. I like it when a piece of media can go beyond the Hollywood standard, can expand the definition. I like it when art can be something more than a beaten path.

(I also believe that every single genre can be done well or can be done poorly... )

I liked how people felt defensive when someone tried to compare 'Young Royals' to 'Hearstopper' because it simply wasn't that. But at the same time, every time people questioned what exactly adults were doing in this story people screamed 'it's a teen drama, of course, teenagers have to have more agency, that's normal!' (Not to mention that now people celebrate it had a 'Hearstopper' level of ending...)

I felt like the show itself never wanted to commit to anything. It introduced a million tropes, details, and characters, then asked the audience to forget about all. It kinda felt very realistic, but also completely abandoned the realism when convenient. It wanted to discuss heavy topics but also wanted to be sweet fanfiction...

It's kinda cool because I feel like YR attracted a more diverse crowd, and it could get me personally interested in things I was never interested in before, but I don't feel the need to celebrate the messiness of it when it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I like it when writers write what they know and they write it well. I don't think I got that from 'Young Royals.'

[young-royals-confessions]

that one anon’s ask about kristina reminded me of how hopeful i am that we see even more of wille’s relationship with his mom is s3. fanon, imo, tends to over dramatize the negative aspects of their relationship in fanfics and there’s nothing wrong with that. it makes for very interesting storylines.

but in canon their relationship doesn’t seem that…. cold? if that makes sense. obviously there’s tension and kristina isn’t the most affectionate or receptive to his feelings, especially in the ways he needs, but i do feel as tho she cares.

the fact that wille even went to her to complain about simon being on a date with someone else just signals to me that he feels that on some level, his mom isn’t as emotionally closed off to him. i like to think that when he was younger (probably before she took the throne), she was a lot more attentive to him and erik. so wille has received love from her before and probably still does; just to a much lesser amount and not in the ways that he needs (e.g. physical affection).

kristina is a victim to the royal life just like wilhelm is. and even though she’s clearly subjected to it for so long, i don’t think that’s completely erased her humanity. i don’t think it’s erased her ability to love wilhelm. she just loves him in the way the crown has ordered she love him. which is hurtful and damaging to him as a person, but she does love him

[othervee]

I have so many headcanons about this.

In my mind, Erik was a mischievous little boy, very aware he was The Important One, prone to playing pranks, needing discipline to shape him into the proper Crown Prince. Erik was the focus of everyone's attention and Kristina always felt that he didn't really belong to her - he belonged to the Crown.

When Wilhelm came along, Kristina saw him as her baby, her chance at being a mother without the Crown getting in the way as much. She adored Wilhelm, her sweet little boy, always looking up to his brother and toddling after him. He didn't need nearly as much discipline as Erik, at least as a child, and would run to her for a cuddle long after the age when Erik had shrugged her arms away.

When puberty hit, however, Wilhelm changed, becoming moody and stubborn, looking for independence and questioning his lack of freedom compared to what he saw in other boys. Unfortunately, this also coincided with Erik going away to Hillerska. Without his brother to anchor him, Wilhelm reacted badly to the restrictions he faced and as he was not used to being disciplined as his brother had been, he became surly and angry when he was. Kristina and Ludvig agreed to send him to a 'normal' school, against the advice of the royal court, in the hope that having a slightly longer leash than Erik would quiet his demands for a normal life. However, the more he pushed to test the limits of his freedom, the more Kristina worried about him and the more she snapped and scolded. The nightclub fight was the last in a series of incidents which made Kristina realise that sending him to Hillerska, to get it all out of his system somewhere far from the public eye, was the only solution.

(This is, obviously, all from Kristina's POV...)

[ohjustcomealong]

Micke always seemed more pitiful than dangerous to me and I don't think he was as abusive as this fandom made him to be.

He's portrayed more like a chaotic person, deep in his addiction, but I don't think he was made to read as a cookie-cutter stereotype.

I saw a lot of love and detail in the portrayal of Simon's relationship with Micke. There are heartbreaking moments for both of them in their scenes together.

I know we will probably see some of it commented on in season 3.

I honestly see the potential for their relationship to get better or something more hopeful. Not that I wish a lot of screen time dedicated to it, I just hope there's going to be some kind of resolution (and not only exploration of Simon's past or trauma)

[uddg34]

.

Find it’s hard to tag because I borrow the actors’ outfits and hairstyles, and it’s also kind of out of character even if I view it as an AU scene, so I decide not to tag. Anyway just another drawing practice with photo reference. I wish I was more patient.

[fairyfandommother]

August sure got a lot to say for somebody who should be in jail

[ohjustcomealong]

You know what really angers me? When I see someone asking if [any given queer media] has a happy ending or generally expressing dissatisfaction with sad endings/hurt/angst in queer couple stories and people respond with: "Just watch Heartsopper if you are too sensitive to handle a good drama story!"

Like.. do you realize the damage that has been done to queer people in media? Do you realize we only barely started to get somewhat positive stories with LGBTQ+ characters?

Do you understand that people had to wait for fucking centuries to see their love portrayed both unambiguous and happy? Why do we agree we can have a million stupid romantic comedies for straight couples but we still think that queer ones have to be somehow more dramatic to be valuable?

And I understand it from an artistic point of view. I also prefer good, meaty stories with a lot going on, with complicated characters, heartbreaking conflicts, with beautiful and complex details... I just want the message of those stories to be: "We can fight and go through turmoil, but we can win in the end" and not: "Our love is too complicated and the world is too of a terrible place for us to find happiness in it."

And it's not only about the representation (although it's very important) but it's also about the storytelling. There's value in experiencing a good heartbreak through a story, but it's not some sort of universal value of its own. Putting characters through pain and conflict has to make sense, it has to be logical, and if we only focus on torturing characters for the sake of it... what's the point?

Yeah, I want my happy endings. I want them because I demand from storytellers to know what they are writing and if they are writing love stories? I want the love to win.