Season 3 of Young Royals just dropped last month. It is the end of an era of watching the young teens at Hillerska learn about themselves and the world around them. The main characters Simon (Omar Rudberg) and Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) go through many healing and empowerment moments. From the minor to the leading characters everyone had a realistic ending. Everyone was dealing with solitude and just an inner struggle which showcased a noncurated version of pain on screen. There were a lot of emotional scenes and I felt that the actors improved in portraying that to the audience.
Starting with August who was in his redemption arc. It was so satisfying to see him rep what he sowed in the prior seasons. On TikTok, everyone was upset that he did not get a happy ending. It feels right for him to be exposed to the cruel reality that is to have the responsibilities of a royal. His last scene with Sara is bitter sweet as she decides to end any chance of restoring their relationship. Besides that, we as the audience got a more dimensional look at his character. Topics like his eating disorder traumatic hazing event and lack of strong parental support. He is one of the characters who has been affected by Hillerska’s hierarchy and toxic traditions.
Moving on to the couple that we all have grown to love throughout the seasons. Wilhelm and Simon’s relationship took a lot of hits due to the pressure that comes from being attached to the Crown. While Simon struggled with the hate and threats, Wilhelm was trying to deal with the stress of being next in line. Last season ending they were both still unaware of the hurdles that would come. Wilhelm learns that he loves Simon and himself and so he must let go of the one thing that is holding him back. They start being more honest with themselves and that in itself is so beautiful and healthy in a relationship.
Sara’s past acts force her to explore the relationship with her Dad since she is regretful of her wrongdoings. So, we see her become a shell of herself and then that healing journey of recognizing that she needs to seek forgiveness from others but most importantly herself. Her Dad helps her a lot but he is struggling with an addiction that leads to a rupture in their relationship. She goes back home and makes up with Simon and goes back to school. In the end, she frees herself of a relationship that no longer serves her and she is truly out of her comfort zone.
A character that is so sure of herself; Felice had a rough time this season. The realization that her friend group is not a place where she can be her true self without receiving unnecessary comments. At the same time grieving for no longer being friends with Sara. She truly loved that friendship and I feel that is very relatable. Friends are people we love and create so many memories with so, it is only natural to through a period of blues. In the end, Sara apologizes and, they both realize that their friendship is so much more important than the past.
Lastly, the closure of the school affected everyone. It was symbolic of the breakage of tradition that did more harm than good. Cases of hazing are announced and thereare other things that were not made public. It was definitely time for the school to close after years of turning a blind eye to the centralized abuse that students were going through. The characters were also, tied to ideals and traditions that were not helpful to their well-being and relationship with themselves and others. Overall this season had something for everyone. Happy watching!