Young Royals Does One Thing Better Than Most Teen Shows
Many shows that focus on the lives of teenagers tend to tread similar ground, with drama and jealousy taking center stage as these young adults navigate friendships and relationships. In many ways, Netflix's "Young Royals" is no exception. Over the course of its premiere six-episode season, the world of Swedish Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) is completely changed upon his unwilling enrollment at Hillerska Boarding School. He must navigate his newly-discovered attraction to boys, specifically non-boarding student Simon (Omar Rudberg). These confusing feelings cause Wilhelm to distance himself from Simon on numerous occasions.
In addition to the heartache of young love, the series also covers the trials of how hard it can be to fit in. Simon's sister Sara (Frida Argento), who has Asperger's, wants nothing more than to ride and care for the horse of wealthy and well-connected student Felice (Nikita Uggla), who can't control the animal. But Felice, jealous that Sara doesn't struggle with the horse like she does, is cruel to her and refuses to let her continue. Later in the series, when Felice is dating Wilhelm's conniving second cousin August (Malte Gårdinger), he kisses Sara.
Complex love and mean peers are key aspects of pretty much any teen drama, whether it's a current show like Hulu's "Love, Victor" or an older offering, such as ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." However, many fans are hailing "Young Royals" for tackling certain issues better than most shows in this popular genre.
Young Royals resolves character conflict in a refreshing way
On Reddit, "Young Royals" fans applauded the show for including the typical teen drama but resolving it in a non-stereotypical fashion. Redditor u/lisabettan used Felice and Sara as a prime example. Upon discovering that her boyfriend kissed a non-boarding student, one would expect Felice to make Sara's life even more of a living hell. Instead, they end up forming a closer friendship.
"And when Wilhelm and Simon fought or misunderstood each other, they didn't flounce off or go kiss someone else – they reconnected, apologized and tried to explain their point of view," this user added. "It was actually really refreshing! I kept dreading all the usual constructed conflicts and was pleasantly surprised when they never appeared."
U/Imaginary_Chard7485 praised "Young Royals" writers for giving these characters better communication skills than those of "Love, Victor." This user said, "If the Hollywood writing team of 'Love, Victor' were put in charge of Season 2 of 'Young Royals,' a lazily written 'love triangle' would immediately be foisted upon Wilhelm & Simon ..."
Another situation that goes against the grain, according to fans, is when Simon reminds his father Micke (Leonard Terfelt) that he's gay. Micke, in turn, doesn't bat an eye. Although he often struggles to be a present father, Micke still loves his son unconditionally. Redditor u/snowballdance said, "It's the first time that I've seen a conversation like that on any TV series."