Spoilers ahead for Season 3 of Young Royals. If you haven't streamed the series that just premiered on the 2024 TV schedule, you can watch it right now with a Netflix subscription.
Finally! The final season of Young Royals has come, and fans of Netflix’s Swedish teen drama have been obsessed with streaming the final season. The series, which began airing in the summer of 2021, follows Crown Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) as he struggles to come to terms with the fact that he’ll one day be King of Sweden after his brother passes away, while also falling in love with one of his classmates, Simon (Omar Rudberg). The third season picked up right where Season 2 left off, with Wilhelm’s family dealing with the aftermath of him coming out to the entire world, while the rest of his classmates struggle with the harsh reality that their beloved boarding school might be shut down. And I have to say, the way they brought these stories to a close was perfect.
Endings are always bittersweet, and I was for sure feeling that as this show that centers around an important LGTBQ+ relationship came to a close. Often, it's hard to do an ending well given so many shows lose their way by the end, but against all odds the creators of Young Royals managed to create a perfect final season for its loyal fans. More shows, especially Netflix ones, should take note of everything this YA series did right to continue to make some of the best teen drama series.
Young Royals Kept The Drama Going In The Last Season
Final seasons of television shows can sometimes be boring because they are so busy trying to tie up loose ends that they fail to create new stakes. That was not the case for the third season of Young Royals.
Sure, Wilhelm and Simon’s relationship was still being tested by the same forces it was in Season 1, but there was an extra layer to the drama given that the Queen’s health started to decline. Felice (Nikita Uggla) also got her own storyline as the only main cast member to be asked to testify on the school’s behalf. Even Sara (Frida Argento) found herself in new territory, reluctantly connecting with her estranged father after driving a rift between herself and Simon.
Not only did these new storylines make Season 3 unique, but they also built upon arcs from previous seasons so nothing felt out of place. Nor did they take away from the main story of Young Royals which is whether or not Wilhelm and Simon could be together.
The Characters Showed Tremendous Growth From Where They Started, But Still Aren’t Perfect
Some fans might not remember where the characters started since Season 1 was released back in 2021, but for those who do, it’s amazing how much they’ve all grown. What makes it even better is that it was all done in a short time too, since the series actually takes place over one academic year.
Wilhelm went from the mischievous spare to the throne, afraid to stand up for himself, to a man who refused to let the family he was born into stop him from choosing how he wanted to live his life. Simon also learned to speak up for himself, and he realized that love isn’t always enough to make things worth it.
The character with the most growth though has to be August (Malte Gårdinger). When fans first met him, he was the stereotypical Prefect and royal adjacent eyeing the throne. He was vindictive, selfish, and often acted on impulse. While those traits still live in August, Season 3 showed a softer, genuinely remorseful side of him. It’s a shame there’s not a fourth season to explore what this change is really going to do, but it was nice seeing him finally take responsibility for his actions and learn from his terrible mistakes.
I know when I'm watching TV, I typically fall in love with the characters over the plot. That’s why it’s so important for characters to have meaningful arcs like the ones in Young Royals.
Young Royals Proves Not Every Question Has To Be Answered
Sometimes shows become so fixated on tying up loose ends, that they forget that not everything needs a concrete answer. Sure, the big questions need to be resolved — in the case of Young Royals that’s whether or not Wilhelm and Simon are going to end up together — but the smaller ones can and should stay unanswered so fans can speculate long after the show ends.
The Swedish Netflix drama managed to find the perfect balance between answering those major questions while also leaving some open-ended. For instance, the fate of Hillerska is still up in the air, despite it getting shut down at the start of the first episode. While this might be annoying to some, it also leaves a door open for potential spin-offs which should excite fans.
I’d also argue that August’s storyline ends the most ambiguously. With Wilhelm basically abdicating, he’s next in line to be the King of Sweden. While that should be something to celebrate since he’s been vying for a real spot in the Palace since the beginning, it’s hard to tell if that’s still what he wants after his self-reflection journey in Season 3. Karma has a funny way of working, and I love that we get to ponder this.
Almost Everyone Got The Happy Ending They Deserved
When Episode 5 ended with Simon breaking up with Wilhelm, fans went into panic mode — especially since they had to wait an entire week for the final episode to be released. Thankfully, all the worrying was for nothing because the creators delivered a perfect happily ever after for the couple.
Not only did the boys finally get the ending everyone hoped for -- with Wilhelm abdicating and choosing his own happiness with Simon over the responsibilities he was born into -- all the other characters did too. Felice and Sara began the process of mending their relationship, while the former also realized that her posh friends weren’t really her friends at all.
Of course, the happy ending that mattered most was the one between Wilhelm and Simon, largely because of how often LGBTQ+ shows end in tragedy. Here’s hoping Netflix realizes that happy endings actually make shows more rewatchable and more will end on positive notes.
While it’s sad that Young Royals has come to a close, I’m choosing to celebrate the three amazing seasons the creatives behind it gave us. Here’s hoping they dream up something equally as amazing in the future, and it’s not the last time we see this talented cast on our screens.
You can stream all three seasons of Young Royals on Netflix. And, now that the series is over, don’t forget to check out everything new and coming soon to Netflix.
