WARNING! This article contains spoilers for season 2 of Young Royals.The popular Swedish Netflix series Young Royals has returned with its second season, and it's just as dramatic as the first. It kicks off right before Hillerska Boarding School returns from its holiday break.
The main cast and several ing characters are back for the second season, and they each have their story arcs that add brilliance to the overarching conflict and themes of the show. In addition to familiar faces such as Wilhelm, Simon, and Sara, there are a couple of new characters that also make a huge impact on the season.
9 Alexander
One of the many new Netflix releases in November, Young Royals brings back Alexander, the kid Wilhelm convinced the other boys to blame for the drugs Simon provided. He's back at school, and after several episodes of believing August was the mastermind behind his suspension, he learns the truth and is convinced to take the blame for the leaked video, if it comes to it.
Alexander is not an incredibly fleshed-out character, but it's easy to sympathize with him over being framed for something he didn't do. Now that Sara has reported August's crimes, it's likely Alexander will take the heat and become a more prominent character if the show gets a third season.
8 Sara
Sara knows August released the video of her brother and the Crown Prince, but she keeps it to herself. Instead, she blackmails August into getting her into the Manor house and is focused on improving her image and experiencing new things. She soon falls for August and everything goes downhill from there.
It's hard to watch Sara make so many mistakes. It's even more difficult to watch August manipulate her with every kind word, kiss, and the attention she craves. She becomes a different person who's concerned with how others view her and how to experience what she's come to consider normal teenage girl experiences. Her arc is disappointing, but it certainly makes up a lot of the drama that fills up the season.
7 Marcus
Marcus is a new character this season, and a friend of Sara's who helps out at the stables. He likes Simon, and they begin to date, but it quickly becomes clear that their relationship is very one-sided. He sees the way Simon and Wilhelm act around each other, but when Simon tries to end things with him, he won't hear it. Instead, Marcus brings up Simon's trauma with his dad and gets mad at Simon for ignoring him after the Valentine's Day ball.
There are things about Marcus that fans love, and there are things about him that they no doubt dislike. Audiences feel for him because Simon is only using him as a rebound. While Simon should have been more clear about what he wanted from the relationship, communication goes both ways, and Marcus failed to listen to Simon when he first tried to end things. Perhaps, this character needs to be fleshed out more before a conclusive opinion on him is made.
6 August
At the end of season 1, August appears to resent himself and regret releasing the video, but it becomes clear in season 2 that he's more worried about being caught. Undeservedly, he is given the chance to be a crown prince. With this opportunity, comes a vicious side to August that hadn't been so prominent since the video leaked.
There are moments this season that portray August in a better light, but as soon as audiences are given a reason to sympathize with him, ten more reasons to despise him emerge. Just as he's manipulating Sara, the show keeps viewers on their toes when it comes to August's true colors. It's evident by the final episode, however, that he's still that awful TV villain with a complicated past.
5 The Queen
In season 1, the Queen forced her son to lie about the leaked video of him and Simon. Yet, she wants his understanding and forgiveness. She seems to care about her son and his ability to express himself wholeheartedly, but her actions often contradict her words. In just the second season, she nearly pulls Wilhelm out of school, and she essentially betrays him by going to August for backup. On the other hand, she refers her son to therapy, which ultimately helps Wille come to with himself.
The Queen's arc was confusing and frustrating. As Wilhelm points out, she is so concerned with her role in the institution that she rarely takes time to just be a mother to him. Hopefully, a season 3 will see her find comion for her son, especially in the aftermath of his speech, where he will undoubtedly receive criticism from many people.
4 Felice
Felice goes against her mother's wishes and quits riding because it was never something she enjoyed. Because of this, her parents decide to sell Russeau, Sara's favorite horse. Much of her arc this season involves her relationships with Sara and Wilhelm. She helps Wille come to with everything going on in his life, and she aids Sara in her transition to living on campus.
Felice seems to be beaten up a bit this season. She's a great friend to both Wille and Sara, but she doesn't receive much in return. She rarely talks about her own problems with Wille, and she doesn't doubt Sara's friendship for a moment. Contrary to her obsession with dating a member of royalty that was present throughout the whole first season, Felice has become self-reliant and comionate. Unfortunately, that makes her an easy target, and people around her have started to take her for granted.
3 Simon
Simon is trying to move on after Wilhelm publicly denied he was in the leaked video. He tries dating someone else, and he focuses on the opportunity he's been given to sing a solo at the school's jubilee ceremony. However, he can't get Wille out of his mind, and if he's honest with himself, he doesn't want to.
The whole season, he is in denial about what he wants and how he feels. He shouldn't have led Marcus on when he knew he couldn't reciprocate those feelings, but it took him that relationship to realize it was always going to be Wille. By the end of the season, he accepts his love for Wilhelm, the situation they're forced to be in, and goes after what he wants anyway. Their relationship is beautiful, and they are easily one of the best LGBTQ couples on TV.
2 Stella & Fredrika
Stella and Fredrika are ing characters who live in the Manor House with Felice. They were in the first season of Young Royals, but they were utilized more as outsiders who provided perspective on the main character's conflict than as roles with conflict of their own. In season 2, Stella reveals to Sara that she has a crush on Fredrika. She writes her best friend a love letter before the Valentine's Day ball but never owns up to it.
Stella and Fredrika are not main characters by any means, but their story is memorable, especially given the lack of lesbian representation in media. If there's a season 3, it would be a smart move to include more of the girls, and hopefully, they'll be honest with each other about how they feel.
1 Wilhelm
Wilhelm returns to school from break after publicly denying it's him in the leaked video. He's livid with August, angry at his family, and still dealing with the loss of his brother. All he wants is to be with Simon, but because of the circumstances, he's forced to confront his demons alone and learns to accept himself.
When Simon returns to him, he can't be happier, and once it's made clear that they both love each other for exactly who they are, Wilhelm comes clean with the world about his role in the video. This is what many fans hoped would happen in the final moments of season 1, but the execution here is much more satisfying. It's long overdue, but he comes clean not because he feels forced to, but because he feels secure in himself and his relationship with Simon that he's able to ignore what opposing forces in his life think. It's extremely powerful, and fans can't wait to see what happens next.