Young Royals season 2 review: Addictive gay drama dials up the angst

If we were to use Taylor Swift’s albums as a mood metric for Young Royals, the Netflix show’s debut season captured the enamoured heart-wrenching spirit of Lover while the upcoming sophomore series’ revenge-driven energy is much more reminiscent of Reputation. With the much-anticipated second season of Young Royals arrives a new era of dialled-up drama – underscored by the pithy angst of a vengeful Prince seeking retribution – with a craving for reinvention that packs one hell of a punch.

In season one, Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding) and non-resident student Simon (Omar Rudberg) were falling head over heels for one another in a dusty rouge haze of young love until a sex tape of the pair leaked, throwing Wilhelm’s education and reputation into turmoil. The Crown’s advice is to deny everything and Wilhelm plays along, which brings us to now. Season two reunites with its Swedish teen protagonists after the Christmas break following that explosive debut finale as they return to Hillerska boarding school for another term of classes, parties and, most importantly, scandalous drama. 

Wilhelm’s Machiavellian second cousin, August (Malte Gårdinger), also of royal descent, is back navigating the school corridors with his shortcomings after series one concluded with the revelation that he leaked the video of Wilhelm and Simon – a fact the latter is not yet privy to. As season two unfolds in all its vexed and irate turbulence, Wilhelm has a bone to pick with both these young men: seeking revenge on August and winning back Simon. While the perennial crown dictates Wilhelm’s every move, the privileged boy trapped in a cage of circumstance gazes out at the life he wishes he could lead, realising, maybe there’s a world in which he could.

The forced conformity to unmoving tradition has been perhaps the most fascinating thread of conflict for the young Prince, but the push and pull of expectation versus freedom, duty against love, is exacerbated in the new season; renewal becomes a wrestling match for all parties. With the pressure of royal life a burden on his shoulders, Wilhelm embarks on his own small revolutions. He breaks rank by stepping ahead of senior students, undermining August’s social status and answering back to imposing demands in acts that break long-standing customs. Simon, too, is forging a new path for himself. Composing an update to Hillerska’s age-old song with lyrical calls for progression and open-hearted acceptance, Simon’s interruption to the status quo is a microcosm of this character lurching beyond the grasp of tradition. 

Season two is a new refrain on the adored characters and surreptitious relationships playing out to a soundtrack of thrumming, contemporary European pop. You can practically hear Swift’s lyrics soundtracking moody moments: “Big reputation, you and me would be a big conversation.” While a couple of early episodes stumble slightly with slow pacing and re-introductions, the much-celebrated rawness remains a crux of emotional authenticity even with context and characters shifting. Those lingering glances and pinky finger brushes are no longer electric with sparks of nervousness but sharp with pangs of regret and anguish. This shake-up was somewhat needed.

Other new additions include the arrival of Marcus (Tommy Wättring), a love interest that at times feels unnecessary, but his inclusion inspires an influx of brooding, high-tension scenes that scintillate. The show’s lead duo, Ryding and Rudberg, both deliver performances one-upping the previous season. Fluctuating teenage emotions are hard to convincingly ground but – between Rudberg’s soft, wide-eyed stare and Ryding’s restrained, tense jaw – their understated nature is like a pot of brewing feelings constantly threatening to boil over the second you turn your back.

Many of Young Royals’ supporting characters get to step into a brighter spotlight this season. Namely, Sara (Frida Argento), Simon’s younger sister, who has more substantial involvement in the unfurling drama. Her spiralling coming-of-age tale is wrapped in sexuality and betrayal as she navigates where her loyalties lie: they do say to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Felice (Nikita Uggla) is also a key component this season however her character progression skews off into rather frustrating places. Her intent borders on underwritten, individuality sacrificed to become Wilhelm’s mouthpiece, yet Uggla handles this character with such bold composure she never topples into stereotypical. Additionally, Simon’s friends, the criminally underused Rosh and Ayub (Beri Gerwise and Inti Zamora Sobrado) are thankfully given plenty of time this season, they’re entirely deserving of a spin-off of their own!

There’s a compelling quality to Lisa Ambjörn’s show, the melding of actor authenticity alongside a confident penning of teens makes Young Royals an irresistibly addictive drama in a busy genre. The teen coming-of-age story is often in a vacuum of universality but Young Royals pushes the envelope, finding relatability with a privileged Prince and uprooting this softly studied young gay relationship as it becomes a shocking reckoning of class and vengeance.

Rating: 4/5

Young Royals season 2 will premiere on Netflix on Tuesday 1 November.