I had to read this a few times to let it all sink in. My first take on the suitcase scene at the beginning of the series made me feel a little sick. August touching Wilhelm's bruised face and telling him it hardly shows-UG. And then August's demeaning behavior with Alexander, also UG. Then the tussle with whoever is carrying the suitcase for the photo op, also UG. Erik and August know when to smile for the cameras. Wilhelm has to be reminded to smile and it's forced. The whole scene perfectly encapsulates Wilhelm's powerlessness. We get it. This poor boy has no agency over his life.
Your analysis adds a whole other layer to the exposition. So my wheels are turning, as usual after I read your posts. At the beginning of the second season, Wilhelm returns to school after break with suitcases which Malin mostly hauls up to his room. Wilhelm only picks up a few lighter bags. So he has professional help to carry his burdens now...He has a new haircut and he looks older? more befitting the role of crown prince?? Anyway, his baggage is still very present in his life.
As for Simon's backpack, interesting! He often 'shoulders' it, hitches it onto his shoulder when he is being emphatic, or decisive or angry. I think it's almost always with him, like a security blanket. He guards his personal effects...he holds onto the straps a lot too as if for support. When August is being his dick self and asking him "where do you people get booze?", Simon is hanging on to his integrity/backpack. I wondered what happened to the duffel bag he packed for the weekend with (wink wink) Ayub. Liae, liar!!
In other news, I noticed another clothing signal. When Wilhelm asks Simon to spend the weekend with him, he is wearing a Ralph Laurren hoodie (also very expensive) with an orange polo player symbol on it. I looked up polo and guess what? It is considered the game of kings! Ha! I'm also speculating that all the sweaters Wilhelm wears are cashmere cus they are pricey too.
Two more random things. Wilhelm stands by himself at the end of hallways a lot, always looking so young and alone; when Erik leaves him at school, when he is contemplating what to say to August, when he has that painful conversation with Simon in the stacks after they return to school. It feels like a very effective way to enhance his sadness and isolation.
Finally when the queen talks about her 'unfortunate' relationship before she met her consort husband, I immediately thought it was with a girl. Maybe just wishful thinking. She'e obviously pained by the memory. She's been 'saved' by a hetero marriage and fulfilled her destiny to produce heirs (another UG).
Anyway, thanks as always for your insights. I look forward to further brilliance.
You asked about the scene in which Malin carries Wilhelm's suitcase, and I realize I should have written about this scene a bit more thoroughly because I kinda glossed over it, but it is actually in the article itself. I wrote:
"[...]It happens in season two, and to set the scene a bit, we have to first remind ourselves how Wilhelm returns to Hillerska in the season opener:
In episode one of season two, he can be seen exiting the car in front of the school with his backpack (read: his personal issues and problems) on his shoulder. His suitcases and bigger bags he leaves for Malin, the bodyguard, to deal with.
Translation: At the beginning of season two, Wilhelm is only focusing on his personal stuff, i.e. taking revenge on August and getting Simon back. Wilhelm isn’t even interested in what happens with the Crown (metaphorically: his suitcases). He lets a bodyguard deal with it all, i.e. when it comes to his Crown Prince role, he is pretty much ‘phoning it in’, as they say. (Even that expression is probably not apt here, seeing as he isn’t even taking his mother’s phone calls.) The Crown Prince role is functionally vacant at that point in the story, and Wilhelm doesn’t give a damn.[...]"
I think what this show does very nicely and clearly is: It clearly delineates the meaning of the 'baggage' metaphor, a metaphor that's really used absolutely everywhere on TV. (There's barely a TV show or movie without a reference to it.) 'Young Royals' has clearly separated the metaphor into two different parts: 1) the backpack and 2) the bigger stuff (i.e. the suitcases).
This particular scene with the bodyguard Malin makes that very clear: The backpack is the personal 'stuff', Wilhelm's issues, so to speak. The suitcases and bigger bags are his Crown Prince role, his burden. (The other scene with Jan-Olof coming to the school and trying to remove Wilhelm from there makes the distinction between these two types of 'baggage' abundantly clear.)
So Wilhelm only holding his backpack in season two episode one and letting Malin deal with the suitcases shows us where his head is at after the Christmas holidays and the breakup with Simon: I don't think this is about him getting help. (This is a bodyguard, not the love of his life, not a close friend, arguably not a friend at all.) This scene most likely shows us that, at that point in the story, he is only able to deal with his personal stuff (backpack) anymore. He wants Simon back. He wants to take revenge on August, but his doesn't give a damn about what is going on with the suitcases (the Crown Prince role) at point in the story, which is quite fitting, seeing as he will shout down the whole Court at the end of the episode: He's so done with them, he doesn't even want to look at that metaphorical 'suitcase'. It's all getting too much to deal with (which is all rather understandable). The Crown Prince stuff is only dealt with by minor administrators, this is probably telling us. The bureaucracy is dealing with everything in that department. Wilhelm isn't even taking his mother's phone calls anymore. He only wants his metaphorical 'backpack'. Everything else is too heavy for him at that point in the story.
What this show actually does very nicely is that one metaphor consistently means the same thing throughout the entire show. So Wilhelm's backpack represents Wilhelm's issues, and Simon's backpack represents Simon's issues. (This isn't the case on every TV show there is. The 'Sopranos' is a show on which metaphors often change meaning from episode to episode, as they get connected to different contexts and plots, so they are far more difficult to pick up on. 'Young Royals' is very consistent and much, much more conservative and traditional in its storytelling technique, which makes things much easier for us, the viewers.) So, if Wilhelm's 'backpack' shows us that Wilhelm has issues, then Simon's 'backpack' shows us that Simon does, too. As we've discussed before: Lying is a big part of Simon's 'backpack' and there is stuff in that 'backpack' none of us have seen yet (most likely...I'm still working on that).
And yes! Absolutely agree with the Ralph Lauren 'polo' logos being interesting. There is a lot going on with the costuming on this show. It's very clever and it's all very well-thought-out. But I have to admit I'm currently somewhere else with my head, so I haven't yet really had the time to dive into that. (Maybe I should.)
Anyway, thank you again for reading. The next one is going to be a bit different because we'll talk about the Simon-as-a-boarder situation with a splash of art history in it. Should be out sometime around the next weekend (maybe a few days later because it's a bit more research heavy.)
Just one small detail – I think it is the "PR lady" from the court that iniciates the photo op with the suitcase, not just some reporter. Wonder if that changes something.
Thanks again and I am looking forward to another brilliant article of yours!
You're absolutely right. I don't even know why I wrote that; I actually know that it was the press attaché that was with Wilhelm in the car. Maybe I was just tired when I typed it. But no, I don't think it changes anything for the way we should look at these scenes. Thank you anyway for pointing it out.
I’ve returned to your articles many times. Masterfully done every one of them.
A premise in which the writers could bring Simone on as a boarder is Sara moved out leaving an unused balance for the Eriksson family. If she refuses to board there, what’s to become of the money she received through a grant? Simone could be assigned the money to use for that purpose.
I’m not a writer though and there are probably several methods to getting Simone in as a boarder. It never crossed my mind that might happen but you lay out the idea wonderfully in your negative space article.
I have to admit I'm not really massively invested in plot-level questions (how do they get the money to move Simon into the school, why isn't there another room free, why does it have to be Wilhelm's room specifically, etc.). Usually, writers are good at coming up with superficial plot-layer explanations for these types of questions. Sometimes these can be a bit ridiculous and require some suspension of disbelief. Sometimes they make sense and sound more or less realistic. Either way, I'm sure they'll come up with something. But it's, of course, always fun to speculate, so I understand where you're coming from.
I am, however, strictly interested in the subtextual reasons because those are the 'real' reasons Simon has to move into Wilhelm's room, of course. One of them is the 'room' metaphor as laid out in the Negative Space article. Another one (in my opinion, the most important one), I plan to discuss in Part 1 of the character-centred posts.
Anyway, thank you for reading and thank your for your kind comment.
I found the scenes that answer the Coronation/Abdication question hehehehehehehheheheheh thank you TVM for your analyses that helped me get there. I'm learning a lot from you.
A point in aid of nothing in particular. Wilhelm cannot abdicate. Only a monarch can abdicate. And Wilhelm is not the monarch yet. He can suggest that he intends to abdicate when he becomes King but that intention has no legal standing. He can, of course, renounce the throne but even that is meaningless since the throne isn't his and won't be until his Mother dies or abdicates herself.
Ok, dear person who writes this wonderful stuff-
I had to read this a few times to let it all sink in. My first take on the suitcase scene at the beginning of the series made me feel a little sick. August touching Wilhelm's bruised face and telling him it hardly shows-UG. And then August's demeaning behavior with Alexander, also UG. Then the tussle with whoever is carrying the suitcase for the photo op, also UG. Erik and August know when to smile for the cameras. Wilhelm has to be reminded to smile and it's forced. The whole scene perfectly encapsulates Wilhelm's powerlessness. We get it. This poor boy has no agency over his life.
Your analysis adds a whole other layer to the exposition. So my wheels are turning, as usual after I read your posts. At the beginning of the second season, Wilhelm returns to school after break with suitcases which Malin mostly hauls up to his room. Wilhelm only picks up a few lighter bags. So he has professional help to carry his burdens now...He has a new haircut and he looks older? more befitting the role of crown prince?? Anyway, his baggage is still very present in his life.
As for Simon's backpack, interesting! He often 'shoulders' it, hitches it onto his shoulder when he is being emphatic, or decisive or angry. I think it's almost always with him, like a security blanket. He guards his personal effects...he holds onto the straps a lot too as if for support. When August is being his dick self and asking him "where do you people get booze?", Simon is hanging on to his integrity/backpack. I wondered what happened to the duffel bag he packed for the weekend with (wink wink) Ayub. Liae, liar!!
In other news, I noticed another clothing signal. When Wilhelm asks Simon to spend the weekend with him, he is wearing a Ralph Laurren hoodie (also very expensive) with an orange polo player symbol on it. I looked up polo and guess what? It is considered the game of kings! Ha! I'm also speculating that all the sweaters Wilhelm wears are cashmere cus they are pricey too.
Two more random things. Wilhelm stands by himself at the end of hallways a lot, always looking so young and alone; when Erik leaves him at school, when he is contemplating what to say to August, when he has that painful conversation with Simon in the stacks after they return to school. It feels like a very effective way to enhance his sadness and isolation.
Finally when the queen talks about her 'unfortunate' relationship before she met her consort husband, I immediately thought it was with a girl. Maybe just wishful thinking. She'e obviously pained by the memory. She's been 'saved' by a hetero marriage and fulfilled her destiny to produce heirs (another UG).
Anyway, thanks as always for your insights. I look forward to further brilliance.
Hey, thank you for your kind words.
You asked about the scene in which Malin carries Wilhelm's suitcase, and I realize I should have written about this scene a bit more thoroughly because I kinda glossed over it, but it is actually in the article itself. I wrote:
"[...]It happens in season two, and to set the scene a bit, we have to first remind ourselves how Wilhelm returns to Hillerska in the season opener:
In episode one of season two, he can be seen exiting the car in front of the school with his backpack (read: his personal issues and problems) on his shoulder. His suitcases and bigger bags he leaves for Malin, the bodyguard, to deal with.
Translation: At the beginning of season two, Wilhelm is only focusing on his personal stuff, i.e. taking revenge on August and getting Simon back. Wilhelm isn’t even interested in what happens with the Crown (metaphorically: his suitcases). He lets a bodyguard deal with it all, i.e. when it comes to his Crown Prince role, he is pretty much ‘phoning it in’, as they say. (Even that expression is probably not apt here, seeing as he isn’t even taking his mother’s phone calls.) The Crown Prince role is functionally vacant at that point in the story, and Wilhelm doesn’t give a damn.[...]"
I think what this show does very nicely and clearly is: It clearly delineates the meaning of the 'baggage' metaphor, a metaphor that's really used absolutely everywhere on TV. (There's barely a TV show or movie without a reference to it.) 'Young Royals' has clearly separated the metaphor into two different parts: 1) the backpack and 2) the bigger stuff (i.e. the suitcases).
This particular scene with the bodyguard Malin makes that very clear: The backpack is the personal 'stuff', Wilhelm's issues, so to speak. The suitcases and bigger bags are his Crown Prince role, his burden. (The other scene with Jan-Olof coming to the school and trying to remove Wilhelm from there makes the distinction between these two types of 'baggage' abundantly clear.)
So Wilhelm only holding his backpack in season two episode one and letting Malin deal with the suitcases shows us where his head is at after the Christmas holidays and the breakup with Simon: I don't think this is about him getting help. (This is a bodyguard, not the love of his life, not a close friend, arguably not a friend at all.) This scene most likely shows us that, at that point in the story, he is only able to deal with his personal stuff (backpack) anymore. He wants Simon back. He wants to take revenge on August, but his doesn't give a damn about what is going on with the suitcases (the Crown Prince role) at point in the story, which is quite fitting, seeing as he will shout down the whole Court at the end of the episode: He's so done with them, he doesn't even want to look at that metaphorical 'suitcase'. It's all getting too much to deal with (which is all rather understandable). The Crown Prince stuff is only dealt with by minor administrators, this is probably telling us. The bureaucracy is dealing with everything in that department. Wilhelm isn't even taking his mother's phone calls anymore. He only wants his metaphorical 'backpack'. Everything else is too heavy for him at that point in the story.
What this show actually does very nicely is that one metaphor consistently means the same thing throughout the entire show. So Wilhelm's backpack represents Wilhelm's issues, and Simon's backpack represents Simon's issues. (This isn't the case on every TV show there is. The 'Sopranos' is a show on which metaphors often change meaning from episode to episode, as they get connected to different contexts and plots, so they are far more difficult to pick up on. 'Young Royals' is very consistent and much, much more conservative and traditional in its storytelling technique, which makes things much easier for us, the viewers.) So, if Wilhelm's 'backpack' shows us that Wilhelm has issues, then Simon's 'backpack' shows us that Simon does, too. As we've discussed before: Lying is a big part of Simon's 'backpack' and there is stuff in that 'backpack' none of us have seen yet (most likely...I'm still working on that).
And yes! Absolutely agree with the Ralph Lauren 'polo' logos being interesting. There is a lot going on with the costuming on this show. It's very clever and it's all very well-thought-out. But I have to admit I'm currently somewhere else with my head, so I haven't yet really had the time to dive into that. (Maybe I should.)
Anyway, thank you again for reading. The next one is going to be a bit different because we'll talk about the Simon-as-a-boarder situation with a splash of art history in it. Should be out sometime around the next weekend (maybe a few days later because it's a bit more research heavy.)
Thank you!
Another gem to the collection!
Just one small detail – I think it is the "PR lady" from the court that iniciates the photo op with the suitcase, not just some reporter. Wonder if that changes something.
Thanks again and I am looking forward to another brilliant article of yours!
You're absolutely right. I don't even know why I wrote that; I actually know that it was the press attaché that was with Wilhelm in the car. Maybe I was just tired when I typed it. But no, I don't think it changes anything for the way we should look at these scenes. Thank you anyway for pointing it out.
And thank you for the lovely compliment.
I’ve returned to your articles many times. Masterfully done every one of them.
A premise in which the writers could bring Simone on as a boarder is Sara moved out leaving an unused balance for the Eriksson family. If she refuses to board there, what’s to become of the money she received through a grant? Simone could be assigned the money to use for that purpose.
I’m not a writer though and there are probably several methods to getting Simone in as a boarder. It never crossed my mind that might happen but you lay out the idea wonderfully in your negative space article.
Thank you. I'm glad to hear you liked it.
I have to admit I'm not really massively invested in plot-level questions (how do they get the money to move Simon into the school, why isn't there another room free, why does it have to be Wilhelm's room specifically, etc.). Usually, writers are good at coming up with superficial plot-layer explanations for these types of questions. Sometimes these can be a bit ridiculous and require some suspension of disbelief. Sometimes they make sense and sound more or less realistic. Either way, I'm sure they'll come up with something. But it's, of course, always fun to speculate, so I understand where you're coming from.
I am, however, strictly interested in the subtextual reasons because those are the 'real' reasons Simon has to move into Wilhelm's room, of course. One of them is the 'room' metaphor as laid out in the Negative Space article. Another one (in my opinion, the most important one), I plan to discuss in Part 1 of the character-centred posts.
Anyway, thank you for reading and thank your for your kind comment.
I found the scenes that answer the Coronation/Abdication question hehehehehehehheheheheh thank you TVM for your analyses that helped me get there. I'm learning a lot from you.
A point in aid of nothing in particular. Wilhelm cannot abdicate. Only a monarch can abdicate. And Wilhelm is not the monarch yet. He can suggest that he intends to abdicate when he becomes King but that intention has no legal standing. He can, of course, renounce the throne but even that is meaningless since the throne isn't his and won't be until his Mother dies or abdicates herself.