let's start a revolution;

Wilhelm, the Frog Prince

the first meeting to the final day of filming

But I like you. And that is not fake.

It’s monumental. He’s doing things for himself and not just for his relationship with Simon. That final look into the camera is him speaking directly to the audience saying: “Trust me, I’m going to be fine. You can go.”

But after spending the birthday day with Prince Wilhelm and the Royal Court, he sees that it will continue to hurt both of them, and there will be no respite, things will only get worse. He has seen Wille get worse right in front of him on that day. It is poisoning Wille, and he is becoming someone he doesn't recognise. Simon decides that he does not want that to happen to either of them. The only thing he can do is leave the system so it can stop hurting him. Unfortunately, because Wille is entwined with Prince Wilhelm, it means he has to leave Wille too.

To me, by staying with Wille, Simon is condoning bad behaviour or the status quo by just going along with everything the Royal Court says while they both slowly deteriorate. So though he leaves Wille to save himself, he is also saving Wille because he is showing Wille that this is not alright, boundaries have to be put in place somewhere and Wille needs to start setting some boundaries for himself too. If Wille thought that Simon would stick around to support him and occasionally be someone he could lash out to, then he may not have felt the need to save himself from the monarchy. Because Simon is around to hold him up.

So for King Wilhelm truthers, Simon is required to know his place as an aid to the King, whilst suppressing his own pain and never putting pressure on the King by asking for help with his own issues. There is never a time when they would be equal in their relationship, even in private, because everything about Simon's values, ambitions, and passions would have to be deleted. King Wilhelm's needs would come first. This is what class does. It sets up hierarchies of certain humans' needs being more important than others and even that certain humans are superior/supreme to others. Therefore, to function, it needs lackeys who know their place to serve those on top. Hillerska, as an institution, is a mirror of Simon's relationship as a partner for the next king. Hillerska being closed is the equivalent of Lisa abolishing the monarchy. (By the way, there's a real-life incident of the 16 year old Prince of Denmark having to be removed from his elite school when issues of sexual abuse and other scandals came to light. This happened in 2022).

As a character arc it's a lot more subtle and unconventional and not as epic as Wille (who's the main character so of course) but it IS a character arc. Simon isn't just the love interest or the "emotional support poor." I think Sara cements it in words in the scene where Micke gives them the car: "I think it's brave, actually."

Then, the culmination of that arc is Simon still mustering the bravery to give Wille one last chance, and stop the car to hear him out at the ending scene.

Simon & his purple shirt.. 💜💜

And I'm so happy for them, but also