Ron Does Stuff

My goodness, it’s been a whole month since I posted about the previous episode. Life just happened, you know? Anyways, that previous episode showed that the social and economic divide between Simon and Wilhelm is as wide as ever. How are they going to deal with it to get their happy ending?

Wilhelm is, of course, concerned about the state of his mother’s health, especially since it could accelerate his ascent to the throne. But his mother tells him that the doctors are just exaggerating but in that smae breath declares that she doesn’t know if she can handle it. It being the possible succession crisis with regard to the Swedish throne.

Over at Simon’s house, he continues to be called a clout-chaser online because of his relationship with the prince, and because of the video of him performing that he uploaded. But didn’t he delete it already? Anyways, there’s also the fact that his mother is asking him to pee in a cup so she’s aware if he’s taking drugs or not, and Simon says this is exactly why he didn’t tell her about him selling drugs to the richies in Hillerska.

Meanwhile, the male graduating class of Hillerska are getting their…military caps? Graduation caps? The internet says graduation caps. For some reason, the first thought that popped up in my head as Hitler Youth. I don’t really know why! Vincent bemoans that they can’t celebrate Walpurgis Night and I go GFRIEND’S ALBUM WALPURGIS NIGHT AND ITS LEAD SINGLE MAGO?

Listen to the whole album on Spotify!

Anyways, the seniors’ capping ceremony is going to depend on whether Hillerska passes the inspection by the School Inspectorate, and August wants everyone to sign his petition against what’s currently happening in Hillerska. Vincent points out that neither Wilhelm nor Simon have signed, and asks August to work on that.

Unfortunately, Wilhelm and Simon have problems of their own. Wilhelm is understandably anxious about the state of his mom’s health, and Simon not listening to him because he’s responding to hate comments online doesn’t help. At least Simon understands where Wilhelm is coming from when he says that people have always commented about him and the people around him like they know him, and tries to keep his feelings tamped down for now.

August, meanwhile, is with the school psychiatrist and he’s telling him that since Wilhelm already sees him as evil anyway, he doesn’t see why he should be nice to him at all since he’s already made up his mind. And the psychiatrist says something really nice, which is that maybe forgiveness from Wilhelm might be impossible, but August can at least forgive himself.

And forgiving himself might be all that August has left because Wilhelm immediately suspects him when he tries to ask for his signature for the petition. It leads to an argument between Wilhelm, August, and Vincent, and forgiveness really isn’t going to be in the cards at the moment.

Over at Simon’s house, he buckles under the overwhelming weight of the hate comments being posted about him online. As a one-time ~star~ on Philippine football Twitter, with what must have been like thousands of people hating on me and me answering most of them for two whole days, I fully emphatize. It’s why I don’t like arguing on Twitter now.

On the day of the school inspection, Simon tells Wilhelm that he’s no longer grounded, and because Wilhelm is a horndog — I mean, they are teenagers, after all — they make out in the music room and almost get caugh in flagrante delicto. The two of them are happy for a bit, but that quickly dissipates when Simon gets into an argument with the rest of the richies about Workers’ Day or Labor Day over here in my ~Global South~ country.

Elsewhere in Hillerska, Felice asks her father about his days in Hillerska, and we learn that back in the day, the n-word was thrown around pretty liberally at the school. And just like any person of color in a predominantly white environment, Felice’s father quickly learnt that the only way to survive was to be 10 times better than anybody else. She learns all of this before her interview starts, and the show doesn’t immediately show how that’s going to affect her answers.

As the inspectors leave, August hands them the student petition, which the new principal thinks is a new initiative. I don’t know if that was what lead to the Walpurgis night celebrations being a go, but the students are pretty happy about it. August starts out happy about it too, but then he sees a Polariod of him and Sara and now he’s sad.

As for Sara? Getting pretty good at driving, and now her dad is teaching her to sing while she’s driving. I’ve never learned how to drive, so I haven’t really done this, and it seems pretty rude to sing out loud in a Grab or a cab. Also, I honestly prefer a working public transit system over my own car any day of the week. But back to Sara, she’s finally having a great time, but then we get August showing up at her dad’s place. August is trying to make amends and is trying to convince Sara to go back to Hillerska, but Sara is, understandably, having none of it. However, that visit does prompt Sara’s father to speak about his own life fuck ups, and how Sara shouldn’t let the guilt and shame overwhelm her the same way it did him.

Back at Hillerska, the graduating class are putting on their caps and lighting a bonfire and now I’m thinking Midsommar and that scene where they burn up the sacrifices.

Definitely feeling like she’s about to be sacrificed is Sara, who makes the decision to come back to Hillerska. And she doesn’t really receive a warm welcome, either from Felice or Simon. August is happy, but who cares about August, honestly. You’re not going to redeem him in my eyes that easily!

Wilhelm and Simon, on the other, are two horny homosexuals who are making out and getting naked in the hallways of the dorm. And we get a pumping scene! My goodness, I really am an old fogey because I was a little shocked! While they’re having the time of their lives, Sara goes back home to her father’s place by herself, convinced he got drunk again since he didn’t pick up when she called him to get her out of Hillerska. At least one of the two siblings is having fun.

After sex, it’s Sara’s appearance that Wilhelm and Simon talk about. Simon explains why Sara’s betrayal wounded him so deeply, and I can understand where he’s coming from, as a fellow older brother. Wilhelm telling Simon that he can still trust him, however, is something I don’t buy immediately. The pressures on your shoulders are on an entirely different level, Wilhelm. I wouldn’t be making declarations like that so cavalierly.

The next day, we get to see the disparity between the students at Hillerska and the rest of the…town? Region? I don’t know anything about Swedish geography. The Hillerska kids are doing yoga, kayaking, and is that pickleball on a freaking floating court? Meanwhile, the rest of society is demonstrating for better social protections and jobs for all. And Simon gets real-life support from a mom and what I think is her biracial son!

Unfortunately, the photo uploaded by the supportive mom also has a banner visible in the background, which reads “Crush the upper class.” And considering how douchey Vincent is being, fucking crush the upper class. Bring out the guillotine!

Wilhelm tries to talk to Simon about the post, but Simon has more immediate things to worry about. Someone just threw a rock at their home, through their window.