Young Royals - Blog Posts

watching s3 (obvi) this “vanessa hamilton” lady… back off, bitch. you’re taking it way too far. you can’t confiscate their phones, that has to be illegal💀

TOP 10 TV SHOWS I watched in 2021

I’m like two months late with this wrap-up but here we go!

1.     Genera+ion (2021) on HBO MAX

it’s about a group of gen z kids exploring their identity and finding family amongst friends.

my favorite show ever! “genera+ion” is the kind of story i dreamed of for years but never expected to actually get. 

“genera+ion” went there and did that. multiple poc and queer characters! the different povs storytelling! the found family trope! teenagers talking and looking like teenagers! it’s not overdramatized, there’s no unnecessary trauma dumping, and no sexualizing teenagers. it is refreshing, relatable, and authentic. this is the best show recipe for me.

it was unfairly canceled by hbo max, but I believe it still works as a stand alone story and is worth checking out.  

2.     Daybreak (2019) on NETFLIX

it’s a post-apocalyptic reality where all adults had turned into zombies and the teenagers are left to fend for themselves. the main character sets on a quest to find his girlfriend with the help of his sidekicks, while trying to avoid getting eaten.

it’s a shame I overlooked this show when it first came out because it turned out to be a perfect fit for me. I’m usually not a fan of dystopian stories BUT this show has my favorite type of humor and way of storytelling. I’m talking breaking the fourth wall, insertion of animated scenes, absurdity and chaos all around.

I must admit, the main character wasn’t that compelling to me (perhaps that’s the reason why I didn’t pick up the show when it was premiering). same goes for his love interest. although I did like the unmasking of the manic pixie dream girl archetype. [slight spoilers] for most of the show the audience sees Sam and their relationship only from Josh’s perspective. but Josh turns out to be an unreliable narrator, when Sam becomes an actual person instead of the idiolized version created in josh’s head. I don’t think we get to see shows exposing their main male characters as “the nice guy” very often, so that’s the part of their story arc that I liked. [spoilers over]

for the most part I was much more invested in the secondary characters (wesley, turbo, kj, eli & mona lisa are my favorite). and I think the cast really is an ensemble, even though there’s a designated main character. other characters also get to exist on their own and even take over the narration.  

i also much preferred the love story ivolving secondary characters. it came as a huge plot-twist surprise, and embodied some of my favorite tropes.

I watched this show twice and it goes on my all time favorites list for sure, along with genera+ion.

3.     I know what you did last summer (2021) on AMAZON PRIME

if you’ve seen the 1997 cult classic you already know the premise. a group of friends cover up a murder, and a year later start getting threats from an anonymous who claims to “know what they did last summer”. however, apart from the familiar concept, the show is quite different from the movie, with a new setting and new characters.

most reviews i’ve seen of this show were negative, but I LOVED IT. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that the plot twists, and all the clues, and foreshadowings worked for me, and the finale gave me everything I wanted. it was so twisted and toxic and didn’t shy away from it, but it was also funny and entertaining. plus, I’m obsessed with the sapphic love storyline and the characters involved in it (almost as obsessed as they’re with each other but I’m not that unhealthy).

I feel like I can’t rationally explain why I love this show so much, maybe the writers and I are just on the same wavelength. I think if you’re gen z and you like messy characters (and thrillers, duh) you have a higher chance of enjoying this series.

4.     Young royals (2021) on NETFLIX

it’s a series about a swedish prince struggling to balance the matters of the heart with the responsibility of the crown, after his parents sent him off to a boarding school.

this show manages to stay relatable and grounded even though we’re following a literal royal in a prestigious school. it’s real, vulnerable, and cleverly written. and it’s a beautiful heartbreaking love story. it’s been compared to “skam” so if you’re a fan of it (and good television), this one’s for you.

5.     Betty (2020) on HBO MAX

a remake of the 2018 movie skate kitchen. it follows a diverse group of young women navigating the predominantly male oriented world of skateboarding.

it’s always great to see stories about strong female friendships, and this one also feels like a “found family” trope (which I love! and I mean, who doesn’t?). it feels very real as well, like we’re just watching people’s lives without them being overdramatized. it’s beautifully styled, and it makes you want to learn how to skate.

6.     Cruel summer (2021) on FREEFORM, HULU & AMAZON PRIME

the action simultaneously takes place over 3 summers during the 90s. after it-girl kate mysteriously goes missing, another girl takes her place as the popular one, along with her friends and boyfriend. the narrative switches between two girls, while we try to uncover who’s telling the truth about what happened.

i’ve seen people compare it to “pretty little liars”. it doesn’t give me the same feeling, but I guess it does have similar themes. like, a popular girl disappears, only this one isn’t the embodiment of evil, there’s a teacher-student relationship but here it’s not treated like something romantic or desirable, and the lying - which is a big part of both shows - but here the build-up actually pays off.

some of the acting and dialogue can be a bit awkward, but olivia holt’s performance makes up for all of it. she carried this show. this is by far her best acting performance (with “cloak&dagger” being second).

7.     The lying game (2011) on AMAZON PRIME 

Emma finds out she has an identical twin sister Sutton, from whom she was separated at birth. Sutton asks Emma to take her place for a couple days to go look for their birth mother. However, things get messy when Emma discovers that Sutton has more secrets than she led on.

this might seem like an outlier on this list, being made over a decade ago and all. however, this is the third show with an “identity theft” theme here, so it’s very on brand for me.

as gen z, the only nostalgia I get is for the 2010s and back then I used to watch a ton of teen dramas that nobody cared about: “the secret circle”, “twisted”, “switched at birth”, “make it or break it”, “10 things I hate about you”, etc. the only show that escaped my attention was “the lying game”. I decided to fix that.

I missed the vibe of those shows that I used to watch as a kid. if you’re like me, you will enjoy this. just don’t come in expecting great writing, thought-out storylines, or high-level production. it’s full of missed opportunities, unanswered questions, cartoonish villains, and characters that come, disappear, and are never brought up again. (if anything, this show is like “pretty little liars”!) but it also has entertaining love storyline(s), and a likeable cast of characters. not counting Sutton of course, she’s a disaster. I know this is based on a book, but I feel like the success of “the vampire diaries” inspired the show’s twin sisters. the actress looks like Nina Dobrev, and they went with the nice sister vs evil sister. only here the mean one is underdeveloped to the point of her being completely unsympathetic. she just becomes an annoying villain with no real motive.

beware! the show leaves off on a cliffhanger so don’t look forward to getting the mystery solved, just enjoy the ride of a 2011 teen messy drama.

8.     Shadow & bone (2021) on NETFLIX

based on the worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, “shadow and bone” follows an orphan Alina Starkov in a fantasy world full of magic, darkness and danger.

not being a fantasy fan, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. I don’t have anything negative to say. it seems like a great book adaptation. the level of production that went into this is incredible, the world-building and the characters are captivating. i’m looking forward to season 2.

9.     Chucky (2021) on SYFY

the continuation of the “child’s play” movie franchise. a Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, and thus begins a series of horrifying murders in the town of Hackensack.

this show turned a bit too cheesy and far-fetched for my taste by the end. but i’ve been told that it kept the same tone from the movies (i’ve never seen one, this was my first introduction to chucky), so that must be good for the original fans. overall, I still enjoyed it. it’s gay, campy, and very disturbing. it’s also always great to see teenagers playing teenagers. safe to say, i’m never buying a vintage doll.

10.     The girl in the woods (2021) on PEACOCK

Tasha and Nolan meet a mysterious girl who escaped from a colony that guards a secret door in the woods.

so, i’m not into watching scary stuff, which you probably wouldn’t think looking at this list. but somehow, despite being very creepy, this show manages to feel warm and safe. most of it comes from the relationships between the three main characters. this series also has the best portrayal of a non-binary character that i’ve ever seen. they get to explore their identity and face the issues that come with it, without it coming off as a trauma story. also, they’re the best effing character. 

it’s a cute short thriller. bonus point, it has Sofia Bryant from “I am not okay with it”.

 phew! this was fun! and here’s top 4 worst shows I watched last year: 1. bridgerton 2. ginny and georgia 3. one of us is lying 4. gossip girl (2021)

i did trin lovell’s list, and thought i’d post it. 

tbh i was debating to put tvd in the death row bc i hate sm about it, but it was one of the first shows i ever watched and seasons 2&3 are genuinely good.

 regarding the 100, i actually think the show itself is pretty great (seasons 1-4) but i just have too much pent up hatred towards it bc of bellarke (they literally made me wait 7 years for nothing) and b*liza (clarke and bellamy were my favorite characters and i can’t look at their faces anymore).

some of these rankings are probably gonna be surprising but i stand by them.

I forced my mom to watch Young Royals with me and she said her two favorite characters are Felice’s roomie from season 1 and the therapist 😭 like huh?? Who?

*Spoiler Alert for season 2*

I imagine that the other boys were so excited when they heard about Wille and Felice because then it was their slight chance that he wasn’t gay, or he was fixed or something. ☹️

@mylordcheezer has technically given me permission to rant, so here it is.

1. James and Sirius would so watch h2o because it’s almost like their animagus, as in they turn into mermaids and they have to hide it. Also, the fact that’s they would be outcast by society if they revealed their secret would remind them of Remus (also Emma Cleo and Ricky go a bit loopy on full moons and they have to hide from the moon and other people, almost like the shrieking shack). Mostly they would watch it just for funsies tho

2. (Kinda spoilers for s1 young royals) Regulus would relate to Wilhelm, they both grew up as the “spare” but then when their older brothers left/died, they suddenly became the important one. They also both had to hide their queerness. Also, regulus would totally learn Swedish and become fluent in it. (Also, he always has captions on because he can’t hear it if the captions aren’t on. I’m totally not saying that because it’s how I watch stuff)

3. I fully believe that James would have read the heartstopper comics before the show came out, and Sirius would be a “heartstopper is cringe” girlie, until James forced him to watch it. Then he would be OBSESSED. I’m talking, reading all the comics, buying them, watching the show on repeat, starting a whole fan account, the whole lot. Also, he’d tease James about the fact that hes nick and regulus is Charlie.

4. Evan and barty would binge heartbreak high in one night, idk why they would like it so much, it just gives off their vibes. Bartys favourite character would be Harper and evans would be ca$h

5. Dorcas would LOVE the chilling adventures of Sabrina because like, it’s witchy and stuff, idk it just gives off her vibes, she would laugh about how wrong they were about witchcraft though. And gossip girl, I actually haven’t watched it so I don’t really know, but my friend said it kinda gave of dorcas vibes and I can see it so yah

6. Omg lily and Mary just give off Gilmore girl vibes. Mary would love Lorelei and lily would love sookie, like so much. They would both be like, edward Cullen level obsessed. And gossip girl, they’d watch that because dorcas put them onto it and they’d have weekly picnics to discuss it.

7. I feel like lily would just relate to Anne, like, I don’t really have a reason behind this one, lily just gives cottagecore girlie vibes

8. Pandora would watch the good place because it’s kinda like upbeat but also really dark and twisted, which is kinda like her. Like I see pandora as being really light and kinda loopy and stuff but she has really dark interests.

9. Pandora and regulus would so watch umbrella academy together, again, it’s kinda dark and a bit out there so obviously they’d both love it. Regulus would relate to viktor, because they both feel out of place in their families. Pandora would try to guess what’s gonna happen next and she’d be eerily right every time.

10. Peter and Sirius’s friendship is silly and I see it as childish in the best way possible, so they’d watch teen titans religiously. Sirius would LOVE starfire (idk why but I just think he would) and Peter would be obsessed with beast boy or robin.

11. Remus would watch shadow and bone for the six of crows parts. He wouldn’t be obsessed with the shadow and bone parts, but with six of crows? YES. He obviously would have read the books (the shadow and bone trilogy and the six of crows duology). He would relate so much to kaz, because they both feel like they aren’t deserving of love and that they shouldn’t love someone because it makes them vulnerable. Also, they both grew up kinda having to fend for themselves. Ok so derry girls, I think he’d just watch it for fun, it would be something he can watch to take his mind off things. I also think that Erin, Orla, Michelle and Clare would remind him of the marauders

12. Marlene would watch atypical for Casey, like Casey would be the reason she watched the show. And I also think she’d just watch kinda shitty shows just because she can. Like Kath and Kim (which is the best show ever made). She would love Kath and Sharon, just because they’re icons. That’s it really

13. James and regulus would watch the end of the f***ing world and I am not okay with this because James would want to watch something with his boyfriend, and even though he’s not as interested in the supernatural/dark sides of the shows, he sees how happy it makes regulus, and that makes it all worth it. Honestly, he’d spend the whole time looking at regulus

14. Regulus and Remus’ friendship gives me life, so naturally I have to have a show that they watch together, which is the queens gambit. Tbh I haven’t watched it, but I just feel like they would both like it.

15. I KNOW THIS IS A NEW ONE BUT I HAD TO ADD IT. Sirius would watch young royals so he could have something to talk about with regulus.

Ok that’s the end of my rambles, that was really great because none of my friends care about the marauders, so dumping my thoughts on random internet people is my next best option. Enjoy 😉.

Tv shows I think people from the marauders era would watch:

James and Sirius: H2o (and they’d fucking love very minute of it)

Regulus: Young Royals

Sirius and James (yes again, because I can): heartstopper

Evan and Barty: Heartbreak high (the new one)

Dorcas: the chilling adventures of Sabrina/gossip girl

Lily and Mary: Gilmore girls/ gossip girl (they’d talk about it with dorcas)

Lily: Anne with an E

Pandora: the good place

Pandora and regulus: umbrella academy

Peter and Sirius: teen titans go

Remus: shadow and bone (he’s obviously read the books first tho)/ derry girls

Marlene: atypical/sex education/ Kath and Kim

James and regulus: the end of the f***ing world/I am not ok with this

Regulus and Remus: the queens gambit

I HAVE REALLY DETAILED EXPLANATIONS TO ALL OF THESE BUT THEYRE REALLY LONG AND RAMBLY SO IM LEAVING THEM OUT

Tv shows I think people from the marauders era would watch:

James and Sirius: H2o (and they’d fucking love very minute of it)

Regulus: Young Royals

Sirius and James (yes again, because I can): heartstopper

Evan and Barty: Heartbreak high (the new one)

Dorcas: the chilling adventures of Sabrina/gossip girl

Lily and Mary: Gilmore girls/ gossip girl (they’d talk about it with dorcas)

Lily: Anne with an E

Pandora: the good place

Pandora and regulus: umbrella academy

Peter and Sirius: teen titans go

Remus: shadow and bone (he’s obviously read the books first tho)/ derry girls

Marlene: atypical/sex education/ Kath and Kim

James and regulus: the end of the f***ing world/I am not ok with this

Regulus and Remus: the queens gambit

I HAVE REALLY DETAILED EXPLANATIONS TO ALL OF THESE BUT THEYRE REALLY LONG AND RAMBLY SO IM LEAVING THEM OUT

so as you do, i was listening to taylor swift and there's this line in cruel summer which is like 'i dont wanna keep secrets just to keep you' and i was like holy shiT that is literally simon in that scene except remarkably less upbeat

Simon is an inherently fruity name. Simon Snow. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Simon from Young Royals.

Simon: The best revenge, really, is being nice!

Wille: [in the distance] Or murder.

Kristina: We've got to find a way to cut down our expenses. What can we live without?

Wille: August, probably.