Young Royals' Omar Rudberg Breaks Down Simon and Wilhelm's Cliffhanger Ending

[The following contains spoilers for Young Royals Season 3 Episode 5. Read at your own risk!]

Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg) has always known that Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) comes from no ordinary family. The boy he's in love with is the Crown Prince of Sweden, and is next in line to the throne after his older brother Erik (Ivar Forsling) died in an accident. In Netflix's Young Royals Season 3, the realities of Wille's lineage become more apparent than ever. Although Simon and the Crown Prince are dating openly for the first time, their relationship is marked by limitations. The palace repeatedly asks Simon to abstain from posting on social media, and wishes for him to stay out of the public eye. Besides, the Queen's (Pernilla August) health has rapidly declined ever since Wille went off-script during a speech at his school's anniversary and confessed to being in the leaked sex video with Simon. 

But it wasn't until the big event of Young Royals Season 3 Episode 5 — the Crown Prince's 17th birthday party — that Simon realized the depths of pain Wille has experienced because of his unordinary family. After an extremely awkward dinner, Wille finally unleashes his resentment toward his parents. "I wasn't even allowed to mourn in peace with you," Wille exclaims in frustration as a stunned Simon watches from the side. "The grief of Sweden was more important." Hours later, Simon expresses his feelings about their relationship to Wille. "Maybe it just can't work," he cries. "I can't do this anymore."

That's the last sentence before Episode 5 ends. We don't know what's next for "Wilmon" in the Young Royals Season 3 finale, which will be released March 18. But TV Guide spoke to Omar Rudberg about why Wille's exchange with his parents drove Simon to say these words.

"Wille and Wille's family became really human for Simon," Rudberg said. "Before it was more, 'the Queen and the King.' Where now he goes to Wille's home for the first time and it becomes real — and he realizes this family is so broken." In that scene, Simon is torn between wanting to support Wille and wanting to protect his own heart. "He really wanted to be there for [Wille], but he just feels that whatever he's doing, he's not the one that is going to save Wille," the actor continued. "The only person that could save Wille is Wille himself."

Throughout this season, Simon has put in serious effort toward the relationship. "[He] was fighting against all of their issues and was trying to fix everything because he loves Wille, because he wants to be with him," Rudberg said. But after watching Wille express his true feelings to his parents, it became apparent to Simon that some things were out of his control. "I can only save myself for now and save my family. And you have to do the same thing," Rudberg explained, in character. 

The actor continued. "Simon always says, I try to be there for him, but everything that I do makes it all worse," he said. "And this was definitely the last straw where he was like, get your sh-- together, man." 

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Rudberg said Simon was witnessing pain everywhere — and experiencing it himself. "Your family's hurting, you're hurting and that's hurting me and my family," the actor described of Simon's thoughts toward Wille. "That's why [Simon's] got to protect himself at the end of the day."

Rudberg also spoke about what this exchange means for his character. "Simon is a strong person where he prioritizes himself a lot," the actor said. "But I definitely think this was the first time he actually made a statement for himself, where he's like, I'm actually not okay. And I have to leave."

Young Royals Season 3 Episode 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix. The final episode releases on March 18.