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This also connects well to how, in season 1, Wille accuses Simon of committing an act that is "so fucking low" by supposedly dealing drugs -- while he never says anything similar to August for actually USING said drugs. Classism and poverty.... and double standards.
while attempting to Avoid Thinking, i landed on a conclusion somehow about how August and Micke both play similar rolls in showing how drug addiction can look when compared between upper and lower classes.
also how they both sort of show why Wille and Simon's understanding of the drug incident were so violently different.
because while Wille doesn't know that August is addicted, he does know that he regularly does drugs and even partakes in it himself. drugs are something that you do for fun sometimes, not a hug deal. besides, Erik did them too, so they can't be THAT bad. (but of course he does also know they're illegal and he can't be caught doing them, but he's the Prince so he really can't be caught doing much of ANYTHING so what's the harm, right?)
but Simon has Micke as an introduction to drugs and the effects they can have on not only your own life, but the lives of those around you. drugs ruined Micke's life, and they damaged Simon's family. they aren't some fun hobby that you do sometimes, they're addictive and destroying and dangerous.
and tbh I had always had kind of a hard time seeing either side of their argument or fully understanding why they were behaving as they were, but this actually... helped a lot. so cool :]
Hi. Hi, hello, hi. I did not see this in my ask box, I apologize.
BIG BRAIN ENERGY.
Yes. That is exactly what's going on. Simon and Wille see drugs in two completely different lights. And it also shows the stark contrast of a drug addicted rich person and a drug addicted lower class person. Micke is addicted and it ruined their lives. Simon even says "you couldn't even get sober for mine and Sara's sake." Micke gets addicted and neglects his responsibilities. He wastes money, he can't look after his children, he can't keep his marriage intact. Problems like that don't go away in Micke's world. If he wastes money, he doesn't have anything to fall back on. If he can't take care of his children, he loses them.
But August does not face consequences. Firstly, because he does not personally have many responsibilities. Not yet, at least. He has money at his disposal, so he isn't neglecting anything or anyone other than himself when he buys them. And in August's world, when trouble comes up, the problems conveniently go away. Even his money problems disappeared - the Crown payed for his school, which then allows him time to figure everything else out. If he were to get into trouble because of the drugs he does, it would stand to reason that those problems would also disappear.
Simon sees drugs and he sees destruction. Wille sees drugs and he sees a Friday night. They see the consequences of the drugs as two completely different things.
Simon knows what it does to a person, and Wille knows what it does to a system. And drugs hurt a person a hell of a lot more than they hurt a system.
I have so many thoughts about this.
Excellent points! Definitely got me thinking. I'm wondering now, too, if that scene might have been there to show us just how low he was truly feeling -- similar to the conversation he had with August during the party, about his brother's death. That he was doing so poorly, the amount of high & drunk he was at the party was not enough. He needed to lose himself & potentially even try to punish himself through this level of intoxication.
Maybe he was even subconsciously using this as an opportunity to push himself past those inhibitions that were keeping him from (re-)pursuing Simon? Maybe he hoped that if he took more, he'd break down and reach out? So fascinating to examine...
I never noticed this before -- at the end of Wille's first Society meeting when they're putting away their drugs, he grabs some and sneakily tucks them away into his jacket pocket. This can't have been just a throw-away thing. I imagine it will have some significance later on? What do you think?