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HEATED RIVALRY Episode 3 & 4 - Aaron & Andrew's WATCH ALONG!! (Patreon)

Published:
2026-01-06 13:00:13
Edited:
2026-01-06 13:12:55
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Aaron & Andrew meet Scott & Kip!!

Watch Along: https://youtu.be/5IaTrD01D5w

More HEATED RIVALRY Watch Alongs: https://www.patreon.com/c/thereelrejects/posts?filters%5Btag%5D=Heated+Rivalry

Files

HEATED RIVALRY Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4 - Aaron & Andrew's WATCH ALONG!!

Comments

Elina

I really loved your reaction! When comparing the two relationships, it's important to consider not only their age, but also the fact that both Ilya and Shane are players. I wouldn't say their 'relationship' (if you can call it that) is realy toxic. They're just fuck buddies. Neither of them sees any realistic possibility of it becoming anything more. This is why they don't see the point in thinking or talking about their feelings seriously. They live in different cities, travel a lot, and can only meet for a few hours every few months. Unlike Hunter, who is the only one in his relationship who is afraid to come out, Ilya and Shane both have to consider that coming out could potentially end their careers, especially since they are not only gay, but also involved with a player from a rival team. In episode 4, Ilya makes an effort to spend time with Shane. The fact that he bought ginger ale shows that he wanted Shane to stay longer (throughout the entire episode, we repeatedly see Shane failing to get ginger ale. Not only does Ilya buy ginger ale for him, he also makes sure it's cold enough). During the summer, we saw him lose interest in other people and only text Shane. He really tried to take their relationship to the next level, but Shane was overwhelmed by the new intimacy, left him on the couch, and started dating someone else. Ilya is allowed to be hurt by that. It's not as if Shane has wanted a relationship with Ilya for years and has been waiting to be chosen by him. He has feelings, but realising that freaks him out too because he doesn't think a relationship is realistic for them.

Vanished

Yeah I feel like a lot of times people dont get that Ilya and Shane are not together, they arent playing games and when they go out with other people, they dont show shane doing this but he does in the book [fuck other people], that they have this toxic relationship. They are fuck buddies who cant figure out or see a way to be more even though deep down they want to.

hyuuuk

And also the pressure ilya has, none of the other three has. He’s Russian. He’s scared because if he would came out, and if he would lost his career, he would have no other choice but to go back in Russia because he doesn’t have a living permit in there and if his contract is done then he’s DONE. and i think you can imagine everything else by yourself how scary it would be to go back in Russia after this. Even if you forgot about his family, Russia alone. Not everyone understands easily and right away his problem and situation, because not everyone is eastern european who grew up living in soviet countries or grew up learning about past soviet system.

hyuuuk

Even now it’s not safe to live in russia if you are queer, because the government targets LGBTQ people. Laws ban “LGBT propaganda” and label LGBTQ activism as extremist. Publicly identifying as LGBTQ, showing pride symbols, or posting supportive content can lead to fines, jail, or harassment. There are no legal protections, trans healthcare is restricted, and social hostility is common. This is happening now and can you imagine how bad it was in their time? 😔 a little fact check here for the people who don’t know this!

Anaïs

Kinda sad that you guys dont get Ilya character :/ can’t wait for episode 5 reaction it’s sooo good

Kiki Varas

I wouldn’t say Ilya is toxic in my opinion. Their situation is sad but from my perspective Ilya is not toxic. They are just fuck buddies bc neither of them wants to commit rn. Even when Ilya wanted him to stay in ep 4 Shane left bc he couldn’t handle the realization of liking Ilya and wasn’t ready for any commitment. Shane definitely likes Ilya but he is also not ready to commit to Ilya and not ready to admit to himself that he is gay. So it’s not just Ilya who isn’t ready for commitment. They both don’t want to just be fuck buddies but they both don’t want to commit for their own personal reasons. So I get thinking maybe their situation is sad and but in my opinion I wouldn’t say Ilya is specifically toxic. They are both just not ready to be out and commit to each other. We just see things more from Shane’s perspective so we know how much he likes Ilya but Ilya also likes Shane. Making the situation sad but Ilya is just as scared as Shane about coming out and specifically commit. Either way love you guys and can’t wait for the next episode reaction! 💕

j-l (she/they)

what do they say cause i lowkey dont wanna watch if they hate him😭

Anaïs

They don’t hate him they just think he’s toxic! Episode 5 is probably going to change their minds

KTO

You guys are missing that Ilia has already fallen hard for Shane, he’s not using him! He stocked his house with ginger ale, invited him to stay for the first time in their years long series of hookups, offered to make him food. Shane got that glimpse of a normal relationship and freaked out when Ilia called him by his first name. Ilia was fishing to see Shane’s reaction when he asked about if Shane liked girls, etc… Ilia knows he is bisexual but doesn’t know if Shane is strictly gay or bi, or if Shane wven has admitted it to himself

Anaïs

Calling Shane the “feminine one” is a weird take guys

Ana Karen

I’m so glad yall are watching this..

Tracey Lough

Aaron squealing during Scott & Kips episode was the best

Christian Seibold

I think he just meant stereotypically feminine. I'm willing to give them some grace for this. All will be cleared up in the next two episodes! :D

Christian Seibold

Loved y'alls reaction. Can't wait to see you guys watch the next two episodes, which will help clarify a lot of things, I think.

Adavan

Came here to say exactly this. Actually made me stop watching the reaction, honestly.

Adavan

No, sorry - if they don't get it by now, episode 5 won't land properly for them. It's VERY obvious at this point that Ilya is not toxic. Saying that he's "stringing Shane along" as though Shane isn't a fully grown man who's also choosing to be in this relationship. Nether Shane nor Ilya can see any kind of future with the other, no matter how much they may want it, so they take what they can get of each other because neither of them can actually end it either. The feelings are strong in BOTH of them, and if these reactors can't see it, it's because they're not paying attention.

Adavan

I would recommend skipping it - I stopped when they claimed Shane was the "feminine one " in the couple.

Adavan

Thank you for this. All of this is quite obvious and it frustrates me to no end when reactors and others can't understand it. The show expects a lot of its audience, and so it's not for everyone.

Adavan

They should be clear already. For those paying attention and for those who can read context clues.

Laura Marie

Also the entire montage showing how much more they are texting and looking forward to seeing one another over the years leading up to the Tuna melt date

Neeko

We get it Linda, you're not a fan of the reaction but no need to be rude lol. They're watching this for the first time on camera and processing their thoughts in real time, not everything's gonna land the same way as other people.

Neeko

Loved the reaction! Watching queer content is always a plus for me and I always find it interesting to see how different reactors interpret their relationship and their feelings towards each other. I saw comments discussing the femininity comment and just wanted to add that while it’s understandable why they read Shane as the “feminine” one (especially given stereotypes around bottoms), I don't think their personalities have shown that one is more feminine than the other yet.

Adavan

Yep. Exactly! It's all there for sure.

card

Linda is clearly more media literate than *checks notes* apparently every single reactor to this show that she's seen...? Maybe there is a problem with the presentation of the show if it's not leading everyone to the shipper-goggled conclusion that they were madly in love with each other from day one (they weren't, and that's boring). The YouTube comments for this one have been horrific.

Anaïs

Can you all stop fighting under my comment lol

aisha alert

And rightfully so. They need to hear all the criticism towards this particular reaction because media literacy is dead nowadays apparently, to be this wrong about everything regarding both characters up to ep 4 is frustrating to watch (not noticing all this time that Shane is asian is like wth...). And hopefully the criticism towards "the feminine one" comment will educate them on that topic before they offend someone in real life

hyuuuk

There’s nothing wrong with being feminine 😭 if someone is not trying to disrespect you and make fun of you because of it, then it’s totally fine, because yes, some are feminine and it’s not a threat to masculinity and to a man. i don’t know where they said it, maybe i missed it, but i don’t think they would say in a mocking way at least.

Christian Seibold

You can educate people without being unnecessarily mean. I say that as a gay man who doesn’t always fit traditional masculinity. I understand their points about the angst going into toxicity at points, and the "feminine" comment, which I think they meant as some way to describe emotional response and vulnerability more than anything else. I didn't take offense to these things, but I can obviously see how some people are upset at them. I do think the next episodes will help see a fuller picture.

Christian Seibold

I want to express my perspective on the feminine comment here. I am a gay man myself. Firstly, I just have to say that being stereotypically feminine, or feminine in expression, should not be automatically treated as an insult in all cases, because being stereotypically "feminine" is not bad. There are a lot of queer people who have feminine expression. Now, what I think Aaron was simply trying to point out was that Shane's emotional vulnerability, sensitivity, and response to the relationship was a more stereotypically "feminine" response. I don't think Aaron was calling Shane feminine because he's a bottom. I think it was just an attempt to use gendered shorthand to convey Shane's emotional characteristics. Intent matters, though intent doesn’t erase impact. Considering that Shane is autistic, I actually like that his emotional sensitivity is being pointed out, because a lot of people think that autistic people have no emotions just because we express them differently. So, here's where I can see why people are upset: 1. Emotional sensitivity shouldn't be a gendered thing. It's a stereotype that can be harmful to men in general, because it teaches men that we are not allowed to have emotions or express them without looking "feminine". Some queer people reclaimed femininity, but it can cause some self-hatred or shutting down emotionally for others if you were taught that femininity is negative. In reality, emotions shouldn't really be labelled "feminine" or "masculine". 2. Even among gay men, gay men who are seen as "feminine", especially bottoms, can often be treated as lesser. Feminine men have been stigmatized not just in broader society, but also among gay men themselves. Lastly, we should be careful about treating "feminine" as an automatically unacceptable label, because that can reinforce the very stigma against femininity that many of us are trying to push back against.

Adavan

I wasn't being mean. I was simply stating how I felt about their comments and I was turned off of the reaction and very bothered by them - a lot of them. But it's my choice to simply not watch if I don't enjoy it. They're free to do whatever they want with their own reactions.

KaylaTheKing

Loved the reaction guys!!! (CAUTION SOME BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD) I love my SIL who chose to read the books before watching the show because then she tells me the differences like: - (in the book) Kip doesn't want Scott to spend any money on him so Scott takes Kip into his closet to pick out a suit from Scott's suits. - (in the book) The club scene where Ilya is dancing with that girl she apparently rejects him saying basically that her boyfriend/husband is into "cucking" so she was only dancing and doing all that with Ilya for her boyfriend to "get off" and doesn't leave with him Wish they kept ALL of it in but apparently the time constraints affected those two scenes but she did also say something like: "THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE KYLE?!" in the bar with Kip and friends so I'm guessing here he plays an integral role bigger than what was shown currently lol

Christian Seibold

Never said anything about your choice to watch or not watch. It is your choice, just like it's your choice how effectively you want to communicate, and just like it's your choice how your language and behaviors make people feel. They ended up understanding the relationship fairly well in the next episode. You're too quick to presume people are dumb, especially when you have the upper hand of having watched the entire season already. Get off your high horse.

Adavan

I never once said they were dumb. My point was that to ME, they seem disinterested in what they're watching and are therefore missing context clues that allow you to understand the characters. Of course they understood once they saw E5. It's explicitly stated in E5. It would be unbelievable if they still didn't get it by then. My point being it's not hard to pick up on the characters real feelings about each other (not every detail, of course) the first time you watch it, if you're paying attention. I managed it, countless other reactors have managed it, and any number of other people in these comments managed it. I was simply explaining what I found wrong with the reaction and why I stopped watching and won't watch anymore reactions on the channel with these two men. And you can say whatever you want about the "Shane is the feminine one in the relationship" comment, but it's insensitive and kinda gross. It's such an antiquated way to talk about male gay relationships. And I realize you've said you're a gay man, and, of course, you're intitled to your opinion. But it's not up to me to "find the nuance" in their language. It's up to them to do better for their audience. They need to think more about their attitudes towards gay relationships and how they perceive them, apologize, learn, grow and do better next time. I haven't watched the reaction for episode 5 (nor will I) so I don't know if they apologized for the comment at any point. But that's the first thing they should do.

Adavan

Thank you - this is 100% what I was going for. I don't think I'm more media literate than *everyone*, there are many people in this comment section that are just as literate or more so, there have been many reactors and other fans that have commented something that opened my eyes to something I'd missed. My point was simply that these reactors missed pretty much everything. Because yes, not knowing Shane was Asian is the craziest. Like, yes they mention it many times, but also...are you looking at the screen?

Adavan

Of course there's nothing wrong with being feminine, whether your a man or woman. The problem comes with labelling one person in a male gay relationship as the "feminine one". That smacks of old school homophobia when gay couples would get asked who was the guy and who was the girl in the relationship as a way to make it fit into their solely heteronormative way of viewing couples. It was a weird comment and they should have addressed it.

Adavan

In what way was I rude? Someone asked for an opinion on whether to watch the reaction, and my opinion was that they shouldn't. Both of my comments stated simply my opinion and the fact that they said something I found very insensitive and inappropriate.

Kathryn Loveless

I wanted to like this but getting to episode 4 and saying I didn't know Shane was Asian? Aside from the fact that I think you are not blind, they mention it specifically several times in episode 1. Not noticing something as obvious as a character's race makes it clear why you totally miss the reason Shane runs out on Ilya.

janeelmonae

I appreciate straight men watching. But I hate that Shane and Ilya’s relationship is constantly called toxic bc they aren’t. They both struggle with vulnerability. Additionally, a lot of Ilya’s subtle efforts and changes weren’t picked up on in episode 4. 😔

Chris

I am late to this for various reasons. I am just now going back to watch the older reactions, or actually the first reactions. I'm kind of glad I didn't see this until now. I would have gotten into a few fights or, I should say, spirited conversations. I will say that not noticing the time stamps at the beginning of 4 is kind of weird, considering they have actually seen quite a few details and subtleties. However, not realizing Shane was Asian until the second half of #4? Wow. THAT is a bit insane. However, all that said, there are too many comments that are totally off base. I won't go at every one, since it's too late, and what's the point? I just figured I'd write that there isn't a single other thing that they said that is totally off base. I say this as a gay man, not that it really matters. There are too many people who forgot what it was like to see this for the first time. The people who read the book often forget that others haven't, so how are they to know what sub texts are supposedly there? There were changes to the show, so not everything in the book is true in the show. Not one single opinion they had was wrong. You might not agree, and they probably changed some on their own once they saw the last 2 episodes or had time to think about it. If there are people out there who somehow understood every single little detail about the show the very first time they watched, then good for them. I'm just frustrated at how many of these comments seem to be based on repeated viewings of the show, along with book knowledge, and the idea that there's not more than one way to interpret what they show us in the show. I just hope these two guys didn't take some of the comments too seriously. I think they've done a good job so far.