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Heated Rivalry Questions đŸ”»S1E1 - S1E4đŸ”» (Patreon)

Published:
2025-12-30 23:25:40
Imported:
2026-06
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(Thought I would just post this now as its VERY unlikely anthing else is gonna win the poll 😂)Post your questions for me to answer at the end of the episodes!!

FAQ for anyone new:

WHAT IS QUESTION TIME?: Here you can ask me ANY questions related to the episode or show as a whole, literally whatever you want, I mean it lol. Because I only read them after finishing the episode, feel free to include any spoilers relating to the episode, just no spoilers after that point!HOW DOES IT WORK?: I have included a template below for you to follow, that way I can avoid spoilers for future episodes included in the post. I used to do these as seperate posts, however it became quite a lot for peoples inboxes each week and this also allows for me to get a little ahead recording wise.

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE?: As I do not follow a strict schedule when it comes to recordings, its best to get them in asap to ensure I will get to them. That said, feel free to post whenever! If it gets to the episode and I missed your question, don't hesitate to throw it down on the next one of these, as I am more than happy to backtrack if you wanted to know something in particular!!

Comments

Harry Allen

Template/general layout: Episode 1 Question 01 Question 02 etc.

Elizabeth Gates

Character List -Shane Hollander: (Japanese-Canadian, drafted to the Montreal Metros, extremely media trained, confirmed Autistic character even if Shane himself doesn't know this, "Jane" in Ilya's phone) -Ilya Rozanov (Russian - this is extremely important as being gay is illegal/extremely dangerous in Russia, drafted to the Boston Raiders, "Lily" in Shane's phone) Both of the above are once-in-a-generation hockey talents who just happen to be in the same generation. They trade off breaking pretty much every hockey record/winning every hockey award in this universe. -Shane's parents are Yuna and David Hollander -Ilya's father and brother Alexei also feature -Svetlana: Ilya's childhood friend/sometimes fuckbuddy - NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND. She's both a Russian and American citizen. -Scott Hunter: (Older hockey player - he's the one who was "right next door" and who asks Shane about "your boy" at the party, Captain of the New York Admirals, he had his shooting record beat by both Ilya & then Shane at the All-Star Game) -Hayden Pike (married to Jackie) - Shane's friend on the Montreal Metros -Cliff Marleau - Ilya's friend on the Boston Raiders

Olivia

Episode 1: Q1 - based off this first episode, what are your first impressions of our 2 main characters and of the few side characters we have met? Q2: more of a fun fact but connor who plays ilya is actually from texas and is not russian at all! he had to learn the accent and all the dialogue in russian for the show which is just so so impressive

Elizabeth Gates

Episode 1 Questions: Question 1: Ilya's character is Russian, and we're shown him struggling with the language a bit in this episode. He is clearly overwhelmed by the barrage of (fast-speaking, English) questions at the press conference, which is why Shane speaks for them both, and they comfort each other via foot tap. While Ilya is obviously cocky, how much do you think his abruptness is also a symptom of his language barrier? How do you think differences in their languages/culture can affect these two as they attempt to navigate an already-complicated relationship? Question 2: While Shane is obviously very talented, the comparison to Tiger Woods and Serena Williams wasn't solely about his talent level, but about the struggles facing people of color in professional sport. His mother also brings up how important it is to be a role model for other Asian-Canadian kids. How do you think this pressure affects Shane's thoughts/feelings about his sexuality? Question 3: As we can see from the exposition at the top of the episode (where the sports-casters are already talking about how 17-year-old Shane and Ilya are being pitted against each other), their rivalry is something that the league *wants* as part of its storytelling. They like the idea of two once-in-a-generation prodigies that will always be in a locked-horns battle because it contributes to the excitement of the sport. This means that they are constantly being asked to notice each other. How do you think this rivals-to-lovers concept contrasts with a more traditional enemies-to-lovers trope? What new nuances or struggles do you think it brings when people constantly assume they hate each other? Question 4: Shane is talked about as not being the most social player, in general. In the books, Shane admits that being so high-profile in hockey so early on makes him feel isolated, even from other players on his team. While the competition between our two mains is meant to make them dislike each other, do you think it was inevitable to feel some kinship with the only person who can keep up with you? The only person that feels that same pressure and, likely, the same isolation? Question 5: This show obviously features sex. However, while some dismissive people online have tried to reduce this show to "just smut" or "just porn", it is an essential aspect of this particular love story and is often used to progress the narrative or demonstrate important character beats. For example, Shane folding each item of clothing during sex and Ilya smiling, endeared by it, hint at Shane's autism and Ilya's liking of him beyond just the physical. How do you think these scenes might evolve as the story goes on? And why do you think people are quick to "excuse" nudity in things like Game of Thrones, but use it to devalue content if that content happens to be a romance?

ondraya

Episode 1 Shane has a lot going on. He is canonically autistic (confirmed by the original author of the books and was reiterated by the creator of the show and Shane's actor Hudson, whose acting choices were also inspired by his own autistic father). It's never directly said in the show, but it is very much meant to be understood as an aspect of his character. On top of that he's clearly quite anxious and introspective, and is dealing with the pressure of being a minority in a predominately white sport, parents that are very involved in his career, and exploring his sexuality. How do you think all these stressors will affect the development of his relationship with Ilya and where he's at in his own journey of self-acceptance?

ondraya

Episode 2 Shane and Ilya have been texting for a LONG time before they finally have sex. It's implied that they weren't meeting up for those 2 years or so. Given the way Ilya defaults to physical intimacy and clearly struggles with the emotional, why do you think he kept messaging Shane all that time. Is it genuine connection, boredom, or simply the fact that they are the only 2 queer players in the league that they know of.

ondraya

Episode 3 Scott's comeback to Shane clearly triggered him a bit, but do you think Scott actually has any suspicion about what Shane and Ilya have going on or is that just all Shane's paranoia?

ondraya

Episode 4 This show picked up a lot of attention for its sexual nature and explicit depiction of queer intimacy. To the point that it often gets relegated to nothing more than the "Gay hockey smut show". But clearly, the show is much more than that. Sex plays a significant and important role in reflecting the development of the relationships on screen. How have you noticed the sex evolve?

Betty

Bts Fun Facts Since there are so many questions already I just wanted to add some fun facts about the cast & filming. - Connor Storrie is from Texas and learned Russian together with a dialect coach on set, and his accent is so good that even the russian actors on set believed him to be a native speaker - Both Connor and Hudson worked as waiters before this and quit their jobs just a week before filming started - They’ve become best friends over the course of filming this and Connor even called Hudson part of his soul family đŸ„ș - Heated Rivalry is the 2. Book in the Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid. Book 6 „The Long Game“ also has Hollanov as the main couple and is going to be the source material for the second season, that has already been confirmed đŸ™đŸŒ - They got matching „Sex Sells“ Tattoos after they wrapped filming the first season - The season was filmed as a blockshoot like a movie, not episode by episode, and everything was done in 32-37 Days, which is a crazy short amount of time, they also didn’t have a lot of budget so a lot of the background stuff is actually just an LED Screen, like the Vegas backdrop at the end of episode 1 (not Green Screen, but more like a huge wallpaper background with the actual image and stuff playing) so they are not actually on a roof there. Which I find fascinating because it looks so real. Anyway I think that was it for now, maybe I’ll come back later :)

Elizabeth Gates

Episode 2 QUESTION 1: Svetlana is Ilya’s childhood friend and occasional hookup. In many ways, the two of them better embody the “no-strings attached fuckbuddy” concept that Shane and Ilya have been trying for. Do you have any theories for why theirs is a platonic/sexual relationship while Hollanov’s is romantic/sexual? Is it that Ilya and Svetlana are too much alike (Russian, partiers, tough, and sarcastic), and Shane and Ilya’s opposites attract? Or is it that Shane and Ilya are actually the ones who are more alike underneath the surface (competitive, under tremendous pressure, family-oriented, lonely, masking)? This is a question for Episode 2, of course, but also for future episodes, as we learn more about all the characters. QUESTION 2: Ilya’s character is very tied to a sense of duty. He has strong loyalty and a desire to care for both his country and his ailing father, even though Russia has declared the LGBTQ movement “an extremist organization” and any perceived support of it is punishable by prison time or worse, and his father clearly sucks. Furthermore, if he were to have a career-ending injury or be kicked out of the hockey league, he’s a Russian citizen and wouldn’t be able to stay in the U.S., so coming out in a very homophobic sport is especially dangerous for him. Given all this, do you find it interesting that he was the one who seemed less bothered by his/Shane’s obvious attraction in Episode 1? Do you think there is a way for Ilya to reconcile all the parts of himself, or is he ultimately going to have to choose which (Russia/his family vs. Shane) matters more? QUESTION 3: I love the scene of them running up the stairs at Shane’s apartment building–especially after Ilya’s team just lost to Shane’s–because it shows how much fun they have competing against each other. Shane also doesn’t seem to have the same resentment for Ilya’s team winning the cup that he did over Ilya being first draft pick. Does this show genuine progress in their relationship with each other? Shane also seems to finally understand that Russia is a source of pain, not comfort, for Ilya, which is important. In what other ways do you think progress might have been made between them, despite the episode’s sad ending? FUN FACT: Most of the scenes shown in this episode are from Shane’s perspective in the book. However, the author did write Ilya’s POV for the Vegas scenes as a bonus treat for people a few years ago, which I’m dropping here for anyone interested: https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/news/2024/3/24 In addition to nearly being late to their speech because he was panicking about seeing Shane again, Ilya took so many selfies on stage because he felt like those were the only pictures of them together that he could justify having on his phone. TIP: Harry, for the next episode, please make sure to watch the “previously on” section

Elizabeth chris

Thank You Elizabeth for that link, that seen was sooo good đŸ–€

Elizabeth Gates

Episode 3: QUESTION 1: While, in some ways, Scott's and Kip's relationship is meant to show what Hollanov could have if they could communicate better, all of the good communication in the world doesn't help them from facing certain realities at the end of this episode. In what ways do you think Hollanov's situation is harder to navigate than Scott & Kip's? For instance, while Skip has the benefit of both living in New York, Hollanov live in different countries and can't see each other regularly. Shane feels a lot of pressure to be a picture-perfect role model for Asian-Canadians in the league and Ilya has all of Russia to worry about. They're notably younger -- much further from retirement age -- when Scott mentioned potentially coming out. And *both* Shane and Ilya are famous, which would make their story even more "scandalous." Alternatively, do you have any thoughts on Skip's unique issues (for example, the wage discrepancy - in their book, Scott casually tries giving Kip $50,000)? QUESTION 2: Scott, Shane, and Ilya are all captains of their respective teams at this point in the story. Of the three, however, we have seen more of Ilya's team leadership with his speech to the Raiders in the last episode and, even in this episode, the brief glimpse we get of him telling his team, "good job," "I love you." What do you think this indicates about his character?

ArianađŸ„€

Episode 1 Question 01: The creator said in an interview, he isn’t into spoon feeding the viewers. A sigh, a look, the tick in a jaw, is just as effective as dialogue. The creator and actors are trying to trust the audiences intelligence without saying things verbally especially because so much of the book is inner thoughts that can’t be directly translated on screen. This being said how do you feel about the use of silent communication and facial expressions seen in this episode? For example the water bottle scene which was over a minute of silence and the scene where both boys are silently standing with their parents with “interesting” expressions. Question 02: How did you feel about Ilya’s accent? The actor is actually from Texas and only started studying to learn the language from a dialect coach a few weeks before production. Question 03: Did you notice Shane folding his pants pre-hookup? The character is actually on the spectrum and if you pay attention there are little things he does throughout the series which demonstrate this. Question 04: What’d you think of the crumbs of Ilya’s family that we got here? Question 05: Scott Hunter is a big deal in the league as demonstrated by him having held the record our boys break and Shane referring to him as “Sir”. This being said do you think he noticed anything about our boys and if so what do you think may come of this? (Just to clarify because I’ve seen reactors get confused: Scott is not Shane’s regular teammate. The one time we see him in this episode is during a special All-Star game where him and Shane are teammates. Normally he is just the Captain of his own New York team, as Shane is Captain of Montreal and Ilya is Captain of Boston.) Question 06: The girl with Ilya, Svetlana, is NOT his girlfriend. The line where she mentions “Jane” is meant to show that whatever they are it isn’t anything overly serious nor exclusive. That being said what impact do you think she may have on our blossoming relationship? They are clearly close since she was able to get into his house. Question 07: Which boy are you currently leaning towards liking more?

Maria Hiendl

EPISODE 1 Question 1 What do you think of Ilya's character so far? What vibes are you getting from him? And from the relationship to his family and his home country?

Maria Hiendl

Episode 2: Question 1 Ilya is doing a amazing job asking for consent while having sex. (For many of us he is the king of consent) Did it suprise you, seeing his character so far, that he is just such a role model in this part of his life, or did you expacted it to this way / to this extend? Question 2: Which character is your current favorite? Question 3: More like a "fun" fact. When Ilya lifts the cup he says says "For you, Mama" (in Russian, sadly it is not in the official subtitles). I think it is just such a heartwrenching detail and so fitting for his character.

Maria Hiendl

Episode 4: Question 1: I think for us it is clear by now that both of them caught feelings going way beyond a casual hookup situationship. At what point do you think ( without them knowing themselves) did one or both of them caught feelings, already much deeper than lust and yawning? Or have there always been deeper feelings, right from the start?

Elizabeth Gates

Episode 4 QUESTION 1: While we’ve seen Ilya trying to keep things casual in the past, in this episode, he makes a genuine effort. He asks Shane to stay, grocery shops specifically for this meetup, and tries to tell Shane that he’s “too lazy” to actively seek out new hookups (poorly worded, I know). When Shane goes home with Rose after the club, Ilya goes home by himself. Where do you think Ilya’s mindset is in regards to his feelings for Shane by the end of the episode? QUESTION 2: Ginger ale is mentioned a lot in 1x4. Hayden makes fun of Shane for drinking it, Shane can’t get it at the restaurant when he’s with his parents, and he’s pressured into switching out his order for beer at the bar. However, Ilya has it on hand for him. How does this speak to some of the subtext of what’s going on in the show? QUESTION 3: Names have a lot of significance in this show. Ilya and Shane have consistently called each other Hollander and Rozanov until this episode, where Ilya calls Shane “Shane” during sex, and that’s ultimately what spooked Shane into leaving. As such, what do you think of this episode being titled Rose? Is there a metaphor in Shane deciding between a Rose and a “Lily”? (Also, just a note - the last name Rozanov means “of the rose.”) QUESTION 4: While Ilya is obviously jealous of Shane’s relationship with Rose, how much do you think this jealousy is about Rose dating Shane, and how much do you think it has to do with the fact that she can date Shane publicly? Even if Shane and Ilya were to be in a relationship, they’re not currently living in a world where Ilya can wear a Hollander jersey to a game - not only because they’re closeted, but because they’re rivals. Furthermore, the press around Shane’s/Rose’s relationship is overwhelmingly positive, while their relationship would be much more controversial. QUESTION 5: The opening montage contained Shane doing a series of commercials, as he has done for several episodes now. Overall, he doesn’t seem to love doing them. Looking backwards, does this make it more significant that the day Shane and Ilya first hooked up involved them being unable to stop laughing while shooting a commercial together? While Shane obviously enjoys Rose’s company, how much of their romantic relationship is him trying to conform to his golden-boy, commercially produced image?

K

Episode 2 Question 1: What did you make of the conversation between Shane, Scott, and Carter about the figure skating friend at the Olympics? The show runner said he told Carter’s actor to play the scene with the energy of someone who has a lesbian sister he’s supportive of. If I were his lesbian sister, I would probably give him a hard time about assuming people’s sexualities based on whether or not they figure skate, but in the context of men’s professional sports he’s clearly quite progressive. What did you make of Shane’s reaction and what do you think he was feeling internally during that scene? Question 2: What do you think Shane’s understanding of his own sexuality is at this point? He’s been in an ongoing sexual relationship with a man for years now. Do you think he’s mentally explored what this means for his identity or any potential labels etc?

Kristin

Episode 2: More of general fun fact, but creator said all the team logos are sexual innuendos (the metros logo - Shane’s team - is my favorite once you see it) and that bts they divided the league into tops/bottoms instead of east/west like sports leagues so irl.

K

Episode 3 Question 1 Kip seems to take Scott’s privacy very seriously and doesn’t voluntarily tell ANYONE, including his family and closest friends. Do you think that was Scott’s intention and do you think that a compromise there could make the situation manageable or just prolong the inevitable? 2. How old do you think Scott is meant to be? In the books the character is 28 but I think he’s clearly been aged up. The actor François Arnaud is 40.

ArianađŸ„€

Episode 2 Question 01: In this show it’s very important to be aware of the timeline and the effect it has on our character’s development. When the show begins they are teenagers and when they begin their relationship they’re freshly legal adults trying to navigate their stressful situations as influential celebrities. Now years have passed and they are young men. Do you think Ilya or Shane have changed and if so what do you think about their change? Question 02: Also to put things into perspective timeline wise with all the Russia talk this episode, although it was never acceptable or safe to be gay it was only made outwardly punishable by law in 2013, before the Olympics. What did you think of Ilya’s behavior while in Russia? He’s seemingly the one closed off now while Shane is the one trying to get him to open up. Question 03: That cafe scene with Carter(Scott’s teammate and Shane’s friend) seems to be the first time it even occurred to Shane that it would be unsafe for Ilya in Russia. A scene last episode that also suggests this was when Ilya mentioned he was going home soon Shane said “great” in a confused and exasperated tone seemingly not having it even cross his mind that Ilya might not want to go home. We see Shane in this episode trying to get Ilya to open up and he seems hurt when Ilya instead shuts him out. Do you think Shane went about it correctly or is there truly anything he could’ve done to get through to Ilya? Question 04: When Sasha propositions Ilya he quite strongly turns him down. Why do you think Ilya rejected him here instead of going along with it? Question 05: We see more of Ilya’s relationship with his father and Svetlana in this episode. After watching it has your opinion on them changed or do you have any new thoughts or theories about how those relationships may evolve in coming episodes? Question 06: The show doesn’t provide a translation in the subtitles but Ilya’s Russian shout while holding the cup after winning it translates to something along the lines of “For you, Mom!” or “This is for you, Mom!”. Ilya is someone we’ve seen be more egotistical than thankful when winning games so what does this “softer” happiness when winning show about his character in your opinion? We also only found out this episode that his mother has passed, is there anything to that Ilya backstory that you think we may or may not explore? Question 07: When Ilya wins the cup Shane’s face goes through many different emotions, which one’s do you think are most prominent? And what do you think about him being mostly blank until he’s not surrounded by teammates?(One of which I’m not sure if you picked up on it, used the term “cock sucking Russian” as an insult towards Ilya moments before this) Question 08: The bathroom scene although starting out vulgar is personally to me one of the most romantic scene’s in this show. The look on Shane’s face, the happiness to be talking to Ilya again, combined with the anger at their separation, and the sadness that it’s been so long. Him saying “wow” to how good Ilya’s English has gotten, it just speaks to me. How did you feel about it? And if you had to pick your own favorite scene from this episode which one would it be? Question 09: How did you feel about the use of Shane drafting and not sending messages as a way to narratively show his inner thoughts? My personal favorite book to show translation in the entire show is the ‘we didn’t even kiss’ text. In the book it’s written “He realized, when he was back in his room, that they hadn’t even kissed. He also realized, with horror, that he regretted that.” Both ways of saying it are heartbreaking to me.

roli

Episode 3 Question 1: You've now seen adaptions of two different books in a 6 book series (season 1 is just those two books). But there are many M&M hockey romance books out there (and they are often amazing). As far as I know, it's the most popular sub-genre of sports romance books. What do you think makes hockey "the sport" of choice for romance? Why not other sports that are more popular?

K

Episode 4 Question 1 We see Shane starting to catch feelings and getting his heart hurt back in episode 2, but fast forward a few years and he seems to have accepted the status quo. Do you think he would have had the tuna melt freak out if that scene had happened earlier in the timeline? Question 2 Between Ilya’s language barrier and tendency towards sarcasm, Shane’s neurodivergence, and both of them being young men who spend all their time in a professional sports environment, it’s not surprising their communication can be lacking. What do you think Ilya was trying to say on the couch and how do you think Shane took it?

Cole

Episode 3 Question 1: Did you have any indication from previous episodes that Scott Hunter was queer? When Scott’s USA teammate (Carter Vaughn) made that comment about Russia not being safe for queer people, Scott had met Kip four months ago. Question 2: What do you think of what Elena said to Scott? For some context, there has never been an openly queer player in the NHL in real life (or in this universe’s MLH). The very few queer men who have come out publicly in real life have been players in lower leagues. It is a very homophobic sport both culturally and within the bureaucracy of it all. With that said, I think in this particular context, that what Elena said to Scott was an astronomically huge ask, especially in 2013. I fully understand her want to protect her friend and to want them both to be able to be themselves and be happy, but I’m not sure that I would have done the same thing here. Question 3: There are very obviously many stark differences between Scott and Kip’s relationship versus Shane and Ilya’s. This episode covered so much of Scott and Kip’s relationship in just two months (four months if you include the scenes at the Olympics in Russia), and is able to get us all so invested with these characters we’ve only just met. On the other hand, Shane and Ilya met five years prior, and have been hooking up for about three years at this point, but they have never spent a night together, or really know much of anything about each other at all. What do you think of the importance to show two very different dynamics of relationships in this show? Question 4: (This one is more so regarding episode 2, but I think it highlights even more the many differences between Scott and Kip and Shane and Ilya) — Shane and Ilya both only call each other by their last names, which is both a show of the way that sports players refer to each other, but also provides Shane and Ilya some distance from from connection and intimacy between them by keeping it impersonal. What do you think of this choice to have them refer to each other this way?

K

There are actually no retired NHL players who are out. It’s the only one of the North American men’s pro leagues where that’s the case. It’s just the one AHL player, Luke Prokop, who made a lot of headlines as he was drafted and I believe was signed to an NHL contract at one point (although he never played an NHL game).

Cole

Ah yes you’re right, I’m gonna edit my question/comment. Thanks!! :)

Maria Hiendl

Episode 3: Question 1: The Episode focuses with Scott and Kip on two different people and a different pairing. Were you suprised by that? Question 2: Why do you think this episode is integrated in the show? (different main characters and all) What will be or is the "function" of this episode?

Jace Al

Episode 3 Question 01 What do you think about Kip’s friend (Elena) intervening like that during the fundraiser? As someone who relates to Scott’s situation, I was hoping to see him and Kip come to the realization themselves and then find compromise. Scott was fine with her knowing about them, so the idea that Kip could introduce him to his close friends and family might have been a good middle ground.

ArianađŸ„€

Episode 3 Question 01: This episode covers what is most of the first book in the series. Did you enjoy its placement in episode 3, or would you have preferred to see the two storyline’s simultaneously? Skip obviously came first in book 1, with Shane and Ilya’s “Heated Rivalry” being book 2. Question 02: Do you think Skip can work it out? If so what do you think they’d have to do in order to be happy together? Question 03: During that argument Shane’s full statement, which is partially cut away from fully reads: “F*ck you! Go home! F*ck you, p*ssy! Go home, you’re 45 years old! Yeah, you’re ancient! You’re a dinosaur! Ice your knees! Go throw some Voltaren on your back, you old man! Get the cane!” Scott’s actually only like 3 to 6 years older than them so it’s hilarious how they regularly call him old just because he’s an experienced and elite player whose been in it years longer than them and gives off dad/mentor energy. On that note what do you think about Shane’s behavior in this scene and the way they’ve both seemingly moved on from it and are hanging out as friends at the Olympics?

Elizabeth Gates

Episode 4 QUESTION 1: At the aquarium, Hayden references the fact that Shane was dating a girl at some point. The book is a little clearer about the fact that Shane does hook up with women over the years, even if he doesn't really like it. (He also hooked up with two other guys, but that's beside the point.) Shane always told himself that, at the end of the day, he'd end up married to a woman. He just hadn't found "the right one" yet. How much do you think Ilya's conversation on the couch might have reminded him that that's what he's "supposed" to be doing? Of the queer characters we've seen on the show, how would you rank them in terms of internalized homophobia? QUESTION 2: I've seen some other reactors say that Ilya doesn't have a "right" to be hurt about Shane and Rose because they weren't in an exclusive relationship. How much do you think this bias is because the show has mostly been from Shane's POV? I say this as someone who LOVES Shane, but, in many ways, Shane is doing the exact same thing Ilya did in Ep 2. He's freaking out over an intimate moment, called an end to things like Ilya did at the Olympics, and then stops communicating with him (although from the locker scene, it does seem like part of Shane does expect/hope Ilya will reach out still). How much do you think Ilya's dancing with the girl at the end was meant to incite jealousy vs. just show Shane he's "doing fine" after Shane essentially broke up with him? QUESTION 3: Throughout the show, there's been a pretty consistent pattern where Ilya retreats from Shane anytime his family gets brought up/involved. In this episode, he takes a minute to calm himself, touch his necklace (it's never specified in the show, but it's his mother's), and then goes back to snuggle Shane on the couch. Do you think this change stems from regular growth (he and Shane are in their mid-20s at this point instead of teenagers), a deepening of his relationship with Shane (they are texting about non-sexy things now and Ilya's apparently watching Shane Hollander documentaries in his downtime), some acceptance of how much Shane means to him, or some other fourth thing? QUESTION 4: Set-design-wise, the first episodes of this show involved Shane and Ilya always in hotel rooms that were usually dark or in places that are starkly and cooly lit, like the hotel gym or the ice rink. The afternoon at Ilya's house is one of the first scenes that is brightly and warmly lit, only for the show to go back to dark/night scenes by the end. How do you think this ties into last episode's theme of "You deserve sunshine." QUESTION 5: Do you place any significance on David Hollander telling Yuna "A princess, really?" when Shane got up from the table during the family dinner scene?

ArianađŸ„€

Episode 4 Question 01: We finally got more scenes with MY KING HAYDEN PIKE. How do you feel about his friendship with Shane? Hayden and his wife Jackie are really Shane’s main people besides his parents and yet Shane’s not fully open with them meaning he really has nobody to confide in about his sexuality since him and Ilya suck at communicating. What impact might that have on Shane in the long run? Question 02: Speaking of Hayden I’m not sure if you picked up on it but the budget was pretty minimal for this show and one of the most obvious showings of this is the fact that although we “see” his kids this episode they’re entirely off-screen imaginary kids. Another example would be the way they avoid showing crowds at interview panels and award shows so they wouldn’t need all those extras and at times cgi is used to fill in the crowd at the games. Have you picked up on anything yourself or is it beautifully hidden? Question 03: We see Ilya obviously frustrated this episode, one scene that stands out is him stubbing his toe and verbally showing anger. I’ve seen theorizing that he possibly hurt himself on purpose so that he’d just have an excuse to show his frustration. What do you think? Question 04: This episode we see Ilya attempting to open up and it leading Shane to panic and run. Who’s truly at fault for their current separation? Is the ball now in Shane’s court instead of Ilya’s, meaning Shane’s the one who has to take the leap to reconciliation? Question 05: I’ve seen reactors confused why Ilya’s so bothered despite him seeing others himself to him I believe that he recognizes that his flings are just flings but Shane doesn’t really do casual hookups meaning that for him it’s serious especially when you consider the fact that Shane hasn’t been officially with anyone besides Ilya (sorta not really) and the teenage ex-girlfriend he mentioned early in the episode. But is Ilya actually justified to feel this way considering his own f-boy ways? Question 06: Shane checks his messages from Ilya before the game making it seem like, to me at least, he was almost hoping or expecting that they would meet up despite him being in a relationship whereas Ilya distances himself by not messaging and fully ignoring Shane on the ice because he’s not a homewrecker and Shane’s publicly taken. Do you think if one of the boys had made a move the other would’ve folded? If so, which one? Question 07: We see more of Svetlana this episode do you think she knows or suspects that Jane is Shane? Or even just that Jane is a boy? Question 08: What do you think of Rose? Fun fact: she’s based on and modeled after an irl actor. Can you guess who? Question 09: Where does Hollanov go from here?