Ron Does Stuff

The previous episode was supposed to be a breather from Shane and Ilya’s heartbreaking “We didn’t even kiss” moment, but then we saw Scott and Kip unable to work things out between them. Are we getting our hearts wrecked again in this episode? Let’s see!

I don’t know about getting our hearts wrecked, but Shane is definitely getting wrecked on the ice. I don’t know a lot about hockey, but losing 4-1 doesn’t look good. It doesn’t help that Ilya continues to trash talk Shane on the ice after emotionally devastating him in Las Vegas.

They still continue their texting despite all of that and THE WAY I SCREAMED WHEN THEY HAD THAT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HOCKEY POUNDINGS AND ~POUNDINGS~. YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT I MEAN. And then the soft smile on Ilya’s face when it’s Shane who wins the Cup this time around? In fact, I don’t think that the two of them are noticing that the fondness is growing in between the sex, because pretty soon they’re the only things either one of them is looking forward to.

Of course, real life is going to squeeze itself in soon enough, and this time it’s Shane’s teammate Hayden, who’s about to have his fourth kid. Hayden’s asking when Shane’s going to be on the family way, and of course, Shane can’t say he’ll be making babies anytime soon because he’s got Ilya’s babies swimming inside of him. Hayden’s trying to set him up with one of his wife’s friends and I don’t know if this was intentional or just because of budget constraints but I love the always off-screen children. I think it’s hilarious!

Over in Russia, Ilya is watching one of those personality documentaries that sports media likes to do? I think they already insinuated it in episode two for the non-book readers, but they make it clear in this one that what Svetlana and Ilya have is more of a friends with benefits situation, with no emotional attachment. Just like Hayden does to Shane, Svetlana is pushing Ilya towards a relationship. And Connor Storrie’s face when she asks about ~Jane~? Delicious.

AND THEN SHANE STANDING AROUND LIKE A WIDDLE BOY ASKING BIG BRO HAYDEN FOR PERMISSION TO GO OUT? WHO’S A CUTE WIDDLE BOY. WHO’S A CUTE WIDDLE BOY.

He is definitely not a little boy once he meets up with Ilya, who has definitely enjoyed some economic success because that house? AND THEN BOOM SHANE RIDING ILYA. It is a good thing I live alone like a hermit and have cement walls because I don’t think anyone can hear me screaming. I don’t think I can even screenshot this for the blog!

But I do like how they’re having sex in more lighted places now, not just because everything’s ~clearer~, but also because I think it’s reflecting how the dynamics between them have changed? What’s happening between them is becoming a little clearer, although they’re still refusing to admit it. Even the people around them are noticing the dynamic “Jane” and “Lily” have. AND THEN ILYA ASKING HIM TO STAY AND THE LITTLE HITCH IN SHANE’S VOICE? FUCKING KILL ME. THEM WAKING UP SPOONING EACH OTHER? FORK ME.

We then get that tense couch conversation while Shane’s eating Ilya’s tuna melt. I haven’t read the book so I don’t know their inner monologue, but it’s fascinating the layers that conversation operates on. Is Ilya coming off as ~cavalier~ about his other romances with women because he’s cocky, or is it because English isn’t his first language? And as we see with that conversation with his father and Alexei, the confidence is clearly a front that he puts up because there are parts of his personal life that he keeps personal in much the same way that Shane does. ALSO ILYA HAS HIS HAND DOWN HIS PANTS DURING THAT WHOLE COUCH CONVERSATION.

AND SPEAKING ABOUT SHANE. That repression? That attachment that he thinks he’s hiding so well? That little flashes of joy when there’s something that passes between them and Ilya? Him raising the volume on the television so he doesn’t hear Ilya’s phone conversation, even if it’s in Russian? BURY ME IN THE ICE.

AND THEN SHANE JACKING BOTH OF THEIR DICKS AGAINST EACH OTHER OH OKAY. ILYA SPITTING ONTO SHANE’S HAND. THE SCREAM I SCREAMED? THEN ILYA CALLS HIM SHANE AND NOT HOLLANDER? AND YOU ALL ARE GETTING ALL CAPS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I’M FEELING AS I’M WATCHING IT.

When Shane panics afterwards, I’m guessing he felt that intensity too. It’s a nice shift from “We didn’t even kiss”, because now I think he’s being confronted with the reality of him being in love with a man and I don’t think Shane can handle it right now. I like the hitches that Hudson does with his voice? Small thing, but effective!

The show really knows how to twist the knife because after Shane having a little mini breakdown with Ilya, we get this tense conversation with his parents. The “too white?” comment was perfection. And for those who still haven’t caught on four episodes in, they’re seeing now how regimented Shane’s schedule is and how he spends all his time off with Ilya. AND THEN SHANE’S FACE WHEN HIS MOTHER UNINTENTIONALLY CLOCKS HIM WHEN SHE SAYS LYING ISN’T WHO SHANE IS? THE EMOTION ON HUDSON’S FACE?

JJ gets Shane out of his house after that, and SHANE, BABY. That bartender is flirting with you. OR MAYBE I’M STUPID BECAUSE HE WASN’T. Is this why I’m single? BUT SERIOUSLY THAT BARTENDER WAS GIVING FLIRTY VIBES. By accident, Shane finds himself in the same booth as Rose Landry, a famous actress, and they hit it off! Also, I want fries now.

Of course, I have to talk about the Asian part of the conversation because I am, last time I looked, am Asian. And I can’t speak for the experience of diaspora Asians, but Shane’s experience does seem like it reflects what I’ve heard and read from diaspora Asians. I haven’t read the book so I don’t know how it’s tackled there, but this scene does deliver on Jacob Tierney’s statement that Shane’s Asian background isn’t ignored. I can’t find the specific cut of it but you can watch the whole Q and A below.

It was also heartbreaking to hear him talk about how hockey stopped being fun and started to become intense.

I can’t really blame Shane and Rose for dating because they did hit it off! But ILYA. Oh Ilya. He is not happy. Especially since it looks like Shane is genuinely making Rose happy! I also like how the show has got the audience on some Pavlov shit because when the phone beeped before the start of the match between Montreal and Boston, I fully expected it to be Ilya and it was Rose instead. And this new tension affected their game, with commentators asking where Shane and Ilya were during it.

Ilya’s team lost, but he’s also pissed about the Shane situation, so he goes out with the team to a club…where Shane and Rose are celebrating a meh win from Shane’s team. And they have t.A.T.u. playing on the speakers? Oh, this show was definitely directed by a homosexual.

AND THEN THE FUCKING DRAMA OF IT ALL AS SHANE AND ILYA SEE EACH OTHER IN THE CLUB. THE SIDE OF ME THAT LOVES MESS IS EATING. Also I can’t believe I’m saying this but the heterosexual sex is a nice break from all the gay sex. ALSO THAT FINAL SCENE WHERE SHANE AND ILYA ARE “LOOKING” AT EACH OTHER? BITCH.

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