Ron Does Stuff

The previous episode saw things crumble between Shane and Ilya after Shane went out and got himself a girlfriend. We also saw the two of them “looking” at each other while not having sex with each other. What are we getting in this episode? Let’s see!

The first thing we see when the episode starts is Rose getting dressed after her time with Shane. And it sounds like Shane did not perform well, if you know what I’m saying. He attributes it to the stress of the season, but we know what’s stressing him out.

Or maybe we don’t, because Shane is on social media and he’s reading all the comments saying that he and Rose look perfect together. There’s definitely pressure there. Here’s the “perfect” relationship he’s probably been told he should have, but he’s not feeling it because who he really wants is a bisexual Russian menace. Ilya is also reading those comments and boy it must fuck both of them up.

There’s a hockey thing happening where Ilya and Shane might just play on the same team, according to the Man on the Crease podcast, and it looks like that’s stressing Shane out as well, on top of everything. And he’s not the only one that Man on the Crease is putting the pressure on, because Scott Hunter is getting some of that as well.

But for now, Shane doesn’t have to think about that, since he and Rose are out on a date and Rose is being very complimentary. She’s also dropping hints that her gay friend is in love with Shane, and that not a lot of actors are out. She then asks about openly gay hockey players and if Shane looked nervous before, now is the time to soil himself. Also, great work on Hudson’s part here because you can see the anxiety in his eyes. And when Rose — very gently! — asks him if he maybe is gay, the fear in Hudson’s eyes? Oh you are my widdle Wasian baby. AND THEN HE STARTS TEARING UP IN JUST ONE EYE FUCK I CAN’T DO THIS.

Shane and Rose break up on good terms, and props to Rose Landry because she really took all that in stride. Ilya, on the other hand, has maybe not taken Shane’s relationship with Rose Landry in stride because he’s taken up smoking again after probably stopping because Shane keeps telling him it’s bad for him. But since women really are just superior, Svetlana also has an inkling about Ilya liking Shane.

Okay, so the thing where Shane and Ilya will probably play together on is an All-Star Game, and during the weekend of that game, the two of them meet up at a bar. During the day. The conversation pretty quickly turns to asking each other if they brought anyone with them to the All-Star Game, and of course neither of them did. Shane even says he’s not looking to be managed at the moment.

And they just casually fall into that flirty fun conversation. MY GOD. GUYS GET YOURSELF TOGETHER CAN’T YOU SEE YOU’RE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER. And then the way Ilya looks at Shane when Shane says that he and Rose just weren’t compatible? LKNDFA. And then we get to see Ilya being good with kids and he and Shane being so good on the ice together? KILL ME NOW. Give the casting director a fat wad of cash because Hudson and Connor just have such great chemistry. THAT SCENE ON THE BEACH I AM SCREAMING INTO MY PILLOW.

The two of them arrange to meet up, but there is already a looming threat to their happiness as Alexei, Ilya’s deadbeat brother, is already calling him. But it looks like this isn’t going to be a booty call, because Shane asks Ilya about whether he feels the same way that he does. Shane comes out to Ilya, and can I just say that it’s kinda refreshing that it’s not played as some high drama moment? Especially since Ilya is obviously sexually advanced when it comes to being with guys.

And then we get this heart-wrenching conversation where Shane says he likes Ilya but circumstances beyond their control prevent them from becoming a thing. And thank goodness it’s not because of a girl. It’s because of Russia’s homophobia, which is still very much a thing even today in 2025. And Hudson and Connor do such a great job in this scene that I ACTUALLY CRIED. I wanna rock them in my arms and make sure everything is okay.

For a little bit of time it seems like everything is going to turn out okay! They have that playful banter back and Shane and Ilya seem to be in a good place. But then Ilya finally answers his brother’s phone call and now he’s not flying with his team to the next game. Shane is of course worried and we find out when Ilya finally calls him back that Ilya’s father has died. And Ilya keeps being flippant about all of it but we know that he’s got to be hurting.

And that hurt finally explodes when his brother confronts him about ~the plan~ now that their father’s dead. It’s a tough scene, and again, props to Connor for doing all of that in a language that isn’t even his! I don’t know if he was speaking good Russian, but basing it on the feedback from Russians online, seems like it was passable, to say the least! Also, I am just repeating what other Russians are saying online, but this is a layered representation of them from non-Russian media. I do wish that Ilya shared all of this with Shane, because how can Shane be a good partner to you if you don’t let him help you out when you need help?

BUT THE SHOW JUST SPAT ON MY FACE BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT ILYA DOES ON THAT PHONE CALL. He did it in Russian and Shane didn’t understand, but HE SAID I LOVE YOU TO SHANE. Connor Storrie you are so good to do all that in Russian. ALSO DO I REALLY NEED TO EXPOUND ON HOW DEVASTATING THAT PHONE CALL WAS. YOU ALL SAW IT.

AND THEN WHEN HE GETS HIT? THIS SHOW IS NOT GOOD FOR MY EMOTIONS YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH IT LIKE THIS. The accident removes him from the playoffs, but it does gives us that little scene with Ilya in the hospital and I know that getting asked to the cottage is a big thing in the book.

Both Shane and Ilya’s team end up crashing out of the tournament, but it’s Scott Hunter‘s team that ends up winning the cup, after decades. And it’s that victory that pushes Scott to do another historic thing — come out in front of the whole world and finally push Ilya to agree to go to the cottage with Shane.

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