1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Hi and welcome to K Let's Talk, the podcast where we break down 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,320 storytelling across books, television and film with a 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,480 special love for book to screen adaptation. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,800 Here we talk about craft, character arcs, structure, 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,320 dialogue, visual language, and the creative choices that shape 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,560 how a story lands. If you like thoughtful, 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,400 conversational, deep dives into the stories you can't stop 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,040 thinking about, you're in the right place. 9 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:34,120 Let's talk. Hello everyone and welcome back 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:39,160 to the podcast. This episode is going to be AQ 11 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:44,440 and a episode I had asked people over on TikTok and my Instagram 12 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,560 page for questions that they wanted me to answer about heated 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:54,240 rivalry since I've been doing very extensive breakdowns for 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,320 the past month plus. And obviously those discussions 15 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,360 incite more questions. And there were some really, 16 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,640 really great ones that people reached out to ask. 17 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,280 So I'm excited to dive into some of them. 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,160 I did receive so many that this will likely end up being a 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:18,080 two-part series of Q&A questions and answers. 20 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:23,600 So Please be patient, if you asked a question and it doesn't 21 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,160 show up in this episode, it will probably be in the next one 22 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,600 because there were so many good questions that I feel obligated 23 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:38,600 to respond to and want to give them proper answers which might 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,280 result in some wordy answers on my part. 25 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,960 I broke these down into categories so hopefully there 26 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,640 will be a good flow between these questions and my answers 27 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,280 as I work through them. And if there are any topics that 28 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,680 I cover that you want me to go into further detail or do a 29 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,600 deeper dive on, please leave me a comment. 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,440 And I will try and come up with some sort of medium, whether 31 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,440 it's on the podcast again or on my sub stack page or making an 32 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,000 actual video dedicated to it. I will try and do that because I 33 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,280 think that the storytelling and the way that this show is shot 34 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,240 incites so many great conversations about the 35 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,120 characters, character development, how much we're 36 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,960 being shown and not told and why it's so effective. 37 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,640 There's just so many avenues that you can approach so many 38 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,400 moments in the show and scenes in the show and greater themes 39 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,720 of this show as well. So thank you in advance to 40 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,360 everybody who submitted a question. 41 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,280 And without further ado, here is my heated rivalry Q&A. 42 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,040 So this question is how do I think Svetlana knowing about 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:52,320 Shane Effects season 2 seems like a big change and it's a 44 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,600 huge change. I agree because she is now a 45 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,400 pillar in Ilya's life that he did not have in the book as he 46 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,280 navigates through his depression in the long game. 47 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,840 I think that it's still unclear though that she definitely knows 48 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:14,240 that Jane is Shane, but it's heavily implied and I think that 49 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,680 her character arc has to change because of the foundation they 50 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,960 gave her in season 1. She doesn't have a lot of 51 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,560 involvement in the long game really only one scene and Ilya 52 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 thinks about her a few times. But I've already talked about on 53 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:33,440 TikTok how the changes they've made in the show, specifically 54 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,760 her being as close to Ilya as she is, and their love being 55 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,720 rooted in a childhood friendship and a friendship in general, 56 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,080 really adds to how she can be used in the storyline for Season 57 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,240 2. Because Ilya's isolated in the 58 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,680 long game, both physically and mentally. 59 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,760 Once he moves to Ottawa and joins a new team and he's 60 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,640 grappling with a lot of unresolved childhood wounds and 61 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,640 he ends up with a Russian therapist that he's able to 62 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,040 converse with in Russian, and he says it's been years since he 63 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,920 was able to speak to someone in Russian freely. 64 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:10,640 So that again, would imply that he hadn't been talking to 65 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,720 Svetlana at all since he moves to Ottawa. 66 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,320 What I think is a key difference in approach here is that 67 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,079 Svetlana tells Ilya she will always be there for him, however 68 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:26,280 he needs her in Season 1. And we also know she loves him 69 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:29,440 deeply as a person. And so I don't think him moving 70 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,120 to Ottawa, especially if she knows it's for Shane, would mean 71 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,800 that she would ever not reach out to him again or drift away 72 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,480 from him. She would probably be calling 73 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,040 and checking in. And I think that you can still 74 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,600 replicate Ilya's isolation, but actually have it be more 75 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,680 impactful if Svetlana is trying to connect with him and he pulls 76 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,280 away from socializing with everyone, but especially from 77 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:57,480 her. That to me is a really clear 78 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,280 sign that something is wrong, and one that Shane would also 79 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,840 likely pick up on given that he knows that at that point 80 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,760 Svetlana is someone Ilya is close to, would have married to, 81 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,440 get citizenship for, and has known since he was a kid. 82 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:18,440 So I think them being childhood friends makes everything 83 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,200 different inherently, but I also think Svetlana potentially 84 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,360 knowing about Shane changes a lot because she wouldn't be 85 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,440 absent from Ilya's life. She would know and understand 86 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,760 given how much she knows about hockey and hockey culture, that 87 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:40,400 him being with Shane, moving for Shane, leaving Boston to be with 88 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:45,600 Shane and play for Ottawa is a huge deal and I don't think that 89 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,120 they can omit her storyline given those facts. 90 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,600 This question is what's a scene from the heated rivalry book 91 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,520 that I wish made the cut in the show? 92 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,760 And when I was thinking about this, I realized it was less of 93 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:04,200 a lack of scenes, more lines of dialogue that I wish made the 94 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,320 show. But I also like the concept that 95 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,120 they probably still happened just off screen from the viewer 96 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,280 because they took place in more private moments shared between 97 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:19,760 Shane and Ilya that the show does not allow the viewer to 98 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,520 see. Once they shift the narrative 99 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,360 focus away from the sex scenes and they hold back those more 100 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:32,360 intimate moments on screen. And how that changes the dynamic 101 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,800 between the two characters from episodes one and two versus 456. 102 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,080 I think a lot of the dialogue that I wish I could see in there 103 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,880 would have taken place in those moments. 104 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:45,960 And so inherently we we don't get them. 105 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,760 I like a lot of the dialogue between Shane and Ilya when 106 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:55,920 they're on the phone while Ilya is in Russia, and specifically 107 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,160 the conversation they have about Ilya's necklace and his mother, 108 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,320 which we also don't see on screen. 109 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,160 I like a lot of the moments where Ilya is saying things in 110 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,040 Russian that Shane doesn't understand, but we as readers of 111 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,320 the book do. And I think that could have been 112 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,640 used in more impactful scenes, like the Vegas hotel scene in 113 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,320 Episode 2 where Ilya says why does it have to be you? 114 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,480 And we didn't get that, which I was kind of sad about, but 115 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:29,080 again, we cut away during the act, so he could have said it 116 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,120 still and we just didn't get to see it on screen. 117 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,400 I also think there's a really good passage where Shane and 118 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,320 Ilya are speaking on the phone that establishes their 119 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,560 relationship with hockey really clearly. 120 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,920 And Shane expresses that he's always viewed hockey as 121 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,920 everything to him, and Ilya has viewed it as an escape. 122 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,440 And how, to me, that's really important to know when fleshing 123 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:59,240 the two people out as characters within the world of the sport. 124 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,600 And it also ties into the dialogue they share over the 125 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,080 phone, where Ilya and Shane are talking about how Shane loves 126 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:11,320 praise, but Shane says Ilya loves praise too, and calls him 127 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,760 out for lying. When Ilya says he doesn't care 128 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,400 what people say, Shane tells him. 129 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,200 You love the awards. You love the fans and the press. 130 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,800 You love beating me and Ilya says I love beating everyone but 131 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,360 yes, you the most. And when Shane asks him why, 132 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,160 Ilya says because you are the best. 133 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,640 And that line is mirrored in the long game. 134 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,400 So I wish we had that inserted somewhere in Season 1 because I 135 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,600 think that would be a really great payoff and hopefully they 136 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,559 can still do it. But that was one I was missing. 137 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,960 I also think the conversation they have where they talk about 138 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:50,280 Shane being with other men is really impactful, and that also 139 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,600 didn't happen, but it comes up again in the long game. 140 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,480 So they can easily recycle that dialogue somewhere in Season 2, 141 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:00,120 even though we did not get it properly in Season 1. 142 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,360 This question is what's a scene from the long game that I wish 143 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:10,320 to see in Season 2 of the show? And I had a really hard time 144 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:15,400 narrowing down a specific scene because I think a lot of them 145 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,960 are really pivotal to the overarching story. 146 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,840 So yeah, it's hard for me to just pick one. 147 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,280 But I would say that the the most important thing for me that 148 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:32,840 I want to see in Season 2 is basically every moment between 149 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,840 Ilya and his therapist that we are able to get. 150 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,440 Because so much of what we learn about Ilya and why he behaves 151 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,200 the way he does in the long game is through those conversations 152 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,800 that he has with his therapist. They also take place spread out 153 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,360 throughout the book, so they mark really important parts of 154 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,400 the relationship development and story arc in a way that I think 155 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,240 is very compelling. And so using them in the show as 156 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:06,320 those markers is a great way to time stamp and contextualize how 157 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,120 their relationship changes and develops over the course of the 158 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,040 season. They also have all of their 159 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,080 meetings in Russian. They converse with one another 160 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,040 in Russian. And so yes, that would be a lot 161 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:23,920 more dialogue for Connor's story to have to learn and speak 162 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,240 Russian quite frequently in Season 2. 163 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:32,880 But again, I think it's really important to establish and and 164 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:38,480 keep that part of himself very prevalent in this depression 165 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:43,040 storyline because he's giving up such a huge part of who he is. 166 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:48,080 And these conversations with his therapist are the only window 167 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,040 into his past that we get. Because a lot of times he 168 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,200 doesn't allow himself to even have the memory of them when 169 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:59,680 he's thinking in his head. She pulls those thoughts out of 170 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:03,120 him. And So what we can get and learn 171 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:08,480 in those conversations not only recontextualize Season 1 and 172 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:14,480 also his behavior in Season 2, but paint a a more vivid picture 173 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,840 of who Ilya is and where he came from, his family life and how 174 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,360 that shaped him and all of those details. 175 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:27,480 For people who maybe don't understand trauma or attachment 176 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:33,080 theory or any of those psychological constructs that 177 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:38,600 are on display with these characters, having them framed 178 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,520 this way makes his motivations much clearer. 179 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:47,680 And you can understand how he navigates the world much clearer 180 00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:51,200 once you have these more long, drawn out conversations with his 181 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,600 therapist about his father and about his mother and about his 182 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:59,600 upbringing and about how he behaved from a very young age in 183 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,080 terms of his sexuality and hockey, how he feels about 184 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,000 hockey. And most importantly, he does 185 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,720 not communicate with Shane for much of the long game. 186 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,000 And so he bottles up his feelings inside and does not 187 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,200 express them to Shane, but he does pointedly tell his 188 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,840 therapist how he really feels. And so again, that as a 189 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,240 narrative device is going to be pivotal since the two of them 190 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,280 have a communication issue and do not communicate clearly with 191 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,160 one another. The therapist is who Ilya is 192 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,040 going to express his feelings to. 193 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,000 And we need to have all of those scenes in order to really 194 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,080 understand the gravity of what Ilya is going through. 195 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:47,240 This question is pretty significant and my answer is 196 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,920 going to be very long winded. I'll try to keep it concise. 197 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,680 It says I would love insight into which scenes from the long 198 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:57,880 game are essential to be included in Season 2, especially 199 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,640 if you feel it should be lifted from the book the way a lot of 200 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,640 season 1 was. A segment you feel is best to 201 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,720 leave out from the show would be great too, and I would love to 202 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,720 see your reasons why. So the long answer is a lot of 203 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,960 scenes I think are essential to be included in Season 2, and 204 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:20,040 most of them cannot be lifted directly from the book just 205 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:25,160 because much of the story is internal thoughts that Ilya 206 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,440 specifically is having. And so they're going to have to 207 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,920 come up with visual ways of telling that narratively and. 208 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,040 Put him in positions where his feelings and thoughts are on 209 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:41,280 display rather than omitting them just because their thoughts 210 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:45,400 and not spoken word so. That will be interesting to see 211 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:50,320 how many of these scenes are adapted, given the the necessity 212 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,800 of bringing them to life on screen visually because they are 213 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,360 thought heavy. I think the obvious one for me 214 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:00,080 is the wedding with the Pike kids. 215 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,840 That would be one that you could lift pretty closely from the 216 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,000 book. And I also love the Christmas 217 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,120 scene where Ilya gives Shane the photograph from their first ad 218 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,520 campaign in Toronto, because it's a deeply important scene 219 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,600 for their relationship too. I also really hope they're able 220 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:22,160 to bring Ilya's dreams of his mother to screen and same with 221 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,680 like I said, the conversations with his therapist. 222 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:30,720 I also love the dialogue of someone may notice my heart 223 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:32,880 eyes. That's something they think they 224 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:38,000 could lift right from the book. I think that Ilya snapping at 225 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,000 Shane about the documentary video and how Shane is 226 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:46,080 everything to Ilya but he can't say that in the interview is a 227 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,360 huge one that they could lift from the book and have it impact 228 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:54,400 us in the same way. I also think Ilya crying as 229 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,560 Shane drives back to Montreal is an important scene where he's 230 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,160 crumpled on the floor against the door because that's one of 231 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,280 the first moments where we really get to visually see Ilya 232 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,400 succumb to the emotions of his depression. 233 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,840 And I think that will be a big moment because it does happen 234 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,960 earlier in the story. I think Ilya looking through the 235 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:18,840 photos he took at the MLH Awards in his boring photo album is 1. 236 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,160 They could lift right out and would be really impactful. 237 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,160 Ilya going to the grocery store, the health food store, and 238 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:29,320 buying ingredients to cook dinner with Shane and the two of 239 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,200 them cooking their healthy dinner together in Ilya's house 240 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,920 is one that they could lift right from the book and have it 241 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,600 be a really successful domestic scene between them. 242 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,280 He also lights a candle on the table for their dinner together. 243 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,440 And I think that would be a really great thing to show on 244 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,360 screen because it's an example of how Ilya is as a partner and 245 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:54,160 how thoughtful he is without them having to spell it out. 246 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,040 I think that Ilya watching Shane's injury on the TV is a 247 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,880 big one. I think the conversations with 248 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,880 the commissioner, both that Shane has individually with him, 249 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:10,000 then Shane and Ilya have confronting him about Troy, and 250 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,240 then also the one after they're discovered. 251 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,200 So all three of those are going to be really important to 252 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,320 include. There's a phone call between 253 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,880 Shane and Ilya where they're apart and Shane asks Ilya to 254 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,120 talk to him in Russian while he falls asleep. 255 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,080 And I want that to be used as another sort of Russian 256 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,320 monologue moment. And there's also a scene where 257 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,920 Shane falls asleep at Ilya's on his couch before Ilya gets home 258 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,040 from a road trip. And the two of them go up to 259 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:42,080 bed. And Ilya is again succumbing to 260 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:46,840 a lot of his depression. And they try to initiate 261 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,880 intimacy, but Ilya ends up falling asleep. 262 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:55,200 And it's so sweet between them. But before Ilya falls asleep, he 263 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,480 is holding Shane's hand in a death grip because he missed him 264 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,800 so much and is so sad about how few and far between their 265 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,760 moments together are starting to become. 266 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:07,319 And I think that would be a really impactful scene for them 267 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,079 to include as well. I love the scene where they're 268 00:17:10,079 --> 00:17:14,760 in Ilya's gym and he talks about adding mood lighting or dimmable 269 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,520 lighting because it's important to Shane and so he wanted it to 270 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,119 be available to Shane in his own house. 271 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,040 There's a scene where Ilya is remembering a fight that he and 272 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,720 Shane had while Ilya's in therapy. 273 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,920 He's recalling it to his therapist, and Ilya had told 274 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,720 Shane early in their relationship that he could sleep 275 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,280 with other people in between their hookups if he wanted to. 276 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,920 And it sparks a larger confrontation for Ilya about his 277 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,600 feelings for Shane because Shane was so upset that he even 278 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,200 suggested that that he didn't speak to him for four days. 279 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,160 And then he confronts him about it. 280 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,800 And I think that that would be a really great, almost like a 281 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,120 flashback moment. Even if we don't have the 282 00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:59,760 visuals of it, I think it would be important for Ilya to share 283 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:01,760 that with his therapist. I think that would be a really 284 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,120 important moment to include. They also have a fight about 285 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:09,880 Ilya telling Troy that he's bisexual, and exploring that 286 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:14,360 fight in the aftermath of it is important alongside the I 287 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:17,960 Already Chose You Hollander scene because that's the first 288 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,720 one where Shane left feeling terrified. 289 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,640 And it also allows Shane to gain this perspective that he needs 290 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,160 in order to understand how Ilya has changed his whole life to 291 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,280 fit around Shane's. I think that Ilya admitting to 292 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,560 Shane that he has a Russian therapist because it's easier to 293 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:39,560 talk in Russian is important because in the book Shane has a 294 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,680 thought that he regrets not learning Russian fast enough. 295 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,640 So I think that would be a cool one for them to include. 296 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:50,640 The plane scare, obviously. Shane's proposal, obviously. 297 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,400 I think the All Star game hookup in the hotel is important 298 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,760 because it reminds the two of them of how they were before 299 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:00,760 this new phase of their relationship. 300 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,520 And this is actually the the moment where I I spoke on this 301 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:10,240 earlier, Ilya is telling Shane that Shane's always been the 302 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,120 better hockey player between the two of them. 303 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,760 And again, that's a great callback moment that they could 304 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,400 pay off if they really. Wanted to. 305 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:22,320 I think that some version of the Ilya and Svetlana conversation 306 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:27,360 needs to happen, because I think that that's very important, I 307 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:30,360 think. Shane being there for Ilya after 308 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:35,440 Troy comes out is a huge, huge scene because Ilya just falls 309 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,720 apart. And I also think Shane and Ilya 310 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,160 being discovered, the aftermath of that and Shane's reaction 311 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:49,080 within his team dynamics is important to include. 312 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,160 I think Ilya sobbing when he comes home from the playoff game 313 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,000 and admitting to Shane that he has depression is obviously 314 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,240 going to be in there. And then the end of the book 315 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:04,280 ends with them being at the cottage over the summer, Shane 316 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,680 signing with Ottawa, their wedding in Ottawa. 317 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,280 And within that, there's a few key moments like David and Ilya 318 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,160 having their conversation or Shane and Ilya getting ready for 319 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,640 opening night of their first season as teammates. 320 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,560 So that's basically the whole book, but. 321 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,840 Much of them are very important in order to, again, time stamp 322 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,760 places where the two of them are growing individually and also 323 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,320 growing together. But there's a handful in there 324 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:36,560 that you could lift right off the page and the adaptation 325 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,920 would be pretty close to 1 to 1. And I think those are going to 326 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,640 be impactful scenes. And then there's some that I 327 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,240 included in there that I think Jacob's going to have to rework 328 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,320 creatively. And I'm very excited to see how 329 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,040 he would accomplish that. So I want those included. 330 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,600 This question is. In the show, why do you think 331 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,800 Ilya doesn't text Shane back after the snowstorm? 332 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,560 I understand why he didn't in the moment, but there must have 333 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,560 been a new game day or something. 334 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,800 It just seems weird for them to have no contact for months. 335 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,600 So I think part of it is that he was preoccupied with Svetlana 336 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,520 and. She calls Ilya out for having 337 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,520 Jane's message on his phone. So if Ilya's trying to downplay 338 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,280 the secret and bury the idea of Jane being someone significant, 339 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,760 then he obviously wouldn't want to fuel that fire by being on 340 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,440 his phone and answering a text message in front of in front of 341 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,640 Svetlana. Then on top of that, I think he 342 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,760 would use that delay in responding to the message or 343 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,000 having to respond to the message as an opportunity to pull 344 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,000 himself together. Because we can see that he was 345 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,120 visibly disappointed and upset when the game was canceled and 346 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:51,400 that he couldn't see Shane, and that surge of feelings would be 347 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,840 foreign to him. So in an attempt to regulate 348 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,240 himself, again, I'd say that Ilya would very much try to 349 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,720 downplay the situation and put separation between him and the 350 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,200 emotions, and then by proxy, him and Shane. 351 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,800 So they at that point don't talk outside of planning hookups. 352 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,200 And I think for him, he's not going to start then. 353 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,480 But in terms of how the game being rescheduled would work in 354 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:18,040 the NHL, their schedules locked in over the summer and their 355 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,360 travel schedule is planned so far out in advance. 356 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:24,400 So if the NHL has to reschedule a game, they'll often try to 357 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,200 insert it into a gap in the calendar. 358 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,640 And sometimes that would mean a back-to-back game with the same 359 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,320 team since they would not have to add another trip to the 360 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,080 schedule. So that would mean the next time 361 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,400 they play Montreal, they'll probably just play them two days 362 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,480 in a row because they're already going to be there. 363 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:47,240 But in terms of continuity, you could make the argument that 364 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:51,360 this could be a continuity error because they may have been able 365 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:53,040 to play the game the following day. 366 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,360 We just wouldn't know that because it's never disclosed on 367 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,560 screen and this entire scene doesn't happen in the book, so 368 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,840 they leave that open-ended. But on the whole, I think that 369 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:09,160 Ilya probably got spooked by how upset he was that they couldn't 370 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:13,160 see each other. And in reaction to that, he 371 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,680 would pull away to try and deny those feelings and downplay 372 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,440 those feelings. And then in the moment I don't 373 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,800 think he answers because he is with Svetlana. 374 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,960 This question says it was unclear to me if Shane's place 375 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,880 in Montreal was actually the investment real estate that it 376 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,800 was in the book. I feel like that storyline that 377 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,800 Shane didn't want to have Ilya in his actual apartment is 378 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,360 pretty significant. Maybe it was hinted at and I 379 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:43,720 just missed it. So to me, this is likely because 380 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:48,200 of the budget and the production and trying to make the most of 381 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,200 the set designs and the cost of sets. 382 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:54,400 Because they seemed to streamline things and make 383 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,200 Shane's apartment be the place where they meet and then include 384 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,560 the line that he owns the one next door and rents it out to 385 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,080 nod at how it's written in the book. 386 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:08,520 And I do think that the way they emphasize that more impersonal 387 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,640 aspect of the apartment, which is really kind of the key in the 388 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:18,040 book, is that Shane says he had a designer pick out everything 389 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:22,760 in his room, and his room is very bland and impersonal to 390 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,040 reflect that. I think that the hookup building 391 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,360 in the book is meant to be impersonal, and that's a 392 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:34,440 conscious decision that Shane makes to separate Ilia from his 393 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:39,440 personal life in multiple ways. And so that line kind of again, 394 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,960 nods at that and how it's told in the in the book version. 395 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:48,400 Interestingly, we will have a whole new set of sets for Season 396 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,160 2, and both Shane and Ilya will have new homes. 397 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:53,280 So I'm excited to see how they look. 398 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,440 And I have already envisioned how Ilya's house in particular 399 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,360 will look in my mind. So I can't wait to see if I'm 400 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:03,320 close as to what it will look like and how I have envisioned 401 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,640 it in terms of the layout and stylistically what it will look 402 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,360 like. I have a very clear vision of 403 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:13,520 what I think it will look like. And I'm genuinely so curious how 404 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,560 they're going to use different sets in Season 2. 405 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,080 Because again, we're going to have very few sets from Season 1 406 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:21,640 that we will be revisiting again. 407 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,640 So it's exciting to think about how visually we're going to have 408 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,240 so many new and exciting places to explore alongside Shane and 409 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,320 Ilya. This question is you mentioned 410 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,240 Shane has autism slash autistic traits. 411 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,840 Is that something documented in the books? 412 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,040 I would say it's documented in how Shane is written and 413 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,720 represented. A lot of his thoughts and 414 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,640 tendencies and characteristics reflect his autism quietly. 415 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,920 But the author Rachel Reed has said that she wrote him as 416 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,960 autistic, but Shane himself as a character does not know that he 417 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,720 is autistic, which I actually think makes it all the more 418 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,520 compelling. This question was I have been 419 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,960 wondering. In episode 5, when Ilya is 420 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:08,000 packing, Svetlana says not to forget something for his niece 421 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,440 and he says he packed it. Why? 422 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,520 I thought he never wanted to see his brother again or go back 423 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,640 there. I know he had not decided yet to 424 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,600 go to the cottage, but still that bothers me. 425 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,640 So in the book, it's important to understand that Ilya doesn't 426 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:27,040 have that dialogue from the monologue over the phone. 427 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:31,200 And it's slightly different because in the monologue, he 428 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,880 resolves himself to the fact that he doesn't have a family 429 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,200 there and he doesn't have any real reason to return. 430 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:41,200 And without that family obligation, he can stay in the 431 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,160 States. In the book, he tells Shane he 432 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,720 doesn't want to come back here, whereas in the show, in Russian, 433 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,280 he says, I'm never coming back here again. 434 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:55,000 So interestingly, I think the show also makes more of a nod to 435 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,320 his niece being a reason why he would keep ties to Russia 436 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,800 because he sets up a trust for her and he's sending or bringing 437 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,720 things back for her. So that is something I hope they 438 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,600 explore in season 2 because it seems like a large reason behind 439 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,800 him even considering going back is that last familial tie that 440 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:17,160 he has there. And he's also close to Svetlana, 441 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,040 who is a childhood friend, and her father still lives in 442 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,120 Russia. So again, he could theoretically 443 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:27,760 go back and stay with her. Do I think that he wants to? 444 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,880 No. Do I think he would feel like he 445 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:32,800 has nowhere else to go? Probably. 446 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,400 I think that's more of it. I think that it's less of a want 447 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:40,320 or desire to go back to Russia and more of a drifting feeling 448 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,240 that he has felt his entire life and not knowing where to go or 449 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,760 anchor himself. And when he's upset about not 450 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,400 being able to go to the cottage, he doesn't want to sit in his 451 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,840 house alone all summer. Svetlana's going home to Russia. 452 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:57,360 He is closest to Svetlana. And so naturally I think that 453 00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:59,960 that would probably lead to him considering a trip back to 454 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:02,560 there. I do think that in the book, he 455 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:08,400 is alone when Scott kisses Kip on TV and so he doesn't have 456 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,000 this packing to go home moment. It's more of a thought that he 457 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,240 has in his head that he has nowhere to go and So what else 458 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:16,960 is there for him? And it's, it's not until the 459 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,880 kiss happens that he decides to go to the cottage. 460 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:25,480 And that's pretty much a a .5 second shift in his demeanor and 461 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,320 his desire. And he immediately forgoes a 462 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,960 trip home to Russia. So you can tell just in how 463 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,440 quickly he pivots that he never actually wanted to go back. 464 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,880 It was, it was never something he wanted to do, more of a lack 465 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:45,040 of anywhere else to go. This question is pretty dense 466 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:49,760 and so my answer is equally so. And the question is what does 467 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,240 Ilya's trauma bring to his relationship with Shane? 468 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:57,000 That's actually a strength and my answer is fairly long winded 469 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,280 but it has to be in order to explain it fully. 470 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:05,400 So due to the trauma that Ilya has sustained in his childhood 471 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,200 with his father being an abusive parent both verbally and it's 472 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,560 suspected and implied physically as well. 473 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,120 Ilia would have. Developed hyper vigilance and 474 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,240 that would shape his entire outlook on relationships, his 475 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,360 characterization on love, both romantic and platonic, and it 476 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,320 would also inform how his brain and his nervous system operate. 477 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,560 And that all informs his public persona versus his private 478 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,160 persona and also his emotional intelligence. 479 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,920 From a very early age, he would be hyper aware of both his 480 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,320 parents and his brother's moods and emotions, and he would have 481 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,920 to learn to read them very well in order to survive in their 482 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,400 household. And that's because from an early 483 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:53,640 age, he would have learned that his behaviors can directly 484 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,320 affect the outcome of a situation, both negatively or 485 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,480 positively. And he had a father whose love 486 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:06,680 and attention was very limited, but his praise or his insult was 487 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,680 conditional, especially in regards to hockey. 488 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:12,760 And we saw this during the draft scene and also during the 489 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,360 Olympics. But it's fleshed out further in 490 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,640 the book. Ilya knows his father will 491 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:19,480 always find fault in him for something. 492 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,240 If he is representing his country in a way that reflects 493 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:28,280 positively on his father, then Ilya is spoken about and to in a 494 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,400 way that reflects that. But when Ilya has acted in a way 495 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,360 that reflects poorly on his father and his country, he is 496 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,320 punished for it. There's no way for him to win in 497 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,840 any scenario, So Ilya would resolve to navigate that 498 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,240 relationship with his father in the least disrupting way 499 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,280 possible in order to protect his own peace. 500 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,200 And so if you imagine a young boy who has a depressed mother 501 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,200 and an abusive father, he would have learned how to try and 502 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,560 protect his mother in any way that he could because she would 503 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,680 have been powerless to his father. 504 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,880 And Ilya would likely try to find ways to keep her away from 505 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:10,440 him, but also to keep her happy or improve her mood de escalate 506 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,200 conflicts. And he would use himself as a 507 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:18,640 way to regulate her emotions. And doing that would require him 508 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,720 learning her behaviors and observing her very closely. 509 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,680 So he would have created his own list of behaviors and tactics 510 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:30,200 that he himself could implement when needed in order to help his 511 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,040 mom. And he does the same thing with 512 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,800 his brother. In many ways, Alexi is the best 513 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:39,120 example of how self sacrificing his childhood made Ilya. 514 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:43,080 And when he finds his mother and is told to lie about the 515 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,200 circumstances surrounding that event, even though he knows the 516 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,000 truth but is made to lie, he's so young at that point that he 517 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,000 likely internalized much of that event. 518 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,240 His fault somehow. His brother also harbors a deep 519 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:58,160 hatred for him that would inform that feeling as well. 520 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,560 And because the environment he grew up in, both in his 521 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:06,320 immediate family and in Russia, inform his family first behavior 522 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,640 and mentality, it's not surprising that once he finds 523 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,800 success, he becomes the person that everyone expects to support 524 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,600 them without question. And that bleeds into much of his 525 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:18,520 life. And we see that most clearly 526 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:21,560 with Shane in the long game where Ilya truly believes that 527 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:26,960 love is sacrifice and he is willing to put his own feelings 528 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:31,200 and well-being aside in order to make Shane or his mother or his 529 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,280 father or his brother content and to appease them. 530 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,120 And his needs are last. That's something he would have 531 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:42,640 learned indirectly and he feels most comfortable in his own 532 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,160 brain when he puts himself last because his brain was 533 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,240 conditioned that way. This is what leads him to being 534 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:53,120 so hyper attentive with Shane. On a small scale. 535 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:57,760 You can see that in ways like how quickly he learns Shane's 536 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,800 personality, how he needs to be communicated with and spoken to 537 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,360 and loved. So Ilya's hyper attentiveness 538 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,920 means that he studies people and then adapts to their needs. 539 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,960 And he has studied Shane for years, so he's learned his 540 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,320 quirks and how his brain works. He's asked him very pointed 541 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:20,280 questions to better understand his patterns, and that makes 542 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,840 Ilya a very generous lover and partner because he genuinely 543 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:28,000 knows Shane and makes an effort to never stop getting to know 544 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:29,920 and learning him. And he loves him. 545 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,720 And that incites that behavior because he's constantly trying 546 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,840 to improve Shane's life, push him to be brave, and stretch 547 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,720 outside of his comfort zone so that Shane can comfortably 548 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,720 navigate the world without the fear that Ilya has observed 549 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,720 within him. And Ilya wants to help him grow 550 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:54,120 into his confidence and security and feel secure in who he is. 551 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:58,280 Because Ilya knows how special he is, and he wants Shane to 552 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,240 feel that too. He wants him to be free of the 553 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,080 mental burdens and limitations he places on himself. 554 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,600 And so he shows Shane how to move through his anxiety by 555 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,719 going into the anxiety alongside him and then giving Shane the 556 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:17,880 tools to make his overwhelm feel smaller, and then navigate 557 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,040 through those challenges on his own in a way that's healthier 558 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,920 and makes sense to him. That bleeds into things like 559 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,639 Ilya knowing what Shane's favorite drink is. 560 00:34:27,639 --> 00:34:31,239 The ginger ale, always making sure it's available for him, 561 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,120 putting dimmable lights in his own gym because Shane uses them 562 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,600 in his own home, buying food at the grocery store that will 563 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,080 appease his current diet. On the larger scale, it shows up 564 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,920 in Ilia giving up Russia to go to the cottage and be with 565 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,000 Shane. It's Ilia leaving Boston for 566 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,360 Ottawa and essentially imploding his hockey career in order to be 567 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,199 closer to Shane. It's Ilya hiding their 568 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:58,840 relationship for longer than he wants to and in a way that he 569 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,760 doesn't feel great about because that's what Shane wants and how 570 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,600 Shane can feel most comfortable. It's Ilya hiding his mental 571 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:08,800 health struggles because he doesn't want to burden Shane 572 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,960 with them. It's hiding that he's going to 573 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,440 therapy from Shane. They all compound in more 574 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:19,640 serious ways in the long game, but it's a strength that Ilya 575 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,400 has. His hyper vigilance because it 576 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,680 makes him so attuned to Shane's needs and wants and feelings and 577 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:30,280 emotions, but it's weakened by his inability to communicate and 578 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,680 identify those same things within himself. 579 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:37,240 Once he works through those hurdles and starts to accept 580 00:35:37,240 --> 00:35:41,240 that he's not going to come last with Shane like he had within 581 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:46,520 his own family, he is able to target those positive attributes 582 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:50,880 in a healthy way that benefits Shane and Ilya both, not just 583 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:55,800 Shane at the cost of Ilya. This question is multi part so 584 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:59,240 I'll do my best to answer it. It says I'd love to hear your 585 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,080 insight into Shane and Ilya's emotional awareness and 586 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,320 availability and its growth or lack, if any. 587 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,720 How do they differ and how they show love? 588 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,400 Are there any misconceptions you've seen people have about 589 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,600 their relationship? So I would say both Shane and 590 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,520 Ilya hold mirrors up to one another throughout this story 591 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,920 and the series, and that is how and why they are both able to 592 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,960 grow in general. They're only 18 at the start of 593 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:27,400 this series and the book and still very much learning how 594 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,560 they navigate the world, who they are, what they stand for, 595 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:34,120 what they believe, how they wish to be perceived versus how they 596 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,680 present themselves. They also don't know, you know, 597 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,600 how much value they place on their own thoughts, feelings and 598 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:44,400 emotions. And I think there's a lack of 599 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,800 conviction or sense of self in both of them when they meet at 600 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,200 such a informative age. But because they meet when they 601 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,640 are so young, they also actively shape a lot of those qualities 602 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:58,400 and outlooks in one another since they're hidden and 603 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,560 forbidden. Relationship is an enormous 604 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,000 mental and emotional pillar in both of their lives. 605 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:08,120 I think they each show up and are emotionally aware of and 606 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,280 available to different things early on in their dynamic, and 607 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:15,840 that shifts over time. So Ilya's emotional awareness 608 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,160 and intelligence is arguably much higher because of his 609 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,240 childhood and his hyper vigilance. 610 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,120 Even though he is programmed to repress his own emotions and 611 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:29,040 needs, he is hyper aware of the needs and emotions of those 612 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,440 around him. That makes him charismatic and 613 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:35,920 alluring and interesting to everyone he meets and interacts 614 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:40,080 with, and he can adopt the personality and persona needed 615 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:44,160 to navigate a conversation with anyone, and he can shift in and 616 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,360 out of those personas very easily and quickly. 617 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:50,240 I think Ilya is someone who can play the role needed for any 618 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:54,080 scenario, but he struggles with Shane because Shane simply wants 619 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,840 him to be himself without the Shields and the walls he uses to 620 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:02,360 keep himself safe. And that makes Ilya less 621 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:05,440 emotionally available when it comes to sharing things about 622 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,000 himself. But he thrives off of Shane 623 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:12,960 being available to him and because of that, being in such 624 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:18,120 direct opposition to himself. It pushes Ilya outside of his 625 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:22,720 comfort zone overtime, and he envies Shane's ability to be so 626 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:25,240 honest. I think that's equality in him 627 00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:29,240 that he finds really attractive because it's in such opposition 628 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:33,280 to how Ilya is. Shane being autistic means that 629 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,160 he's very literal and open with how he feels and thinks. 630 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:40,560 He's very honest because he can't mask in the same ways that 631 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,200 Ilya can. And so even when he is 632 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,880 attempting to hide his emotions and feelings from Ilya, Ilya is 633 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:51,200 a master at pulling information out of him and can disarm him 634 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:54,520 very quickly. So as Ilya continues to do that 635 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:59,120 to Shane, who very much operates under the guise that if he's in 636 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,800 control, everything is OK and that's the only way his nervous 637 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:07,560 system can feel safe, Ilia is able to show Shane that he can 638 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:10,960 still be safe when he lets go of the control. 639 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:15,320 And Ilia inches Shane further and further outside of his 640 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,680 comfort zone. And he does that in a way where 641 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,680 Shane still feels like he's in control. 642 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,840 And that starts within their sexual relationship and then 643 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:26,400 steadily starts showing up in their actual relationship. 644 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,320 Which we can see in the finale as Shane's able to work through 645 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:34,200 his anxiety attack with Ilya there as a support system, but 646 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,360 then face a very scary task of telling his parents about 647 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,240 himself. And it's in a way where Ilya 648 00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:44,040 takes a backseat and let's Shane dictate exactly how the 649 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,840 conversation is going to go. And he encourages him quietly 650 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,760 and empowers Shane to use his words and do the thing that 651 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:56,240 scares him because he has Ilya saying to him, you're brave. 652 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,320 And Ilya empowers him to be brave. 653 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,760 So again, I think Shane as a partner is much more open faced 654 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:03,680 as Connor story had described him. 655 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,080 And his autism makes him a more literal communicator. 656 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,480 But his anxieties and inner conflicts in the early parts of 657 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:11,680 their relationship when they're young. 658 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:16,000 Hunger and the fear of what his feelings for Ilia might mean 659 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:20,800 make him far more avoidant of communication in those early 660 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:24,520 years and episodes that depict the start of their relationship. 661 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,360 He wants Ilia but doesn't know what to do with that 662 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:31,320 information, and he needs to form safety around a situation 663 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,560 in order to exist honestly within it. 664 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,480 And since he can't given the optics of their relationship, he 665 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,920 often keeps his thoughts internal and denies himself what 666 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,720 he wants by putting up boundaries that help him keep 667 00:40:44,720 --> 00:40:48,560 Ilya close but maintain an emotional distance because he 668 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:52,560 thinks he needs that in order to operate within their framework. 669 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:57,000 Shane also has a deep internal conflict about who he is and how 670 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,640 he identifies himself, and that shapes a lot of his interactions 671 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,720 with Ilya and the world around him, because he cannot fully be 672 00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:07,640 himself. And so he tries so hard to will 673 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:11,280 himself into becoming the person he feels obligated to be. 674 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:16,120 But over time, he realizes that he wants Ilya enough to ask for 675 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,720 it and fight for it in a way that makes it happen. 676 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,320 And in turn, he starts to show up as a partner who validates 677 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:27,840 Ilya, listens to him deeply and intently, makes him feel seen 678 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:32,120 and valued and respected. Who celebrates him, supports him 679 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,200 as he works through his own traumas and hang ups, and 680 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:39,400 encourages Ilya to communicate with him in episode 5 And makes 681 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:42,880 him feel safe enough to do so by fostering an environment where 682 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,960 Ilya's vulnerability is rewarded and celebrated. 683 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:49,560 That ability to make Ilya feel safe is what makes Shane a 684 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,680 perfect partner for him. Shane's directness and his 685 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:56,640 earnestness and his honesty, along with the care and effort 686 00:41:56,640 --> 00:42:00,680 he puts into the time they spend together at the cottage and his 687 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:03,880 clear communication that Ilya means more to him than just 688 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:05,880 their sexual relationship relationship that's all 689 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,560 monumental in Ilya feeling safe and understood and loved for who 690 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,440 he is and not for what he provides. 691 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:17,400 Ilya had used sex largely as an escape and a release since he 692 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:23,240 was age 14, and his relationship with that was very transactional 693 00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:26,680 up until Shane makes him see that his value is not dependent 694 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:30,760 upon any of that in order for Shane to love him. 695 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:33,960 Shane's affection in love is not conditional. 696 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:38,720 This question is thoughts on the change to the tuna melt scene 697 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:42,640 where Shane initiates the sex post phone call. 698 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:46,040 So yes, in the book Ilia initiates this on the couch 699 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:47,840 after he comes back into the living room. 700 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:51,040 But I do actually prefer the show change because it serves 701 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:55,440 multiple narrative functions and is used in a way to better 702 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,400 convey a lot of the inner dialogue and feelings that these 703 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:01,600 two characters have in the book. Shane thinks to himself multiple 704 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:08,040 times that Ilya's behavior is to tender, new, indulgent, 705 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,800 dangerous, weird, unfamiliar, adorable. 706 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:15,480 Those are some of the words I pulled out of the scene. 707 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:17,480 And he's so. Used to their dynamic being 708 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,520 rooted in sex, that Ilya venturing outside of that 709 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:24,240 framework really freaks him out. It would make sense for him to 710 00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:28,840 try and regain control by moving things back into that framework, 711 00:43:29,240 --> 00:43:32,680 and he has grown to feel safe within that framework. 712 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:37,880 So the show adds more layers to this by having Ilya give Shane 713 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,880 his own clothes to dress in. Shane had asked if they wanted 714 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:45,520 to order takeout before Ilya makes him food in the book, 715 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:48,240 whereas in the show they don't include that part. 716 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:51,040 But there's a passage in the book where Shane thinks to 717 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,920 himself, whatever they were to each other, they weren't 718 00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:56,520 boyfriends. He knew how to behave around him 719 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:59,560 when they were naked and pressed against each other, and he knew 720 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:02,520 how to play against him on the ice, but just hanging out with 721 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,640 their clothes on was uncharted territory. 722 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:07,840 When Ilya pulls Shane against his chest, Shane has a thought 723 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,840 that resting against Rozenov like this, in his home, watching 724 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:15,720 hockey, full of the food he had just made him, this was exactly 725 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:17,320 what they weren't supposed to be doing. 726 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:20,840 This is what couples did. But it feels so good to Shane 727 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:24,240 that in the book he doesn't resist till Ilya initiates. 728 00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:28,440 So in the book, Ilya is behaving in a way that is described as 729 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:32,600 gentle and patient. So then Shane ramps things up a 730 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:36,440 notch because him being gentle and patient is so unfamiliar. 731 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:40,760 And Shane also says the line, why do I need this so much out 732 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:43,400 loud in the book? And Ilya says need what? 733 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,760 So that wasn't included in the show version of the scene 734 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,040 either. When Ilya says Shane's name 735 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:52,120 while they're waiting for their hearts to stop racing, Shane in 736 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,800 the book thinks to himself that his heart would never stop 737 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,680 racing racing again because Ilia called him Shane and they were 738 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:02,840 both looking at each other with the same terror that Shane felt. 739 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,960 So he automatically responds to Ilia, and Ilia kisses him right 740 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:10,000 away in a different way than Shane is used to. 741 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,280 He describes it feeling like an apology. 742 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:17,000 Then after Ilya is stroking Shane's back and Shane's hands 743 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:20,720 are on Ilya's face and Shane doesn't know what to do, so he 744 00:45:20,720 --> 00:45:24,080 goes into flight mode. And in the book, Ilya doesn't 745 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:27,320 just say Hollander. Shane says I can't, we can't. 746 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,920 This is trails off. And Ilya says this is nothing 747 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:34,400 Hollander, which further hurts and confuses Shane because he 748 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:37,200 thinks to himself, Hollander, you just called me Shane. 749 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:43,240 So I definitely think the show changes this for a narrative 750 00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:45,720 reason, because a lot of what's going on in the scene in the 751 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:49,240 book is internal and it's not verbalized fully, so it would be 752 00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:54,440 hard for them to convey the exact motions and thoughts in 753 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:57,240 the book to screen. But putting Shane in that 754 00:45:57,240 --> 00:46:01,040 position where he's the one trying to bring the dynamic back 755 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:05,320 to what's familiar, I think conveys the loss of control he 756 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,320 feels in the book. And how he's thinking about this 757 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:12,120 is weird, this is dangerous, this is unfamiliar, this is 758 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:14,320 indulgent. And at some points, he even 759 00:46:14,320 --> 00:46:17,720 thinks this is adorable, but he's again, used to their 760 00:46:17,720 --> 00:46:22,880 dynamic being rooted in sex. So Ilia is venturing outside of 761 00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:25,480 that framework. And that is ultimately what 762 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,640 scares Shane. I think I'm going to break this 763 00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:32,320 into a Part 2 at this point because I have a lot of great 764 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:34,480 questions left. But they kind of should be 765 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:37,680 grouped together, I think, in a separate episode. 766 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,960 So we're going to end the Q&A Part 1 here. 767 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:45,120 And I will do a second one breaking down the rest of these 768 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,200 questions. I want to thank everyone who 769 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:50,480 sent a question in again for putting so much thought into 770 00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,880 what you're asking me. And there's so many inventive 771 00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:58,360 angles that people are approaching the story and 772 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,400 thinking critically about it, which I think is really fun. 773 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:06,360 And hopefully you enjoyed this half of the Q&A and my responses 774 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,560 to some of your questions. And I'm excited to do the part 775 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:11,280 too. So be sure to come back for 776 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:13,960 that. And again, if you have any 777 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,480 additional questions or topics you want me to break down, 778 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,680 please leave them for me on any of my socials. 779 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:25,080 I love discussing this stuff. I think it's great to have long 780 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:27,720 form content where we can flesh things out in this way. 781 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:32,360 So I will be back for Part 2 and I look forward to talking about 782 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:34,160 the rest of these questions with you guys.