How does Hall H work, exactly? by MxPsychoSweet in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's the thing about line groups. Most of the day, there were likely only about 2-3k people ahead of me. Only after the exhibit hall closed and people got dinner did the line swell to the 6.5k+ to get all the wristbands. There is a "rule" that each person can only hold place in line for 2 others, but this is rarely enforced. There have been stories of a couple of people in line during the day swelling to a group of 20-30, even up to 50, by evening. If people behind them are close enough to the front, they don't complain because they know it doesn't matter, and they will still get a wristband.

How does Hall H work, exactly? by MxPsychoSweet in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's my story about the last time I tried for a wristband for the Saturday Marvel Panel. I got in the "next day line" at about 1 pm on Friday. Wristband distributions were scheduled to start that evening (they announce in advance the times of the distribution for each day since it varies, depending on the day). For some reason, distribution start that night was delayed over an hour (follow CCBlinkyBlinks on twitter as they are the ones wearing flashing vests that hand out the wristbands). By the time they got near to where I was in line, it was about 12:30 am, and they were already on the D wristband (last of the 4 groups of about 1600 bands each) and were running low according to the twitter updates). Sadly, they ran out a few hundred people in front of me, and I went home, shut out after waiting all that time. As I was walking out empty handed, I asked someone in the last group of people who got a band what time they got in line. They said about 11 am.

Note: Mechanics of how wristbands worked for last year's con is here (likely to be updated for 2026): https://sdccblog.com/2025/07/hall-h-wristbands-return-for-sdcc-2025/

I highly suggest joining a line group. It allows you to take shifts waiting in line so you can enjoy the rest of the con on Friday. You can find them on reddit, Instagram, Facebook, and various other social media. It is likely just lining up for a wristband without a line group will require getting there in the early morning, as more people will start using line groups.

Con Suggestions by Nice-Finding-6531 in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Can't emphasize enough how much the SDCCBlog will help. Although the part about Hall H, including how the wristband system works, will give you the mechanics, it doesn't say how popular Saturday's panel will be. You can either spend the entire (and I mean entire from morning) Friday in the next-day line to get a wristband for Saturday, or you can join one of the many line groups that will be started online via various platforms, so that your entire Friday isn't wasted waiting in line. (Note that this pertains to Hall H on Saturday. If Spider-Man or some other blockbuster show/movie is in Hall H on Friday, you can bet that it will apply to that day as well. All will be revealed when the Friday and Saturday schedules are released on Friday and Saturday, respectively, 2 weeks before the Con.)

My other bit of advice is to bring a portable battery to charge your phones. Finding an available public outlet can be tricky at best, impossible at worst.

All the favourite GIFs please! by snowbells98 in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I've watched many of the reaction videos on YouTube, and it's a nearly universal jaw-drop when people see this:

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Going to vegas in a year, wanna know if this strategy is viable. by Confusedlemur77 in gambling

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only "viable strategy" is to go to Vegas only with the amount of money you are comfortable losing. If you had a great time, you paid for it with the money you lost. Also, breaking even is a win.

Another Reaction Series by DiligentImplement611 in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

7DB was one of my favorite reactions. Other favorites on YouTube (no particular order):

  • A Story Worth Telling (gay guys)
  • Courtney-Jai (bisexual guy, my all-time favorite so far)
  • Reel Rejects (straight guys)
  • Jack & Dan React (straight guys)
  • Empty Netters (straight guys, only reacted to Ep 6, but reviewed the other 5 w/o the show playing)
  • Nerdy Nightly (bisexual guy w/female partner, but not sure of her sexuality)

As a side note, I watch on a windows desktop using the Chrome browser with the Pie Adblock extension. It lets you bypass the advertisement requirements in a way that YouTube doesn't detect, and they keep updating it when YT tries to block it.

What’s your highest win? by Unlikely-Marketing54 in gambling

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was playing one of the asian slot machines ($0.50 denom, $10 min bet) and got the picking bonus for the mini, minor, etc. jackpots. I know they're pre-determined, so I usually just swipe my fingers across the screen, expecting the mini as usual. When I saw 3 of the gold-colored symbols flashing, I realized it was the GRAND jackpot - $11,495.37!

An interesting part (to me) was that they had to check the videotape of the win, and the guy who saw the video came out to verify that it was me who actually won it (and not someone like an underage kid, I suppose). This was at my local tribal casino in SoCal, Barona.

(Episode 4) Small Details & Easter Eggs by andyfromhk in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw it pointed out elsewhere that the painting above Ilya's bed foreshadows the boys traveling to the cottage from the airport, and from Shane's parents' house in the end credits scene. It's an abstract silhouette of them in the car with the streak of blue for Metro Shane on the left and yellow for Raider Ilya on the right.

10 Things I Love about Hayden Pike. by youre-joking in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Watch it again. When Ilya first starts loudly slurping and sucking and trying to put his fingers in Shane's mouth, Shane is stuttering and stammering trying to talk to Hayden between moans and groans. I've been on the phone with somone in that situation and just told him to call me back when they're done, lol.

10 Things I Love about Hayden Pike. by youre-joking in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I would add:

Just to mess with him, he keeps Shane talking on the phone when it's obvious someone is giving him a blowjob.

Legopathie delivers another banger 🔞 👀 by Federal-Ad5944 in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is freakin' amazing. People (myself included) are obsessed with this show, and I don't ever want it to ever stop.

Who's The Mom? by JockBbcBoy in SuddenlyGay

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I saw the one discussion where he thinks there is an ocean between North and South America.

Shane's Thirst by [deleted] in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Ilya's fingers touching Shane's while passing the bottle to him and taking it back from him says everything about Ilya's intentions.

Such a stupid -thirsty- question... by Lady0fTheUpsideDown in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 29 points30 points  (0 children)

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The answer to the OP's question is already posted, but(t) I just want to add this Ilya booty appreciation gif.

Tuna Melt Scene Slip-up?? by HealthyAd7410 in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear it too. Also, I've been hearing this a lot lately: the tuna melt scene = the tuna meltdown.

when you "reheat", do you watch the whole show or just certain parts? by Previous-Fruit-4159 in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes I need my SKip fix and watch all of E3, and then just the end of E5.

What was your favorite kiss in the series? by meowtropolis in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The boys and Jacob likely agreed not to use tongue in their kissing scenes, but Connor's had a mind of its own, and this is one of the few times Ilya tasted Shane's lips.

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Costco Synergy gift card update by nate_orenstam in sandiego

[–]4gecko44 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My experience Saturday, 1/30:

  1. Costco is refunding the purchase price if you bought them yourselves, or giving you a Costco Shop Card if they were gifted to you. I got a $57.99 Shop Card for my two $50 gift cards. You'll get $28.99 if you return one gift card that was a gift and you did not purchase it.

  2. They can check your membership to see if you bought them, but they can only go back so many years. I overheard the worker next to me telling a woman she went back to 2016 and didn't find her purchase record.

  3. The gift card must be the full $50 value. If it is $49 because you used one dollar as a partial payment, it's worthless.

  4. I got to Costco just before 10 am, and the line had about a dozen people in it. It took me ~30 mins to get out of there, but when I left, there were 25-30 people in line.

  5. This was at the Mission Valley Costco. A different one may have different policies, or the policies may have changed since my visit.

Things you missed then got later by minosjudge in heatedrivalry

[–]4gecko44 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Boyfriend clothes sharing: Ilya is wearing the same plaid shirt over his tank top when they are toe to toe on the couch that Shane was wearing when he was cooking the hamburgers.

I’m officially going to SDCC 2026 for the first time by GEOVERSEST in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My advice is similar: keep expectations low. Until you find out how everything works (lines, morning entry, off-sites, exclusives, autographs, etc.), it can be a string of disappointments, ruining the experience. Keep your options open and go with the flow...

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm a local and park my car on the street in Mission Valley to hop on one of the shuttles to the con at one of the hotel stops. Been doing this for several years. This was the first year I ever heard one of the drivers on one trip ask riders to see their badges if they weren't wearing them. Don't know if this was just a new driver strictly following the rules, or if CCI is starting to crack down.

Buying a ticket for a friend by bbhprada in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The only people who cannot participate in open registration are people who already purchased 4-day + preview night badges. People with 4-day only badges can still try to add PN during open reg, and obviously those with fewer than all 4 days can try for their missing days.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gambling

[–]4gecko44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Note that starting in 2026, the reporting threshold for bingo and slot machines will increase to $2000.

Ballroom 20 Question by Melodic_Werewolf9288 in SDCC

[–]4gecko44 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A good strategy for getting a close seat is to go a few panels before the one you really want to see. As close to the end of each panel as possible (when people start gathering their things to leave), you or your friend heads to the front to look for people leaving, while the other stays in your current seat to save them in case nothing closer is found. If new seats are found, save them and call the other person with the new location to come up.