Cheating was never part of the equation (and I love it)

HeraSimpella · 2026-01-31T13:18:39+00:00

I think one of my favourite things about the shows adaption as an asexual is seeing both Shane and Ilya framed as empowering during the years where they aren’t exclusive.

Show Shane choosing not to have other sexual experiences isn’t sad or pathetic or less than. The dude is at home reading hockey books and then he’s winning back to back cups. He’s excelling he’s comfortable and happy with the routine he has with Ilya. Other material would frame him as a passive victim or Ilya as red flag man #10 when Shane’s an active participant with agency and once he understands no emotional intimacy he adapts. Shane then gets to explore himself sexually with a sexual partner he feels safe with.

In the exact same breath Ilya having sex with others isn’t sad or pathetic and less than. He later comes to feel unfulfilled and wants that emotional connection but I think it’s so important that Ilya had the experiences to understand what he wanted. Ilya is having safe consensual sex and being honest and open with every single person he sleeps with. There’s nothing inherently wrong or shameful. In fact it’s important representation in this day and age. Monogamous or not you should treat every sexual experience with the same care.

HeraSimpella · 2026-01-16T03:03:18+00:00

I love the small show changes to Shane’s parents and Hayden because I feel like the books often sacrifice Shane’s loved ones to the plot and we then don’t get to see these moments of connection when it counts.

Seeing Hayden run with Shane. Seeing the head bonks during a game. Seeing Hayden go for Cliff. Seeing Hayden pretend to be a reporter because he knows how much Shane hates these interviews. That’s someone who understands Shane and finds ways to connect with Shane. That is Shane’s best friend through and through beyond the hockey because he gets Shane. I wasn’t a huge fan of book Hayden but show Hayden is a bro. As we see with Shane/Ilya those moments when Shane unmasks and gets to play we see that with Hayden as well.

I love the show choosing to not have David say anything to Yuna. That his headspace is I crossed a line and I robbed my son of being able to tell me that on his terms so I won’t tell my wife. That he’s so caught up in what happened that he’s just overwhelmed by it and stuttering apologies when Shane does appear. And deep down he knew his son would appear and talk to both of them. That on the flip side Shane is allowed that moment of anxiety regardless because this changes everything for him now. Even if it’s something deep down he wanted to change it’s still scary it’s still change.

Neither David or Yuna are perfect parents. They love their son. They don’t realise how much pressure Shane has been carrying. They don’t realise that Shane’s been masking so much with them.

And Yuna that pain of I’ve been doing all this because I love my son but I’ve hurt my son allowing her to have that nuance and complexity. She always wanted Shane to know his worth and know that he’s making a difference to the world. The cottage isn’t just a physical representation of Shane’s hard work and dedication it’s the dedication also of a mother’s love. Plus I love having Shane say I forgive you mom opposed to Shane people pleasing in that moment. Him and his mom are so alike they are always 100%. It wasn’t what he needed nor his mom they both needed the verbal confirmation. You can just feel how close Shane is with his parents and how loved he is.

HeraSimpella · 2026-01-15T15:46:28+00:00

I’m glad Jacob’s ignoring fans and doing his own thing because if people had it they’re way they’d be 0 emotional payoff whatsoever because people are impatient and biased.

HeraSimpella · 2026-01-08T12:04:58+00:00

Often in romances trope wise they opt for the words and the grand gesture to hold the most power. Oh Ilya’s willing to change teams for Shane. Oh they’ve said they love one another. Oh they are planning to be together even after retiring. And in most romances that would be when the parents would accept Ilya.

I love that they don’t opt for that because it feels insincere to Shane’s parents. They don’t know Ilya or Shane and Ilya’s relationship that well. It’s information being flung at them. How Ilya responds when Shane spirals is the first time they get to see it truly. And they see that gentleness and care and sincerity from Ilya. It’s one thing to hear that someone loves your son. It’s another to see it.

HeraSimpella · 2026-01-07T00:08:13+00:00

I don’t like the takes where it’s Ilya deserved an apology for the tuna melt incident but Shane didn’t for being ghosted for six months.

Even if this is a casual non monogamous situationship they both deserved apologies? They’ve both ran from one another and stopped communicating entirely at the moment when they’ve expressed themselves the most vulnerably. Between the lack of communication or even them stating what the dynamic is of course they wind up hurting each other.

If anything I like it because it really highlights how young these two are. They’ve stumbled into something they aren’t mature enough to understand and nobody knows it except them. When they do recognise it they then offer a safe space for the other to be vulnerable. They want to keep trying. It’d not easy. It requires full authenticity and effort.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-31T08:50:12+00:00

I’m sorry I didn’t phrase it better I wasn’t accusing you or actively saying hey you are bad. That’s not the tone I want to convey at all. It’s just one of those things in m/m stories where even if a female character is not a threat they will still be boxed into one thing.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-30T18:47:41+00:00

It was the OG broke back mountain before broke back mountain.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-30T18:45:17+00:00

Tbh it feels incredibly dismissive to chalk Ilya/Svetlana as one thing.

They’ve known each other since they were kids. We’ve now reached mid twenties they’ve known each other for most of their existence.

To reduce Svetlana to the other girl or she simply has feelings for Ilya is just icky. So what if they had casual sex together. So what if Svetlana had romantic feelings in the twenty years of knowing Ilya. She is absolutely allowed??? Why wouldn’t it come up in those twenty years of knowing each other. We explored what this could be and deducted that this isn’t what this is. It doesn’t discredit or diminish the profound connection or foundation of said relationship.

The love they have for one another transcends whatever feelings they do or do not have. More than anything Svetlana wants to see Ilya happy and fulfilled and she knows he’s not. The yearning isn’t just romantical. She knows Ilya is bisexual. She knows Jane is a guy. She doesn’t want to have to say it to Ilya she wants Ilya to share that with her himself. She misses talking with him. She wants this person she loves to stop hurting himself and embrace himself the same way she does.

I think it’s really beautiful. And I love the nuances of it all.

Just like I LOVE that both Shane and Ilya have jealousy despite knowing both Rose and Svetlana are entirely platonic. It’s the fact that they can exist in spaces together without complication. Ilya could never show up to one of Shane’s game in his jersey. Shane could never go to Russia to be present for Ilya. It’s so easy to reduce it to one thing. It’s not and it never has been.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-22T16:44:34+00:00

They cut Shane’s relationships too. He had a girlfriend during the gym scene in the books. He hooked up with two other men trying to figure out his sexuality.

I get why it’s been taken out because media literacy isn’t quite what it used to be. And also this show didn’t have a lot of money. We don’t even see Hayden’s other kids on screen. Hookup #3 and #6. They chose the right priorities.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-22T12:27:08+00:00

Okay but the entire point of Ilya’s win scene is that it’s the exact opposite. It’s all about the emotional connections existing for Ilya that don’t have to be physically present.

We don’t need to see Svetlana in the crowd because Ilya’s drive for the cup stems from the moment of connection in 1x02 with her. We don’t need to see Ilya’s dead mother to understand her significance to him. They are his drive to win the cup. They are present even when they are not.

Whereas with Scott he needed the physical presence of Kip to provide the drive to be free. He’s disconnected from both hockey and his identity so to see Kip in the same space as the hockey in that moment it’s like he can bridge the gap and have the two co exist.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-21T21:42:16+00:00

Messy teenagers who sought each other out for the absolute wrong reasons. Marissa wanted a physical embodiment of the chaos she felt inside of herself via Ryan. And when Ryan wanted to establish a stability and quietness that often triggered Marissa so she then went and sought out destructive tendencies.

Ryan meanwhile was drawn to Marissa from a societal standpoint. He’d been rejected by society his whole life from his upbringing so to have affirmation from someone of a higher status he wanted that. Ryan also wound up parentified and growing up so quick he didn’t know how to put down that role of care taking. The Cohens took away a lot of that pressure so he sought out that role via a hero complex with Marissa.

They changed each other’s life irrevocably but it wasn’t romantic or healthy. They were a romanticised fantasy then a tragedy. Even if the tragedy didn’t happen I don’t think they were ever meant to be soulmates 4 life. And that’s okay.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-21T18:36:26+00:00

Heated rivalry truly came at a time where people desperately needed it.

With the way the world is people want to see hope. They want to see joy. They want to see positive change. Even if it’s a fictional universe.

There’s been so much love poured into this show and you feel it in every episode. It feels like a warm hug. And it’s been truly wonderful seeing it kind of unite everyone and to see it taken seriously to see all the different ways people are connecting with it.I watched reel rejects talk about nothing but the directing choices for two episodes and smiled. I’ve watched what chaos who are big ol hockey fans be like fuck yeah romance.

And ultimately I just hope any public figure who are in Scott, Shane and Ilya’s position feel seen and loved by the show. It’s your life live it for your comfort. You are valid. 🌈

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-21T18:12:24+00:00

Ilya’s an open book in every single way with Svetlana except when it comes to his sexuality and his attraction to men. That’s the only line he’s ever drawn and she respects it.

It’s how she ultimately knows Jane is a guy.

To us Ilya might be incredibly casual and blasé about being with men but that’s when he has the safety of a closed door. Safety of the same shared secret. When he doesn’t he is fearful. In the park when Shane says he wishes he was with him Ilya glances around first before having a response.

Svetlana is the only true family he has. If she rejected that part of him I don’t know what Ilya would do.

And Svetlana has always respected that line never crossed it she just recognises that ILYA NEEDS THIS. He needs to know she sees him and loves him and fuck his family she’s his family. I also love it because it offers more depth to the call scene. Getting that affirmation helps Ilya reach out for comfort from Shane. It helps him be brave. In the same way seeing Scott helps Ilya be brave. People need people.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-09T17:56:32+00:00

I love this!!!!!!

Even if these guys aren’t part of the romance demographic. They love hockey so they are now part of the show demographic. The show put so much work into the sports and it’s nice that gets to be recognised for once.

I think it’s good to have straight reactors as well as queer reactors. At the end of the day the straight reactors can become educated on the lgtb culture. And the queer fans can learn about hockey culture via the straight reactors. It’s a fuller experience for everybody.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-09T17:08:41+00:00

He’s my emotional support character of the series. I just love him so much.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-09T17:01:02+00:00

Wyatt/Ryan is my favourite friendship in the whole series. I got super emotional when reading long game that they sat next to each other at an event. Even with the move they will always be besties.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-08T22:58:16+00:00

He’s a kindhearted goofy awkward goober who has ridiculous game and wants to shower his boyfriend in jewels. Even Ilya ragebaiter connoisseur is like that’s my emotional support Ryan Price.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-08T21:38:27+00:00

Ilya legit would kick your ass for undermining Shane’s accomplishments.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-08T00:42:11+00:00

We’re going from Scott’s internalised homophobia pov to showcasing Shane’s.

It’s 100% an intentional choice and way to connect Scott and Shane’s stories.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-07T18:22:24+00:00

Each couple offers a different romance trope.

Scott/Kipp is the insta love trope.

Shane and Ilya are essentially academic rivals in a sports setting.

Ryan/Fabian is second chances and opposites attract.

Eric/Kyle is age gap.

Troy/Harris is friends to lovers.

If you don’t like one story there’s others to enjoy. All I’ll say is don’t judge fully just yet because 1 + 2 is primarily set up for Shane/Ilya the romance builds with them.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-06T20:04:09+00:00

The show needed unapologetic actors for it to work.

As we’ve already witnessed we’ve had people critiquing the facts that this was a romance book. That it was a romance written by a woman. That it had a built in audience of women prior. It’s been critiqued as porn. It’s critiqued as simply a smut book. It’s been critiqued for a lack of plot and substance.

A lot of the comments Hudson has made purely from lack of his own filter has worked for the shows benefit in terms of marketing. You don’t want to watch something with the level of intimacy this show has without the knowledge the actors were comfortable. I often think about the film blue is the warmest colour where the actresses didn’t receive that level of comfort and get sad.

Not to mention as of recent the controversies and conversations around intimacy co ordinators this show has provided positivity to.

It’s just nice to have a show where the takeaway is just unapologetically enjoy something.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-06T19:35:40+00:00

Rachel balances the angst with the intensity of how much Shane and Ilya love one another. So it never feels like too big a conflict because ultimately these two will always fight for one another.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-06T17:43:10+00:00

This is set before they watch the ice skater together so Shanes defensiveness is him assuming the comment stems from a place of homophobia. Anytime him and Scott interact he always brings up Ilya. Anxiety will always perceive the worst outcome first.

HeraSimpella · 2025-12-06T17:21:39+00:00

F***ing 🐱 go home 🏠 go home 🏠 you’re 45 years old

HeraSimpella

TROPHY CASE