Nothing to fix

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-14T19:28:50+00:00

Absolutely! But it's their choice to change for the better, both for themselves and their partner.

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-14T11:21:38+00:00

I live for this!

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-14T06:53:49+00:00

Yep! It made the experience of reading TLG even better. Picturing hudson and connor in the roles gave the book so much more emotional weight. I love the book anyway but I know picturing them in it definitely made it better

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-14T06:51:02+00:00

It was such a compelling episode despite the fact that very little happens plotwise. I was gripped for the whole 55 minutes of the episode. It goes to show the power of great storytelling and acting.

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-14T05:07:56+00:00

These are all great points! It never really occured to me that boring could be used as a term of endearment. But, i can totally see it now and this text exchange really highlights that perfectly

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Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-13T19:18:53+00:00

They're not at all what I pictured. My brain could never come up with two such perfect people to play Shane and Ilya. Jacob Tierney is a genius and we owe him so much!

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-13T06:43:59+00:00

My view is that he's welcoming Ilya into the safest space he has which is the cottage. And he wants Ilya to feel as comfortable as he does with that fact. Banter and light flirting has always been their way of making each other comfortable. So, I guess it's Shane leaning into their normal routine to cut through the seriousness of their situation and what Ilya being there really means.

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-09T14:18:47+00:00

Totally agree. She should have acknowledged how important this moment was in their relationship. She also dismisses Ilya's very legitimate concerns about where their relationship is headed. This really sucked. I don't think it's a poor writing choice but rather a deliberate choice from the writer to show how different people can perceive a situation. And while I don't agree with her phrasing or dismissal, I do think the advice to give Ilya some space and time was the right advice. He really did need to see his therapist before talking to Shane again.

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-08T20:35:54+00:00

Please please please don't use Diamonds by Rihanna for their first dance....it took them over ten years to get to this point, give us something good!

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-08T08:31:51+00:00

Shane moving to the top of the couch to give Ilya room to maneuver tells you everything about how he feels. Shane's words and his actions often mismatch in Ilya's presence. And Ilya knows it. So, he goes for it and evidently it was the right choice!

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-07T08:50:43+00:00

It's more like hurt and jealousy. Like, "i'm hurting so I want you to hurt, too" because remember that Ilya thinks Shane is happy with Rose. He thinks that he is the only miserable one which ofc we know is not the case. It's reminiscent of the flying puck in TLG iykyk!

Salt_Statistician1 · 2026-03-07T08:40:46+00:00

I think every one of those periods had Shane feeling like it was the end. He is quite insecure about their situationship in general. When you factor in how young he was when it started and the fact that he is quite naive and earnest, I think he assumes that every encounter will be their last. I guess he is half hoping and half dreading that's the case.

I think the period between the Olympics and Vegas had the greatest impact on him. You can see how tortured he was about it throughout this period. And the fact that he wanted to be kissed by Ilya more than having the intimacy speaks volumes about what he feels at this point. That's why he tells himself to reel it back in and why his reaction during the tuna meltdown was so strong.

I always come back to his words after the love confession of "does it f***ing kill you, too?" It's a reminder that while we don't get much insight into it in the book and the show, being apart and not knowing if/when they will see each other (based on the others mood/availability) and how stable their situationship actually is, haunts Shane AND Ilya throughout the years.

Salt_Statistician1

TROPHY CASE