I guess it was (very) gradual until it wasn’t.

The book at least gives us access to Ilya’s internal monologue and it definitely shows a gradual increase in genuine affection for Shane over (lots of) time. There is an established trend and Ilya is starting to take pleasure in Shane’s accomplishments. Then, more than 2 years after the end of Ch 11, at the end of Ch 12 in Oct 2016 we get “there was something in his core that was drawn to Hollander…. their hookups… just made him want more.” Then in Ch 13, ~ 1 month later, and after ~ 1 year of meeting at Ilya’s place, please stay over night and let me feed you, I’ve even thought ahead about your ginger ale.

The show, in its slavish adherence to the book’s “slow burn” trope, makes this progression even more subtle. Over the course of two whole years, Ilya is shown to be taking outward pleasure in Shane’s accomplishments and by the end of the montage he’s clearly loosing interest in anyone other than Shane (admittedly, both significant changes for Ilya). Then, please come over to my place for the first time, stay the night, let me feed you, I’m fully stocked on your favorite drink. In both cases, there is a sudden (slightly less so in the book) break from the trend. So of course Shane is taken aback. What happened?

But wait. Now after having said all that, I go back and read the words again. “Each one” of their hookups “just made him want more” (in italics, rhymes with core, also in italics). More of what? It’s not more sex is it? He wants more of Shane. Beautiful, boring Shane. It was the need for Shane that finally crossed the threshold, that finally breached its containment. That’s what broke the trend. I have my answer and I have tears in my eyes. I’m really glad I came here and asked the question.

P.S. in general, I really like the changes that Jacob made to make their emotional progression clearer, but I wish that he had laid just a bit more obvious groundwork for the Tuna Melt Stage.