HEATED RIVALRY EP 3-4 FULL LENGTH REACTION ( WE LOVE KIP!!! )
Added 2026-01-16 09:34:08 +0000 UTC
Comments
i am sorry this is wildly late and i know you might not even see this. ilya was the one setting up communication in ep 4. the had things prepared for Shane. He was he one that asked him to stay the night with him. He was the one to slip and say Shane's name first. He was the one that was trying to figure out where they stood. he tried to cuddle and Shane took it sexual. Ilya was trying to see if Shane was into just men or was bi. This episode was all Ilya trying to connect . Yes we all seen his we didn't even kiss comment and knew that he already had feelings, but with Ilya he hadd a little more at stake with all this. He literally would lose his home and family, MHL career and Shane cuz at that time Shane wasn't willing to come out.
Kelli Bridgers
2026-02-21 07:18:55 +0000 UTCNo no no always speak your mind Natasha..im gonna resd what you said then ill edit this comment in a bit
Raymond Walker
2026-02-07 03:50:59 +0000 UTCI’d also recommend the graphic novel Fun Home!
Natasha
2026-02-05 18:32:01 +0000 UTCHmmmm I have a lot of thoughts hahaha. Shane/Ilya apologist monologue incoming sorryyyyy. I knew you'd be into Scott/Kip-- NO SHADE but every straight reactor I've watched has been so in love with them. I personally find Shane/Ilya much more compelling but funnily I think the reason has a lot to do with something you said about Scott/Kip. You spoke about how difficult it must be to be a closeted athlete who finds what they want but can't be open about it, but Kip IS out and has community who are there to support them and push them both towards honesty and openness (shout out Elena, bff of all time imo). That balances the dynamic and makes the conflict much more visible. On the flip side, Shane and Ilya are BOTH stuck in the closet, so the dynamic through to the end of ep 4 is how they are both trying to avoid acknowledging how much they want one another while also being unable to stay away from each other. There's an important detail that I don't think the show makes clear enough to non-book-folks-- Shane and Ilya only get to see each other 2-5 times a year. So they've been hooking up at this point from 2010-2016 but only a few times each season. The opening montage of ep 4 is working to show that as those years go on, they're both getting more invested in texting each other/planning to see each other, but if you take into account that in the show they don't meet up in person at all for 2 seasons, they've hooked up maybe 10ish times in those years and only ever for a couple of hours at a time. Not sure if anyone else has pointed this out, but if you rewatch the hookup sequence at Ilya's place in ep 4, it's really obvious that he's actually planned the whole day out. He invites Shane to stay because he already knows both of their schedules, he has clothes ready to give Shane to lounge around in, he has the ingredients for the sandwiches pre-portioned, he bought ginger ale for Shane specifically, etc etc. He's not ready to admit that he wants more, but he's looking for it in action. He's in a worse situation than Shane materially because if he gets outed or comes out, he can't go back to Russia to see his dying father... I feel for his character so much.
Natasha
2026-02-05 18:06:27 +0000 UTCYou dont, the last two episodes will become 7$ in about a week and a half..people pay 10$ for earlier access to all my content but everything that is 10$ will become 7$ and will stay be available before it comes to youtube. Does that makes sense..I have jt in my description on my membership plans but maybe it needs a more in depth explanation?
Raymond Walker
2026-01-29 22:04:16 +0000 UTChey, can i ask why we have to pay more to see the last 2 episodes? 😊
Jaimie-Lea Livingstone
2026-01-29 21:52:44 +0000 UTCThat convo about girls is Ilya trying to find out who else Shane is dating/ seeing. He’s essentially sharing that he has nothing else serious going on, and won’t likely replace the friends with benefits. And then asking Shane - but Shane just says it’s private and won’t answer him. / this IS Ilya trying to shift things, asking him to stay overnight, but Shane leaves.
jo
2026-01-29 02:25:54 +0000 UTCYou asked for books that dive deep into the feeling of being closeted: James Baldwin wrote a book named Giovanni’s Room that has a closeted protagonist. Internalized homophobia and repression are some of the most interested perspectives to read and I deeply recommend that book! It’s also quite short (about 50k words; less than Frankenstein and Lord of the Flies, which are short classics).
javi s.
2026-01-25 20:27:28 +0000 UTCepisode 3 ambushed me in an alley and destroyed my emotions! also i'm loving the soundtrack for this show
PickleBaron
2026-01-23 00:10:20 +0000 UTCI’m commenting on this days later but you mentioned if there’s a book that would dive deep into having to hide your love because of society like this. (Not spoiling) The Long Game, which is the second book of Ilya and Shane’s story deals with that. It’s basically them now being together and navigating that struggle. And the book dives deep into how they (Ilya mostly) deal with having to hide.
Johanna P
2026-01-19 00:28:36 +0000 UTCWith hindsight in mind yes!! this is exactly what I was feeling. I did not have the words for it during the reactions but sitting with the show that's pretty much where I landed as well
Raymond Walker
2026-01-18 23:39:55 +0000 UTCI think the difference between the two couples in these two episodes is that Scott and Kip are lying to the world but honest with each other… while Shane and Ilya are lying to themselves. It’s a lot easier for me to root for the couple that loves each other and is held back by circumstances than it is to root for whatever mess Shane and Ilya have going on here.
Valaree
2026-01-18 23:21:16 +0000 UTCThis is such an insightful comment! It’s really easy to miss how Illya’s making overtures sometimes because his macho “masking” in dialogue is so in your face. Also, re: Taco’s comment about their initial distance on the couch, to me this whole sequence is kinda highlighting how they both have been almost code switching (for lack of a better term, I don’t think this is quite right but hopefully you get my meaning) when they try to talk, they’re struggling to bridge the gap between the hockey bro, walls-up banter with the intimacy they’ve already started to feel and express nonverbally. They’re both trying and failing in different ways. On rewatch I also think seeing Ilya’s dynamic (worldly, hurtful, distant, vaguely Dangerous Liaisons-esque) with Sasha may be something he’s trying to mimic here a bit, trying to play the role of the disaffected worldly guy since he was drawn to that when he was less experienced (like Shane), and we do see Shane become more comfortable sometimes when Ilya’s being “an asshole,” reinforcing to Ilya that maybe that’s what he wants from him. Anyway. They’re both conflicted and misreading each other in key moments because they haven’t figured out…talking.
Lee
2026-01-17 17:22:18 +0000 UTCThe subtext in this episode is louder than the dialogue: Ilya’s decision to move their tryst from a neutral hotel to his personal home is a massive psychological shift. By stocking Shane’s favorite ginger ale and cooking for him he transitioned from a "hookup" to a "host," signaling a desire for domesticity. Some people assume that Ilya’s talk of women on the couch is "posturing," however, it's not, it's actually an invitation. Ilya is being open about his own sexuality as a way to make Shane feel comfortable opening up about his. Ilya's trying to gauge whether or not Shane likes women. He is testing the waters to see if there is a place for him in Shane's future. Of course this didn't work because Shane himself hasn't accepted his own sexuality In his mind he just hasn't met the right girl yet. This show, especially with Shane and Ilya, substitutes words that they are too afraid to say with physical intimacy. The sexual encounters in this episode both in the bed and on the couch are extremely intimate and considered in the "light of day" which represents total exposure. This is very different from their usual sexual experiences with one another. For Shane, who relies on the darkness and anonymity of hotel rooms to compartmentalize his sexuality, this level of visibility was terrifying. The use of last names is a defense mechanism for both. When Ilya drops the shield and uses Shane’s first name, in a sense he is asking for a real relationship. Shane’s flight is a "fight or flight" response to the threat of being truly known. Shane spent years craving a deeper connection with Ilya, but the moment they got there, Shane felt exposed and it tterrified him.
Kris
2026-01-17 05:53:31 +0000 UTC40:05 yeah the closet is a very difficult place to be. It’s safe, but it’s also extremely restrictive. There is a delicate line to walk between keeping yourself safe and living your life as you want. It’s something basically all queer people deal with to varying extents.
Henry Leor
2026-01-17 03:09:57 +0000 UTCI love that you recognized the power dynamic between Scott and Kip. When I first watched that episode, I was definitely thinking, "I know this is a romance so I'm here for Kip saying yes to Scott's invitation to stay, but this would be suuuch a red flag in real life." I loved that Kip already had plans in the works when he met Scott and got his full ride to grad school as he'd planned by the end of the episode. The Skip dynamic is different than Shane and Ilya's relationship, which is one of equals in terms of athletic ability, wealth, fame, etc. It's cool that we got to spend time with two couples in this first season. Episode three is a breath of fresh air after watching those two boys not using their words in the first two
Colleen
2026-01-17 03:01:55 +0000 UTCscott is my favourite character so absolutely love your reaction to episode 3 and the love you have for him and kip!!!!
Olivia
2026-01-16 19:01:42 +0000 UTCits out right now!
Raymond Walker
2026-01-16 10:49:03 +0000 UTCAbsolutely can’t wait for episode 5 reaction
Anaïs
2026-01-16 10:30:27 +0000 UTCScott knows he was wrong for that lol..Ep3 is a Masterfull episode no lie. Ill have to look up Heartstopper! thanks Amanda!!
Raymond Walker
2026-01-16 10:03:49 +0000 UTCYo the gay-on-gay crime that happened when Shane just tried to joke with Scott and Scott said I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. It cracks me tf up. Also, I really think you’d like the show Heartstopper based on your reaction to episode 3, if you’ve never seen it before.
Amanda Hill
2026-01-16 09:53:29 +0000 UTC
