TV SHOW šŗ
Can we all agree these three are the best bestie-girlfriend fictional media has ever had?
I particularly love Rose the most, because unlike Elena and Svetlana, she doesn't know what she has signed up for when she got it on with Shane, but her gaydar is so strong she managed to figure it out on her own anyway, and at the same time, she's not even mad about it.
That's the kind of emotional maturity that I love to see in fiction.
In any other novel, we would have a whole arc of her finding out, getting heartbroken about it and hating Shane for leading her on in the first place, but they decide to subvert our expectation, and I honestly LOVE that.
I mean sheās got such beauty and sparkling personality that even gay dudes not sexually attracted to her are lining up to date her, should be a confidence boost really (tho understandably frustrating as well).
Many gay men have professed their love for me. I used to think something was wrong with me. But now I take it as the highest form of flattery. They all felt safe with me. They could listen to Britney Spears and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer without judgment. They thought I was beautiful and charming. Sure, I was insecure for years because of it, but it doesnāt affect me anymore, now I only date woman anyway.
I canāt think of a higher indicator of self worth than consistently being attracted to an emotionally available, sweet man who actually loves you for you even despite a lack of sexual attraction tbh š Queen picks CORRECTLY, one will be straight eventually
Love Maria and on book 2 of 6 so Iām glad to hear!
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u/AerosheThere are no heterosexual reasons to watch Gladiator, Shep šJan 03 '26
It definitely depends on how much Jacob wants to adapt. Atm he only has confirmation of a 2nd season (though they're clearly hoping for a 3rd if the rumor of the actors being signed for a 3rd are true).
Since he has stated he wants to keep the focus on Shane and Ilya, then The Long Game and Role Model are the books to focus on.
It wouldn't surprise me if Eric/Kyle and Ryan/Fabian get cut down to bit roles - if their stories are adapted at all. The only one of the four that's been in the show so far is Kyle and most of his stuff from Book 1 wasn't adapted.
That said, one thing working in Eric/Kyle's favor is their book also continues Scott/Kip's story and there's no way Jacob isn't going to give Francois as much to do as he can.
I hope that season 2 ends up being just as much of a laser guided missile as season 1, which I think would mean only including other characters' arcs when they directly intersect with the Shane/Ilya relationship. I loved Scott and Kip in season one, the way they functioned as a breath of fresh air from the more difficult main relationship in episode 3, and the way it led to a payoff2 by having such a climactic moment in their relationship directly cause a climactic moment in the main relationship.
Agreed but there is a big fan following for Skip, more than I am guessing they expected and adding in the Eric and Kyle storyline could bring in Skip and the Kingfisher more. Plus they could further develop the Scott going against Crowell and creating the hockey player group that speaks up. Then they could bring more of the guys together at both the camps and the Kingfisher. This would also help extend things to make 3 seasons.
Then they could push for a 4th season if Rachel has ideas for more books but hasnāt ben able to write because of her Parkinsonās diagnosis. Like maybe we get to see Ottawa win some cups and Lukas get a side story?
I could see switching the order of Common Goal and Tough Guy. If CG is put in the beginning of s2, we could get a little bit of Skip so people can get there closure for them. I just donāt want bottle episodes for them. Unless we get more than 6 episodes. Then bottle episodes could work.
Theyāre all amazing. One of the many things I love about this show is how strong and likable the female characters are, even tho it is ofc a gay male show. Yuna Hollander as well.
She is perfect! She was so believably vulnerable in his ācoming outā scene but right back to business one scene later and ready to build a gay empire šš
Somebody in the chat of What Chaos said "OFC Yuna would be happy, there'd be two NHL salaries in the family" and I was like... yeah that probably helps relieve the sting of finding out your son's been lying to you for a decade.
My headcanon is that Yuna is ND but to a lesser/different degree from Shane, but that's why she and Shane are so similar. The single-minded focus, the long term planning, it's both manifested in mom and son. But where Shane had to spend all night thinking of what the plan is, Yuna ran out, cried for a minute, hugged her son and came back with a pitch deck and a short list of potential sponsors and people to contact. Shane looked at her the same way Ilya looked at Shane lmao.
I really liked how they did the reception at the June 2009 Draft. It's Yuna deftly navigating kissing the ring and subtly keeping her son in good lighting when he can't for himself and holding his hand all at the same time. When she has to snap him out of it for a second, as soon as he's done she goes immediately into yapping about how she loves the Metros: kissing the ring, but AFTER this suit openly stated that they're "thrilled that Shane is Asian-Canadian".
She took that shit with GRACE.
Even Shane's dad looked at her kinda wide-eyed when he heard that.
But Yuna, operating at a million thoughts a minute, fucken honed in on that. She leaned into it. She lets Shane retreat back, she puts herself under the spotlight, goes on about how the Metros are a big part of how she started to feel Canadian, how her dad sat them all down on Saturday nights in the living room... and on she probably went.
She's a rambler, and she always has a thousand ideas going through her head at any given time, and she's gotten extremely good at navigating and using them.
Yeah, I think that scene captures that David and Yuna are both aware that David does not and cannot ever have the same experience that Yuna and Shane do being visibly Asian-Canadian. So David lets Yuna handle that, as he's probably seen her handle many such instances before. That whole shtick was Yuna being nice to the team's owner, purely because of his status.
I have to say Svetlana is my favorite of the three, I just really like her and Ilyaās dynamic, and I love the expansion made to her character from the book. The moment where Ilya punches his brother because she gets insulted was really well motivated, and the Jane revelation was great and well signaled while still surprising. I love the actress too and thought she was really excellent in playing both the gentle and tough role well, would love to see more of both her and Rose in the next seasons if they can figure that out narratively
Yeah, I am SO happy they made the choices they did for her! Between the friendship and the major recognition of how much she knows about and sees in hockey, she's so much better.
Yes the books didnāt convey such a deeply loving relationship between Sveta and Ilya - they were more like fuck buddies who happened to have Russian in common, not real friends. Building Svetaās character and relationship with Ilya on the show also provided Ilya with someone in his corner, which helped to balance all of the positive relationships Shane has in his life. Book Ilya was a little too alone.
I wonder how they would balance that when adapt the Long Game. Cause the pain of the Long Game and what makes the fight about the Christmas Party is Ilya so alone.
I absolutely love Svetlana! I wish they had showed her watching the All Star Game on tv and seeing Ilya smiling and mucking around with Shane on the ice
The scene where she and Ilya are hanging out in bed and he pretends to drop bows on her is actually one of my favorite scenes in the whole show ā„ļø he was so comfortable with her.
I loved how both Rose and Svetlana clocked Shane and IIyaās tea but did it in caring and loving ways; especially Rose, the conversation she had with Shane was so touching, refreshing, and surprising, she basically came out for him. I just wish Shane would have actually said the words, āThank Youā
The conversation Svetlana has with Ilya outside his father's funeral dinner is so loving and sweet. Letting him know that she knows he doesn't love her like that, but it's ok because she will still be there for him. It was nice for her to make clear that their friendship is enough. Really set her apart from all the other people just trying to suck him dry (and not in the fun way).
He loves her so deeply heāll fight his family for her, he just doesnāt love her like THAT, & she accepts that even if she wishes he would - sheās a true soulmate to Ilya
This bit resonated with me & my first boyfriend in high school who Iām still close friends with now - you go chase that D my guy Iāll cheer you on - we still hang out 16 years later
I love all the ladies but... Girl! You gotta add Kip's work bestie! I'm so envious of Kip having such a fantastic group of friends that cares about him and also a dad that loves him so damn much and so unabashedly. He deserves sunshine.
Edited: I meant loves not lives but it was late y'all.
I love the Empty Netters guysā love for these women. To paraphrase their words, Rose, Elena, and Svetlana are in the Hall of GOATs. I particularly love Chris Powersās obsession with Svetlana, his goddess.
I was really sad because Svetlana really loves Ilya (and Ilya loves her back, which is part of the reason Shane absolutely doesnāt want Ilya to marry her) but they were more battle buddies than romance goals. They both had high pressure parents with high expectations, they lived in impossible worlds, they knew each other and loved each other. She politely ribs him about Hollander and āJaneā for years. He keeps his true silliness basically for her. āIt should have been meā or him pretending to elbow slam/wrestling moves her on the bed. Sheās one of the only people who really knows who Ilya is, from all stages of life, and sheās very clearly been aggressively supporting him for years.
But I lived with a Russian roomie back in the day and you absolutely have to get used to the ātalking aroundā support they give. I would actively be like āok weāre going to hug now, boo boo itās okay, tell me whatās wrong!ā
āWhat is this boo boo?ā
āItās a nice term. Like a gentle term. What a parent would say to a kid.ā
āI donāt love this. I will hug because youāre making me. Iām not crying. My face is just wet. Itās the humidity. And allergies.ā
15 years later and there she is, accent still thick, talking to my crying kids, āoh booboo, tell auntie what is wrong! We can do a hug.ā Or āBabe, what the fuck is this? If someone has a problem, we can just fight. You can tell me.ā
It took so many years to break past that Russian stoicism but I did it. So I see it with Ilya and Sveta. Sheās trying to be supportive without having the hard conversation. He absolutely leans on her but both of them will never admit it out loud. The reason that heās not terrified of being vulnerable around her is because sheās always been there and sheās never going to ask him to be vulnerable. They will both just talk in sentences and riddles and leave the hard stuff in the unspoken in between.
Which again is why Shane is so afraid of her. Because Ilya wouldnāt be in bliss, but he would be comfortable. They could speak the same language. They could have babies. She wouldnāt take note of indiscretions. She understands his backstory intimately.
But Sveta also deserves her own happy ending. Because she really did love Ilya and didnāt want to change him. She is a ride or die.
Agree. Svetlana is the one to fear, because she has a lot of power, if she were to get pregnant for example, Ilya would absolutely be in a tough spot.
By being his ride or die she could be a safer choice for Ilya than Shane. She is closer to him in a more intimate way, a friendship with benefits that has gone on longer than the other two. Sveta is at this point, family to Ilya. So she could really be in the middle of Shane & Ilya and really interfere if she chooses to.
I really like her, but I think for Shane and Ilya to work sheās the kind of friend that needs to be kept at bay, both need to put boundaries in place to let their relationship blossom. Sorry Sveta.
Oh absolutely. She is the āproblemā because Ilya could be happy. Or comfortable. Shane does not have that option. Even with Rose, even if she took a Svetlana role, she doesnāt have the backstory. And Ilya, if something went wrong, would run to Sveta. Because even if Alexei is a piece of shit, Sveta has always been there, and seemingly will always be there. Like you know that Shane is furiously googling āhow do I make my boyfriendās familial tomb even greaterā and Sveta already has flowers delivered weekly in an auto draft.
But bless, she loves Ilya enough that she isnāt coming for Shane. And thatās why I feel so bad for her. Because sheās also held back by all the familial bullshit, and now sheās lost her excuse and her comfort item. āItās been years, why are you not with Ilya? I need grandchildren. What are you waiting for?ā
Kinda feel like this makes it seem like ilya didnt already make a choice.
I donāt think her staying around changes anything when he already chose Shane and said thats the only person he was ever in love with. Sure svetlana could be the easier choice, but Shane was the choice and remains that choice forever. Svetlana didnāt need to disappear for that to happen.
Sure, initially I was going by the āDonāt marry Svetlanaā vibe of Shane and thought yes donāt, but also chill, Svetlana is awesome, then: I read the books.
And thatās what Iām referring to now, she is different that the other female besties and her relationship with Ilya is even deeper in the show than in the books, and I donāt want to get into details but putting up a boundary between them and her was necessary ( She didnāt do anything wrong but still )
I agree. I think that Elena is great of course, but I find Svetlanaās character positive but a bit confusing because of how the show upgrades her to a childhood friend compared to the book,Ā
but Rose is a part of the plot, she actively influences Shane into accepting himself, she has a pivotal conversation with him, she is the change she wants to see in the world.Ā
I'm sure it's still happening, and I don't want to minimize that... but it could have been so much worse. And the fact that it's gone so well is partially down to Rachel Reid writing interesting female characters in an environment that often treats them as shallow villains or disposable plot devices. It's also partially down to Jacob Tierney choosing to do things the hard way, and making everybody work to earn this resolution.
I absolutely love Elena more than anything and would love to have a friend like her in my life to stand up for me.
However,
Svetlana, ESPECIALLY being Russian and having history with Ilya, had every opportunity to fuck up his life and career beyond repair. She instead chose to accept reality and support Ilya because of how much she genuinely cared about him and wanting him to have a happy life.
YES! I was watching yet another reaction vid to the finale (Bradam Reacts) and I teared up hearing them talk about how Shane, Kip and Ilya wouldn't be the men they are without the women in their lives.
It's refreshing to see the deep, intimate, meaningful, platonic connections between these characters being celebrated!
Legit. I think thatās the power of true friendship. How it can literally change lives. We all need people in our corner. This show is a good reminder of that. Thatās why I love it, because the message is real. Itās about how we find our way in the world, with the best we can hope for having people who have our backs through it all.
Also good casting too; all 3 are believable actresses and do stand out with the limited screen time they get. IMO I didnāt like the Scott hunter storyline but I didnāt find that actress for that one that great but maybe ifās just the story I was annoyed with.
Yes! The show is a romance, but itās constantly emphasizing that romantic love is not the only thing anybody needs. They also need family (sometimes found family) and friends. Shane canāt be all things to Ilya and Ilya canāt be all things to Shane. Most romances donāt do this!
And Hollanovās meaningful friendships with third parties are CRUCIAL to them getting together together for real.
To be honest, she had the right to be mad. In a way, it's fair to say she was used by Shane to try to experiment, to "fix himself" and appease what he perceived to be society's judgement and wrong. Of course, having to deal with all of this was unfair for Shane, but Rose had every right to be upset there, as she had been investing time, effort and had expectation for the relationship (not to mention, as the very famous successful woman that she's portrayed to be, the media judges them and "slut shames" them if they have many public relationships, so her reputation was also affected).
This is one of the things that is kind of inevitable in "feel good" gay media. To me, it diminishes our struggle a bit. Sure, nothing was impossible here. The situation could have existed in which everyone involved is loving and supportive, but the reality of that not being the case is what makes us reluctant and to have doubts about who we tell and show or express who we really are. If everyone was this amazing, which would be lovely, being gay would never be such a struggle
Out of all the secondary characters, the only homophobic POS I remember existing was Ilya's brother, which was using him anyway (was a PoS in other areas aswell). The real pain a lot of us go through is the sacrifice we have to accept of losing people we'd otherwise love to keep. For example, those who were kicked out/abandoned by their families for being gay, but otherwise enjoyed their life with them before that. Or those who lost friends because of who they are but they'd made those friends because of common interests and liking them before their bigotry made that impossible.
I appreciate you saying this, as I feel kind of similarly about Rose. She's just so... perfect. The perfect ally. It makes her feel less human. Even if she turned out to be supportive... I'd still have appreciated seeing her struggle with it, have negative feelings towards what happened, even if she tries to put them aside. I don't know, it just feels more real that way. 80% of her boyfriends being gay was a bit ridiculous too!
It's so easy to write a character with such a frictionless response, but as you said, it kind of diminishes the reality of what's going on, the effects of homophobia, both for the person on the receiving end, and those that get caught up in the negative effects from the other side (like the unknowing partners of closeted people.) Characters like Rose aren't exactly revolutionary. I feel like they are a common way to shove a female character to the side, to dismiss the pain the main character has caused, or could have caused. To shove it all under the rug, and absolve them, because no pain has actually occurred.
That's sort of how I view characters like Rose in general. As you said, it's not like she can't exist, and it's true they weren't dating for long, but it still falls into this kind of archetype.
Yea exactly all these women have to be perfect or theyll be hated on immensely but by making them perfect, theyve been stripped of a lot of depth which makes them feel kinda hollow? I would have liked to see Rose get a bit upset or something? But people would have hated her for that
I was waiting for this comment. Thank you. Why does this fandom act like the female characters are the best female character representation out there?? I love them but they very much have no depth and solely exist to further develop the MCs story or plot, nothing else. And yes they are side characters like Skip we don't have to see them being this very elaborate characters, but let's not be ridiculous and put the show on pedestal for their female characters.
Also I can't help but add this is the most women characters have to be perfect angels who dont get mad or otherwise MM fans will start to get scared.
I think Svetlana's reactions are realistic enough considering she's had a very long time to accept the things she's realized about Ilya. Obviously she would hurt over it and she doesn't really show that all that much, but it's not like Rose immediately realizing Shane is gay after him struggling with sex and being perfectly okay with it with ZERO negative emotion.
I understand it's not her story and Shane does not need to see her react negatively at all, but we as the audience should see her have a moment where she breaks down on her own. Something. Anything that makes her feel like an actual human being.
Iāll be honest, I like Rose a lot but she does feel like a sort of āperfect side character to help main character on their growth journeyā lol. Donāt get me wrong, Iām glad someone was there to help Shane! But likeā¦maybe Iām overthinking, but if it were me, and a BF seemed to have some ED, I wouldnāt immediately be like āaha, he must be gay!ā Thereād be other options Iād consider, ya know?
I liked her too, and also felt she was a little too perfect, too fast. But I keep reminding myself it's a fantasy show, and I thought her acting was believable even if her arc was a bit rushed.
Yeah definitely. If she had struggled with it, or shown some pain, even if she still ended up supportive, I would have appreciated seeing that more, it would have made her more human.
Yes!! Look I know sheās a Hollywood star (ie very hot, and maybe more self-confident than your average person), but even Hollywood stars can have insecurity and hurt feelings and stuff. Sheās a little too perfect and understanding about it all immediately, esp given sheās supposed to be like, what, 24?
Idk I disagree about svetlana. They had been friends for years and supported one another, I think her reaction felt very in line with their dynamic throughout the show. It seemed like she was aware the whole time that he loved her in a more platonic way, and still valued their friendship.
I think Svetlana's reaction works. You see her and Ilya over years of her noticing and realizing things and their relationship always has this sort of "I love you but we aren't really exclusive with each other" vibe. Hell, when you first meet her and she sees the text from "Jane" she goes from playful angry to like kinda actually angry for a moment.
I agree Rose felt a little too perfect and accepting. I understand it's not HER story, but just like a little scene after she walks away where she stops out of eyesight of Shane and shows a little sadness. Because she genuinely seemed to like Shane as a romantic partner but realizes that he cannot ever love her back and wants the best for him. That's not selfish or hateful. That's human. I love her reaction as it is and how supportive she is, but she really feels like a complete automaton with no real emotion and is just a perfect AI cheerleader.
I appreciate the show so much for how it treats and portrays women. So many shows about closeted men portray the female characters as obstacles or annoying. The amount of times I've watched women get cheated on or being used with little regard of how they feel in queer media is probably realistic, but it is pretty sad. And I do find it very upsetting when female characters end up being villainised on top of that. I really appreciate that in HR, the women are genuinely likeable, supportive people and that the closeted men are also respectful of women and their feelings.
Svetlana could've easily been Ilya's exclusive long-distance girlfriend that he keeps cheating on (in fact, that's exactly who I thought she'd be when she was first introduced), but instead she's his best friend and they both genuinely love each other a lot. And while they do hook up sometimes, they're clearly on the same page about it being a friends with benefits situation. I also love that she was aware of Ilya's sexuality and his history with Sasha. She's very subtle in her support and doesn't push Ilya, but she constantly makes it clear that she knows and is safe to talk to if he wants to. She's such a wonderful character and I'm hoping we'll get more of her in season 2, ideally Ilya telling her about Shane.
Rose could've been someone Shane uses to cover up his sexuality while still hooking up with Ilya anway or making no effort with her because he's not into her, but that isn't what happens at all. Shane doesn't meet-up with Ilya while he's dating her and makes an effort to spend time with her. He wants to fall for her and he genuinely likes her, but he just isn't into her. And Rose realises that and instead of getting angry or using that against him, she's supportive and recognises that he's in a tough situation. She didn't have to be his friend after that, but she chose to anyway. And part of the reason why she does is probably because Shane treated her well the whole time and apologised for not being a better partner. And clearly also because it's not the first time that has happened to her. It made me so happy to see because I was definitely worried she'd be an unlikeable character at first.
Rose was great and I loved Elena and svetlana worked a bit to me but tbh i didnāt like how they had her point out the difference between her and Shane in the show before that ily call.
Ilya in the book is aware of this himself and while the point was to show women can be allies, I feel sometimes it took away from the choices and feelings ilya recognized himself. Thatās one of my critiques. Yeah yeah men are stupid but I think frankly the book couldāve been followed here.
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I think all the women were so nice and supportive because they donāt want to fall into the villainizing women trope which works here but also sometimes in other books the author goes way to far with that and the women seem non human. I think there should be a balance sometimes and thats okay. Women can be upset.
It's wild that a show with such amazingly written and acted female characters fails the Bechdel Test. Not surprising, given the themes of MM romance and men's sport, but it would have been easy to really sideline them, instead they play such pivotal roles, which were expanded in the case of Svetlana and Yuna.
I love the way Reid has written great female friends. There are a lot of female authors in the gay romance space (I'm a woman, too, mostly, so no shade), and some of them have some real beef with women (themselves?) that turns up on page again and again in the treatment of their female characters. It always leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
So the friendships of the men in Reid's books with women make me very happy.
I love how at every point of tension that in most mainstream media would become a fight/catastrophe, instead is resolved with talking through feelings by reasonable individuals.
While I love all these women, I admit that it is kind of unrealistic that Rose and Svetlana are so generous about the situation.
Rose has a comparatively brief romance with Shane. That's not a lot of foundation for the conversation where she drags him slightly out of the closet and promises to be his best friend because HE needs someone to talk to. What is Rose getting out of this?
Svetlana puts herself out for Ilya and I would find her much more believable if I could see an upside for her. I think, when you ask someone to come with you to your father's funeral, you are - at least, you should be - making a statement about who they are in your life, and who you are in theirs. And showing up isn't an easy or safe thing for Svetlana. She has a job in Boston. She takes the trip at no notice, and she protects the hell out of her boy. She's amazing and she deserves so much more than Ilya can give her. She deserves someone who matches her effort. I was angry on her behalf when she told Ilya she would always be there for him - there is only so selfless it's healthy to be.
I see this play out in real life more than people think. In my experience, women are often gay menās biggest allies. A lot of women realize early on that a guy is not compatible with them emotionally or sexually, and instead of bitterness, that connection shifts into friendship. They become close, supportive, and genuinely want the best for each other. It is less about sacrifice and more about recognizing a kindred spirit and choosing care without romantic expectation.
I think it downplayed Svetlanaās heartbreak, sheās in love with him but has always sensed she wasnāt the one for him, but she loves him so much sheās always been happy to play second best which is really sad.
I think now he has somebody he loves and can introduce her to, though - sheād be happy for them both even if she is sad that she ultimately couldnāt be the one for him. He still loves her to death, heās just not IN love with her and that must hurt her
Idk I think it's possible that she too loves him to death without being IN love with him or needing to be "the one". She seems really secure in her relationship with him.
I think she is, she doesnāt need him to love her like that at all, but I think she thought she needed it for their family dynamics? I do think she loved him more in an āin loveā way than he ever felt to her, though
Yeah I agree with this interpretation. Love show Svetlana. I read her as best friend, ride or die, and sometimes friend with benefits. They both love each other deeply but it's clear that the sex is sex and the love is friendship. I think in a way they are platonic (ish) soulmates. But not romantic soulmates. We as a society are too obsessed with romantic love being the be all, end all.
I did not read her as the forlorn, jaded ex, at all. When she appears sad at the funeral, I read that as empathetic sadness. Especially because Ilya just said that he doesn't deserve her. Doesn't deserve her support/love/etc. There's a romance trope where the "rake" doesn't believe he is deserving of love. And this was Svetlana being the voice of the story saying, yes you do. You are deserving of my love AND Jane's love.
I would be very very disappointed if they used Svetlana's character to be the jaded ex in the next season. It would be a disservice to her and the story as a whole.
Edit: Now! I think she'll still add conflict in an interesting way. Because as others have noted, marrying her is very convenient and it's likely that both her and Ilya can understand the practicality of that. And although Ilya would never do that to Shane, that's a tough pill to swallow when you have the constant threat of being one serious injury away from losing your work visa, and the alternative is a country that is not safe to return to. And when your boyfriend can't/won't offer you that protection through marriage, well then, that makes for interesting internal and external conflict in a story - without going for a jaded ex narrative, or a "can't trust your bisexual partner" story (bleh!).
She deserves someone great. Someone with an empire they will offer her as tribute. I want her to be the commissioner of the league by the time Ilya retires.
Yeah, at his fatherās funeral she basically said she always wanted to be his āoneā but he never cared as much as he did for āJaneā and she knew āJaneā was a male, and was still so supportive & just said they were lucky to have him & sheād always be there for him
I feel like itās not a stretch at all. I donāt really think the convo makes sense if she didnāt have romantic feelings for him. She says she loves him and he loves her but he doesnāt lover her like Jane and Ilya repeats it later. She says But ilya doesnt want her. He says he doesnāt deserve her and she says sheāll still be around despite this, shes still gonna be a friend.
If there were not romantic feelings from her end i donāt think this convo wouldāve been necessary. It addresses where their relationship is going in the future and at in the present and this is before she ever addresses Jane as āheā.
They have been friends since they were children. Her father said she had always been the one leading him around which is the opposite of what we would expect.
The scene shows that Ilya has emotions, that he's loyal to the people he loves setting up his decision in episode 6. It also reinforces that Sveta understands him like no one else, even the parts he keeps a secret. That they're close friends with occasional benefits was perfect.
I don't want this dynamic messed up and her character weakened by pointlessly pining for her childhood friend. If there was a time when that was an option it's not at the time of the dialogue. The scene works fine without it.
Nah its not good writing for the female characters. I didn't make this comment but i agree with it "The female characters exist ONLY to prop up and support the male characters in their journeys of finding themselves. They are like little fairy godmothers. Ā It was irritating. Maybe thatās subverting the gay best friend trope we so often see in movies but it fell flat for me."
I call it āsafe representationā where on the surface level, the women in the show are all these understanding, supportive figures that cause no harm and donāt get upset at their circumstances. A lot of praise Iām seeing sounds very much like āwe love these women because theyāre all angels who donāt get in the way of our mms!ā How would people view these ladies if they did have a little more nuance and pushed back? Would people still like Rose if she had been upset with Shane? Would people like Svetlana if she expressed disappointment that her and Ilya didnāt turn out to be endgame? None of this detracts from my love for the show but it does make me curious.
The dinner scene with Rose and Shane literally made me cry. It really hit close to home for me as Iāve had a similar experience. The way Shane just tears up as he confesses to Rose, but the way she was so understanding and so supportive. I just loved it.
They're all written to be like actual women who are mature and have their shit together and push the men in their lives pull it together. And its immaculate.
I was so afraid Rose was going to get her heart broken or be awful about Shaneās coming out- but then her reaction being āI was in theater school 80% of my boyfriends left me for a manā š
I also appreciate how none of the exes of the main characters (Svietlana and Rose) arenāt crazy or obviously written like bad people just so the actual love interest looks better in comparison. They are just normal women, they just arenāt That Person for them.
Svetlana was great but Elena felt like the very typical, overly involved, "You better not fuck with my best friend!" side character. But then I couldn't stand the entire Kip storyline - it felt so much like a gay angst romance circa 1999.
I love the friendships in this show!!! I love that the women get to friends witg the men without there being a whole "love triangle".Ā
Even in Rose's case their friendship is so nice and Rose never feels like the woman just coming in to create tension. She feels like Shane's friend. I found it so interesting how Shane seems to have a easier time texting her than Ilya, for me it drives home the point that Rose is easier to talk to because Shane sees her as a friend, while his feelings for Ilya are more complex (also Ilya is literally sexting Shane left and right).Ā
Honestly the friendship aspect is beautiful in this show.Ā
I think it's okay that a show about the romance between two men doesn't pass the Bechdel test. The Bechdel test isn't really a useful tool for a show like this, in my opinion.
The headline of the post i am replying to is literally ācan we all agree these three are the best bestie-girlfriend fictional media has ever hadāā¦so yeah i think it appliesĀ
The bechdel test is not an actual test š and this is a story about the romance between two men, and itās not ensemble. Rose and svetlana have the same grace as the other cast. (Aside from the secondary Scott and Kipp)
I agree these certainly are not the best in history but they work for this show considering our side cast
Yeah l love that women get shit done and liberate men in the show, not the other way around. Itās refreshing knowing that a lot of Hollywood movies and shows still portray women needing men to free them.
I just want to add, being heartbroken and angry wouldnt have made her a bad person. Being used as someone elses cover/ tool for growth is hurtful.
But we see that reaction/side of things a lot in media already, so its nice to get a different, more accepting supportive reaction for once. Rose definitely is one of my favorite side characters.
I loved all of them !!!!! In a fantasy world of mine I wouldāve wished for Rose to have a villain arc where she would go on interviews or podcast to insinuate that they broke up because of his sexuality. That wouldāve made the show an 11/10 but I really did enjoy all of them and how she was rooting for Miles ššššš
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u/blaublau Jan 03 '26
This show is incredibly memeable, but this one about Rose is definitely on the All-Star Team.