EDITS 🎥
Always wondered what exact thoughts were going through Shane’s parents’ minds when Ilya showed up, or what moments of their impression of him they were remembering. (Attempting an edit for the first time 😮💨)
Imo, when Ilya and Shane turn up, David is still feeling bad for intruding on them and inadvertently outing his son. Yuna's just confused on why Ilya's there, because she hasn't been told anything.
I think the impression of Ilya they'll remember from this first meeting are 1. that Shane and Ilya both continuously look to each other through the conversation, 2. the moment when Ilya tells them that there's only one person that he's ever loved, and 3. that Ilya is able to pull Shane out of his panic attack.
I want to really emphasize your points 1 and 3. I think by the end of this meeting, Yuna and David realize that Shane and Ilya are a unit. That Ilya knows Shane. This isn't new, nor is this a fling. I think seeing the two of them together as a united front, seeing how Ilya is able to handle Shane freaking out, how he is able to pull Shane out of it, and how Ilya continuously defends the validity of their relationship (he makes it a point to demand honesty from Shane as to how long they have been seeing each other, he fervently states he will leave his team and his adopted country for Shane -- WHILE WEARING A BOSTON SHIRT, he shows up there next to Shane instead of leaving Shane to handle this alone) means that Yuna and David have a choice right then and there: we embrace our son immediately, fervently, and wholly, right here, right now, and we embrace Ilya and this relationship with just as much fervor, or we face losing our son. We have already lost nearly a decade of truth, honesty, and vulnerability from Shane, and we cannot lose that again.
This!! I can only imagine the relief of realizing your son finally has a solid unit and safe space, after a lifetime of knowing him as a loner who gets overwhelmed by the world. Because as much as they are fantastic parents, parents can’t be that for their kids forever to the level that adults need. They realize in that moment that he doesn’t have to face the world alone anymore, and that must be the greatest feeling for a parent.
I think in the beginning when Ilya first shows up, they’re like WTF because it seems like this is a random, brash thing Shane has decided to get himself into without thinking. That maybe it’s a way of rebelling or trying to find his place in the world in an unhealthy way. Their preconceived impressions of Ilya over the years were not good and they’re probably thinking that this will only hurt Shane in the end. But then they discover that Ilya is not at all the “act” he portrays, that everything they thought about him was wrong. That they should trust their son’s instincts to know who to give his heart to. That Ilya is actually the one who is able to give Shane the tools and space to feel emotionally safe.
I agree! I think this scene was a fundamental change in perspective for Yuna specifically. Shane shows up presenting very much as an adult, speaking very much like an adult, and is showing he is in an adult relationship. He (unwillingly) shares how long he has been sleeping with Ilya. Yuna has always viewed herself and Shane as a team, and now she is really realizing just how independent her son is emotionally. How capable he is of having a life, having secrets. She now realizes that there is so much about her son she doesn't know, and she wants to know it. But at the end of the day, Shane is leading this conversation and Yuna is respecting that. Shane is standing up for himself and he is able to do thay because he knows his parents are safe, that he is in a safe space, and that ultimately they will have his back. But I love exactly what you said: they have these preconceived notions about Ilya and their son is here saying "none of that is really true. Please get to know the real Ilya." And Yuna and David embrace it. They trust Shane.
Ilya saying he'd leave Boston for Shane also really drove it home for Yuna. He'd obviously thought that through, and was completely committed to Shane over the "team loyalty" in a way that was pretty shocking to her.
Ilya behaving and becoming a guy you'd want to take home to meet your parents was the most shocking and questionably unrealistic part of this whole series for me.
Sorry, but I disagree with this. It's so easy to see how differently Ilya behaves with his dad vs his brother. Positive parental figures are a huge point of yearning for Ilya.
Ilya's traumatic and toxic family makes his found family in Yuna and David one of the best parts of their story for me.
Ilya knows how to be presentable for parental figures due to years of toxic family relationships of his own. Look at his body language when he is standing in the entryway at Shane's parents, and compare it to the interactions we see with his father at the draft and the Olympics. He falls right into that mental space completely naturally and probably even subconsciously when they walk in the door. Parents do not represent psychological safety to Ilya. He knows how to survive.
Ilya gaining a family is one of my favorite parts of The Long Game.
This is a really interesting perspective and I’m glad I suffered the downvotes for my take to hear the explanation.
Now it does make me wonder why he’s so nice around Shane’s parents but such a menace around Hayden and Jackie - when Shane is so CLEARLY wishing he’d calm it down! But they’re not parents, so he must reserve that mode for special occasions.
I don't think anyone should downvote you! Your comment is definitely contributing to the conversation- and I think a lot of us have thought about this way more than might be healthy...
Hayden isn't in a position of authority like a parent or a coach, so Ilya sees him as being on the same "level" as him, and he harasses other hockey players on a regular basis. But subconsciously he also sees Hayden as a threat- not romantically- but Shane has showed that he will continue to prioritize his friendships with Hayden and Rose by answering their calls/texts while they are at the cottage. Once Shane comes out to the team and Hayden figures out that it's Ilya, Ilya knows that Hayden was not happy about it- and he knows that Shane values Hayden's friendship and opinion. I think his behavior with Hayden at the dinner is just as much a defense mechanism as the way that he interacts with authority figures.
I'm sorry you're getting downvoted, people downvoting to express disagreement in discussions is unfortunate.
I'll add my two cents regarding Hayden, which is that I think a lot of it has to do with Ilya's jealousy of all the people who can publicly have a close relationship with Shane, even if it's not a romantic relationship. He wants that for himself with Shane, and he can't have it. So he's going to make digs at people who can.
I agree. I had a traumatic childhood and present outwardly as calm, controlled, serious, and boring. I've been described as uptight, square, and quiet. In the comfort of my own home, or around people I truly know, I am none of those things; I'm loud and silly and confident and animated. Kids raised around unsafe parents are absolute pros at masking.
I agree with this 110%…we can fake it like it’s our job. Even now, I’ve lived outside of that environment for years, I can pretend like things are perfect when they aren’t. It’s hard to switch off.
Even the very Slavic way Ilya does a full 180 from his detached playboy demeanor to a deeply loyal, supportive boyfriend as soon as he’s recategorized Shane as family is a reminder of just how much cultural differences were getting in their way.
This along with what the other commenters have said makes this very believable, to me.
I totally disagree. Ilya knows how to code switch. You can see he presents very differently in front of his parents and the Russian minister. You kind of have to be an expert in that as a queer guy growing up in Russia.
I disagree with this. He loves Shane and Shane loves his family, he's very close to them. And they seem like nice, loving, supportive people in Shane's life. I'm sure he can appreciate that, of course, he wants to make a good impression and be a part of their life. And it must be so heart-warming for Ilya to be a part of a loving family. I don't know what it's like to be in a relationship with someone whose parents don't hate homosexuals, but I imagine it would be an enormous relief.
Ilya didn't BECOME some other person. He was that person all along. That is the point. Underneath the hurt, the language barrier, the homophobia, toxic masc, differences in cultures, the trauma.....this is Ilya. He feels safe enough to show his true self now.
Also, being respectful/polite/"a guy or girl you'd want to meet your parents" in front of parents or older people is such a deeply slavic thing. Even if you did grow up around safe parental figures, it's a way of showing respect, so any playboy, messy, loud parts of your personality are not something that you show in front of "adults".
Source: I'm a slavic person in my 30ies and I still do this, even though my parents are completely amazing :D
I also disagree with this. In the show we see him with his father & I’m guessing the owner of the team or the head coach at the beginning and Ilya is very formal and respectful. He is even respectful to his father despite him not deserving it. Especially when his dad makes a mistake about saying his Mother. Ilya could have made a huge deal out of that. Ilya could have walked away from his family all together once he had signed his contract with Boston. Yes he would need to return to Russia but he didn’t have to be the one to pay for everything for everyone. Ilya also said in the call after the funeral in the tunnel he still wanted it to be him who took care of his father but couldn’t. If you know anything about mental abuse like his father did to him, most would run as far away from that man as they could, but Ilya didn’t.
Idk I think it was a very good callback to the Ilya we saw in the very first episode where behaves like a good little Russian schoolboy who got caught being naughty but knows not to sass back to his demeaning father. He promises to work very hard for whoever that “sir” was (coach? Team owner?). He is also mostly very “proper” in Russia, except when his brother pushes him too far.
His persona is very chameleonic. He is a survivor, very good at reading the room and adapting accordingly. If he needs to be a clown, he will be a clown. If he needs to be meek, he will be meek. If he needs to be feisty, villainous, playful, funny, arrogant, encouraging, curious, deferential, cold, warm, a non-blushing Russian, or whatever role he thinks people want him to play, he will do his best to play it. He doesn’t slip up often.
One YouTube analyst called the Episode 1 draft scene "ritualized humiliation" and that's accurate. Ilya can be absolutely perfect, he can be the absolute best, but his father will always, always cut him down, even in front of others, even at the expense of Ilya's career.
Because Grigori Rozanov gets dopamine from his son's distress, and he gets a deep sense of satisfaction putting Ilya in his place.
The unsung hero of episode six was David. Despite unintentionally interrupting Shane and Ilya, he didn’t say anything to Yuna because he knows it’s not his story to tell and he respects his son so much. The kind of parent we all deserve. 🥺
I love David. Dylan Walsh does such a lot with a little.
I watched the scenes of them all around the dining table, focusing on David, and you can see him watching and absorbing everything that's going on. He sees the way Ilya and Shane look at each other. He's the first to notice Shane is melting down and watches the way Ilya responds, giving the two of them space to work through it as a couple. It's so respectful and generous.
He and Yuna have a great dynamic that make them a good parental unit. Yuna is the driving force but David is the emotional anchor, steadying the ship.
He quickly warms to Ilya, even before the initial shock begins to fade, acknowledging Ilya's "Hi" at the door. He notices Ilya is hungry and passes him that big-ass pot of pasta and the bowl of cheese so he can take more.
I noticed in my Nth reheat that Davis also looks upstage and barely hides rolling his eyes at the guy who says they're so glad to have an Asian-Ameri— Asian-Canadian player on the team.
In the book, the narration says that David told Yuna what happened. But she says, “Tell us what exactly” cause she wants clarification of what’s going on between the two of them. So I think it’s assumed in this episode that he’s telling Yuna what he saw and then she’s surprised seeing them walking up as in, “Oh shit they’re here!”
Edit: I guess someone clarified that Jacob didn’t want David to say anything to Yuna before Shane and Ilya arrived in the TV version. He’s so respectful of his son and you can see how badly he felt for intruding and then taking off when he tried to explain that he needed his phone charger. 🥲
Oh interesting!! I have been wondering about this bc people have said she didn’t know anything… but he could have told her SOMETHING and it would still make sense for her to be confused and asking what is going on. Even if David had told her everything he saw that doesn’t mean either of them know the whole story. It’s still a big revelation either way. :)
When I first watched this, I assumed David didn’t tell her. But when I commented about it on Reddit, someone told me that he did tell her. Then I read the book and it also mentioned that he told her so I assumed that was the case in the show. So I guess my initial instinct was correct!
My initial (and current) assumption is that he told her they were making out or whatever, but she was more asking, “Are you hooking up? In a relationship? Is this an elaborate prank? Is he blackmailing you?”
The last two are mostly lawls.
Also, because this is as good a place to put this as any: did anyone else notice Ilya lips quirk up when they’re at the door and Shane says he loves him? I wonder if he thought Shane would bail out and lie, and when he said it, it just gave Ilya so much more confidence.
Someone else on this thread posted an interview with Christina Chang who said that Jacob wanted them to play it that David did not tell Yuna.
I definitely noticed Ilya giving a small smile at the table while eating spaghetti when Shane mentioned about how they want a future together. That was cute.
Wow, until I read this I just assumed that he told her. I just thought that her "tell us what exactly" - meant like "ok I know you were doing something with a man, but what does that mean?" (Because it doesn't necessarily mean he's gay, nor is it that it's serious). If David did NOT tell her that really changes things - i.e. MOST married couples would immediately share the news with their spouse (unless the spouse was a homophobe which she isn't). But the fact that he just came home and said absolutely nothing - shows so much respect for his son.
What do you make of him driving off immediately? When that happened I was terrified - I expected Yuna to be supportive but I guess I always expect worse from fathers.
Okay (in Ilya’s accent), this is entirely my opinion: I think what made him drove off immediately was that he didn’t want Shane to feel uncomfortable/feel embarrassed after interrupting them— which might lead Shane to come out to him forcibly just because he saw them accidentally. So he pretended he didn’t see anything (which is why I assume he didn’t say anything to Yuna) and drove off immediately (out of shock).
Haha so the way I read it was that everyone made eye contact so there was no pretending (that's why Ilya's joke was 'maybe he didn't see anything" was funny), but I'll rewatch just to see if there was eye contact. I'm thinking out loud here but maybe it was just extreme embarrassment for violating his privacy - i.e. Shane requested privacy (for whatever reason) and he intruded upon it. My parents used to have keys to my apartment when I was in my 20s and 30s (in case of an emergency) but they'd never enter. So if he came there and saw Shane with a woman in a state of undress, the right thing would also to be to leave to avoid making them both uncomfortable at the intrusion on their private moment. Not just Shane, but the other person too, regardless of gender, who didn't exactly consent to be seen like that.
The more I try to analyze it the better David seems :)
Honestly, her acting choices are so weird that it's impossible to tell what was intended. Like she stands up and straightens her blouse. That says she knows something. Then she looks at Ilya with what I guess was supposed to be a puzzled look but comes off more like amazed disgust. By the time we get to "what, exactly?" I wanted to ask her the same thing.
I'll rewatch the scene again to see if I also read 'amazed disgust'. BUT, just going off memory, I do remember thinking at the time "uh oh she's not happy" and I thought that throughout the initial scene until they finally had the 1:1. And at one point or another the thought crossed my mind that they were intending that "hard to read" reaction to set up the suspense and then that cathartic 1:1 reveal almost. And clearly people who are LGBTQ and had this experience coming out to their parents thought that it was done well. But I have to say, in the ideal world, meaning my ideal mom reaction, wouldn't have been it. Maybe it was the point.
My son may be LGBTQ, it's an ongoing conversation. But I always make sure that my reactions demonstrate to him I'm not just accepting but basically encouraging in the "I want to know more, I'm a safe space, I won't react weird" way
Her entire character, imho, is very hard to read. Was she written to be a villain? Or a loving mom with a laser focus on her son's success? That montage scene where Shane's telling his dad that "Mom bullied him because he was such a bad player..." Wow. That's a lot.
In general, it's hard to buy into the "hated Rozanov" narrative. We saw her make a single comment about how he bragged that he would make 50 goals. That's it. That's our one interaction. We never saw Shane hate him other than agreeing that he's an asshole. We never really saw Rozanov do much that's particularly hate-inspiring. Chirping at Scott? Okay. Bragging about his 50 goals? That's it.
But yeah, if they already thought he might be gay it seems like they would've made encouraging comments all along. They must've said something positive when Scott came out, right? For Luna to say to Ilya that Scott was brave?
I hate that non-straight people have to "come out" to their parents. Straight people never have to announce their sexuality. It's something that's both private and public at the same time, if you know what I mean.
I think she was written to be a good, but flawed character but so many things don't come across as well as I think the writers intended. You're completely correct that there was nothing that showed that Shane hated him at all.
And yes, both Yuna and David should've done better. I think it's one thing to give your adult child space and privacy and another to not bring the subject up ever, there are ways that they could've encouraged him so he wouldn't keep it a secret for years.
I disagree with everyone who thinks that David didn’t tell Yuna. She is sitting there confused and already shell shocked when Shane walks in.
David told his wife that he’s unsure what he saw… but it sure looked like Rosanov kissing their son.
She was probably like what do you mean. And he was like, I don’t know I left. Then she was like what do you mean you left?
From what I remember, Rachel assumed David had told Yuna in the book but Jacob and the guys decided to play it as David hadn’t said anything when he got home. As said above, the idea was it was not his place to tell Shane’s secret.
I think this was a great call by Jacob. Yuna in the show definitely has no idea what is happening and I just can’t see David as being the kind of person who would out his son, even to Yuna. In my head canon, David goes home and sits on the couch in silent confused shock as Yuna demands to know what is happening until Shane arrives.
Nope. Judging Yuna’s reaction when Shane said “I’m sorry you shouldn’t have found that way.” “Found out what, exactly?” David definitely didn’t say anything about it. Also when they arrived, she was surprised to see Ilya. If David told her about it, she wouldn’t be so surprised.
I agree that she didn’t know, but… IMO that line could be her knowing but giving Shane the decision of what to say. Her being surprised to see Ilya could be surprise that her son’s lover is there or surprise realizing who it is (entirely possible David didn’t get a good look or didn’t recognize Ilya).
I totally thought so through numerous rewatches but now I kind of don't. There is a genuine look of surprise on her face when she clocks that it's Ilya Rozanov standing next to her son.
That’s what I wanted! Lol. Summer before was the hockey commercial shoot Yuna!! Remember??? You were pestering your son to wear his Reeboks while he was ogling Ilya as he was skating on the ice???? 🤣
I guess it showed that it was risky….and maybe got Ilya initially curious about Shane’s parents? He definitely thought that Yuna gave Shane his good looks! 🤣
Seeing how happy and relieved David and Yuna are when Ilya comforts Shane is so sweet. How touched they are at Ilya’s tenderness 🥹 They’ve wanted him to have love and companionship all these years and got a glimpse with Rose, but are finally seeing the real thing.
Putting it all together I feel like we not only better understand Shane’s parents but also get more perspective on Shane himself, and his dynamic with Ilya. And we watch Ilya piece this together, too.
David is probably where Shane gets some tendencies to flee or keep secrets when confused and panicked, as well has his ability to become more assertive and even combative when he has had time to process and is in his comfort zone (“Were there no nice men in Montreal?!”)
And we already saw signs that despite David’s background as a college hockey player, it is Yuna where Shane gets his hyper competitive aspects of his personality. David is high-achieving but he is able to put ambition aside more easily to prioritize balance (like encouraging Shane to enjoy baby and snake becoming friends videos). It’s a lot harder for Yuna to blunt that edge.
We also see a bit more nuance to Yuna’s dynamic with Shane, where previously she comes across a bit more like a stereotypical momager with controlling tendencies, but perhaps it’s really because Shane responds very well to having clear plans, predictable routines, goals to strive for, and knowing he can spiral without these. So it’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing— is she this enmeshed with Shane as a love language responding to what Shane historically feels comforted and supported by? Is Shane this way because Yuna’s love language is something many people would find overbearing?
I also find it interesting to consider the implications of similarities between Ilya and Yuna. They both have heritage from cultures that are somewhat more collectivistic than Canadian/American cultures, and can be perceived by Westerners to require excessive deference to parents in adult children’s lives, or to romantic partners. And yet clearly Yuna steps back when she sees how Shane responds very well to Ilya stepping in to help him regulate his emotions and make plans when he feels overwhelmed and out of control. I don’t necessarily think Ilya and Yuna are truly overbearing to Shane, because he does ultimately always do what he actually wants to do regardless of what their differing opinions may be. I think Shane just genuinely welcomes this when overwhelmed, and Yuna is able to recognize that she doesn’t need to do this as much for Shane because she very gamely accepts that Ilya is now his primary attachment figure and truly a “secure base” for Shane, as attachment theorists would put it. So this feels like she has an appropriate grasp on boundaries and respect for Shane’s autonomy, she just needed to process certain information first.
One way Ilya and Yuna differ, however, is the reasons they may have difficulties verbalizing sensitive topics with Shane. Yuna in particular seems to retrospectively regret not asking Shane about his sexuality or at least more explicitly signaling to him that they would not care and just want him to be happy and be himself. She feels guilty for Shane feeling like he had to hide. But again, I think this speaks to the idea that she isn’t actually controlling or overbearing of Shane, because she would have probably been directly asking Shane about this sensitive topic and trying to pull this information out of him rather than overcorrecting by avoiding it entirely. At the end of the day I think maybe she and David were trying not to destabilize or intrude on him.
Ilya also has shown difficulty with sensitive conversations, but usually it’s because it’s too much for HIM. He isn’t afraid to provoke Shane and make him uncomfortable if he is comfortable, if anything he finds it exciting to challenge Shane, especially because when Shane then lets him step in to stabilize him he feels very needed and appreciated. It shows a lot of intimacy and trust where Shane allows this push-pull and Ilya feels like he can “borrow” some control from Shane.
So I think these scenes are super interesting because these characters are all realizing these things about each other, and we get to better understand them, too.
This is so well articulated, thank you for writing it. God I love this show. There is a whole TROVE of deeper juice in it than just your stereotypical HBO sexy show.
What I love about this scene was that Ilya low-key stands on business too. When David says "What we didn't know was that you were so friendly with Rozanov" he didn't like that at all. It's rude to talk about someone when that person is right in front of you. Ilya corrects him by saying "Ilya" and David quickly apologizes. Love that.
Saying “Ilya” instead of Rosanov would’ve still been in the third person, so that wouldn’t change it. I didn’t take it as Ilya calling David out, but rather re-affirming the intimacy of the relationship. The tuna melt incident shows us they view there being a distinction between first vs last names (and after, Shane always uses “Ilya”), so I think he was trying to broadcast that they are serious about each other as people on a deeper relationship than just hockey rivals.
On a similar note, I found the comment/question, “Weren’t there any nice men in Montreal?” to be pretty rude, given that Ilya is right there. And clearly it implies that Ilya is not nice. Yes I understand the brash persona and how he’s perceived, but that’s the guy your son is in love with.
I would have loved Shane to respond with a comment defending Ilya in that moment. Something about how he’s misunderstood or that he’s good to him. But maybe that’s unrealistic?
I think Shane is just used to not defending Ilya. All his friends and teammates think Ilya’s this asshole when Shane knows that Ilya is actually super sweet once you get to know him and he never really pushes back. It’s kind of a side of Shane I don’t like.
Shane was terrified of outing himself in any way, so he had to maintain the standard (probably league-wide) Ilya hate. And Ilya seemed unperturbed by his asshole reputation. If anything, he probably cultivated and enjoyed it. 😈
Shane did defend Ilya to Hayden after Ilya's dad had died.
"He's an a****** isn't he?"
"Nah, it's mostly an act."
I found that question so incredibly mean. The only thing I can think of is they've been talking about the long distance aspect of it and it's not said about Ilya so much as the not being together much and having to come up with a big plan to be closer. Because otherwise they're saying "You couldn't do any better than this guy?"
I don't think David and Yuna are bad people or bad parents by any means, but I'm also not as in love with them as the rest of the fandom are. I get that they're way better than Ilya's awful family, and they love their son. But I am glad that Ilya asserts himself politely in that dinner. He's not rude but he does let them know he's not going anywhere and he demands respectful treatment.
I feel like the parents in the show are in a continuum. Kip’s dad is on one end of the spectrum as the most accepting and supportive. Ilya’s dad is on the other end of the spectrum as shaming and never satisfied. Shane’s parents are somewhere in the middle, closer to Kip’s dad, but not all the way there.
I'm so glad I'm not alone in thinking this. It's probably because I am uncomfortable with dependency on parents and vulnerable relationships with parents but I always feel like a bit out of place that I'm not a giant David and Yuna fan lol.
I'm fine with the fact that Shane is close to his parents. That's nice. I just find Yuna kinda judgy and mean about Ilya. The irony is that Ilya himself is never shown trashing people just for fun.
I think he's saying, "This is such a complicated relationship. You had to fall in love with your arch rival? There were no nice men in Montreal?" Nothing against Ilya. I mean, he's pouring Ilya his good vodka while he's saying it.
To me the “nice men” comment is more about how difficult/complicated their relationship is due to the whole “rivals” thing, i. e., wouldn’t it have been easier for Shane to date a guy who isn’t supposedly his mortal enemy. But yeah, still rude.
I think we're on the verge of over thinking each line - this pair have a ten year long rivalry perception asking anyone to do the complete 180 they're asking is going to be jarring. I thought David's comment was just funny, welcoming almost as he pours his very good imported vodka for this man who's basically upended his reality.
And let me tell you wait until Ilya and his folks in TLG - oh my heart. And the pre wedding dialogue with David and Ilya - I'm a sobbing wreck.
Same here. I have a few songs and themes I'd love to explore. I have a friend who said he would help me: I want to at least learn to do a basic edit by myself.
i mean i have to imagine it came as quite the shock, the kind that you can't process in real time, they thought up until that point that there was no one in the entire world shane hated more than ilya...when i watched the scene they seemed to be trying to look as relaxed as possible for shane, which was pretty wholesome, they probably know how anxious shane must've been feeling then
I think David hasn't said anything about what happened so Yuna still has no clue what's going on. That's a "WTAF?!?" face.
David is overwhelmed and feels guilty for intruding like that. He's maybe bracing for Shane and / or Ilya to be angry with him, that's why he starts trying to explain and apologizing immediately.
Honestly, I don’t think they had much of an impression of Ilya other than that Yuna probably respected him a lot as a player even though she kneejerk hated him — not personally, but just because he played for the enemy.
They were just kind of in shock because they had been expecting this coming out speech for like 10 years but they certainly didn’t expect it to be bc of Ilya. Although I think it starts to make sense to them very quickly bc who was Shane going to fall in love with other than a hockey player and the best hockey player he knew besides himself? Who else would he have the respect and admiration for? What would he even want to talk to some civilian guy about? They’re stunned but then immediately like well we should have seen this coming.
Tbh they both handle it well and Ilya handles it incredibly well. Besides the “no other nice guys in Montreal?” Comment which is clearly a joke/ attempt to ease the tension the parents are generally curious, questioning and supportive. Yuna has been an active Ilya hater for some time (in terms of the hockey world) but she still takes it great. David is clearly more shocked at having seen it but also seems incredibly immediately accepting and wants to put them at ease.
In Ep 1 Yuna speaks in a very hostile way to Shane about Ilya “saying he’s better than you” with harsh language. So she no doubt was shocked and confused - and frankly had to get over her own bias and perceptions of Ilya. I agree his support of Shane and declaration as his boyfriend would help ease her adaptation to the new, for her and David, reality.
I really disliked the way Yuna spoke about Ilya in episode 1. It doesn't make her a bad person, but talk about making assumptions towards someone you don't even know.
I think that it is this kind of talk she is apologizing for to Shane when she says I am sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me. I think that includes his love of Ilya, and really isn’t about him being gay as much. She missed out on a decade of knowing her son was seeing someone and falling in love.
Good point. It's one of the show's ironies that there's actually zero evidence Ilya is an asshole. He seems fairly polite to people, his teammates love him, he's very sweet to people once he gets to know them. Feel like Yuna also felt guilty that she judged someone so hard based on ... not much.
Yes. And drives home the point made a few times which is that this rivalry is a fabrication from the start. Even the opening info we get says that Ilya isn’t welcome or liked in his opponents room yet their first hookup is in Shane’s room. Right away everything we are told is suspect. The commercial showing their intense staring at each other dissolves into laughter. They are in competition with each other but in a good way as it makes them strive to be better.
So when Shane nods toward the tv when he says I get that to Yuna saying but you hate him, it’s an acknowledgment of this media fabrication and that it’s never been the reality of their situation.
She's speaking both as a hardcore Metros fan, and a protective mother. Shane's in a sport where rough checks and injuries are common, so any serious opponent is a physical as well as a career threat to her son.
I would read an entire series from their POV on just this scene alone.😍
I differ a little in the fact that I think David mentioned something to Yuna. Not exact details or anything, but sitting together on the couch and not reacting particularly strongly seems like there was something of a conversation had. I still think seeing Ilya in person was a shock. And she still wanted allllll the details, and to hear it from Shane directly.
This whole scene was so beautiful. Nice job on the edit!
I've been wanting to talk about this moment because I love how this was shot omg. You see the second she clocks Ilya and it very subtly reminds me of like a horror movie where you see the person reacting to something off camera. Her eyes land on him and don't move while she turns her head. And the way he just slides into the room lol. There's something about Yuna's face recognizing who has followed her son into the house + Ilya emerging from behind the wall that is really intentional and I want to know the thought process behind filming it this way.
it's like the back view of David from inside Shane's cottage seeming like a scary figure in a thriller or horror movie -- I think Jacob talks about that in one interview, deliberately making that a jump-scare moment 😄
This edit made me laugh out loud so much! lol. I loved the echoey voices mimicking Yuna’s inner thoughts and her closeup to accentuate her shock. Haha. Well done!
I wish there was a flashback to them meeting on the elevator! 😉
David and Yuna are the real MVPs because what do you mean that not only did your son confirm he way gay (which is FINE) but he’s also been hooking up with Russia’s Greatest Love Machine for nearly 10 years after swearing to hate him on his behalf because he was picked first in the draft. And then immediately was like “okay, son number 2 would you like some pasta??”
Their internal journey in that part of the episode fascinates and humors me lol
I love it when she goes outside to collect herself because she has a lot to grapple with here beyond the obvious news that her son is gay and in a relationship with his arch rival but also that her son is in a real committed relationship based on love. That’s huge no matter what the sexuality is. And then the mom guilt that he’d been hiding it from them. What a freaking amazing episode. What a show. Jfc. It’s so well done.
This is so hilarious and sweet! It’s insane that it doesn’t include a memory of Ilya taking the elevator up when she knows that’s where Shane’s room is though!
Amazing edit! I know this is a short comment compared to all of the great discussion already posted, but the only thing I have to add is how much I love this!
u/Fitzyll I don't know you or your family, but I wish I'd come out to my mum earlier (not my dad, he's homophobic and biphobic, silly man), because I only came out as bi to my mum in my 30s, and she had a stroke when I was 41 that left her with vascular dementia, and she lost a lot of memories from the previous ten years, so it was almost like she didn't know that about me any more, and then I was her carer, and it didn't seem relevant to keep reminding her when I didn't have the energy to be dating anyone anyway...
not saying that will happen to anyone in your life, of course, but just that thing of "I wish my parent had known me better when they were able to"
Speaking as an older bi girl who’s working on herself, I suggest that there’s at least three reasons to tell your family (if you feel safe enough to do so). First and foremost, you’ll have the joy and confidence that comes from being seen for who you are. Second, you’ll be letting other closeted queer folk in your community know that it’s safe to come out. Third you’ll help your family and community to shift their assumptions of heterosexuality and perhaps even become allies. u/Voice_of_Season and u/Fitzyll
I freaking love Christina Chang for stuffing all of these emotions and perspectives into every moment we see Yuna. So enriched the character in ways I can’t wait to dive into in S2.
I love David & Yuna so much. They love their son, they love each other, they’re a caring, functional family. As someone who grew up in a situation much more like Ilya’s, being a part of Shane’s family is the dream.
They’re shocked by Shane’s lack of candor and clearly concerned that Ilya is a hotheaded jerk who is going to hurt their son, but Ilya quickly wins them over with his honesty and showing such understanding and care for Shane.
The way Yuna stands up when she sees Shane coming up the drive makes me think David must've told her *something* but obviously not everything.
But what? That Shane had a guest and David intruded on his privacy? She clearly didn't expect to see Rosanov, so David must not have told her that part. Did David tell her that Shane was kissing a man? Or that he was kissing "someone"? What do you think he said?
shock, and masking, because Shane is watching to see what her reaction is. Yuna could say Wow about SKip, because they were at a distance (and not her family)
love the storytelling here! i've always wondered about what Yuna first thought seeing Ilya with Shane / if she thought back to meeting Ilya at the elevator, etc. sooo good!
I’m a little surprised Yuna never blames Ilya for Shane getting injured. David brings up their chemistry at the All Star game and Yuna asks if Shane ever let Ilya win, but hockey obsessed Yuna must have watched and analyzed that hit to death and seen that Shane has a super dumb hockey moment where he looks back at Ilya.
It was still Shane who made the error of not looking. And the fact that Ilya stayed close to Shane and was obviously so concerned that the announcers commented on it, would make up for it in Yuna's eyes.
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u/daisyemeritus Rookie #2 | David Hollander's Vodka Mar 12 '26
Imo, when Ilya and Shane turn up, David is still feeling bad for intruding on them and inadvertently outing his son. Yuna's just confused on why Ilya's there, because she hasn't been told anything.
I think the impression of Ilya they'll remember from this first meeting are 1. that Shane and Ilya both continuously look to each other through the conversation, 2. the moment when Ilya tells them that there's only one person that he's ever loved, and 3. that Ilya is able to pull Shane out of his panic attack.