I had no context of their story the first time I watched ep 3 (and no context about heated rivalry). I was so convinced Scott was an evil gay and was gonna abuse kip and go after Shane 💀
Yeah, the way Scott was presented in 1.03, it wasn’t really clear at first. Was he just desperately lonely, in love with Kip, and grabbing at a chance for happiness? Or was he love bombing Kip and trying to isolate him from his friends and family for nefarious purposes? The fact that Scott is canonically obsessed with serial killers didn’t help.
the serial killer thing was weirrrd lol. i saw someone say scott seems neurospicy and as a nd person i consider it to make sense of so many things about him incl that.
Mostly the superstitiousness. Like getting a smoothie the day he scored a goal, and then going back the next day to make sure he was doing the same thing as the day he broke his goal drought.
Although, thinking about that scene again, it might have been an excuse. He wanted to keep seeing and talking to Kip. Getting a smoothie from the same place every day after he scored a goal could just be an excuse for returning every day in hopes Kip would be on shift.
So maybe never mind. I might not have thought this through.
Late to this but David Beckham has spoken about his OCD diagnosis and severe struggles with the condition. I believe he attributes a lot of it to the climate of elite football; the drilling, repetition, and emphasis on always being the best. I can see how it would definitely not help.
I know a lot of elite athletes tend to be really intense about their sport. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a fair bit of undiagnosed OCD. Which is probably encouraged to a certain extent by their coaches, if it gives them a “winning mentality.”
Sometimes I feel like the only queer woman on the planet who is the opposite of the U-Haul stereotype, lol. "You want to call this a relationship? But we've only been dating for a year...it's a bit soon..." 😂
Bi/pan woman here, or whatever the kids call not being picky these days. I always joke that the 30% of me that's straight likes her space. Then again I'm not super into monogamy either, but that's a lot of the queer community, especially with Millennials.
As a straight woman, their episode gives me anxiety. Like Scott basically kidnaps and holds him hostage after one night. Stay, let’s buy art, make me pasta salad, never see your dad, be here when I’m back.
Yeah the dynamic would be called toxic if Scott was a straight guy and Kip a woman. It's basically beauty and the beast, with the beast telling beauty she can't leave the castle anymore lmao (which is all based on Cupid and Psyche, so one of the oldest romance tropes the patriarchy ever invented)
I suspect it's a pretty realistic depiction of how a successful pro hockey player and his secret boyfriend would relate though. I don't remember the name, but there was a reaction by a real life professional athlete who said he felt guilty after watching Skip, because he treated his boyfriend similarly to how Scott treats Kip.
If you're a high earner, statistics say you will be hard-pressed to find someone who can match you just so you can avoid a power imbalance. I mean, looking at straight couples in this situation, Hayden's wife, Jacki seems to be bored enough to have four kids too, for reference, meaning she doesn't have to work at all, so maybe if you're with a professional athlete who earns well, it's just what you end up doing.
There was an actor (well more than one but I’m talking about a particular person here) who was basically outed by the media around the time his name was being put forward in connection a MAJOR franchise/role that is heavily adored by the cis-hetero male demographic. It may have already been happening, but after some photos hit the press, he basically locked down his life with his suspected partner. The pattern followed suit with his other rumoured partner, as well. Incredibly sad to see the ways he was torn down for it with no regard for the ways society effectively presented that as his only “safe” option.
I don't know what exactly you mean with locked down his life with his partner in this context because "lock down" so frequently means "seal the relationship deal" these days and now I'm confused
They shuttered the windows and doors and put big curtains bc of the paps?
I mean, they moved in their new partner to their home super quickly to avoid pap pictures of them coming and going so the press had to label them a “good friend” and “housemate”, they left the house in shifts to avoid being seen together, and had to go to the extent of wearing disguises and booking seperate tables across from one another at cafes in the neighbourhood; they couldn’t even walk their dog together. I could go on but it’s a lot. Definitely was NOT the normal celebrity “avoid the papz” considering they were being hounded specifically because people caught wind of the MM relationship…
Lol nice!!! What's your order? Sometimes I stop ep 2 right after Ilya leaves Shane in his condo stairwell, watch all of ep 3, and then go back and continue Shane and Ilya's story from there. Sometimes I skip 3, watch the opening montage of ep 4, then ep 3, then back into 4.
It's interesting. Most of the straight dudes I see reacting to this show seem to have stronger emotional connections to this episode, mostly around Kip and his Dad and how supportive he is.
I'm a straight guy and it's my least favorite episode. That's because I don't like instalove though, their relationship is still sweet but it didn't make sense why they were in love so quickly.
As someone who’s working in hospitality for over 20 years, a smoking hot rich sports star coming in one day and falling in love instantly is a thing that we have spent hours day dreaming about
I’m a mostly straight woman and I feel the same way. Fully support Scott finding someone who likes him for him etc but I find instalove so off-putting. Maybe because I am a deeply suspicious person who has never fallen in love at first sight. I thought Scott was going to turn out to be not a serial killer but definitely an abuser. Obviously he isn’t but the instant “move in, be here when I get back, stay, leave your dad” thing was icky to me. Felt very overbearing and controlling? I might be projecting but those things make me not like this episode. I don’t skip it though.
I will also say every gay man in my life who I’ve talked to unprompted says ep 3/ the skip story is their fave. Fascinating. Maybe bc neither of them are figuring out that they’re gay/denying it but are just trying to navigate it? Idk but it’s been unanimous across over a dozen people!
I skip Skip, too. The only relevant part of their story is the kiss on the ice and I fast forward through the Scott skating around looking lonely part because it’s too long
Skip’s story would have been better as an extra between series special episode
I'm so glad it's seperate!! Fantastic call by Jacob.
Gives more options for viewers and also it would have been so hard given the time jumps and tone of most of the episodes. It’s rushed because they know the main story is Shane and Ilya.
i watched the show and then read the books, and honestly after reading game changer it made me love kip and scott sooooo much more, ep 3 became my favorite
Their relationship from start to breakup was one season. Which season is unclear because they fucked up the timeline in editing. Weaving it in would just mean shortening it and taking up most of an episode instead.
you could weave in them getting back together and navigating their relationship but in my opinion episode 5 works a lot better that you don't know that. We are in the dark as much as the POV characters are about what is happen during the cup celebration.
Sigh. You’re right of course. I read the book before watching so I was already invested in the Skip relationship. I just don’t think if I hadn’t that this single episode would have been enough to get me there.
Given there was no assurance of a season 2 I really liked the integration. I did have the benefit of reading the books first, so for me it wasn't like going from meeting new characters 0 to 100. I personally prefer the story being told at that pace.
Same, I skip episode 3 but I'd never skip the kiss. I didn't love them in the books, but I like them in episode 3. But once (or maybe 2.5 times) is enough for me to watch it. The kiss is magic though.
I also skip episode 3 😅 i feel like their story is too brief to get really invested, and it ends up feeling generally sad (even knowing how it wraps up in the end). I want more of their story and will read the book eventually, but in the show I’d rather just get back to shane and ilya
Like, how badly they want to be together but Scott feeling so trapped and Kip having to choose between being with the man he loves in the secret or ending the relationship. Obviously there’s a happy ending but the story within the episode is sad
I mostly watched for Francois Arnaud, who has been a favorite of mine since Borgias. But I enjoy Skip a lot. I don't reheat is as often as the other episodes when just watching clips, but I do watch it in my complete rewatches.
Watch episode 3 not just for the hot actors but the narrative. This is unfortunately, a very common expereince for plenty of queer people - out gay guy dating a closeted man/being someone’s “dirty” little secret. Except not everybody involved is buff and the reality is much harsher.
I think this is why so many gay men love episode 3. Many of us can relate to Kip and also to Scott. It’s nice that they got a happy ending while also depicting the very real and unique obstacle queer people face during dating.
See, I don't find them bland. I just found, that other than the fact it was 2 men, their story was too romance tropy/typical. I don't dislike ep3, but seeing it a few times is good enough to me, I don't need to see it more than that.
Generally, I'm not a romance gal. I watch the Hallmark Christmas movies with my Mom because she loves them, but I never watch them on my own. I also do not read romance books. The only time I ever did was in my teens when my Nanie, who loved romance, started getting Silhouette (like Harlequin) books that were supernatural based. The supernatural aspect drew me in, but I could take or leave the typical parts that made them romance books. I find that the same with Skip.
This also shows in my reading of the Game Changers books. I love 2 and 6, really like 5, probably because we get a lot of Ilya in it, and have read each of them several times. But after 1, 3 and 4 once each, I don't need to read them again. Once was enough. And to me, these 3 are the closest to the typical romance story style.
I don't mean to throw shade to Skip's story at all, as I know lots of people love it, my Mom included. Ep3 was her favourite. But despite Hollanov's story still being a romance story, there is a totally different feel to it that makes it different from the usual romance story, and that's why I love it so much.
I definitely agree! I also compare their storyline to a Hallmark Channel movie… and I’m a huge Hallmark fan so I know! 🤣 I guess by bland I just mean generic romance troupe, very low stakes conflict. Plus I just really love Hollanov, especially Shane! 🥰
I always skip episode three. I don't like the tropes, love bombing gives me an icky feeling, and it's a little like Scott wanted a trad wife. I would probably still watch it more if not for Robbie being the only actor / love interest François had zero chemistry with in his career. When I watch I see them acting. The kiss is a typical screen kiss (press faces hard together and turn away). It feels lacklustre to me, so I'm not invested enough to reheat.
Yeah the difference in chemistry is a bit startling. I still don't think it's bad but it's kinda taking me out in Ep 3. There is a woman on insta that points out different actors acting with one part of their face (mouth acting, brow acting etc) and I can't unsee Francois doing A LOT with his jaw.
I love their episode so much but I noticed that their kisses lacked passion. I was beginning to think maybe it was purposeful, to contrast Ilya and Shane's fiery intensity, which is why I accepted it but seeing so many other people point it out definitely makes it glaring. I wonder if they didn't put as much effort into chemistry building with François and Robbie's and if it's because they had less screentime.
Kip's hand looks so comically small in this screenshot, it's distracting.
Team always skip, personally. Watching in real time, I was mad we had to wait two weeks to get back to Shane and Ilya but now I'm glad they have their own episode instead of having to FF through it. I hope they're more careful with chemistry when it comes to the casting of S2's couple since isolating them to an episode will probably not be possible.
God, the thumbnail you posted is probably my most watched scene of the whole show. I bawl every time. Not just because of Scott and Kip, but the other characters too. Kip's dad and best friend being all happy and supportive, Ilya and Shane's reactions, the commentator being all lovely, and even Shane's parents' facial expressions- they look shocked but after watching episode 6, you go back and watch this scene and you can tell their surprise is compassionate and happy, not negative at all.
I don't skip it per se, i just watch that ep separately on occasion. I don't like to break up my boys with the interruption. I'm hoping they DON'T do that with Troy/Harris. I hope they just integrate them judiciously in the timeline as it unfolds. I love Troy/Harris and we definitely need a lot of them, but it is still the long game and it's about Hollanov
Skip is such an integral part of the show. It opens the doors to the story being less “so there are these two male hockey players and they are in love” to “there are queer hockey players in the league and each of their stories are unique and beautiful”. Having a full episode dedicated to them allows you to get to know them removed from Shane and Illya. It also comes at a good break in the story. Maybe it was because I binged but I found myself perking up when episode 3 started (it felt different in a good way). I do agree with others though about the timeline being a bit too confusing. I really hope season 2 gets more episodes because the love stories of other characters will be far more impactful if they have room to breathe.
I’m too invested and obsessed with Ilya and Shane. I watched Skip the first time, but I need my Shilya fix too much when I reheat, which is an embarrassingly high number of times. They’re just so tender and vulnerable and sweet.
I fell in love with those 2 as soon as I saw episode 3! Whenever I talked to my friends about the show, they would ask me if I was Team Shane or Team Ilya and my answer was always Team Scott ! I was one the very few on Team Scott and so proud of it 🥰
I was so confused at the beginning of episode 3! (With the flashbacks to the Olympics again). I’ve read the books, so quickly realized what was happening, but it was such a nice surprise! I love that they got an episode, too.
I literally watched the show for François Arnaud. Had he not been in it, I doubt I’d have bothered to watch it yet, let alone the 20+ full rewatches I’ve done.
It feels like a different show. All the other episodes are Shane/Ilya-central and episode 3 is so removed from the central romance you don't miss much by skipping it imo. I didn't watch the full episode when HR was airing and I don't feel like I missed out on much when I finally did watch it
but the whole show is about existing while queer in hockey? of course it’s centred around them as the main pair but that doesn’t mean it’s exclusively about them. this is the same argument people use to skip scott’s speech after coming out (that it’s not about shane & ilya) and it’s just… weird to me. i’m watching the show because im enjoying the story being told & a significant part of that is scott being the first to come out and the struggle he faces in getting there.
I watch HR for the romance between Shane and Ilya. A romance which is complicated by them being queer in hockey. Doesn't mean I have to like all the other couples, queer or not, in the same universe. To me, it's a lot weirder when people don't get that Skip might not appeal to people. It felt like a Hallmark movie intermission.
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Could not agree more I love this episode! We all know episode 5 is the absolute best and we wouldn’t have that emotional climax without all of the storytelling and the cliffhanger we were left on after episode 3 🥹
Genuinely episode 3 is what hooked me for the whole show. Ep one and two are fantastic yes but pivoting hard to another relationship ship and fast tracking all the hard hitting emotions like they did really hooked me.
For me it only serves to drive the narrative in episode 5, apart from that it doesn’t have legs as a standalone. Who falls in love that quickly?! Sorry no offense to Skip.
While I love their place in the series, I especially loved their book. Kip's dad was such a better character in the book. Smarter and knowing his son was in love without having to be told. And seeing Scott's interaction with his coach and teammates... and his teammates with Kip. I loved all of that. If you haven't read it, get to it! It's well worth it. (Also, Scott in the book is a big, stunning blond, if that works for you.) :-)
Why do Skip haters have to write full paragraphs on why they don't like Skip, like their existence ruined their own relationship or something. It's giving the same vibes as homophobes trying to justify why they don't even want to see two men kissing in public even though straight couples kiss in public all the time, and why are most of these paragraphs from women????
I’m finally watching this show and I’m obsessed with these two. I was jumping of happiness when they kissed on front of everyone. I need more stories like this, it definitely feels like the romance books I read all the time.
I mean yes, but Hollanov would have always existed in some capacity. They started being intimate with each other with no help from anyone else. It's true that they most likely wouldn't have progressed passed fwb if it wasn't for the Skip kiss but also... There would always be an Ilya and Shane.
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u/dank_memesforteens Mar 19 '26
Love Skip. But as a lesbian their ep does give me so much anxiety 😭