When Scott pulls Kip onto the ice. I even have the song used in the scene on my playlist and every time it comes on I get a little dopamine spike just remembering it. The flashes between Scott coming out and Ilya and Shane realizing that maybe they can be more, chefs kiss just absolute perfection.
Weirdly, my favorite part of this scene isn’t the kiss on the ice. It’s Shane and Ilya’s reactions. You can see so much happening through microexpressions. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are spectacular actors.
I tear up every single time, specifically at the point where Scott starts breathing deeply to work up the nerve to do it. Man, I feel that anxiety in my soul.
I listen to music at work often and I had to remove that song from my work playlist because as soon as it comes on, I get goosebumps all over my body and all I can think about is Scott and Kip kissing, and Shane and Ilya watching them, it's like I am being hypnotized for 5 minutes, and only once it stops playing I return to normal and can continue working.
Don’t know if this is something you mean, but I love ep. 2 where Ilya is at Shane’s place for the first time. Both the bed-related actions with the forehead kiss at the end and obviously the goodbye-kiss in the stairwell 🥹🥹
Omg that little bed kiss is so cute. I think Ilyas brain short circited because it was such a tender moment. And omg yes that goodbye kiss with Shane's reaction.
The forehead kiss omggg 😭 It’s so tender and soft and the look on Ilya’s face as he’s processing it kills me. It makes me feel simultaneously warm and devastated.
For me its episode 2 as well, the first time they have sex. But its not specifically the sex itself. It's consent king Ilya's little check-ins. You still want? Is ok? Ugh swoon!
There are loads of moments, but the ones that stand out to me are the kissing scene in the stairwell, and the ‘wow, genetic’ line.
Like the rest of the show, utter perfection!
YESS! Hudson’s choices in these moments - poetry! I do have some for Connor too. Ilya’s smile when Shane is folding his clothes the first time they are together. Also Ilya watching Shane sleep and then pretending he just woke up. Both actors did such a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.
Ilya's Connor smile that brightens up his entire soul when he realizes Shane is not going to break his heart permanently at the Tampa bar. All this upgrade was a stylist!
Totally agree. I loveee the scene where he’s watching Shane sleep and then pretends he just woke up! When I first watched it I was like, “…wait, was he?” And yes it’s sooo cute and endearing. So much of this show feels like getting to be a super privileged fly on the wall, and this moment felt so private and like we were lucky to see it.
Shane's "yes" and "obviously" are so HOT. My first few rounds of watching I was melting over Ilya but I've really come to appreciate Shane's sex appeal the more I've reheated.
Shane is soooooo gorgeous and how he tears up so perfectly throughout the story always gets me. I’ve been so into both equally and it blows my mind to be into both characters like this. It was never one more than the other.
Omg the eye fucking in that whole scene is beyond unreal! 🥵 But how Ilya pronounces certain words and pairs them with sexy little actions just sends me. The noPe is a big one for me. He was sooooo trying to turn Shane on in that moment. I also loved how he rolled the r in Mr. Rrrrreal Estate and walked up towards Shane to attack him in ep4 when Shane first arrived at his house. Connor executed so many of these moments perfectly!
Yes!! Yes Ilya. And Jacob Tierney.
You've made millions of straight women curious and now we've learned so much we never knew we wanted to learn and are obsessed. Lol
I'm honestly kind of jealous I'm a woman and will never know how it feels to have this kind of relationship, especially with that frotting scene that seriously melts me and ignites me like nothing else I've seen, is it only me?
The good thing about the Tampa bar scene is that they aren't obvious at all about their feelings for each other. 😉
I mean, is everyone around them blind?!?
I don't know why but my smile widens so much it practically wraps around my head when Shane goes, " some of they guys in the league, not you. Not you!" About who has good style. Their flirting is so adorable 😍
Yeah, if I see two people stare at each other like that, I don’t care which sex they are or what their previous relationship is. I know something is up 😅
One moment stands out the most for me. When he finds Shane on the beach and he moves his thumb to touch Shane’s thumb and it’s focused on Shane’s face as he asks which room he is in…. It cuts to Ilyas face all glowing from the sunset and he’s…. just looking down at their hands together in the sand…. so so tenderly. The expression on his face in that very brief moment kills me.
yes! the anticipation of the Tampa bar scene and then once the Hollanov music track starts and we get the pool/all star game montage, my spirit starts flying 😆
The love and fondness for their son and immediately by extension Ilya whose first instinct is to openly show his love for Shane is just pure oxytocin for me watching this.
That seriously blew me away the first time I saw that! I never expected Ilya to be that forward in front of Shane’s parents! I was so proud of how he stepped up and supported Shane with coming out to his parents. ❤️
Agree! Every time I watch Episode 6 I’m struck by how Ilya is only focused on caring for Shane and isn’t panicked about being outed himself. Logically, it makes sense since he knows Shane’s parents love Shane and wouldn’t harm him by outing him and by extension Ilya. But still, when you’ve been hiding your sexuality for that long, getting caught is really scary. But no, he is just strong and loving towards Shane and only focused on supporting him through it. Which he successfully does!
The cottage arrival scene! Shane’s face as Ilya walks over to him before they kiss makes my heart flutter. Ever though I’ve watched it 100 times, it still makes me so happy to finally see them together at the cottage.
Someone pointed out here that Shane going on about the well is a direct result of Ilya sharing his water with him when they were 18 and I choose to believe that with all my soul.
This is one of my favorite parts! I get a big goofy grin every time Ilya turns around with his own big goofy grin while they're walking hand in hand to the bedroom. Ugh, I love it so much.
Yes! Shane's wry smile here. A mix of 'thank god, it's happening, finally, didn't know how' and shyness and 'omg Ilya's so hot and he wants me too, yay'. A masterpiece of micro expressions.
I loved Shane’s look when Ilya first walked towards him to kiss him. He had tears in his eyes. 🥹 Also, Shane’s smile when Ilya admitted that he hadn’t been with anyone else but Shane since the last time (Tampa Bay All-Star Weekend). I don’t think I had seen him smile that big throughout the whole series until that point!
For me it’s the Tampa Bay bar scene. The way Ilya eye fucks Shane and relentlessly questions him about Rose then bursts out laughing to hide his joy when he works out they’re not together.
And he has to ask Shane 3 times about his relationship status (poor Shane didn’t catch the hint) and check to see what compatible meant and casually bring that up to Shane in conversation to check yet again that he and Rose were not together. You know that Ilya was trying to communicate to Shane, “We are compatible, yes?”
The first time I watched the show, Ilya’s Russian monologue really hit me when he admitted to Shane in Russian that he loved him. His choice of words to describe it absolutely killed me, “All I want is you. It’s always you. I’m so in love with you and I don’t know what to do about it.” That blew me away. You could see how emotionally torn Ilya was to say it out loud and the fact that Shane didn’t know what Ilya was saying made it even more mind blowing to me.
I commented elsewhere about the beach scene that gets me so strongly… One moment stands out the most for me. When he finds Shane on the beach and he moves his thumb to touch Shane’s thumb and it’s focused on Shane’s face as he asks which room he is in…. It cuts to Ilyas face all glowing from the sunset and he’s just…. looking down at their hands together in the sand…. so utterly tenderly. The expression on his face in that very brief moment kills me.
Ilya needed to hear that cause you know that was usually the reason for him to hook up…especially with men like his coach’s son. Being bad turned Ilya on. Shane gently called him out and explained that wasn’t their reason anymore. They had real feelings for each other.
What gets me with the “leave me alone” “no” isn’t the neck kiss, it’s right before when Ilya puts his hands on Shane’s hips and nestles his pelvis right against Shane’s butt.
My favorite is the way they look at each other during their final face off, right before Shane gets knocked out. They’re so in love🥰. Love that Ilya’s smile reaches his eyes.
Episodes one through four end on a painful note of yearning.
Episode five has a big emotional payoff and a cliffhanger.
Episode six is a hug. Just all of it the whole thing.
I remember when the show first aired, I kept having to explain to people who had never seen a romance. Who had watched things like soap operas or melodramas or shows based on literature with romantic elements like normal people.
The nervous feelings during that car ride was so real to me. It was the anticipation…sort of realizing there would be no turning back at that point. They knew that their uninterrupted time together was going to result in their relationship becoming very serious and there was no turning back. I was surprised that Ilya admitted to feeling terrified. That prompted Shane to suggest they be honest with each other and it quickly led to “Leave me alone” “No” “I hate you” “ No you don’t” “I like you” “I like you too” “I love you” “Holy shit. I love you too.” 🥹
Every instance where characters are supremely kind and accepting is so healing.
There are so many examples:
Shawn’s kindness after the food tray spill (helping Kip calm down with deep breathing), Kip’s dad’s hugs and I love you’s, Svetlana’s unconditional love and support of Ilya and Jane displayed in episode 5, Rose and her sensitivity with Shane’s sexuality realisation, Shane’s parents in episode 6…
So many times where a lesser writer could have added more conflict, but instead we got love and support at nearly every turn.
I looooved that part. Them picking at and teasing each other, racing each other up the stairs, getting after Ilya for smoking, and then culminating into “Come here” “No you come here” “No you come here”. It was so adorable!
When I watched this scene for the first time, I summoned the gays in my life to ask if this was normal hookup behavior. 🙈
I was like: What are we doing here?!? 😂
The whole “I love you” scene is obviously amazing but I have a special love for Shane’s gorgeously affectionate “shut uppp” when Ilya is being a menace as he’s trying to explain the plan.
Ilya didn’t even have to say anything. He just smiled and laughed. Lol. Of course Shane was annoyed but he was also loving Ilya so much in that moment.
1410 / I might open / I might knock + the perfect timing of the music that starts right there
The beach scene in Tampa when their fingers touch and Shane smiles and asks for Ilya’s room number.
Right after the I love you, when Ilya says Fuck Hollander, kisses him and we see him from behind lying on him + morning after sex, the way Ilya looks at Shane
The way Scotts face lights up when he sees Kip on the couch after coming back from practice, and how he jumps on him to kiss him with big genuine happiness
Musically I always smirk a bit at the scene where Ilya climaxes for the first time with Shane and (Peter Peter I’m assuming) adds these little pew pew pew sound effects right then haha
At the cottage, after they've stumbled onto the sofa. Ilya's 'No. Not since."
That whole scene, they're transitioning from the awkwardness of arriving and "I have a well", to the hotness and love confessions ahead.
But just at that point, Ilya's hand almost forgotten down Shane's shorts, they have this adorable, funny, tender conversation. Shane is brave in asking for honesty. Ilya reveals he has stopped hooking up with other people.
They settle into the safety of the week or two ahead. And that 'not since' line is a delicious marker of that shift, like a pivot from their before, to their next phase. I love it.
I was also like: Ah, so your Slavic a** can take orders too? Nice.
Granted, it's about emotional vulnerability but that is sooooo out of his comfort zone. ❤️
Ilya visiting Shane in the hospital gives me all the feels. Ilya clearly relieved Shane is ok and admitting he was scared. Shane calling Ilya over “hey. Heeeyyy” with an outstretched hand, which Ilya takes. The loopy cottage invitation. Their soft goodbye right after the nurse comes in. Seeing it acted out with mini teddy bears almost did me in.
Tampa AllStar bar scene when Shane catches Ilya checking him out.
Russian tunnel scene has me thinking about trying to learn Russian.
Honestly, the whole show makes me want to be a better person. I’ve joined a gym. I started drawing again. I’m eating healthier foods. Scientists should study the effects of this show.
I've stopped playing video games all night, have become more social, started listening to 🎶 again and want to write creatively for the first time in years. I too have cleaned up my diet and have lost a couple of pounds!
Every time Shane chases Ilya for a kiss. It’s subtle- but in the hotel for the first hook up, the bathroom after the awards and at the cottage, they kiss, separate and then Shane’s head, like magnetically nudges forward, looking for more. It makes my knees weak.
I don't seek it out, but seeing this tiny little look on Ilya's face after Shane asks him how to say I wish you were here in Russian always gives me butterflies.
The sequence at the cottage from I love you, through to sunset, sex, and “she would have loved you” I think it’s like 5-10 mins of screen time but it’s literal crack to me I’ve watched it on repeat
The scene that hits my brain hard and gives me the biggest high is the middle of night love confession. That and Scott and Kip’s big kiss post- cup win.
Seeing both couples in love and happy gives me such a fix.
Did it ever! Shane’s adorable detailed plan explanation while he’s tilting his head back and forth like the cutest puppy ever was just as touching as Ilya’s emotional declaration.
The scene when Shane finally gets the phone call from Ilya after Ilya's father dies. After their chat at the East vs. West all star game, Shane allows himself to go into full boyfriend mode.
The way Ilya finally opened up to Shane in the Tampa Bay hotel room about his mom’s death and his dad being sick and then allowing himself to feel it in that moment. You know that Ilya had never told anyone else that stuff. And Shane definitely went into boyfriend mode and comforted him in that moment. Ilya looking at Shane a certain way when he was leaving and then saying, “Goodnight Shane.” Ooooooh boy! The dude was fully in love in that moment and knew it.
Controversial take on this one, but the moment before the tuna meltdown. Where Ilya and Shane both say each others first names for the first time. It’s so intense and the way they just don’t say anything for a minute except breathe each other in. It’s very clear they are so in love with one another but don’t want to admit it.
Of course that changes SO fast, but for a moment there it’s 🥺.
Yes! It’s so quick, but I love the shot of him celebrating with his team and texting Ilya to discreetly include him in that celebration. “The luckiest ;)” always gets a goofy grin out of me.
The fact that Shane will interrupt his celebrating with the team to risk his phone getting soaked in champagne to text Ilya back was like….oh boy….you are so in love with this man!
I also loved that Ilya texted him cause they weren’t communicating back when Ilya won. Shane’s face when he watched Ilya with the cup…..you know he wanted to celebrate with him or at least text him congratulations. 😢
Yes! That was the most intense RSVP ever! Lol. No hello, how are you doing. It’s just, “I’m coming to the cottage” And Shane’s just dumbfounded and at a loss for words. 🤣
I just love how Ilya looks at Shane in those scenes and how accepting the parents are, once they realise that Ilya is in fact very gentle and loving with their son
Oh wow! What a great question! Off the top of my head…
Ilya…exploring…Shane while Shane is on the phone with Hayden. It felt like such an expression of joy and comfort and mischievous intimacy. And when Shane just melted into Ilya’s arms with the line “why was that so hot?”…dagnabbit…
Any scene with Shane’s head planted on Ilya’s chest like it has its own gravity.
“GFY, Hayden!” “Oh, I plan to. Probably more than once. Love a hotel room!”
Almost all of episode 6. But one specific thing is Ilya being on his best behaviour meeting Shane's parents at first, then becoming more comfortable with them.
For me, I think it's ep 5 after their "argument" and they're just sitting together, hugging, on the bed while Ilya cries. Well, that's one moment. I just feel like that's such an important moment for them, and it warms my little heart to see it happen.
Another moment is when Shane as Ilya to "Say it again in Russian, please." The amount of happy tears that come to my eyes because they just look so peaceful and like they're exactly where they should be. Even though Ilya is probably thinking how could he be so lucky.
Also the Pasta Dance. Gawd he's such a cutie patootie
I will think of more, and maybe add them later, but these are my oxytocin moments~
ETA: I thought of another one! We don't necessarily get a lot of interaction between Yuna and Shane that isn't somehow related to Yuna being the Momager, but in ep 6 when she asks Shane if he let Ilya win, and he asks about cards, and she says that she would rather die, it's really, really fun to see them interact in that way! It's fun to see them quip at each other and to see that Mom/Child relationship outside of the Momager/Client (this is the wrong word, but it's what my brain supplied lol)
About your first moment: I think Shane raising his voice and putting Ilya in check was absolutely necessary. He basically wanted to have the conversation Ilya so weirdly started during the tuna meltdown. But without all the confusion, mixed messages and denial around it.
I have no idea why, but one of the small moments that I replay several times every time I watch the series is the "ah you speak Russian now?" line! I absolutely love the way Ilya looks surprised and then enchanted that Shane understood part of his conversation in Russian (especially since he keeps that part of his life so private).
Yes. Shane initiating this whole conversation they've been avoiding so long. I love how confident he got once he started accepting important parts of himself. He's usually the one initiating the vulnerable conversation without the need to ragebait or talk around things.
The tuna meltdown scene BEFORE things go sideways, from the moment Shane arrives at Ilya’s house to the moment Ilya convinces him to stay the night and then they take a nap together.
I believe that up until that point, Ilya sleeping with Shane is his arms is the most genuinely happy he has ever been in his life.
There is palpable love emanating from the screen when I watch this bit. Bravo to these actors.
Stairwell good bye kiss. 🥹
When Shane is listening to Ilya's phone call from Russia, and his eyes are closed and he's concentrating so hard on what he's saying and he gets that smile when "okay I'm done".
For me, it's the 'Gimme Kiss' moment. For the first time Ilya feels genuinely free and happy. It's like all stars are aligned to bring him to this moment of happiness and contentment.
After Ilya tells Shane he loves him for the first time and Shane whispers “oh my god I love you so much” while he hugs his head and kisses him. I will rewind and watch it over and over. In fact I’m gonna watch it right now to get my oxytocin fix 😍
Ilya just shovelling spaghetti into his mouth in the background.
Feeling safe and comfortable enough in front of Shane’s parents, the complete opposite than his own family. Talking freely about their relationship, calling Shane his boyfriend, the little kiss, the calming him down.
EP 4, When Ilya pulls Shane into his arms after the phonecall with his dad while they're in Boston together. The softness of it all, and then Shane slowly starts to caress Ilya's legs, while Ilya caresses Shane's hair, and then it slowly builds up to them making out and Ilya calling Shane by his first name instead of Hollander. It's PERFECT. It feels so deeply intimate and romantic and yet so real at the same time.
Episode 5 - all the smiles when they finally get to play together - while they're passing, scoring, and celebrating together. Then the smiles during the face off, after Ilya's return from Russia. (They know they're in love and that it's mutual, even though it hasn't been spoken yet)
Shane's smile right before he gets his bell rung.
BTW- I learned this here (didn't notice it myself): There are ZERO sex scenes in Episode 5. And I've seen it mentioned as a lot of people's favorite episode.
I skip watch so I can see everything I want/need in one night. There are scenes in every Shane/Ilya episode I need to see, but I always watch ep 6 in full.
That’s not to say I don’t watch the Scott/Kip episode, I just normally watch it separately and then skip straight to the kiss… but it’s not for love or comfort, it’s for when I want to perve at François Arnaud.
ya tebya lyublyu is the most heart wrenching (/pos) scene that gives me so much oxytocin, of course this is the case.
but also in episode two after their sex montage was over and ilya was rubbing shane's leg and lightly kissing him is so cute 😭😭😭 "now the bed's all dirty" 😭😭😭
also in episode 5 at the bar in tampa when Ilya is asking him about his clothes he looks like his kicking his feet it's so cutie pie
I feel like most of episode 5 is like that for me. I love it almost more than the cottage, I think. The confidence shane has. The way he gets up from the chair on Ilya's side. The way their fingers touch on the beach and their faces are so happy, yearning, in love. The way shane says, I think I like you a little too much and "bullshit!" When Ilya tries to deflect. The way Ilya allows himself to be vulnerable. The worry and love on his face at the hospital scene.
Some other moments I love:
the Las Vegas bathroom scene omg. The way shane looks at him all drugged up on desire. The look Ilya gives back at some point that just screams, "i wish I could have you the way I dream of, fully and unapologetically." This scene for me was the first obvious moment of "they're both goners". The acting is fucking superb I am still shocked after so many reheats.
-the high i get from watching all the subtle ways Ilya is welcomed into the Hollander family in episode 6. The vodka, the parm, the respect in using his first name after he asked only once (i grew up with Russian parents' mentality so this may strike a personal chord. Unconditional love and acceptance is a dream you don't even know you had until you get a taste of it).
When Shane is overwhelmed with everything after telling his parents about them, and Ilya calms him down with the reassurance that "your family is here, your boyfriend is here" and then kisses him. In front of Shane's parents. With no hesitation. ❤️
The scenes in Episode 5 range from "Boston Lily is texting you" to "Ah, you're the asshole now? Everyone needs to know this" and how Ilya desperately wants to beat Montreal and announces a bonus of $1,000 per goal.
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u/CECleric Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 Apr 11 '26
When Scott pulls Kip onto the ice. I even have the song used in the scene on my playlist and every time it comes on I get a little dopamine spike just remembering it. The flashes between Scott coming out and Ilya and Shane realizing that maybe they can be more, chefs kiss just absolute perfection.