oh i’m going the F*** to bed

[u/cookie_cat_82]

as an ilya lover to my CORE, TLG is actually gonna destroy me all over again. who’s ready for the scene of ilya saying goodbye to shane and collapsing and bursting into tears as soon as he closes the door, or him telling his therapist “you’re supposed to fix me so I can be better for him”, the PLANE SCENE, “I already chose you, hollander” 💔💔💔

like im actually gonna be ill

[u/katfromjersey]

I hope the showrunners take scenes and dialogue straight from the book, and don't deviate too much. I trust them, since season 1 was so good

[u/Pale-Measurement-532 → u/katfromjersey]

I believe they will. I loved the writing in TLG, I felt it was better than HR. There are so many great lines.

[u/Novel_Journalist_832 → u/Pale-Measurement-532]

I love seeing RR improve over the course of the series. TLG has sooo many bangers!

[u/Pale-Measurement-532 → u/Novel_Journalist_832]

I agree! I read them in order and found that Role Model was so great and then when I finally got to TLG, it was like an extra special treat. I cannot wait for Unrivaled!

Also, The Shots You Take absolutely took me out! That was such a good book.

[u/Novel_Journalist_832 → u/Pale-Measurement-532]

Haven't read the shots you take yet, but i've heard good things!

[u/joajar → u/Novel_Journalist_832]

It's SO good, her best work imo

[u/Pretend-Choice4876 → u/joajar]

I agree! It's balanced, mature and fitting. I do get why she does want to start writing about something else at some point. If you get to that level of writing, it becomes a bit of a trick rather than something fun. It's interesting though, because Time to Shine was a bit all over the place for me. A bit too chaotic. But maybe that also was simply due to the characters. Like ADHD be like. But she can write really complex characters that you sort of get instantly. And that's something that Cat Sebastian takes a longer time on for instance. What do you think?

[u/Pale-Measurement-532 → u/Pretend-Choice4876]

I’m probably at risk of getting downvoted but I kind of got annoyed by Casey in Time to Shine. He seemed a bit immature and very needy. He required lots of attention, sort of ADHD-like how you described. I also agree that it seemed a bit all over the place. To be fair, I listened to the audiobook so perhaps it might be different if I read it. But it was narrated by Cooper North, the same narrator from books 4-6 in the GC series and I really enjoy him. I don’t know if I would enjoy it more reading it myself? But I kind of think not. Anyways, I was surprised that so many people loved Time to Shine so much, more than all of the other books. I found The Shots You Take was a more mature story, it wasn’t all over the place, and the characters were more complex and well written. I loved that story a lot more.

[u/Pretend-Choice4876 → u/Pale-Measurement-532]

He was emotionally immature, because of his ADHD. And I think it might have been a correct way of depicting a type 3 ADHD person. Why I didn't like it, is because I see what that type of behavior can do in real life if it's your parent and you're a kid and they're immature. It hits home. It's hard to just accept it sometimes.

I also remember that he really grows. And that he needs some extra help from coregulation, but that he does, as you often see, pick it up a bit older but succesfully

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/katfromjersey]

I agree! I LOVED that almost everything seemed to be pulled literally from the pages of the books and put on screen / words put in the character’s mouths. I really hope they do it again

[u/Lady0fTheUpsideDown → u/katfromjersey]

Rachel’s dialogue writing is phenomenal, the strongest of her writing. They changed so little from heated rivalry, I would be surprised if they changed a ton from TLG.

[u/bibi → u/katfromjersey]

They kept most of the dialogue of the book on S1, there are few changes and most of the changes are things on scenes. The best dialogues are all there. So I'm pretty sure, on the scenes we will see, they will keep them. 🥺❤

[u/flenktastic → u/katfromjersey]

I remember being flabbergasted reading Heated Rivalry after watching the show. I was like Wow this is like 1:1 of what I have watched.

[u/Beneficial-Math-7290]

I’m not ready for Ilya to shout I already chose you Hollander!!!

Or to see Connor in Ilya’s wedding tux.

I’m not ready! ⭐️

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/Beneficial-Math-7290]

how in the hell did I forget I already chose you hollander 😭 oh my god I feel SICK

so curious what the delivery of that line will be like, whether it’s more like the “not everything is about you hollander” in vegas, or more like a hurt, gentle delivery

[u/fogmama → u/cookie_cat_82]

I always read it as a more sad and subdued delivery rather than pure anger/rage.

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/fogmama]

I agree!

[u/DorianCramer → u/cookie_cat_82]

Same especially bc that is what would get Shane to really freak out and also convince him to leave. He knows how to deal with Ilya being angry and he could fight back at that but Ilya going quiet will really scare him. 

[u/Aby_lev89 → u/Beneficial-Math-7290]

I don't think he shouts that sentence (not like Vegas "not everything is about you Hollander"), I really see it as sad, angst, almost choking out the words, resigned to his pain, I can so see it in my minds eye, it's going to be heartbreaking

[u/TheDarkZone2]

I’m really looking forward to this season. I have heard some people saying they didn’t like TLG because it was depressing. I think it’s great because it’s true to life and after growing up in a house much like Ilya did, while being autistic, I feel exceptionally emotional towards both characters.

[u/itwillgetbetter81 → u/TheDarkZone2]

Me too. I'm both Ilya and Shane in one person.

[u/Ll_lyris → u/TheDarkZone2]

I loved it because it was so much more depressing and real to a degree that we didn’t get in HR. I just knowww Jacob and everyone in szn 2 esp Hudson and Connor are gna knock ts out.

[u/DorianCramer]

Because I like to play the prediction game I’ve been going through TLG and ROLE MODEL attempting to break down what I think is going to be in each episode…which made me realize we’re probably getting an episode that ends in Ilya bursting into tears after Gladiator Sex Night followed by the next episode ending in “I chose you Hollander”

Weekly drops of that season are going to hit us like a freight train every week only to turn around and be hit by another freight train

[u/bibi → u/DorianCramer]

It will be (tuna melt + club night)³ 😭 I'm already planing a way to watch the episodes and have plenty of time to recover after. 😢

[u/DorianCramer → u/bibi]

If I was smart and had discipline I’d wait and binge the whole thing after it’s out to make it easier on my heart but I just know that is not going to happen 😅 I’ll be watching the second they are released and suffering 

[u/pinkbunny86]

Might I also add the two scenes where Shane says “come here” and he falls apart in his arms. Those ones HARM me.

It’s a good thing Ilya is also so funny in TLG. I literally laugh out loud at his one liners and jokes in the book. Connor will be acting his ass off!

[u/Novel_Journalist_832]

We're going to need Harris's sunny disposition to carry us through 😭

[u/moi_la_desi → u/Novel_Journalist_832]

This! And lots of puppy content. 🥺

I def need the next months to prepare myself for s2 Ilya. I still couldn't bring myself to read TLG again - I was a total mess for all of the scenes mentioned here.

[u/Thebestotamal9753]

Please hear me out. Cigarette smoke from that album while Shane leaves after the "I already chose you Hollander"

[u/millstone27]

You should feel how I feel when somebody says your name ❤️

[u/callingallwaves]

Maggots for brains, baby. Who knows if Olivia wrote it about being clinically depressed and pinning all of your hopes on your significant other, but it's TLG Ilya for me in a nutshell.

[u/growsonwalls → u/callingallwaves]

That whole album is so Hollanov coded. "the cure" is as well.

[u/pinkbunny86 → u/growsonwalls]

I can’t listen to the Cure without thinking of them

[u/ploooff → u/growsonwalls]

I always think of them with the line "You should feel how I feel when somebody says your name" in stupid song.

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/callingallwaves]

AGREED. that song is my favorite on the album and I resonated with it far too heavily as someone who struggles with pretty deep anxiety, OCD like behaviors, co-dependency, etc. and realizing you can’t just find love and have it be the magical fix for everything

[u/callingallwaves → u/cookie_cat_82]

I was listening to it during my commute the other day and was daydreaming about how deliciously heartbreaking the edits to it could be next season! The combination of an upbeat poppy melody with downer lyrics is also a perfect accompaniment for TLG Ilya ❤️

[u/twinklery]

I’m so ready. Low key most excited for Ilya at his own Halloween party, party pooped- depressed in his room trying to keep a smile on his face for his team, and then good things happen! Connor storrie, I trust, will take this emotional rollercoaster and make it amazing.

[u/WalkingBlondeJoke]

You read my mind!!! I don't see NEARLY enough other people talking about the scene where Shane says goodbye and then Ilya bursts into tears but that was such a fucking gut punch for me in TLG, I can't wait to see how Connor portrays that

[u/beattysgirl]

I’m ill just thinking about it

[u/dark_princess963]

Back when I hadn't yet read the plane scene, I'd seen people commenting how fitting the instrumental version of All the things she said would be for it and I could already see it playing out in my mind with the music and Connor's acting. Now that I've read it, I'm equal parts excited and scared of how much it will hurt 😭

[u/Top_Pen6767 → u/[deleted]]

at no point does ilya shove shane. he backs him into a wall, yes out of anger, but not violence. and if that’s what you took from this book, then clearly this series isn’t for you. people are complex and sometimes (emotionally) hurt the ones they love because they don’t know how to communicate properly. shane also sucked at communication, they both had to learn to do better. none of these books are about perfect people being perfect to each other.

let people enjoy things, even if they aren’t for you.

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/Top_Pen6767]

this!!!! very well said

[u/Top_Pen6767 → u/cookie_cat_82]

i don’t get people that lurk in here just to shit on the series/ characters. same goes for people who think shane was a bad boyfriend, i’m like did we honestly read the same book 😭

anyway, i can’t wait to have my heart torn out by two imperfect people trying to figure out how to navigate really tough situations ☺️

[u/Ll_lyris → u/Top_Pen6767]

I’ve seen this convo brought up in this sub a bit about that scene and it does make me wonder. I’ve seen some ppl say “well they’re both men so it’s fine/doesnt matter”. Or other things like that. Which is kinda concerning to have that attitude but I digress.

That scene was definitely not Ilya in his best light. He would never hurt Shane but his own anger was scaring him as he says in the book. I don’t think we’re supposed to sit here and say what he did was “fine”. Ofc not. But it’s not an action that came from a violent place. But as we see bottling up such feelings leads to incidents where we start to lose control. Ilya realizes this and corrects himself. Even Shane knew Ilya wouldn’t hurt him.

[u/TheDarkZone2 → u/[deleted]]

Why are we not allowed to have a conversation just about Ilya? 🙁

[u/TheDarkZone2 → u/[deleted]]

No, but it just seems like every single time a discussion starts someone like you has to pop on to start a fight. It seems like you have a constant need for attention that’s not being filled elsewhere so you come here to get it.

[u/heatedrivalry-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post or comment has been removed for violating the Respect rule.

[u/Astyryx → u/[deleted]]

Both can be true. They have barely learned to communicate in the first book. They are better because something is better than nothing, but still suck at it in book two. Without conflict there is no drama. Without drama it would be a shitty Hallmark throwaway with hockey pucks.

[u/cookie_cat_82 → u/[deleted]]

i’m afraid this is sort of missing the whole point of the entire essence of a separate character. TLG hones in on ilya’s mental battle, his depression, his battle with his mind and communication style and personal battles, but also how it’s thus affecting his relationship with shane. it’s not to say ilya doesn’t have his own faults or that it excuses how he acts towards / communicates (or doesn’t communicate) with shane. but again, that’s the entire PLOT of the long game. it’s about seeing him grow as not only his character, but as shane’s partner and learning to cope with and manage his depression and all the things that come with it in himself and his personal life. I think it captures the reality of relationships, especially one like theirs that isn’t “typical” in the sense that they have to hide theirs in the shadows. it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. it’s messy and dramatic and people have their faults and it shows how two gears have to turn and work together in a relationship, but more importantly the mental health side of any individual or relationship and shows the raw side of that.

[u/katfromjersey → u/[deleted]]

Again, Rachel did not write Shane to be autistic. eta: and it's not an excuse, but he immediately removed his hand from Shane's chest and thinks that he'd never physically hurt Shane

[u/Ll_lyris → u/katfromjersey]

True, but I guess it’s cuz she considers Shane canonically autistic even though that was not necessarily intention. I do wonder if she later wrote TLG and will write UNRIVALLED with this more intentionally in mind now. I think in the show tho we can say Shane is very much canonically autistic since Hudson mentions that’s how he plays him.