Allegorical Characters Part 1

Have you ever been faced with so many choices you were too paralyzed to make that choice? It’s called the Paradox of Choice. The author Barry Schwartz published a book, “The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less”, specifically about how the overabundance of choice in American consumerism actually reduces Americans’ well-being by increasing anxiety. While I don’t really want to go too far into this phenomenon as it’s really irrelevant to this article, I was paralyzed with what to write next because I have too many choices. Too many things to think about and tell you with this series.

About 10 years ago I happened to be shopping in the US after having lived in Europe for a few years and I had forgotten just how many choices Americans have every day. Walking down a grocery aisle with over 20 different kinds of ketchup felt overwhelming. I left grocery stores cranky and tired. I would wait until my wife got home from a very long day at work to take care of the kids, who were toddlers at that point, so that I could go to the grocery store alone. Battling all of those choices was hard enough without two toddlers in tow.

And, as someone who has lived in both Europe, Asia and the USA in North America, I can attest to you that the paradox of choice is VERY real today as I try to decide what to write and when it comes to physical choices before us.

So, I sat idle for about two weeks thinking about which topic to write about next. I have many to choose from but I didn’t want to start writing about something that felt like I needed another article to support it. Writing the article about Sashabefore an article about Rose wouldn’t make much sense. Rose’s role is much larger than Sasha’s role in the series. Understanding a Mirror Character like Rose would make it easier to spot one in Sasha.

But, now I have two or three articles that overlap each other and might be difficult to explain without the other. I have been able to write articles here before that skated an issue I hoped you wouldn’t notice. So, it’s possible to ignore something in an article for the sake of discussing one facet of the show without diving into another one that would overwhelm the original article. (Though, I do love a tangent.)

This only works if there is a mountain of evidence in the media one is analyzing to really land the point. For these next few articles, it will be much harder to not address certain points related to the topic because they all depend on each other. And, the characters are small parts with few lines or actions to dissect. There isn’t much to support my theory of what they represent so landing on a solid concept while also skating over some of those holes will be much more difficult on my end and, probably glaringly obvious on yours, leaving you with more questions than answers.

I played around with several analogies here to try to describe what writing these next few articles might feel like or look like. The most recognizable analogy I can think of is an archway with a keystone in the middle. Masons build the sides and slide in the keystone at the very top to support the arch and it doesn’t fall, seeming to defy gravity. (If you’re a science geek you might know how otters are keystone species in their habitats.) These next few articles will be based on the idea to try to find out more about Ilya from these minor characters. But, that analogy is not even how I’m thinking of these next few articles.

It’s more like when a structure is made of the same repeating object and the base of one of those objects is the pinnacle of its neighbor. And each subsequent object rests in that fashion such that they all equally support rest on each other. Remove one and the whole structure collapses. Can anyone think of something like that?

Solid metaphor or not, needless to say, I got stuck with indecision about which character would make sense to write about next.

The time comes to make a decision about who or what to write about. And, I fancy how characters reveal more about the subtext than anything else. So, more character analysis coming at you right now and in the near future. Suffice it to say, once we get through this article, the next articles will be about Alexei Rozanov and, then later, Svetlana. That is unless someone pops into the comments to ask for a different idea for me to write about. Finishing those will round out most, but not all, of our discussion of the Russian characters and what they mean for the show.

In the Sasha article, we did touch on Irina, Ilya’s mother. I do believe she can reveal more about Ilya than what was mentioned there but she might have to be relegated to small mentions in articles here and there and not have a specific one dedicated to her. Time will tell! I’m also interested in the short mention of Polina, the Minister, and Alexei’s child too. But, I haven’t been able to crack them all yet.

If you’ve read my previous articles, you’re familiar with Heart and Mind Characters like Kip’s dad and friend, Elena. You’re also familiar with Mirror Characters like how Rose mirrors Ilya. These characters help us see below the text of the film to the subtext where hidden gems about a character’s motivations, feelings or goals can shine when saying them out loud would not make sense or give too much away too quickly. But, there is another type of character filmmakers use too: allegorical characters.

What are allegorical characters, you say?

Let’s start off with something you’re familiar with like allegorical personification. This is a character in common knowledge that represents an idea. Think Lady Justice who is shown as a blindfolded statue. She holds a set of balanced plates when empty and a sword in the other hand. The plates fill with evidence in a court case where someone’s fate is decided by the blind impartiality for the perpetrator or victim (the blindfold). The evidence stacked on the plates decides the outcome of the case, not the status, money or power held by either party. The sword represents the might of the law. Another example is Uncle Sam who represents the USA as a whole or its federal government depending on the audience and message. Or, the Grim Reaper who represents death or something that hastens it.

So, we get the general idea of an allegorical representation of an idea (justice and death), a country (USA), or even a group of people (though I didn’t give you an example of this). That same principle can be applied to a moving character in film too.

In Disney’s 2015 “Inside Out” each of Riley’s emotions are represented as a character: Joy, Disgust (my favorite), Anger, Sadness, and Embarrassment. In James Cameron’s “Avatar”, the people from Earth who are looking for the rare mineral represent colonialists invading native lands and taking everything with little care for the native people (or the environments) who already live on those lands.

Allegorical characters written well are a treat. And, Jacob Tierney snuck in quite a few in Heated Rivalry. They can walk, interact with other characters, and have goals. If you were paying attention earlier, I mentioned a few characters that were Russian, except one, Grigori, Ilya’s father, played by Yaroslav Poverlo. He’s a shining example of an allegorical character, though not my favorite, in the Heated Rivalry series.

I’d like to mention it was at about this point in writing the article and collecting evidence about the character I wanted to write about (not Grigori) that I realized that I had to actually write Grigori first and not the other character I was personally more interested in. The other article was filled with holes and hard to follow because so much of what I wanted to talk about with this other character depended on Grigori’s purpose. So, I had yet another road block to overcome and more time pushing back an arbitrary publishing deadline I set for myself.

(And, if you saw my note, my wife had knee replacement surgery which required a little more physical labor on my end and less energy for creativity for you all in the shape of these articles.)

For the sake of understanding one concept better later, Grigori has to be explored now. While his presence is felt often in how Ilya perceives himself, there are very few scenes with Grigori and little mention of him otherwise. Making a grand statement about him might be difficult to tease out of this series but I think you’ll be able to follow along. And, I hope I nailed his purpose in your eyes.

I like big picture ideas and pattern recognition. So, we’re going to look at when Grigori is introduced to us, what happens in each scene with him, what happens in the scenes before and after scenes with him, we will look at any dialogue that he is spoken about and, lastly, what happens when Grigori dies.

It’s a tedious process: Like finding the right sky blue puzzle piece in a puzzle whose picture is half sky. You have to pick up every piece and turn it around on every edge to see if it fits with the already matched pieces.

Grigori is introduced in “Rookie” episode 1 at about the four minute mark. We see just the top of his head because the rest of him is covered by a balcony wall on the top floor. The camera shows us Shane’s point of view as he looks up at Ilya. Grigori and Ilya’s new coach (team manager?) stand nearby. Shane catches Ilya sneaking peaks at Shane on the floor below while he is also talking to his new manager and his parents.

Since we see Ilya and Grigori straight ahead, the other character has his back to us. But, we can tell from his tone of voice that this unnamed character shares his excitement about having Ilya on their team. But, Ilya’s dad just ruins the whole mood.

Picture taken from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

“He is strong. And, he needs discipline. He can be, how you say, lazy.” Grigori easily insults Ilya in front of Ilya’s new boss. Which is insane! Ilya just got the number one draft pick for the whole hockey drafting thing (I did say I was not versed in hockey culture and such). So, Grigori here is presented as a terrible father.

Ilya does everything he can to keep his emotions in check. But, Ilya has been here before. His dad has insulted Ilya to people previous to this incident and Ilya has learned how to respond in a way that doesn’t disrespect his father but, also, smooths over the gaff to the other people in the conversation. (Children and spouses of abusive people learn this trick quickly.) He finishes in Russian to Ilya “Listen to everything you are told. Did you understand?”

This short translation is by ilyasaysitbetter on Tumblr (also now on Archive of Our Own with the same creator name). They are a treasure trove of Russian language interpretation, pronunciation, and perspectives. I can’t believe I just found them. What a treat!

That last line in Russian sounds like a parent reminding their child how to behave around an adult who now has responsibility over that child. Clearly Grigori doesn’t think very highly of Ilya. He is young but he is also very capable.

The English subtitles in the show add another line to the Russian dialogue (“Don’t speak”). but I will not include them in this analysis. Because for me, every word counts. And, extra words added later could alter the meaning intended by the writer and director.

In Grigori’s introduction, we see Ilya looking at Shane while Ilya’s father talks to the manager of Ilya’s new team. Right before this scene Ilya and Shane accept the first and second draft places and a little bit earlier than that we see them each watching each other during practices. Following the introduction scene of Grigori, Ilya and Shane sweat it out in the gym with a fair bit of heavy flirting. Whatever starts between Ilya and Shane, Grigori’s presence indicates something happening with Ilya at the same time. And, I say this because Grigori is specific to Ilya. Grigori is mainly connected to Ilya and Alexei as they are a family unit. We only see Ilya interacting with Grigori in the show. If we scanned our Mirror Character checklist, he doesn’t check any boxes of commonality with either of the main characters, Ilya or Shane. So, he means something else entirely different than a Mirror Character and I did already let the cat out of the bag earlier.

However, (I scrunch my nose when I write this) whatever Grigori represents for Ilya is cruel, undercutting and diminishing of Ilya. I don’t like Grigori.

What could Grigori mean for Ilya in this new relationship? We must continue to look for evidence.

We don’t see or hear a thing from Grigori again until The Prospect Cup six months later (which coincidently is right after the flirty gym scene). Ilya watches the New Year’s Eve ball drop on the TV in a hotel. His screen tells us that the ‘Colonel’ has called three times already and it’s implied Ilya purposefully did not take those calls. If he had returned just one of those, that message would not appear. He DOES take a call from Alexei which doesn’t go well. Here is the part about Grigori.

Ilya - What the fuck is going on? Why is Dad calling me?

Alexei - Oh my God! Happy New Year, little brother.

Ilya - Happy New Year, Alexei, but…

Alexei - How’s it going, handsome boy?

Ilya - What is up with Dad? What’s with him?

Alexei - What the fuck are you talking about? Dad is fine.

Ilya - He calls me all the time.

Alexei - Because you, idiot, lost the damn match.

(Translation by ilyasaysitbetter on Tumblr)

This dialogue continues but it’s not about Grigori and therefore, I believe for this article, irrelevant. Though, it is very relevant for another purpose we’ll discuss in the next article.

From this dialogue Ilya tells us that he suspects something is wrong cognitively with his father. Grigori’s behavior is not normal to him. It’s clear that Grigori does not usually call Ilya but all of the sudden he is calling now and much more often than seems normal for family members living apart and slightly estranged. Any smart and aware person would understand that a change in behavior like this means something is not quite right.

And, right on cue, Grigori calls Ilya. (Translation by ilyasaysitbetter on Tumblr.)

Ilya - Hello, Father.

Grigori - And, so he answers!

Ilya - I’m sorry, Father.

Grigori - Apologize to Russia. To lose to the Czechs. What a disgrace. Tomorrow…

Ilya - We will do the Swedes, Father.

Grigori - Apologize to Russia! It will be necessary. Otherwise, you will…

Ilya - But, we’re not playing for gold. But, … but we will do everything.

Grigori - I don’t give a damn about ‘we’! You will not lose to him.

Do we think this dialogue is really necessary at its face value? What does it tell us and what does it convey? The dialogue tells us that Grigori knows Ilya has already lost at least one game and demands that Ilya win moving forward. It conveys to us that Grigori is disappointed in Ilya even if there could be factors outside of Ilya’s control.

We already knew both of those things in a general sense. It’s Ilya’s prerogative to win as many games as possible. Also, Grigori couldn’t wait to tell Ilya’s manager how disappointed he is in Ilya. Grigori seems perpetually disappointed in Ilya. None of this is groundbreaking information. So, there is something else going on here that we need to uncover.

What happens right before this scene? It’s the heavy flirting scene in the gym. What happens right after this scene? Shane’s team wins the Prospect Cup which means Ilya loses, again. Ilya takes the loss hard. This additional loss will inevitably disappoint Grigori.

If none of the basic information is new and looking at the scenes before and after it don’t reveal much more, then we need to get into the weeds with this dialogue. Why mention Russia, their mother country, then The Czech Republic, and Sweden? And, Grigori says to not lose to “him”. That is a weird choice. Grigori should have said “Canada” because he doesn’t list players on the other teams, he lists the countries until he lands on Canada where he inserts “him” in for Canada. That’s a direct reference to Shane. Ilya got the reference alongside us. Where did the need to switch out “Canada” for “him” come from? At this point in their careers they aren’t official rivals even if the world knows they are the top two players at this moment. So, that little insert of “him” as a departure from listing the country of “him” should signal to our subtext spidey senses that something interesting can be discovered here.

The easy answer is that Grigoris is just listing all of the teams that the Russian has played and lost to or will play. And, that Ilya should be contrite and ask for forgiveness from Russia. I think Grigori’s mention of Russia here is actually mother Russia, not the team. But, that’s boring. Why waste screen time on that. I can think of much more scathing things a father can say to their son if they are perpetually disappointed in them.

Go back to the beginning again, the very beginning. When we meet Grigori, it is the start of something between Shane and Ilya. And, since Grigori is Ilya’s father, whatever is happening between Shane and Ilya, Grigori represents something happening with Ilya. And, Ilya was ignoring it. Grigori called Ilya three times before Ilya was willing to pick up. When Ilya does pick up, Grigori tells him right away that Ilya has been ignoring him. So, Ilya is ignoring whatever Grigori represents. Ilya apologizes to whatever he’s ignoring which means he’s aware that he is ignoring something. The ‘something’ is what we don’t know yet.

Right after that Grigori says “Apologize to (mother) Russia.” We know this isn’t about Ilya apologizing literally to mother Russia or even feeling bad about his loss for his country because this conversation isn’t really about winning and losing games. Grigori isn’t really Ilya’s dad. He represents something in Ilya related to whatever is happening with Ilya that directly relates to Shane.

Why mention Russia then? Because it IS about Russia. What is the one thing this show tells us about Russia? Russia does not support queer people. The show tells us that hockey doesn’t support queer people either.

I’d like to take a moment here to be very careful about how we interpret information in film. For my friends who dissect shows and film with me, this is nothing new. But, if you are new to film analysis you must caution yourself against using too much of your perspective to apply it to what is happening in the show. I know I have spoken a little bit about my life in other articles and some of the feelings are the same as the characters. However, when looking at subtext and the story being told, we really can only use the information given to us on screen to use it to interpret the subtext.

Say, for example, you were a hockey player and you knew every inch of hockey, your perspective on what happens in this story will be very different from mine. (I know nothing about hockey.) As you begin to pick apart bits of subtext you might lean heavily on your experience of the game, your team members, sponsorships, coaches, workouts, injuries, diets, incomes, traveling to games, and on and on. Or, let’s say you were a therapist and you began to look at the demands of their jobs and the toxicity of their work environments. You might start to think how that plays into their insecurities around performance on the ice, self-esteem, and sexuality. If you’re someone who has read and memorized the books, you’re going to cross-check every line and action to see how it fits with the world Rachel Reid has already created.

These biases could lead us down subtext rabbit holes that don’t exist or blind us to their existence all together. Everyone has a bias. What you have to do is try to remove as much of that as you can when looking at the subtext and use only what the show gives you.

Back to Russia and what the show tells us about Russia and hockey in terms of queer people. It doesn’t look good for them. However, Reid and, later, Tierney, could have used a fictional country like Andalasia in place of Russia. We still would get the same message: Andalasia harms queer people and Ilya absolutely hates going there. He does everything he can do to avoid going to Andalasia even though he has family there who are also really terrible people. The same message is received by the audience.

The difference is we already know about the real Russia and how it treats queer people. Which means we already have a bias about it in the show.

When Grigori demands Ilya apologize to Russia, what is he really apologizing to? There is this spark between Ilya and Shane and then we have this pesky father pop up at the most inopportune times. So, this thing in Ilya that has to do with Shane is demanding that Ilya apologize to Russia, or the place where homophobia rules. Ilya is currently dabbling with a homosexual relationship. Russia and queer people mix like oil and water. We’re getting close here but I want to explore more of that dialogue with you.

Then Grigori scoffs that Ilya lost to The Czech Republic. Grigori says to lose that match was a disgrace. His angry tone leaves no room to interpret anything but mad at Ilya for the loss. Now, we know a little about Russia from the show. Russia, as a whole, is a homophobic country where laws are now in place that can penalize someone for their sexuality. Not every Russian is homophobic but that’s the general vibe the rest of the world agrees on.

So, if we’re leaning on the notion that Russia has a problem with queer people in the show and it tracks with what is in the real world, can we make some assumptions about the other countries in this dialogue? I am side-eyeing myself right now because I just told you not to bring your biases into this analysis but I need you to bring your knowledge of those countries into this discussion to understand where I’m leading you. The show does not give us information about The Czech Republic or Sweden. So, we have to provide that information on our own.

If Russia is a homophobic country, what are The Czech Republic and Sweden? The EXACT opposite. They are two incredibly progressive European countries in terms of LGBTQ+ rights. Could Grigori be mad at Ilya for losing to The Czech Republic because that country supports queer rights? But, wait. The Czech Republic isn’t really a country here. It is something else.

Now, Ilya shouldn’t lose to Sweden either because even if they aren’t playing for gold at this point, Grigori would be mad if he lost. And, then lastly, Grigori intentionally doesn’t mention a country, he mentions “him”. Again, Grigori should have said “Canada”.

If Grigori, who is some sort of constant nag to Ilya, demands he not lose to these queer-loving countries and apologize to the one country that isn’t, what is Grigori saying here?

I think Ilya is Russia and all of those other countries are men. And, if you read the article, Ginger Ale as a Metaphor for Sexuality, we understand that Ilya is Russia because he drinks good Russian vodka. He has lost before to the desire of a man, The Czech Republic, which Grigori calls “a disgrace” and he doesn’t want to lose again to another country, Sweden, or another man. And, the most important one he can’t lose to is “him” or Shane.

It seems to me that even though Ilya has this long-distance-“enemies”-with-benefits relationship with Shane, he might also have at this moment in episode 1 a desire for another man (The Czech Republic) even if it’s only physical. There also might be another man Ilya has his eyes on, Sweden, who he hasn’t lost to yet but might. Or, he hasn’t decided if he’s attracted to him yet but he’s there no less. And, something about Sweden, the man, nags at Ilya. He has to be careful he tells himself.

By Grigori demanding Ilya apologize to Russia, Ilya demands that he admonish himself for caving to his desires for other men and losing the battle each time. He’s trying to convince himself he can’t lose control over his attraction to any more men especially not “him”.

If being attracted to a man is “a disgrace” for Ilya, he’s got some bigger problems to overcome. Logic follows that Ilya has internalized homophobia. Since I proposed that Ilya IS Russia here, what sort of internal crisis about his sexuality does Ilya struggle with?

THAT is new information. No where in the text does Ilya share anything concerning his personal feelings about his queerness. For all Shane and the audience knows, Ilya is completely comfortable with his queerness and his desire for Shane. Because that is exactly how he presents himself. He acts very in control and aware of his desire for “him” without any hesitation.

So, already, by Ilya’s dejected tone, he assumes he might probably lose the battle of physical attraction for Shane despite his best effort and he’s just over the pressure his dad puts on him. Which means Ilya struggles with how easily he is attracted to men and how hard he continually tries not to be. It’s hard to deny those feelings.

“Not playing for gold” here to me means Ilya does not see any of these men as “the one”. He is young after all. It would be unrealistic to expect to find “the one” at this age. And, a man can’t possibly be “the one” anyways. He’s just hooking up; trying to figure out what he likes. “The one” wouldn’t be a man anyway. These hockey matches (men he is attracted to) don’t have to feel so high stakes. If he loses (this hockey match) to Shane, Shane, at this point, is just another man he is attracted to. He isn’t “the one”. Fast forward to episode 6 “The Cottage” where Ilya admits he and Shane weren’t in love from the very beginning. Well, this is the beginning folks. Shane isn’t “the one” … yet.

And, what happens in the next scene? Russia loses to Canada in the Prospect Cup. Shane says to Ilya “See you in October” as he winks at him. Ilya is in the beginning stages of losing the game of being attracted to Shane because did you see Ilya’s smile? He’s definitely not blushing because “Russians do not do this”.

We are not done with “Rookies” episode 1 though. Ilya has another conversation with Alexei over the phone and, no surprise to anyone, Alexei demands more money from Ilya. Ilya had been grumpily watching Shane being interviewed, in French, about his rivalry with Ilya and scoring goals against him in a FaceOff…face off….Face off (?). While watching the interview, Ilya lounges on the hotel bed but then it cuts to him standing already yelling at Alexei about funding (or not) Alexei’s lifestyle. The conversation turns to their father again.

Ilya - How’s Dad?

Alexei - What do you mean ‘how’s Dad’? What’s between you and Dad? Dad is fine! We’ll manage without you. Go fuck yourself, Ilya.

Ilya - On the phone yesterday, he asked me to bring home some bread.

Alexei- Well, he’s stupid.

(Translation by ilyasaysitbetter on Tumblr.)

Ilya, unable to be physically near his father, shares his concern about Grigori’s deteriorating mental health again to Alexei who is near their father. Grigori should not ask Ilya to bring home bread because Ilya has not lived with his father in years. They even live on different continents. So, if Grigori is deteriorating, whatever he represents in Ilya is also deteriorating. Ilya’s reaction to Alexei is frustration. Alexei doesn’t seem to listen or care about Ilya’s concern. I think Ilya is really more frustrated with himself here than anything. He’s frustrated with whatever Grigori and the dementia represents in Ilya’s head. Because his dad can represent one thing for Ilya and Grigori’s dementia can mean something else entirely.

Moving on to “Olympians” episode 2. Ilya and Shane chat in the stairwell of Shane’s apartment as Ilya laces his shoes to leave. They look ahead to the upcoming Olympics. We can assume Shane will represent Canada and Ilya, Russia. Shane asks Ilya if his parents will be there. Ilya says “My father, yes. Maybe my brother. But, who knows?” So, Ilya knows that he will be bringing along whatever Grigori represents for him to the Olympics because apparently whatever that is doesn’t go away.

Did you read the article about what mirrors represent in Heated Rivalry? No? Oh. Well, here it is. Feel free to pause here to catch up but if you’re willing to power through with us, let’s keep going. Physical mirrors in this show can represent two different things. When any character stands alone in front of a mirror, they are hiding something. If they are standing in the mirror with another character (specifically Ilya), that other character represents some part of them that gives us more information about their character that can’t be found in the script or blocking.

Picture from: IMDB

The next time Grigori shows up physically on screen is during the Winter Olympics in Sochi. He pours two (alcoholic/heterosexual) drinks in front of the mirror in what looks like his bedroom possibly. We don’t know this yet but we later find out he is hiding his dementia.

Before I had full translations of all of the episodes, I did claim that Grigori had financial problems, but I can’t find any of that in the translations. I assumed that from what I had seen online. It’s just Alexei who keeps asking for money, not Grigori. Shame on me for making that claim without looking at the translations.

At this point in time my go-to for Russian dialogue translations hasn’t translated this scene in episode 2. I’m not complaining at all. Their work transcends all others. What they’re doing takes time. I will have to rely on the online subtitle translations moving forward in this article and hope other scenes will be translated when I need them.

Here are the subtitles:

Grigori - You need a haircut.

Ilya - Yes, sir.

Grigori - The minister still wants to meet you tonight, despite everything.

Ilya - It will be my honour.

Grigori - You should be honoured. After yesterday. You lose to…

Ilya - Latvia.

Grigori - Latvia. And yet, he drinks. How could you let that happen? How are you not ashamed?

Ilya - I’m ashamed, Father.

Grigori - Not nearly enough. They teach you no discipline in the American league. Your play is sloppy. …. The real shame is squandering the promise you showed when you were young.

Ilya - I am a better player now than I have ever been. Our goalie is hurt. The team didn’t click.

Grigori - Click? What is this American nonsense? What is clicking? You are the captain. You make them click! Always looking for someone else to blame. Since you were a boy….. Who tied this for you? Your mother? She doesn’t know how to do this properly.

Ilya - No, Father. Mom is dead. You remember?

Grigori - I meant your stepmother.

Ilya - And where is Polina? In Moscow? We should go. To the gala. So that I can meet the minister.

Grigori - Let’s go.

Sidequest: Shoutout to my friend Fiona who informed me that websites exist that have all of (most of) the dialogue from all of Heated Rivalry episodes including the non-English translations. I started my analysis of this dialogue from http://opensubtitles.org/

Also, a shoutout to divi who reminded me these subtitle sites exist and that our mutual friend told us about them. She knows my theories are wild but my memory retention short. At the time I started writing these articles, I did not have access to any subtitles for the first four episodes. That’s been challenging, to say the least!

So, in this scene Grigori takes his usual role of berating Ilya. Ilya takes his usual role of receiving the insults with as little pushback as possible. He doesn’t want to upset Grigori. The scene before this Ilya pushed very hard against any interaction with Shane specifically at the ice skating competition. Shane realized that Russia could be a very hard place for Ilya to visit because of his sexuality. So, Shane finds Ilya to check in on him and Ilya refuses any kind of conversation at all. And, the scene after Ilya speaks to his father is with Svetlana and Sasha in the fancy, shmancy bathroom. Sasha represents some dark times in Ilya’s past.

No matter how you slice it, Ilya is having a bad time. Russia represents the worst for Ilya. Or, whatever thoughts bang around inside Ilya’s head are unhealthy and demorolizing because Ilya is Russia. Anything that happens in Russia is really what is happening inside Ilya’s head. In this scene with Grigori, he mentions losing to Latvia. We talk about named countries earlier and how I think those losses are really men Ilya has experienced some sort of attraction to. And, he’s been fighting that war against same-sex attraction for a while now. So, here Ilya sits in shame again at having lost the battle of his desire to another man, Latvia.

Then Grigori goes on about how the American League lacks discipline. The American League in real life includes teams from Canada and the United States. He accuses Ilya of playing sloppy. Is this Grigori saying to Ilya, you are not careful with the men you are attracted to, specifically one man in particular? Because Shane and Ilya are both in this American League. Now, please don’t skewer me if I got this wrong. They play in the fictional MLH. So, can we assume the American League represents that league? You tell me in the comments.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Either way, Canada and the USA are both ‘American’ teams because they are both in North America. I’m not sure it would make sense for Grigori in this dialogue to switch to the MLH name instead of the American League. By continuing to use country (or region) names, we can continue to follow the line of the subtext. Saying “MLH” wouldn’t mean a man here but another country could if we have untangled the subtext correctly.

Does anyone else notice a theme here about Grigori? If what I’m proposing is correct, Grigori is very concerned about losing to all of these teams which means Ilya is concerned about losing his will to not be attracted to these men. I think Grigori is the allegorical representation of Ilya’s internalized homophobia. And, that makes sense considering he comes from a very homophobic country, Russia. Even if Ilya never states that he has shame about that desire in the text, we found it in the subtext. Earlier in this article I stated Ilya is Russia and Russia is homophobic, then Ilya has internalized homophobia. But, what we’ve found out now is that this is Grigori’s role for Ilya. He represents Ilya’s internalized homophobia and absolutely hounds him every time he has any sort of sexual attraction to a man.

I went down this rabbit hole of analysis of Grigori’s characterization but then backtracked when I thought about a line right after Grigori says “The real shame is squandering the promise you showed when you were young.” I will put my own debunked analysis inside brackets to see where I was going. Then, we’ll get back on track after that.

[We can think more deeply of how Grigori’s physical representation reflects in what is happening inside the recesses of Ilya’s mind. Consider the way the actor Yaroslav Poverlo looks. No, disrespect to the actual man, but he was cast perfectly. Homophobia is an old, tired concept that most of us reading these articles feel like should die.

While, I do not relish in analyzing someone’s appearance in a negative way, Grigori casting helps us understand better Ilya’s internal struggle. Poverlo looks really old; he moves in a way that makes him seem ancient; his blue-tinged lips especially add to his deathly palor; his dead eyes make us feel uncomfortable and sad for Ilya in that Grigori only seems to see Ilya’s negative qualities and can’t cherish his son for the delight that he is.

If his father looks that old then think about how long this internalized homophobia has plagued Ilya. That feeling is not a new concept for Ilya. Yes, I know Grigori is old based on the book’s description of him but it is easy to co-opt that characteristic of him being much older than what would be expected for Ilya’s real father for this purpose. A much younger looking but appropriately aged man could have played Grigori without looking so dead on arrival.

And, think about what job Grigori has and how high in the ranks within that government organization he occupied. He is either a high-ranking military personel or police officer. Grigori was entrenched in this system for decades and earned medals of honor for his work in his job. Ilya was a master at his internalized homophobia, he medaled in it, multiple times.

Think about how this character’s physical persona represent Ilya’s internalized homophobia. This internalizes homophobia is not a new state of mind for Ilya nor is it something he has just begun to explore. It took hold at an early age, grew old in his mind, and accomplished great achievements in Ilya’s fight against his sexuality. He’s a master at hating his desire for men.]

While, I like this take, it doesn’t match with the dialogue. It has to go in the subtext analysis trash can. Sigh.

Back in the stairwell, when saying to Shane that he knew he would see his father in Russia for the Olympics, he knew he would be aware of his internalized homophobia in Russia. He would also be highly aware of his same-sex attraction. Homophobia and sexuality don’t end at Border Control in the airport. Those both exists within you no matter where you take your meat sack.

The last part of that line is “The real shame is squandering the promise you showed when you were young.” This to me sounds like Ilya did not always have this same-sex attraction. He realized in his teens of his same-sex attraction. Sasha’s character tells us that Ilya has had a crush on Shane from even before they met at the Prospect Cup in that opening shot of the show. But, his internalized homophobia has been with him for a long time because it is represented by his dad.

Some queer people knew they were attracted to the same sex as early as seven or eight years old. Some don’t find out or realise their same-sex attraction until much later in life. Grigori, Ilya’s internalized homophobia, chastises him for realizing this same-sex attraction and failing to deny it. Because, Russia only supports opposite-sex attraction. So, at an early age Ilya only liked the opposite sex and now he’s ruining his life by having these new desires for men.

Ilya tries desperately to explain himself with “I’m a better player now than I ever have been…The team didn’t click.” My guy here desperately wants to believe he is a better man for knowing his true self; knowing both his attraction to women and men. Next Grigori says “Click? What is this American nonsense? What is clicking? You are the captain. You make them click!”

This “American nonsense” is Ilya losing his battle for his attraction to Shane. Ilya’s internalized homophobia has no patience for this and tries to demand Ilya force himself to stop being attracted to men, and Shane in particular. He has to force away his same-sex attractions because he tells himself he is in charge (the captain) of these feelings. He needs to “click” with women only.

So, then if I debunked my own analysis of the characterization of Grigori, does he need to be so old and medaled? Well, we could apply the concept of internalized homophobia generally as a societal issue that is indeed old and accomplished at boxing men into a very narrow definition of what a man can and cannot be. The patriarchy as a whole does this really well even defining who and how a man can love. It is an ancient societal construct that takes hold seemingly without letting go once established. But, for many, we hope it is on it’s last dying breath.

About that man represented by the Latvia team: Latvia is not as progressive as Sweden and The Czech Republic. Their laws do not allow for same-sex marriage even if the population has tended to be more accepting over time. Grigori’s reaction here doesn’t seem as strong as it did for those other two countries.

This part I’m not so sure about and you’ll have to decide for yourself where you land on this idea. Is it possible that Grigori, or Ilya’s internalized homophobia, is less ashamed of being attracted to a man (a country) that is less ‘gay’ presenting (less accepting of the LGBTQ+ community) as the other queer men he’s been attracted to? Maybe this man presented with more heteronormative behaviors and could ‘pass’ as straight. So, Ilya’s acceptance of his desire for men is contingent on how ‘gay’, or not, a man seems in his, or society’s, perspective.

It’s not uncommon for queer people to have certain expectations about themselves and their partners to not appear too ‘gay’. They don’t fully embrace their sexuality, including the range of how homosexuality can be presented. From personal experience, when my wife heard “Oh, so you’re not even trying to hide it now” as a young person from a homophobic relative, that can stick. As Ilya moves through his queer acceptance journey, does he allow himself, over time, the grace to be attracted to a wider range of queer presenting men?

He does exist in this hyper-masculine world where any sort of femininity is squashed out faster than Ilya can tell Shane he is boring. The idea of only being attracted to hypermasculine, straight presenting men fits right into the theme of how men must conduct themselves in hockey.

This theory is one of those that I just don’t have enough evidence to definitively support at this time but it was my initial read on it. What are your thoughts?

Are we fairly sure Grigori represents Ilya’s internalized homophobia? Yes? No? Let me know in the comments.

But, you can tell by the slider on the side that this article is not over.

What we need to explore now is Grigori’s dementia. Grigori could have existed in Ilya’s world without cognitive decline. Grigori could have died from a car crash or not died at all. But, Tierney added this piece in and continued to show us Grigori’s increased confusion throughout the show. Grigori eventually dies probably due to complications from his dementia.

When does Grigori’s dementia first appear? Ilya mentions his dad keeps calling him in the first conversation on the phone with Alexie in “Rookies”, episode 1. And, when does this occur in the timeline with Ilya and Shane? Ilya has just lost to Shane in the Prospect Cup. We established that when Ilya loses a game to a country, he loses his battle with same-sex attraction. His internalized homophobia swings back into action when Grigori pops onto the screen. But, he can’t seem to shake this particular desire for Shane. And, this particular game was against Shane. In the next scene Ilya reveals he arranged the commercial shoot on his own with Shane on purpose. Which we all know eventually leads them to their first sexual encounter.

Still in “Rookies” episode 1, Grigori and Ilya talk on the phone about Ilya’s losses with nary a whiff of dementia from his dad. Ilya has not yet lost to “him” in that dialogue yet. I established that Ilya believes at this point Shane is just another man he can’t help being attracted to. He is most definitely not in love with Shane here.

Then, at some point off screen, Grigori calls Ilya to ask if Ilya will bring home some bread. Which leads to the phone conversation between Ilya and Alexei about the concerning comment. Between those two phone calls Ilya and Shane, after the commercial shoot, have sex for the first time. Here it is again:

1. Grigori and Ilya have a ‘normal’ conversation about Ilya’s team losing.
2. Shane and Ilya have sex for the first time.
3. Ilya notices some cognitive decline with his dad in an off-screen phone conversation and mentions it to Alexei (otherwise we wouldn’t know about it).

Grigori’s decline starts after Ilya and Shane have sex. Hmmm. There are two other scenes with Grigori and, then, his death. Right?

Because of the structure of this article, I don’t want to drag this out any longer. I’m going to tell you what I think Grigori’s dementia represents and then we can go back through the scenes to check that the theory works.

Grigori dies at about the same time Ilya confesses his love, in Russian, for Shane. So, dementia disappears at the same time Ilya admits his love for Shane. I believe that whatever the dementia represented for Ilya would not allow Ilya to fully accept his feelings for Shane. I think Grigori’s dementia represents the shame Ilya felt for loving Shane, for loving, not being attracted to, someone of the same sex. Once he was free from his internalized homophobia (Grigori dies), he could accept his feelings for Shane even if he couldn’t admit them to Shane yet. This is the moment that Ilya accepted his queerness fully and could accept, even when in Russia, that he loves a man with his whole self. Because, remember, Ilya is really Russia.

Though if Russia is Ilya, the pressure he puts on himself to not be attracted to men is his own making. All of this torture and torment about his sexuality is his own design. The shame that keeps him from admitting his feelings for Shane is his own making, a sickness which would eventually claim its carrier. He created this cage he couldn’t escape until he let go of his shame.

While not universally true, many queer people share these same feelings about their journey through accepting their sexuality. They carry shame for who they are and who they love when faced with a family or community that isn’t supportive. I’m not saying Ilya should have been stronger to not fall to those pressures. But, the fear and shame were of his own making nonetheless.

It just occurred to me that, if my theory is correct, Tierny shoved the allegorical meaning of Ilya’s shame for loving Shane onto the allegorical character, his father, who represents Ilya’s inernailzed homophobia. That’s impressive.

It’s time to check to see if this theory can hold some water.

In episode 4, “Rose” the beginning montage includes a scene where Ilya can be seen taking care of Grigori who is basically non-responsive. Grigori sits on a couch while Ilya moves lithely around him on the phone with someone we assume is Alexei. Ilya’s posture indicates whoever he is talking to is not listening or is being unreasonable. Ilya only has frustrating phone conversations with Grigori and Alexei. Logically, it has to be Alexei on the phone who is also very much not taking care of Grigori.

Overall, the montage itself is a feast. The show creators have to ease us back into this story line after taking us on a detour with Scott and Kip. We see flirting by texting in the summers between Shane and Ilya, hockey, winning gold cups, sex when they can, Shane’s product endorsement video shoots, and glimpses of their life as they slowly lose their ability to focus on anything but the other.

But, we should take stock of what precedes this scene. Up to now Shane and Ilya have sex whenever they can meet up. Ilya more often pursues Shane and is even annoyed when the weather prevents a moment in which Ilya and Shane plan to introduce another … um … act into their standard menu of sexual options. Before the montage, they manage to have sex four times in the series. Some of which were amazing and others not.

So, it’s important to think about where this scene takes place in which Ilya cares for his father who has dementia. That scene in particular happens towards the end of the montage where years have passed. It would be fair to say though that it happens right in the middle of the time in which we see each of them begin to have feelings for each other. What they have now is beyond sex at this point.

In that super short montage scene, Ilya diligently cares for the person who represents his internalized homophobia. In other words, he’s had these thoughts for years now and dotes on them. Releasing these negative thoughts and changing your mindset is hard. But, the dementia slowly takes his father farther and farther away from reality. The dementia erodes the life that holds his internalized homophobia. The shame of loving Shane starts to weaken as Ilya begins to understand how deeply he cares for Shane. Ilya realizes that if loving a man is his current reality and something he wants in the future, then internalized homophobia has no place in his life.

While some people can both be in love with a same-sex partner and have internalized homophobia, that doesn’t seem like Ilya’s fate. Grigori would be alive and well with us into Season 2 if that was the case.

The last time we encounter Grigori alive is during the Tuna Melt scene. Ilya dances around his affections for Shane. But, we know Ilya put a considerable amount of effort into preparing for this meet up.

For the sex scenes in the montage, we are not shown the beginning or end of each scene. The audience is dropped into the act of sex and removed before the end. Their interactions are desperate, intense and consuming. They have waited months to be together and all they want is to be close.

But, we can assume from Shane’s reaction to Ilya in the Tuna Melt scene that asking Shane to stay, their nap, the Tuna Melt lunch, watching hockey together, and just talking about their lives is very new territory for them. They have never experienced these things together. Before now, they communicated only through sex and when that was over, they parted ways. This time though, Ilya planned a different ending.

When does Grigori interrupt with his call then? Ilya shared with Shane that he no longer has a regular sexual partner in Boston and she is most definitely not his girlfriend, Ilya takes their Tuna Melts out of the oven, they eat together and Ilya does his best to tease out from Shane whether or not Shane has any sexual or romantic partners beyond Ilya. It’s clear here that Ilya wants to get to know Shane and is trying to hint to Shane that he wants more out of this relationship than casual hookups. Ilya says motioning toward Shane “But, I also like you…. Not this person. Of course… But, you have a good mouth.” He comes so close to saying to Shane that he wants more than sex and he’s done a fine job of trying to woo him. But, he can’t quite tell Shane what he wants the way Shane can receive and understand. What Shane heard, I think, is what he knows already about Ilya’s feelings. Ilya likes Shane for his mouth or, what they do sexually, nothing more.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Grigori interrupts during a moment for Ilya that comes too close to what he wants but can’t quite say out loud. If Grigori represents Ilya’s internalized homophobia, that message is being delivered loud and clear through that phone call. Ilya can’t seem to get rid of those horrible feelings about himself. Unfortunately, when Ilya answers, Grigori seems agitated and confused on the other line.

Ilya - I did answer you, Father. We spoke yesterday. Father, where is Alexei? … My brother Alexei. Is he there with you? Is Polina there? … Polina, she is your wife. … Father, stay calm. I will call Alexei. I will call him.

The shame he has for falling in love with Shane, a man, seems near a breaking point.

When would Ilya have made plans to stretch out this tryst with Shane? Go to the store to get food and Ginger Ale, think about how he can convince Shane to stay longer, make sure there was a hockey game on at the right time, and broach the subject of romantic interests to understand more about Shane’s feelings for Ilya. It looks like yesterday when Ilya answered the phone call coming from his father. So, as he made the plans to broaden their relationship, he still struggled with internalized homophobia.

But, Grigori is agitated today. He doesn’t remember talking to Ilya yesterday. Grigori’s confusion indicates his rapid decline continues. Maybe some days he is lucid, other days he is not.

In this scene Ilya tries desperately to communicate to Shane through subtle signals that he wants to elevate their relationship to something with more substance but can’t commit to sharing his true feelings explicitly. At the same time, dad interrupts at the moment where he might just spill it all. It’s literally the worst time a parent could interrupt but Grigori isn’t just a parent. He represents Ilya’s internalized homophobia. The Grigori that interrupts is the Grigori with dementia. So, he is aware that the shame in loving a man remains but is losing its hold on him.

We understand that some days Grigori is confused and other days he is not. This, for Ilya, indicates that some days he is full of shame for loving Shane but other days he is not.

Listen, if you’ve figured out what dementia represents just from these bits, you’re a genius. I hadn’t. The scene that helped me understand what Grigori’s dementia represents is, in fact, his death and how Ilya mourns Grigori’s death.

But, before we get there we need to take dip into episode 5 again.

If you have read my first article, Heated Rivalry: Introductions and Cigarettes, you’ll remember that there is no gay sex in hockey. Cigarettes represent gay sex in Heated Rivalry. And, in “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5 Svetlana says to Ilya, “when did you start smoking again?” He says something to the effect of “I’m not. Just every once in a while.” In this moment, if you understand the cigarette metaphor, in combination with everything that I’ve proposed here, Ilya had abstained from having gay sex. And, now he’s dabbling in it again.

At the time I had not worked out Grigori’s allegorical representation completely but quitting smoking related to when he and Shane were on a break during the Rose Landry detour works with Ilya’s internalized homophobia and, also, supports this analysis. He started smoking again because right after that scene with Svetlana, he and Shane would begin their All Star weekend which leads to sex.

(What I didn’t think about until now, though, is that Rose is a mirror for Ilya. And, Shane and Rose were having straight sex. Which means, technically, in a convoluted way Ilya and Shane were still having sex but it was not gay sex. It’s a stretch and sort of upside-down, topsy-turvy way to have straight sex between two male characters. Ilya not smoking during the time that Shane dated Rose was because Ilya and Shane were not having gay sex but Ilya (as Rose) and Shane were having straight sex. Ha! No, Ilya and Shane can’t really have straight sex but maybe you can see how I got there.)

During the All Star Weekend hotel scene Ilya tries his hardest to convince Shane that “We can’t be something”. He goes as far to tell Shane how Shane feels for Ilya. But, Shane refuses to back down. Shane had a taste of life without Ilya and with someone he couldn’t possibly love completely. He decided that wasn’t acceptable. Shane was now trying his version of the Tuna Melt scene minus the terrible ending.

Ilya all but admits he wants to have a relationship with Shane too but he doesn’t think it’s possible. He knows that if they begin in earnest to be a couple, Ilya would “never be able to got back to Russia.” Well, if Ilya is Russia, then Ilya is admitting to Shane that he will never be able to return to this place in his head that harbors these homophobic thoughts.

None of us wants him to return to that space in his head that torments him but it’s safe. When you’ve been living within a certain construct your whole life, even if it’s harmful, it’s safe. It’s predictable. Predictability is easier than the unknown. He’s scared that if he takes this chance with Shane, he won’t be able to predict the outcome. No one in his life is queer so he doesn’t have a way to envision that possibility.

Also, in this scene the implications of being gay/queer in hockey while rivals hang over their heads. What could a gay relationship between two world-famous hockey player even look like especially when everyone thinks you hate each other? There is no framework established by another gay couple in hockey to shape their lives together after. There isn’t even one gay open hockey player who might even have a partner outside of the hockey world. There is a possibility Ilya will lose his profession because of his sexuality. If Ilya loses hockey and the familiar thoughts in his head, what else is there for him? Shane, sure. But, everything his inner and outer life was built on will crumble.

What I think is interesting in light of this article is Ilya’s hesitation to label his sexuality especially in this moment considering Shane’s admission. I’ve read countless Russian or Eastern European creators affirm that Ilya’s reluctance to label himself is unnecessary and emblematic of Slavic culture: stoicism at its finest. Hopefully you paused there for a second and thought…'Well, that’s their perspective and, therefore, a bias. Subtext reading should be free from bias.’ I agree and I call bollox on their interpretation of Ilya’s reason for not naming his sexuality even if it does seem to match with Slavic culture.

While not everyone wants to label themselves or they may even feel like a label will limit them, I’m not sure that’s what’s going on here. He’s clearly in this exact moment still very much unable to shed his internalized homophobia and the guilt for his deep feelings for Shane. Naming his sexuality opens Pandora’s box. What will come out of the box when the lid is removed? He can’t take it back. And, if he can’t take it back, he has to deconstruct his internalized homophobia. That doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Ilya just yet. And, that’s a hard box to unpack.

Wouldn’t it be a disservice to Shane to enter into something that he can’t do with his whole chest? Would Ilya do that to Shane?

But, when Shane says goodnight, Ilya has a hard time not being absolutely smitten with Shane. At this point, Ilya finally got from Shane what he had been waiting on since the Tuna Melt scene. Shane was willing to try out whatever Ilya would offer Shane. So, now the ball is in Ilya’s court. He has to decide how far he’s willing to travel into this relationship with Shane. Which means, he has to come to terms with his own internalized homophobia in order to give Shane what he deserves.

Picture from: Threads

Shortly after this scene in the same episode, Shane loses track of Ilya. JJ tells Shane that Ilya didn’t fly home with his team. No one knows where Ilya is at the moment including Shane. Ilya has all but essentially gone radio silent for a couple of days (I think. The timeline is unclear here). Finally Shane gets a call from Ilya confirming Shane’s suspicions that Grigori has finally passed for which we assume was from complications related to his dementia. Shane reaches out to Ilya by offering the space to talk to Shane about whatever is bothering Ilya. Because they have been experimenting with supporting each other now through some of their challenges.

In the text, Ilya responds with “Take off your clothes.” He decides not to open the discussion about the death of his father. Some commenters of Heated Rivalry have expressed confusion about Ilya’s reaction. Most people agree that having phone sex after learning their father died wouldn’t be their choice. Also, people point out that Ilya takes a huge risk by proposing and going through with phone sex with another man in Russia. Someone could walk in or overhear which would be the end of Ilya.

But, this isn’t the audience’s place to choose and, really, Ilya’s father isn’t what died and, is Ilya even in Russia really? His shame for loving Shane died. His internalized homophobia is gone too. Russia isn’t really the country. Russia is Ilya along with the thoughts that consume him. He is no longer confined to the restraints within his mind that say loving Shane is a bad thing. That literally died. Sex with your partner to rejoice in that freedom DOES make sense.

He doesn’t have to talk about his feelings here with Shane at all. What is there to talk about? The guilt is gone, the internalized homophobia is gone and now all he has to do is figure out a way to make their relationship work.

However, this is where the line of text and subtext blur. Because he is in a place that prevents him from being in the same place as Shane which is technically Russia. But, it’s also a metaphorical place in his head. So, if you aren’t able to be in the same place as your lover, and you crave intimacy with them especially after shedding that shame, phone sex will just have to suffice.

Now, why would Ilya go silent for a few days when his shame of loving Shane dissapears and he tells his internalized homophobia to take hike into the land of the dead and never come back? Ilya has never discussed any of these issues with Shane or anyone else. He held those thoughts close.

I’m venturing farther into the land of guessing here but I imagine anyone who experiences that sort of radical mind shift needs some time to process all of that. In order to really understand that he shed his internalized homophobia and now accepts his love for Shane freely, he needed time to make sure that felt right. Is he sure that he is free from these self-hating thoughts and can return to Shane a more accepting man even if Shane has no clue? He is in Russia which means he is very much in his head about all of these thoughts. He mentions how soon he wants to return to Shane but Shane allows him the opportunity to take as much time he needs to mourn his father’s death, or be sure about his new, freed self.

Ilya also doesn’t want to involve Shane in his thought process yet either. He’s already tried to ask Shane to be more but that back-fired. He’s too fragile right now to bring Shane into what he is experiencing within. That would lead to too many questions about Shane’s role in Ilya’s life and Ilya isn’t ready yet to admit outright that he loves Shane.

Being alone here makes sense. He’s protecting himself and his tenuous relationship with Shane by taking a step back from communication until he is ready. And, look at how content Ilya seems when he finally reaches out to Shane for the first time. This isn’t the face of someone who lost is father no matter how contentious their relationship had been. This is the face of someone who is finally at peace with himself.

Next is the memorial, while it’s appropriate to mourn a father who died, it seems quite melodramatic to hold a whole ceremony to mourn the death of your internalized homophobia and shame. But, here we are. Actually, what’s important in that scene is the purpose of Alexei and Svetlanta which I will get to in later articles.

Let’s talk about bread for a minute. The second instance Grigori’s dementia is mentioned or alluded to, he asks Ilya to bring home bread. When the Colonel dies, he is honored at a restaurant by some Russian traditions here I’m going to probably bungle. Metals and ribbons encased in a frame fill the space in his stead. Family members, friends, other police/military officials he must have been close to sit with Ilya and Alexei for this very somber meal. A glass of vodka and a slice of rye bread reserve a spot for Grigori at the table in honor of his absence. And, the bread and vodka offering stay out for 40 days as the deceased’s last mortal meal. (My understanding is that it is not connected to any religious custom, rather a cultural one.)

If Grigori’s dementia is the shame Ilya carries for being in love with Shane, is Ilya in “Olympians” episode 2 already asking for that shame to die that early? Because the bread represents the last meal on earth for the parted. Grigori could have asked Ilya for batteries or butter. But, instead he asked Ilya to bring him bread: To hasten death - to bury the shame. I think that’s a plausible option.

In a recap: Grigori is the allegorical representation of Ilya’s internalized homophobia. Grigori’s dementia is the allegorical representation of Ilya’s guilt for loving Shane. Russia IS Ilya which means anything happening in Russia is really in Ilya’s head. Ilya grapples with intense feelings of self-hate, confusion and guilt about his attractions towards men but works on mending those feelings to embrace himself fully represented by Grigori’s death. The impetus for allowing his internal homophobia to die is due to his love for Shane. Lastly, he realizes he can’t hold both of those ideas, loving Shane and maintaining his internalized homophobia, at the same time for the sake of doing what is best for Shane (and himself).

I am forever astounded at how much filmmakers can shove into the subtext of their pieces if you know where to look. We now know so much more about Ilya’s struggle that never see the light of day in the series to the casual onlooker. Digging into the subtext reveals to us a much richer and more complex character than at first glance. Additionally, I’ve never seen any other creators providing this sort of analysis among the many content creators who pick apart this series with a fine-toothed comb.

If you have, please share!

While I feel confident in my theories thus far, I welcome discourse about them. I’m forever worried that I’ve missed something or didn’t make a connection that will blow my theories to bits.

If you’ve reHeated several times you may be wondering why I skipped over mentioning some of the scenes discussing Grigori or his dementia. Because, there are other scenes that I’ve not included here, most notably Ilya’s monologue in the tunnel. It’s because of that conundrum I discussed in the beginning about how some of these characters’ purposes interlock. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to solidly discuss one concept without the other. But, that adding too much into one article would confuse and consume even me who is trying to explain these ideas. Those few remaining mentions of Ilya’s father will come up later or are easy enough for you to possibly discern on your own.

So, coming up next is Alexei Rozanov where I will hit those pieces of dialogue I skimmed over. And, which should hopefully help fill in some holes that were left in Grigori’s wake in this article.

Thankfully, this time I don’t have the Paradox of Choice. This article is a nice segue into Alexei who I wanted to write about first. I think he will further prove my theory that Grigori is the allegorical representation of Ilya’s internalized homophobia.

My short term goal after that is Svetlana. I cannot wait to write about her.

In the meantime, take nosedive into the lake at the Cottage to cleanse your pallette. This one was a doozy.

A peak into Ilya's past

Picture from: Wiki fandom

When I started writing this article, it had a dry start. I just ran right into the plot. And, I felt like I needed to get going with something a little more fun or relatable at least.

This shot above is from one of my favorite movies as a child, Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” (1989). I even learned how to roughly play some of the songs on the piano. I loved it so.

Wanting to spread my love for the movie to my own children, I watched it with them years ago. It honestly doesn’t age well now that I’m an adult. Ariel seems whiny and impetuous whereas when I was younger I could feel her need to be understood and to find her place in this world (even if it was a world she didn’t belong to). Filled with horrible tropes, my kids never really loved the movie despite my futile attempts. Maybe they knew more than I did as a kid or maybe they just have better movies to watch now (perhaps like Pixar’s Turning Red, 2022).

Little did I know at the time that this movie would help me now talk to you about how mirrors in film, specifically characters in front of mirrors in film, can help us learn more about the main characters we mostly show up for.

If you’re not familiar with the plot of Disney’s version of this story (because they took huge liberties with the story originally published by Hans Christne Anderson) you’re looking at a beautiful, young woman with a shell necklace who views herself in a mirror. But, instead of seeing a perfect reverse version of herself in the mirror, she sees the evil octopus witch. We are to know they are the same person based on how their bodies are positioned holding the mirror, their unrealistically high eyebrows and their very red, matching lipstick. And, the fact that she isn’t having a stroke about the disparity in her reflection and her body. The evil octopus witch, Ursula, disguised as a beautiful young woman plans to foil Ariel’s plans to make a prince fall in love with her instead. The ultimate goal is to lure Ariel’s father onto the scene. He happens to be the ruler of all of the ocean.

We can spend whole articles on the many now taboo topics presented in this film that we gladly gobbled up in the 80s and 90s. But, that is an article I’m not going to write. Someone smarter than me probably has already done that.

The main point I’m trying to make is, even as a child, I understood what that scene meant. I knew that Ursula was now thin, white, and beautiful in this new form. She would be physically enticing to the prince and socially acceptable to the prince’s subjects as a potential future queen. Because Ursula needed to take this alternate form to achieve this level of access and acceptance in the prince’s life. And, everyone knew the octopus witch Ursula was evil. She had to hide in plain sight in order to foil Ariel’s plan. One character existed in two different forms.

Cartoon movies can do more with less though. We only see two people in the “The Little Mermaid” shot - the person standing at the mirror and her reflection that reveals her true self. In most movies with real people, filmmakers have to use at least three bodies to convey this message depending on how the scene is shot. They need two actors and at least one reflection of one of those actors. Or, we need a mirror in which we may see two reflections but in the real world the camera only keeps one of the actors in the frame. Of course, two bodies and two reflections works too.

But, if filmmakers used the cartoon method we would be taken out of the scene. We know one person’s reflection in a mirror will look like a reverse image of them, not a completely different character or characterization of a character. In order to keep us invested in the telling of the story, filmmakers can’t stray too far from reality in a series based in reality. We know cartoons aren’t reality and the filmmakers know we know that cartoons aren’t reality. So, they can get away with that in-your-face mismatch in a cartoon like The Little Mermaid but not in a series like Heated Rivalry.

If filmmakers could use the cartoon method we would be much more aware of the subtext in any given film. But, they can’t so most people don’t even catch on. I didn’t for most of my life. Of course the evil witch concocted a potion that would turn her into this new form so there really aren’t two witches running around in Ariel’s world. But, again that’s not realistic for films with real people and it doesn’t work with most stories in most films. Ursula dabbles in potions (somehow mixing liquids in the depths of the ocean). So, a potion to change her appearance isn’t out of the question even if the audience didn’t see the potion creation or the change in appearance occur on screen. And, that is how we get one woman on our side of the mirror and one octopus witch on the other side of the mirror.

Octopus witch aside, you might be thinking ‘more mirrors’? Yes. More mirrors.

We’re going to use this idea that a character reflected in a mirror represents a more important character in the story. The actions and dialogue of the minor character reflect back onto the main character. Do you see how the octopus witch and the human witch are in that mirror together? The mirror shows us the true self with the alternate self in the same film shot. We are going to explore that type of mirror use here today and in another article later.

Now, I’ve written two other articles about mirrors. In one article, we discussed how physical mirrors in Heated Rivalry are used to hide things in the person in front of said mirror. While writing that article, I had actually forgotten about one of the most obvious mirror scenes in Heated Rivalry, the scene in which Svetlana brings Ilya to the incredibly ostentatious looking bathroom to see Sasha. There are two huge mirrors on either side of the bathroom which take up most of the whole wall to the left and right of the screen or when one of the characters is positioned in front of it. In between lies a bathtub where Sasha spends a good deal of time during their conversation. It was probably good to have forgotten about that scene because while Ilya does hide his sexuality in Russia, the theme of those mirrors in that scene have, for the most part, nothing to do with hiding.

(Small side quest here: that massive bathtub in what appears to be a public venue is strange - akin to having a bathtub in a theater or banquet hall bathroom. Someone who knows about that building and why there is such a large bathtub in the center, comment below about it. I’ve been to theaters in London and other major cities. You can almost not even close the stall door unless you’re standing on the toilet. And, I’m a tiny woman. There is no room for a huge bathtub like that.)

We did talk about why Sasha is in that empty bathtub though. If you haven’t read about it yet, read here. Though knowing about the meaning behind the empty bathtub is not paramount to understanding this article. But, it does support what I’m proposing below.

I also wrote this article about Mirror Characters and how they can disclose more about the main characters if you know where to look. This Mirror Character article is important to read before diving into this one here before you. We’ll jet through some concepts about Mirror Characters that might not make much sense if you don’t read the linked article above first.

In film, using Mirror Characters is fairly ubiquitous. Additionally, Jacob Tierney’s use of hiding in mirrors is either novel to this series or rarely used. I’m not saying he’s a genius here in this regard. Filmmakers use visual tools all of the time to show the audience a theme or concept unable to be described in dialogue. But, when we see a character in front of a mirror onscreen, we’re supposed to understand that there is something else going on here beneath the text or what we see and hear in the scene. And, this scene in the Russian bathroom very much falls into this third category of mirror use in Heated Rivalry: Using mirrors and characters in mirrors to tease out an underlying message.

If I thought hard about this, the instances in which we just see Shane and Ilya in front of a mirror, either individually or together, the message portrayed is more about what they are hiding from the world or each other rather than some deeper layer of meaning. Though, that’s pretty deep.

When we see either Ilya or Shane in front of a mirror with a supporting character, this mechanism of using a mirror shows us a story layer deeper in the subtext. This new information in the subtext will tell us more about a main character’s present, past or future. Or, it can cue us into the inner workings of a more important character who may or may not currently be on the screen. Also,whatever that character says or does in front of that mirror can represent a completely different character in the story. This concept is definitely what we’re seeing in that Russian bathroom scene.

Less often used is when we see one person in front of a mirror who is also reflected in that mirror with no other characters in the shot. They are just looking at themselves even though we are to understand an underlying message exists here. And, sometimes the use of a mirror in a shot can just tell us to look deeper into the story to find out even more even if the actors aren’t interacting with it like Ursula or Sasha do.

Now that we know there are three functions for using the word ‘mirror’ when discussing the subtext in this particular series, I realize that it is confusing. You’re probably wondering if this is all worth it - knowing the differences behind all of these mirror functions. I promise it is. But, you have to determine in each scene the reason for the mirror in Heated Rivalry by looking at all of the elements in the shots. Because, a mirror can mean hiding from something or exposinganother story. And, I have to be very clear in my writing about which type of mirror function is up for discussion as to not create further confusion.

Like I said before, I think when Ilya or Shane are in front of a mirror with another (more minor) character, there is a meaning under the text we need to look for. That extra character tells us something about Ilya or Shane (maybe just Ilya for now) that we might not know from the dialogue.

You can partly blame Tierney for this confusion. Usually there are only two uses for literal and metaphorical mirroring in film. He had to go and add that third use of hiding some inner thought of the main characters to the mix. Or, you can blame me for my poor communication techniques. If you haven’t heard yet, I am Definitely Still An Amateur in this business of writing.

So, it might be best to dive into this concept of using a physical mirror with another character to express more than just the surface text to see it in action. For now, we can mostly set aside the idea of using mirrors to hide something from us like Ilya’s love for Shane, Scott hiding his sexuality from the world, or Shane not hiding that he is indeed something worthy of love when he first puts on and then takes off his suit before their first hookup.

We’re interested in the intersection between how a character can be a Mirror Character for a main protagonist and how a physical mirror in the scene work together to indicate a deeper meaning.

Since Svetlana pulls us into this bathroom along with Ilya, you might think I’m going to finally reveal what she means to this series but I’m going to hold off on her for now. I WILL say Tierney is a genius for this move even though other filmmakers use this function in their films too. She gets her own article, she’s that special.

Let’s dive into Sasha instead. If you’ve read most of my articles, you know that I think it’s important to look at patterns in film to find subtext. Rose Landry is a Mirror Character for Ilya based on her name, style of clothing, status in life, ways she interacts with Shane and more. (Seriously, go read that article if that went right over your head.) We have to use those same skills when looking at different characters in the story to see if we can find other Mirror Characters. If Rose is a Mirror Character for Ilya in Shane’s world, could there be a character in Ilya’s world that is also a Mirror Character?

Also, remember what I said about physical mirrors with Ilya or Shane and another character? I present to you this opening shot of Sasha. Sasha keeps his profile to the camera and looks into the mirror at Ilya instead of turning around to look at Ilya to his face when Ilya enters the bathroom. Notice that Svetlana does not appear in the mirror at this time even though we know she is in the bathroom with them.

Like the frozen water on the icy slopes of the mountain in Sochi Olympics, a shot forced on us after Shane and Ilya’s cozy kiss in the stairwell, those frozen feelings were alarm bells set off by Tierney for the audience’s benefit. The filmmakers wanted to prepare us for what would unfold in Russia.

This shot of Sasha staring at Ilya through the mirror is another one of those alarms. Sasha is literally looking into the mirror at Ilya with Ilya also shown in the mirror. This shot here tells us to pay attention. We are being told that Sasha mirrors Ilya. Did I get that on the first watch? No. But, that’s okay. There is no statute of limitation on discovering and understanding film techniques used in the art of subtext.

Just a note here, the character doesn’t have to stand in front of the mirror the whole time for us to know we should pay attention to this character’s words and actions. But, the filmmakers WILL leave little clues that the mirroring scene is over. For this final scene with Sasha, we see a wide shot below of Ilya’s back to the mirror and Sasha standing, untethered, in this huge space. This shot book-ends the beginning frame where we see the mirror on the stage right of the frame. The view of the mirror one last time tells us this mirroring scene ends. The whole scene ends here actually.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Yes, Ilya has another Mirror Character, Sasha, and it’s in his own life this time.

But, like any good analysis of film, we should probably check some other clues and characteristics of Sasha just to be sure we figured him out correctly. Otherwise, trying to parse out subtext from an incorrect assumption can lead to frustrating dead ends. I’ve been there before. My friends were subject to a 3 am musing about Sasha that was dead wrong. It all made sense to my addled sleep-deprived brain at the time. A closer inspection of my theory in the morning provided me with a much less clear vision of my hypothesis. But, I finally got back on track when I kept looking further.

The loudest piece of evidence possible, beyond this opening shot, that the costume designer, Hanna Puley, could throw in our face is Sasha’s rose printed shirt. Those roses are as big as Kaden Connor’s, who plays Sasha, head. It’s almost laughable how loudly they want us to understand that Sasha is a mirror for Ilya Rosanov just by that shirt alone. Think neon sign loud. Bright? I’m mixing senses and sense descriptions. Something can be visually loud, right?

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

The only time Sasha appears on screen is in “Olympians” episode 2 - the bathroom scene discussed before. So, he has only one costume to showcase for us. Bold choice Puley.

Besides the roses on his shirt, what else about his costume points us in the direction of Ilya? We’ve seen that deep V neck on Ilya, yes?

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Also, what are the chances they both wear a gold necklace? Everything on screen is a choice (conscious or not), especially costumes! Sasha and Ilya both give off Slavic-man vibes through their clothes.

Can we think a little about why Sasha would be wearing that outfit in this context? Every other man at that gala is dressed in a suit and tie or formal military regalia. Sasha’s somewhat dressed down appearance excludes a jacket and tie. This is another clue that the costume designer used to indicate to us that Sasha mirrors Ilya. Sasha would otherwise wear a suit and tie. That costume choice benefits our spidey subtext detectors. If Sasha wore a jacket and tie as well, he would look like any man in the event. The filmmakers had one scene and one costume to convey to us Sasha’s role.

Besides his appearance, the dialogue and other contextual evidence provide us with some clues that help us connect Sasha to Ilya.

Sasha is Russian. While this is not completely unusual as Ilya knows Sasha from Russia, it is one more piece of evidence to support our theory. Both Ilya and Sasha were born and raised there. They have that shared characteristic.

Sasha mentions how he thinks Parisian women “are hot” and implies heavily that he thinks the same of Parisian men “Well, you’ve seen French boys, right, Ilya?” From this dialogue, we can assume Sasha is bisexual much like Ilya.

Sasha lives in a different country from his mother country Russia. He lives in Paris, France specifically, and “I fucking love it there.” Ilya lives in the US. We’re not sure if Ilya “fucking loves it there”. We do know that he “fucking hates it” in Russia per his monologue in “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5. He’s also mentioned he wants to get a Canadian or US passport later in the series. If anything the US will suffice for now. But, they both have in common that they prefer living outside of Russia.

What about the name Sasha? Though not as on the nose as Rose Landry, a quick etymology check states that Sasha is a diminutive for Alexander or Alexandra.

What is a diminutive you say? In English, it’s often a noun given extra bits on the end, or beginning, to imply smallness. Ex. Doggie or piglet. It can also be used as a way to make a name more cute. Ex. Mommy instead of Mom or Mother. In Russian and other Slavic countries, most people are given diminutive names by their loved ones like Sasha for Alexander.

When you think of world history, which is the first Alexander that comes to mind? Alexander the Great. Yeah.

Here’s where we can go a little hogwild with these puzzle pieces in the subtext journey. Did Rachel Reid know Sasha was a diminutive for Alexander? If so, was that name intentional based on Alexander the Great? Since Sasha was mentioned for all of 3 seconds in the book, Heated Rivalry, did Tierney intentionally expand on the character with that name to imply something about Ilya? Maybe Reid didn’t have a specific goal for that name but Tierney seized upon the coincidence that Sasha is a diminutive for Alexander.

Because Alexander the Great was, by today’s standards, bisexual. And, he was a conqueror. Without going into too much history (cause yah girl here doesn’t know it anyway) he didn’t get the title ‘Great’ for being a run-of-the-mill leader. He literally conquered much of Asia Minor and the area we call Egypt today in about 10 years and had his sights set on the whole of the super continent of Eurasia east of Greece before he died at 33. His empire was the largest of its kind at the time around 330 BC.

Ilya quite literally is one of the greatest hockey players in the league. He actively competes with other players to score as many goals as possible. He can outsmart and outwit any player physically and mentally. Hockey players aren’t known for their high IQ off the ice but he displays incredible depths of perception and empathy towards his teammates and Shane. He literally one the World Cup on season conquering all of the other teams. And, if you ask Hollander, he would probably say that Ilya conquered him in more ways than one.

Is making the leap from Sasha to Alexander to Ilya a big gamble and highly speculative on my part? Heck yeah, it is. So, you decide if Ried and Tierney also made that leap or if the names have no connections at all to our beloved characters. Maybe you think Ried just picked a name and Tierney liked the connection which made it easier to develop Sasha into what we see on screen. That’s fine too.

Either way, Alexander or not, we probably have enough evidence that indicates Sasha is a Mirror Character for Ilya. But, can we find any other similarities? Other characteristics might include common goals or challenges they face. Also, status in life.

There isn’t enough information about Sasha to surmise anything about his goals in his personal or professional life. But, Sasha and Ilya both seem to enjoy a life of opulence and privilege. Neither seems exceptionally impressed by that massive bathroom. And, at least Sasha once thought Ilya didn’t have much regard for being careful having sex with another man in public. Possibly, they once were shielded by money and status when they committed minor crimes in Russia as teenagers. Possibly, they once were able to get out of trouble because of the status of their parents which is why Sasha has no issues cozying up to Ilya when anyone could walk in. It’s a huge gamble on his part because Russia’s homophobic attitudes and laws had worsened for the LGBT+ community at this moment in time in which the gala was set. So, at least in this regard they seem to have similar backgrounds even if Ilya no longer feels comfortable being careless anymore.

Can we squeeze any other common characteristics out about these characters from just the few short minutes Sasha graces the screen? I can’t. If you can come up with anything else, please feel free to put it in the comments.

Here we stand now sure that Sasha is a Mirror Character for Ilya but is he a general mirror or a specific one? As in, does he represent the whole of Ilya, something like Rose Landry? Or, a small portion of Ilya’s life which would give us specific details about a time in Ilya’s life or something specific about his character?

As we go through the dialogue to try to see what Sasha can tell us about Ilya, I’d like you to think about what in that scene allows us to be sure that Ilya, played by Connor Storrie, is the real Ilya.

Because, we’re seeing a reflection of Ilya in Sasha. What would stop a filmmaker from switching those characters completely? A double mirror situation isn’t out of the question especially in front of those double mirrors. There could have been a signal in the scene that indicates Sasha, for the time being, takes on the main role of Ilya. Whatever Sasha says or does represents Ilya right now. Ilya, played by Storrie, would represent Sasha instead. And, Ilya would be Sasha’s mirror. Whatever Ilya says and does represents Sasha until a signal by the filmmaker indicates their roles have switched back to Ilya being Ilya and Sasha being Sasha.

Sounds crazy. But, I’ve seen it happen and very possibly in this show. And, with all of those mirrors in this shot it could very well mean that there is some double mirroring. Unfortunately, Sasha isn’t a significant enough character for us to need to know more about him so this double mirroring scenario is unlikely. Writing one Mirror Character is hard enough. Having those Mirror Characters talk to each other meaningfully to match the character who speaks the line but somehow also revealing information about the other character they’re mirroring raises the film writing challenge exponentially. Tierney left us a clue about the real Ilya in that shot so that we don’t have to stretch our subtext brains that far.

So, go back and watch the scene and try to figure out how we know Ilya is Ilya and Sasha is Ilya’s Mirror Character.

The first time we hear about Sasha in the show, Ilya admits to Shane that he has indeed been with at least one other man (young man? boy?) when he was younger. The person had been his coach’s son, Sasha. Considering how young Ilya (19 or 20?) is during his first hookup with Shane in episode 1, it’s fair to say Ilya and Sasha were minor teenagers at the time, as in less than 18 years old probably. That estimated age is important; Keep it in mind for later.

The next time we get mention of Sasha is after Svetlana rescues Ilya from their fathers. She lies about taking him to get a drink just to get him away from this bad situation. She seems to know Ilya does not do well with his father and the shot shows us how much he dissociates from the conversation between the Minister, who is Svetlana’s father, and Grigori, who is Ilya’s father. When they walk away from their fathers we hear talk of Svetlana always leading Ilya around even when they were young. So, we are left with the fact that Svetlana and Ilya have been friends for years, maybe even when they were small children. We are primed here to think of the past; a young Svetlana and a young Ilya.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Our first two introductions to Sasha include some mention of youth: when Ilya had sex with Sasha as a younger teenager and when Ilya and Svetlana are mentioned as being childhood friends.

When Ilya walks into the bathroom room it’s clear Ilya does not approve of this encounter. He’s short with Sasha even if Sasha seems very comfortable seeing Ilya again just by the delivery of their lines. “Long time Ilya” “Long time Sasha.” Why would Ilya be annoyed about seeing this old friend? We know that they have had sex before. Has Sasha done anything that would account for Ilya’s cold reception? Does Ilya know what to expect? That Sasha will proposition him or try to coerce Ilya into something he doesn’t agree with? While it’s not out of the range of possibility that Ilya would proposition Shane or women he’s interested in, it is not in Ilya’s nature to coerce someone. But, those are surface level issues. And, maybe this train of thought is a dead end.

Since Sasha is a Mirror Character of Ilya, what part of Ilya does he not want to see or engage with more than he has to? And, why would Svetlana not really understand this is something Ilya does not think “will be more fun” than getting a drink? This seems out of character for her as she’s usually incredibly in tune with Ilya’s moods.

Then we cut to Sasha in the very empty bathtub while Svetlana pours him a drink. We are reminded that Ilya and his team just lost a game that will knock them out of the Olympics competition. Ilya has taken off his jacket so some time has passed between the introduction to Sasha snorting a line of cocaine and Ilya sitting on the vanity with Sasha in the tub.

Let’s keep looking for how Sasha mirrors Ilya.

Sasha claims he doesn’t think Ilya played that bad and Ilya knows from past experience that Sasha did not watch any of that Olympic game. Svetlana also quips that Sasha’s father has been a hockey coach his whole life and Sasha somehow avoided learning anything about hockey at every turn. But, Sasha counters with “I pay attention sometimes. When there is something worth paying attention to.” At this line, he cuts his eyes to Ilya. (Me too, Sasha. Me too.)

Here is yet another reference to their childhood. The third, in fact. Quick recap: Ilya mentions that he has had sex with his coach’s son when he was younger, Svetlana’s and Ilya’s fathers mention their childhood as Svetlana has an unknown-to-us plan to connect Ilya and Sasha and, now, we know that Sasha was exposed to hockey his whole young life. Whenever you see or hear some element or idea on film three or more times that’s a cue to us to pay attention.

I think Sasha is a mirror for Ilya’s childhood in Russia. At least the years that Ilya was something significant in hockey.

To circle back to the evil witch in the mirror from the top of the article, if we could use a cartoon-like representation for Sasha here, you’d see Sasha on our side of the mirror in the scene and young Ilya in the mirror perfectly reflecting the stances of each other. But, both with normal eyebrows and no red flashy lipstick. However, there would be no one else in the frame either standing in front of the mirror or in the reflection of the mirror. I mean I don’t care if they have crazy eyebrows or rock a red lip. It’s just not in their character profiles in the show thus far.

But, you can see how ridiculous that would seem to the audience. Having that sort of representation not based in normal, everyday experiences would remove us from the story. We’d ask ourselves if this was a different sort of film. So, three bodies were necessary in the opening shot of the bathroom scene to convey this specific message.

If you’ve read enough of my articles you know that now we’re going to go back through that dialogue one more time with that idea in mind, that Sasha represents Ilya’s childhood in Russia, and then look at their proceeding dialogue and actions to find out more about Ilya.

First off, Ilya’s cold reception to Sasha the first time we see Sasha. We know that Russia is awful for Ilya. I think we can also jump to the conclusion that much of his childhood wasn’t happy. His mother was very depressed, we know she died when Ilya was the age of 12 from an overdose (not an “accident”), and we know he found her body. Any child would have trauma just from that moment alone.

It’s possible Ilya’s father may have not taken her depression seriously which means their married life was probably less than harmonious. Ilya does not have the best relationship with Alexie just by the way Alexei uses Ilya for money in their phone conversation and Ilya’s frustrated responses. Nor does he have a good relationship with his father considering how he called Ilya ‘lazy’ to the man who hired him to play hockey and how hypercritical he is of Ilya in person. We also know how Ilya truly feels about his father and brother per his own admission during the All-Star Weekend game, in the monologue and some lines at the cottage but we don’t know this at the time of this point in the series.

But, we could guess that Grigori was some sort of abusive towards Ilya at a young age, whether that be emotional, physical or mental (possibly financial too), just by how he treats Ilya in the few shots Grigori graces the screen. He belittles Ilya in front of important people. We know Ilya is used to this behavior because of how he reacts. Ilya reassures the manager that he won’t be lazy and implores him with begging eyes “please believe me and not my father.” He knows it’s better to just placate and agree with his dad than push back on blatant lies. His reaction tells us that once (or twice) when Ilya did push back, Grigori was less than kind in return and Ilya suffered the consequences.

And, Alexei seems to think he can use Ilya as a bank whenever he needs money without ever giving anything in return. He learned that behavior somewhere and it probably didn’t begin with cash demands. Alexei probably learned how to bully Ilya from their dad. Either dad never saw the abuse from Alexie or co-signed on the behavior to make Ilya’s life even more miserable. The result is the same. Ilya was used by his brother probably from a very young age.

Besides Svetlana, we do not see any joy come from Russia. The cold reception to seeing Sasha makes sense. Ilya’s young life was pretty terrible. And, from the greeting “Long time Sasha” and just time passing, we can agree that Ilya’s childhood was many years ago. Additionally, it’s very likely that Ilya avoids actively thinking about his childhood.

This might be a good time to get that scene loaded up on your device of choice. We are going to go through almost every line in that scene with Sasha.

What is all this business about Sasha not paying attention to any of Ilya’s games? We know Ilya pays attention to hockey today and he probably studies teams before playing against them. So, that line doesn’t quite match with the current reality. This to me is young Ilya saying that he didn’t really pay attention to hockey that much except when it comes to what he was actually doing. “I pay attention sometimes. When there’s something worth paying attention to.” He’s the only one worth watching, he’s that good. No one else can really hold a candle to his talent.

While I think it’s cocky of young Ilya, it’s also true. He’s innately talented and doesn’t really have to worry about how everyone else performs as he is a cut above the rest. And, most teens who have such great talent have been told that over and over by coaches, team mates, parents of teammates, news organizations, and recruiters. That constant attention and admiration can easily go to someone’s head, especially one so young. Considering he probably didn’t get much praise from his father, it probably felt great to receive such positive outside validation.

Svetlana notes that Sasha’s father was a hockey coach. While there is no hint that Grigori was a coach, we can assume that he was greatly invested in Ilya’s hockey career from a young age from that line. I’ll add that how much Grigori comments on llya’s current performance in just the few short scenes he stars, I’d wager Grigori was very invested in Ilya’s hockey trajectory and his hockey accolades if only to benefit himself. Sasha’s flippant attitude is almost like Ilya was purposely avoiding studying and improving his hockey because his dad wanted him to pay attention. He was “lazy”.

Well, Grigori, Ilya did just fine on his own. Thank you very much.

The scene sort of steps away from Sasha for a bit. Svetlana lays out her prediction about Ilya’s chances of winning the cup, we don’t hear at all from Sasha or see him. No significant camera cuts to him lonely in that tub. He’s from the past and this conversation about winning the cup is about the future. What could he add to it? Yes, he did say that Svetlana is a psychic. But, that line is more about Svetlana than what we can learn about Ilya through Sasha.

The only time the shot cuts significantly to Sasha is when Svetlana mentions Hollander. Ilya actually looks at Sasha who happens to be taking another hit of cocaine. I likened cocaine to snow in the “Feeling Wet?” article.

Snow is cold and freezing water shows us Ilya’s indifferent feelings with Shane. That’s what’s happening right now in the larger story. Ilya has frozen out Shane.

But, Sasha is also Ilya’s younger self. So, does Ilya look at Sasha at that moment because young Ilya had a crush on Shane? If you think about their first meeting with the cigarette lighter and the subtext of Rose as another of Ilya’s Mirror Characters introducing herself without needing Shane to tell her who he is, yes, young Ilya very much had at least a hockey crush on Shane as a teenager. Ilya had been paying attention to Shane for a few years leading up to that meet cute. Also, Ilya seemed very indifferent to Shane in their first meeting, cold almost. So, Sasha snorting coke at the moment Hollander is mentioned tracks presently and in their first meeting in Ilya’s youth.

What happens next? Sasha offers Svetlana the cocaine (snow) but she doesn’t want it. Like I said, I have thoughts on Svetlana. This line will make more sense in that article so I will address it then. As Svetlana leaves, she encourages the boys to catch up. They are friends at least in the text as far as Svetlana knows. But, now that we know that Sasha represents Ilya’s childhood, that phrase means something else entirely. Svetlana possibly wants Ilya to deal with some of his past issues. Maybe Svetlana thinks that if Ilya connects with his past, he can sort out some of his issues to be happier today.

So, let’s look specifically at Kaden Connor’s portrayal of Sasha who represents Ilya’s childhood: Sasha is a mess. He seems like a slimy and lazy trust-fund baby who fills his life with meaningless sex and drugs, maybe even excessive drinking. We don’t see or hear of Sasha drinking but it comes with the territory. He has no qualms about groping another person without their permission or pushing at the boundaries of personal safety (having gay sex in a public bathroom accessible to some of the most influential members of Russian high society). He makes fun of Ilya complaining that “You used to be fun. Remember?” (This whole line harkens back to Ilya’s youth.) Sasha seems almost disappointed at how boring Ilya has become. If Sasha is Ilya in his youth, Ilya has matured. Ilya might drink alcohol but he doesn’t do drugs anymore (assuming he did if Sasha currently does), he’s more careful with his male sexual relationships, and doesn’t make choices that could sacrifice his career or endanger his freedom. (Thanks for that last fear Russia.) Overall Sasha gives me the ick. Not at all the same person we see in today’s Ilya.

Let’s keep diving into the dialogue. Sasha tries to engage with Ilya by offering Ilya a line “How is Paris, Sasha?” This whole time Sasha is in that massive bathtub with no water. As Sasha, the ex-lover, Ilya is not at all emotionally interested in Sasha at all. As Sasha, Ilya’s childhood, Ilya is not interested in thinking about his past. He doesn’t respond to Sasha. Maybe Sasha will just go away if Ilya doesn’t talk to him now that Svetlana has left.

Sasha continues to try to engage Ilya. He asks Ilya if he’s seen the French boys. Shane being French Quebec of course Ilya thinks French (Quebec) men are sexy. Well, at least one of them. So, past Ilya pesters current Ilya that he knows Ilya has feelings for Shane and has for some time.

As Sasha complains that Ilya isn’t like he used to be (the past again as a clue to who Sasha really is), Sasha walks into Ilya’s personal space, coming on to him. Now, this is not a moment where we can take literally what we are talking about figuratively. The character Sasha tries to entice Ilya into sex. But, I am not saying the childhood Ilya is trying to have sex with the current Ilya. The past Ilya is trying to elicit a reaction from present Ilya; Trying to engage current Ilya into thinking about past Ilya, dragging up bad memories, negative feelings, stuffed down emotions about family, his sexuality in Russia and his relationship with hockey. This all makes sense because he is currently in Russia, having lost to Latvia which took him out of the Olympic running. He has disappointed his dad and can’t connect with the one person who can make him feel better. Ilya’s cold encounter with Sasha is his internal self grappling with everything he feels insecure about and that makes him throw up walls as tall as the ceilings are in that bathroom.

When it’s clear to Ilya that Sasha as the character on screen wants to engage in sex in that bathroom he asks “Here? Serious?” He is asking Sasha, the character, if he’s serious about having sex in a public place with high ranking officials nearby. But, what’s really happening is Ilya is asking himself if he’s seriously considering bringing up all of this stuff up in his head in this place he doesn’t feel safe or comfortable showing these emotions. Because this bathroom is really the inside of Ilya’s head. (Thank you Fiona for reminding me of that.) He’s talking to himself in this space. He is telling Sasha, having sex in a public place could ruin everything for him. This is Ilya asking himself “Here? Serious?” Having an emotional breakdown over childhood memories could be dangerous. The fall-out from this journey down memory lane could set Ilya back emotionally even farther and potentially harm his ability to play.

If found by his father in an emotional state, he could look like what happened when his mother couldn’t process her emotions well. First, he doesn’t want to be depressed. No one does. And, he’s seen the fallout from an untreated depressed mother as revealed in “The Cottage” episode 6. That outcome would scare anyone. Second, if Grigori finds him, he can likely predict how Grigori will react. Ilya doesn’t want or need that either. He needs help.

Sasha says “Danger used to get you going, if memory serves.” (Yet, another reference to Ilya’s youth.) Ilya, in return, “We’re not kids anymore Sasha.” (Youth again.) To Sasha, Ilya explains that he can’t be sexually careless with a man. He has responsibilities that would be ruined if he was caught having sex with a man in Russia. We don’t even know what Russia would do to Ilya if he was caught. Ilya might never see Shane again. And, if he is cut off from his career, he can’t financially support his ailing and financially destitute father or his brother and his family. There is too much to lose to be this careless.

“We’re not kids anymore Sasha” to young Ilya sounds like Ilya wants to move past this trauma. Thinking about these bad memories frustrates Ilya and he’s over them. They’ve plagued him for years and maybe when he was younger he let them run roughshod over his mental health. It sounds a bit self-loathing too. As in “Why can’t I just get over these thoughts and feelings and grow up? It’s childish to keep thinking about my past traumas.” If Ilya can’t keep these thoughts at bay, he might have a breakdown and not be able to play hockey anymore. The thoughts might become all too consuming. If you’ve read “The Long Game”, that all tracks.

To younger Ilya, the current Ilya needs to protect himself from the things in the past and present that harm him. “We’re sure not” said by Sasha at the same time Sasha grabs Ilya’s groin. Real Sasha is trying to see if Ilya is at all aroused by Sasha’s advances. Crudely, I could think literally here that young Ilya is checking to see how well-endowed adult Ilya became. Because, Sasha does feel with his hand that Ilya does not have prepubescent or pubescent body parts anymore. But, more I think this current Ilya’s lack of arousal is Ilya holding his ground. He’s holding at bay these encroaching ideas about his traumatic past. He’s trying to keep his emotions in check by not becoming aroused. You can use the word ‘aroused’ here both sexually with Sasha and in context to Ilya’s emotions.

When Ilya tells Sasha ‘no’ to sex here or elsewhere, he explicitly means he really is not interested in letting these thoughts run wild here or elsewhere in Russia. He has to bottle up his emotions all of the time in Russia. This is just one more time. He doesn’t just bottle up his emotions in Russia though. He notoriously does not let anyone in to his emotional state at all. It took years to let in Shane at the All-Star Weekend game.

A question that remains is Sasha literally representing how young Ilya used to solicit sex? Sasha seems almost predatory. Did past Ilya conduct himself poorly when first figuring out sex as a teenager? We see Ilya quite aggressively pursue Shane sexually but he always asks for consent. Maybe this difference in their approaches gives us a peek into Ilya’s growth. He now understands how to respect boundaries. Thankfully Ilya matured because Sasha gives me the creeps and Shane deserves better than that. Or, maybe the sexual aggression only represents how insidiously the thoughts of Russia and his past trauma unwillingly creep in.

And, I just realized how badly that looks for Svetlana once you know her function in the text. It sort of breaks my heart a little.

When Sasha says he wants to go to a party, suggesting Ilya could go as well, this sounds like how a young Ilya would have dealt with his trauma. Drown out the pain with chaos. Current Ilya does not go and is not interested in this other party, probably filled with more alcohol, lots of drugs and the eventual promise of sex. Instead Ilya checks in on his text from Shane to ground himself and remember what he has to look forward to when this Russia visit ends. This means also when Ilya suffers through his past grief, Shane will always be there waiting to help him through whatever Ilya faces even if Ilya can’t reach Shane now.

Though, I don’t think Ilya believes that to be true right now. If he did, I bet he would risk a text to Shane while in Russia. We do see Ilya reach out to Shane in Russia later after Grigori dies. But, at that moment there is not a hateful father lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on any of Ilya’s mistakes and Shane and Ilya have moved into a new phase in their relationship by this time.

The way they close out their conversation is quite sad. Ilya doesn’t say “Bye” to Sasha but rather “Nice to see you, Sasha.” He says it straight faced and in a sarcastic manner like “It wasn’t great to feel these emotions again and it’s time for them to go now. But, this isn’t ‘goodbye’ because memories and the past traumas never really go away.” He knows he will see Sasha again some day as a friend or old acquaintance just like he knows those memories will come back again to ruin another day.

So, this whole scene shows us that Ilya experiences these terrible feelings about Russia and his childhood, possibly on a consistent basis. They aren’t just fleeting thoughts either. They are very persistent and evocative thoughts that take a considerable amount of determination not to engage with.

Because, Svetlana brings Sasha up again in the car a few episodes later. Ilya stares daggers at Svetlana for bringing him up when it doesn’t seem like a welcome time to bring up childhood memories. Ilya doesn’t verbally acknowledge or engage with Svetlana about Sasha which makes me think in this instance Ilya is able to keep those thoughts from creeping in too aggressively…this time. He is very likely reviewing old texts from ‘Jane’ on his phone which would help ground him.

I’m not saying Ilya should permanently banish these thoughts. Ignoring trauma never did anyone any good. Clearly ignoring them hasn’t done him much good to this point either. Svetlana does bring Ilya to Sasha in this scene so she must think he needs to address these underlying issues too.

Would I like to never see Sasha ever again in Heated Rivalry again? Yes. Do I think that is realistic for Ilya’s character arch? No. Will we see Sasha again in Season 2? Maybe, but I have my doubts. Considering Sasha, the character, lives in Paris it doesn’t make sense to bring him to North America for the sake of Ilya’s misery. And, what reason does Ilya have to go to Paris? None that I know of. Could Tierney concoct a premise for Sasha to be in North America? Sure. Anything is possible. But, since Sasha is not mentioned in “The Long Game”, I think the representation of Ilya’s internal struggle will be transferred to another character.

But, I’m not in the business of making predictions. I’ve been burned before.

Did you figure out how we know Ilya is the true Ilya in this bathroom? That big blue vodka bottle he nurses throughout the scene. Yup. That’s the clue. Because vodka represents Ilya every time, the real Ilya.

On the surface level, does Ilya drink because he knows he can’t handle these thoughts completely sober? Or, do these thoughts swirl around in his head because he has been drinking? Both scenarios are plausible.

If Sasha represents parts of his childhood that include many bad memories, we see Ilya greet him (mostly) sober. If memory serves, the reason for the bathroom meetings is because Svetlana drags Ilya away from their fathers to take Ilya to the bar to get “another drink”. He had already had at least one alcoholic drink before this moment. And, there was at least one vodka drink at home with his father before the gala. Jury is out if that is a total of two drinks prior to the bathroom scene or one. Either way Ilya’s blood alcohol volume could definitely be the reason for the conversation or a reason to ‘medicate’ himself for having these thoughts.

Did you ever wonder when Ilya acquires the bottle? Because Svetlana intentionally does not take him to the bar to get a drink before she takes him to see Sasha. Then, it’s magically there. There is actually a cut in the scene prior to the bottle appearing or a short time jump. The scene starts with Sasha snorting cocaine then greeting Ilya still wearing his full suit. Which then cuts to Ilya sitting without his jacket on the vanity with said blue bottle in hand while Sasha lounges in the empty bathtub.

Ilya didn’t have to take his jacket off or sit on the vanity. But, he did. That scene could have been one long continuous shot. But, it wasn’t. He could have walked into the bathroom with the bottle. But, he didn’t. The filmmakers specifically show us a new shot with slightly different elements to show us time passed between those two shots.

Picture from: TellTaleTV

But what time? Considering all that we have already talked about as Sasha representing Ilya’s youth and Ilya’s bad childhood memories having a field day in his head, that jump in time seems related to these ideas. My subtext senses say this intentional choice is not related to the pacing of the scene.

I believe that the jump in time mirrors the development that happened between who Ilya used to be, Sasha, and who he is now with the vodka bottle, or the real Ilya. Otherwise, why would the editors cut that scene that way?

We will talk about other mirror scenes with minor characters again in a later article. But, knowing about the use of physical mirrors in this manner in film will help guide you to some subtext gold. We now have a whole back story of Ilya’s mental health related to his memories from Russia that are not obvious in the text. We know he hates Russia but Sasha helps us see how often these intrusive thoughts rear their ugly head and the degree to which Ilya struggles to keep them away. This will most likely become a bigger problem in the next two seasons and we’ll have to see how the screenwriters present it to us in the subtext and how it they bring it to the text as it is large part of the premise of “The Long Game”. We also can guess that Ilya matured incredibly quickly from someone who was not careful to someone who is overly careful now to protect his career, and, by extension, Shane’s.

Did anyone count how many times youth or the past was mentioned in this scene or leading up to it? I lost count but I know it’s at least five plus this subtle edited time jump which brings the number up to six references to the past. If someone cares to update the number below in the comments, feel free. I won’t judge you for your 27th watch. This was me with another series.

Before we part ways, I want to give a big shout out to Reddit u/Federal-Ad5944 for posting the whole Russian gala and bathroom screen with the English subtitles in r/heatedrivalry. This work wouldn’t have been possible without you.

Other housekeeping notes are that most of the pictures in my articles are taken from this site. I do my best to try to hyperlink the picture whenever I grab it from there or other sources. They have a fantastic site and the picture quality works well for my articles. Please stop by there to find lots of fun goodies.

If a picture comes from my own screen shot, I don’t link any source.

Now that you know that physical mirrors when used with characters can show us more about a main character, you should go watch Saltburn if you have the stomach for it. The one and only time I watched it, I couldn’t escape all of those mirrors. It was never a movie that I wanted to dive into the subtext for as that particular genre, being gore, is not my cup of tea. If anyone wants me to watch it again and try to figure out what those mirrors mean, I will for you and the sake of this blogdear reader. We can try to determine the meaning of the mirrors in the comments below together. But, YOU can just watch the film and report back your thoughts without my input. Right? RIGHT?!

Are there any other movies you can think of that use mirrors in this way? Or, maybe, you feel like a scene in a movie is significant because it has a mirror in it but you don’t know exactly why it’s important. Feel free to add scene, TV and movie mirror scenes below so we can watch your recommendations.

The case for metaphorical mirrors

In one of my first articles, I detailed how the characters in Heated Rivalry use mirrors to hide something. Often Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander hide their feelings from each other or Scott Hunter hides his sexuality from the world. But, those are literal mirrors you can see in the film. As discussed in “When characters serve more than one purpose” authors and screenwriters can use characters for multiple reasons. In that article I outlined how characters closest to Kip Grady represent his heart and mind. These characters showed us how Kip felt and thought about himself in the context of his secret romance with Scott Hunter. By knowing what they represent, they allow us to understand more from these characters that can’t be explained in dialogue or blocking.

We learn through Elena, who represents Kip’s mind, that Kip values himself equally with Scott and demands to be treated as such even if Scott thinks he is giving Kip everything. Because even though Kip agrees with keeping their relationship secret, Scott uses his position as a famous hockey player to shove Kip back into the closet, wrecking Kip’s self-worth and crushing his values. If you truly love someone, would you deny them their true selves of living out proudly as a gay man? No. Kip and the audience do understand Scott’s position but it doesn’t negate the fact he caused Kip harm asking Kip to minimize himself for Scott.

We learn from Kip’s dad, George, Kip’s heart, that when Kip ignores his heart, he fundamentally ignores his true self and he doesn’t show up fully to his community that loves him for who he is. Eventually, he realizes no man (or woman but that’s moot here) is worth losing yourself, your family or your friends over.

However, we also learn through Elena that Kip wants Scott to live his fullest life even if Scott has hurt Kip along the way. “He deserves sunshine. And, so do you.” And, we know that Kip is incredibly forgiving, especially of himself, when he apologies to his dad about his behavior. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Because by apologizing to his dad, and dad offering his unconditional love and understanding in return, we see Kip give himself grace when he agreed to the relationship that ultimately cost more than he was willing to pay.

Have I said before that we love Kip here? And, George and Elena (because they are really Kip too)? Oh, not in this article yet? I might have in that other article.

Heart and Mind Characters are not the only ways characters are used to help tell the story of a more prominent character. So, about those mirrors. We aren’t going to talk about literal mirrors. We are going to talk about Mirror Characters.

This might be the time when you close your laptop and say “I’m not interested in learning this as it will take away the joy of watching films or reading books.” And, I can absolutely say that once you understand more the degree to which filmmakers use characters, settings and metaphors to tell their story, your viewing experience completely changes. These individual elements that make for good storytelling become easier to find. For me at least, I can no longer work on projects when watching films I want to see: No more crochet, no more balancing budgets, and no more online shopping/scrolling. My eyes and mind are locked into that screen.

But, the joy does not go away. Rather, it changes. My ability to appreciate the art of storytelling has only increased tenfold after learning this information. I do still love a good story at its face value but finding out more than what is in the text, especially when it IS a good story, is like a puzzle that I want to finish that doesn’t have a still picture to reference. It’s a moving reference.

I love real puzzles though. I have to be careful starting one because I often won’t stop to the detriment of sleeping and other normal life habits like eating, cleaning, caring for my kids and remembering I have a spouse (oops). Though, she’s my supplier so it’s not entirely my fault. Right?!

But, I want you to think about the last time you saw a film and couldn’t stop thinking about it days later. Maybe you did a Reddit deep dive about anything related to the film or recommended it to your friend because you felt its meaning was deeper than just the story itself. THOSE films are the ones hiding subtext that your subconscious is trying to work out. You just might not have the tools, yet, to realize how to bring those subconscious thoughts into working thought. Because, how many of us reading this blog went to film school that taught filmmakers these tools? Probably nobody. And, if you did (go to film school and are reading this blog), color me flattered.

Film subtext puzzles consume me in the same way as real puzzles. Once I get into decoding the subtext, I can’t let it go. I need to find all of the pieces. It’s fun…for me. Maybe not you. So, this might be your moment to close the tab and move on with other things because once you see these Mirror Characters, closely related to Heart and Mind Characters, there is no going back.

I was talking to a friend today about interpreting subtext in film. She sent me a video of an English PhD student much more educated than I am in film making and literature discussing subtext in Heated Rivalry. She is making a whole series and is much more eloquent and studied than I am in this space.

My friend and I, who are neither formerly trained in this arena, chatted about the definition of subtext and interpreting film. I said that I didn’t agree with this particular person’s use of the word ‘subtext’ in her most recent video. And, honestly, I don’t agree with most content creators’ use of that word when describing film analysis (even beyond Heated Rivalry). When most creators use that term, they are describing their interpretation of something they see or hear on the screen, often details in isolation, and make some grand statement about it without thinking about it with the overarching themes of the film.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Jacob Tierney recently discussed how many people who love Heated Rivalry are finding details in the show that are ‘Happy Accidents’; details that he had not intended to be in the series but their presence delights the fans who’ve found meaning in it. The specific detail in questions is the piece above their heads in Ilya’s bed in “Rose” episode 4. Fans rave that Tierney, in a stroke of genius, selected this piece to foreshadow the scene in “The Cottage” episode 6 where Ilya and Shane drive off into the credits. Tierney has stated that this piece was in fact, not picked to foreshadow that scene. I’ve said this before that filmmakers lie. But, I think he’s telling the truth here. Double whiplash!

Here’s why I think he’s telling the truth.

My working use of the word ‘subtext’ is finding consistent patterns in film that convey a deeper meaning which could include, but is not limited to, looking at one scene to see how multiple elements work together to tell us something deeper about the story. Of course, more commonly for me, the study of subtext is to look at the overarching themes in the whole piece.

This picture on the wall in context with everything happening in this scene, does not give us any additional information about the subtext of Heated Rivalry. If they were discussing the future with that over their heads, then I might make the assumption that this thing over their heads does mean something. But, they aren’t. Ilya asks Shane to stay. Shane agrees. While this is important in their relationship development, it has nothing to do with that picture that fans attribute to foreshadowing their future.

Which brings me back to a detail the English PhD’s most recent video where she discusses the ‘subtext’ of the phone Shane holds when he’s watching Ilya Rosanov interviews in Episode 1 “Rookies”. This show covers years of their relationship unfolding and technology is one of the easiest ways to show us when something is happening if that universe happens to be based in our reality. She talks about the subtext of the phone helps us understand when this scene occurs. To me, that is not subtext. That is text in which a detail on set helps us orient ourselves in a time and place. That is just information to set a scene.

She also goes into some other details in that video about Shane’s character and his motivations while sitting with his parents in the first restaurant scene that I also don’t think are subtext. I think they are just text. But, maybe that is just my very narrow definition of this kind of interpretation. I won’t die on this hill. Who am I to tell someone how to interpret art? Literally, no one. Or, at least, I’m not significant in this space of film analysis to be able to have a say about someone else’s opinions.

What I’m most interested in and what I tend to look for are the intentional details used over and over again by a filmmaker that DO provide additional information beyond the text, or what we see on film, beyond text like a specific cell phone in a single scene. The information beyond what that text tells us is much more interesting and fun to work out.

Now, phones in Heated Rivalry do have a meaning which I hope to discuss in another piece and the dialogue in that restaurant scene about YouTube rabbit holes reveals many things about Shane and his parents that I also want to discuss in another piece. But, I vastly disagree with her take on what each of those scenes means based on overarching themes that I found in the whole series (with the help of some of my friends who I try to properly give credit to whenever I can).

But, that brings me to this last bit before we move on to mirrors. That, while I agree that once an artist releases something for the public to consume, it is up to us to interpret it as we see fit. Most artists agree with this sentiment as well.

I agree with this with one caveat, filmmakers don’t make great film without serious intention and forethought in how they tell that story. They include subtext to make their stories richer, more complex, and more informative. These intentions, this puzzle with pieces scattered throughout the film, is what I’m here for and what I want to write about.

Sorry about that sidequest. If you’re really interested in serious film subtext discussion using historical paintings, tons of old and new film references and specific filming techniques (and where I cut my baby-teeth on learning about this type of film interpretation), please head on over to this Substack.

Warning though, that means you have to watch (become obsessed with) a completely different show that Tierney quotes as being foundational in instructing and informing Williams and Storrie on how their characters should interact. The chemistry between the two main male love interests in this other series is electrifying. Another warning, this particular writer is long-winded.

Now that I’ve finished that bit, I now want to talk about those metaphorical mirrors, Mirror Characters.

These Mirror Characters often aren’t difficult to find if you know some tricks used in the film industry to tell us we’re looking at a Mirror Character. When looking for someone in film that might reflect information about main characters you can use these clues to find Mirror Characters: A similar name, style of clothing, story lines, goals, or characteristics (like injuries or character traits). They can have large or small roles and can be best friends, lovers, enemies, family members, or someone as minor as an unnamed extra.

One time it was pointed out to me that a character whose face wasn’t even shown was a Mirror Character just by the bow in her hair. The bow had the same pattern as the pattern in the shirt of one the main male protagonists. Her screen time was less than 10 seconds. But, her blocking in the scene reinforced one of the themes that the main protagonist struggles with.

Even if you didn’t consciously clock it, you might recognize the main characters in the movie, Lilo and Stich (2002), are Mirror Characters, as well as the dragon and Elodie in Damsel (2024), and more recently, Grace and Rocky in Project Hail Mary (2026). These Mirror Characters all have the same challenge to overcome but more commonly Mirror Characters hide in more supporting roles. Their challenges are often smaller in comparison to the main character or issues are portrayed as humorous and of negligible importance. Oftentimes the resolution of their challenge will help echo the later resolution of the main character’s problem giving those with spidey subtext skills a preview of what is to come for the main protagonist.

Which leads me to Rose; she serves more than one purpose just like Heart and Mind Characters serve multiple purposes. Rose, played by Sophie Nélisse, is a Mirror Character.

If we apply the rule about character names as a clue to their role in film (or books) we can immediately assume that Rose Landry is a Mirror Character for Ilya Rozanov. Did I spend 3 minutes one day rearranging their first and last names to see if the letters matched perfectly? Maybe. They don’t. But, the remaining letters can be arranged to spell out ‘I ador v’ or, a crude ‘I adore you’ message. That’s maybe taking this puzzle piece hunt a little too far, or not, depending on your mileage. Someone should ask Reid if that was her intention in the Heated Rivalry book. She would have created the name ‘Rose Landry’ after naming ‘Ilya Rosanov’ because he was a named character in Game Changers, the first book in the series.

But, having each letter be used in the Mirror’s name is not paramount to the use of that character. What’s important is that we can see characteristics of the main character in the Mirror Character and understand the Mirror Character reveals information about other more central characters.

Rose was easy to identify initially. Honestly, identifying her as a Mirror character was quite boring. There was no challenge. Where is the fun in that? Even though I knew immediately she was a mirror of Ilya, what we should learn from her about Ilya was harder to suss out. (Which made me question if she really was a Mirror Character because there didn’t seem to be anything specific to learn about Ilya through Rose at first.)

So, let’s look at some of those characteristics I outlined earlier to make sure that she is in fact his mirror: A similar name, style of clothing, story lines, goals, characteristics, or proximity to specific imagery related to that main character.

Name: Rose sounds like Rosanov. While a little on the nose, it still works as a clue to determine her role.

Style of Clothing: This is a little bit harder to discern between differently gendered characters because often men and women dress according to their gender roles based on the society within which it is written, you can still look at colors, patterns, styles or even conversations about clothing (All-Star Game weekend!). Rose seems to wear expensive, but not ostentatious clothing, because well, she’s incredibly rich. Considering we see her in about five, maybe six, outfits, it might be hard to judge her style with that little bit of screen time. Though Shane tells us she and her friends are always dressed nicely which was the impetus to elevate his style as well.

Picture from: Reddit r/findfashion

Do you remember the photo series where Ilya finds out Shane is dating Rose? She wears this royal blue coat that matches Connor Storrie’s, who plays Ilya, blue eyes and matches the same color of at least one of the blue vodka bottles. Remember what vodka represents? No? Read about it here.

She also wears a leopard print shirt when Shane first meets her. It’s similar in pattern as Ilya’s Jean Paul Gaultier leopard print shirt in the club scene in the same episode.

Pictures from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Ilya tends to wear higher end work-out and casual clothes than the other hockey players in this series. Ilya’s clothing style is very elevated Slavic while hers is very elevated movie star.

Status: Rose and Ilya represent similar roles in their professions, they are the elite of the elite in hockey and film making. All eyes are on them. She appears to love her job and the people she meets along the way but doesn’t take her roles seriously. She makes fun of the movies she is in which has a similar quality to Ilya’s perspective on his profession.

He is an amazing hockey player but isn’t super serious about it. He loves the sport and what it’s done for him. But, he approaches hockey differently than Shane. He’s less serious about it than Shane. Ilya’s talent seems to come naturally and aided by his hypervigilance and cunning. While Shane treats his craft like a science knowing as much as he can to make the best decisions on how to optimize his abilities. Ilya smokes and he drinks alcohol unlike Shane who doesn’t seem to know how to set down a shot glass when the shot is gone. He stays out late at the club while Shane stays in eating salmon and brown rice.

Characteristics: Rose accepts Shane for who he is even before she realized he is gay. She likes his idiosyncrasies and probably appreciates that he sees her for Rose and not some massive movie star. She thinks he’s funny and kind. She doesn’t want to ‘fix’ him when he does come out to her finally nor does she want to blame him for leading her on. Which, I don’t think he does but I think a woman might come to that conclusion in this particular dynamic. She understands his high-profile position in a sport that isn’t known for its openness to queer players.

Ilya accepts Shane for who he is and loves his ‘boring’ traits. He doesn’t try to label or define Shane nor does he want to change Shane in any way. He, too, understands Shane’s need to stay closeted because of the nature of hockey and their rivalry. Equally, he doesn’t blame Shane for leading him on through this years long thing they have. Again, I don’t think Shane is but Ilya could think that.

Storyline: They are both romantic interests of Shane. Of course, the text shows us that Rose is a rebound relationship for Shane after both Shane’s and Ilya’s walls come crumbling down following the Tuna Melt meal. But, we’ve seen Shane now for years come back to Ilya over and over again even when Ilya didn’t always treat Shane so kindly. How is Rose any different from one of those instances of togetherness if she is Ilya’s mirror? Stay tuned…..

An added bonus to storyline is …

Experiences: In “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5, Rose asks Shane who is still in a sling from his hockey accident, “How’s jerking off?” Shane says “Ma’am, I’m at my parent’s house..so.” Rose, “So, constant, endless?” He replies “Pretty much.” No other person do we see Shane speak this openly about sex than with Ilya. And, it’s not subtle at all. She gets right to the heart of what she expects he’s doing and Shane is a little shy about it. This dynamic we see between Ilya and Shane more often in the beginning of the series but it’s still there. Any other time sex is mentioned in front of Shane beyond Ilya or Rose, he freezes.

This experience of easiness with Rose mirrors how easy Shane finds it is to be with Ilya when they are together.

Imagery: Roses. They’re sprinkled throughout this series. Articles down the road will reveal more about why imagery of roses were used by the filmmakers. But, for the sake of this particular ‘rose’ take a look behind Rose as she is painted blue. Just on the wall there in the foreground of the cabinet. Do you see it?

That isn’t a reference to her. That is specifically a reference to Ilya which we will get into later.

All of these things could point us in the direction that Rose is Ilya’s mirror, and they do pretty much make a good case that Rose is a Mirror Character for Ilya. But they are all just surface level clues. And, we could be reading into clues that aren’t really there. Until I started to disentangle the dialogue, did I confirm my suspicion that she was Ilya’s mirror.

What stood out most about her dialogue are two scenes in which she uses numbers and how those scenes connected with other scenes with Rose that don’t use numbers. When dialogue includes numbers in a show that doesn’t lend itself to needing numbers, you need to start paying attention.

A movie like “The Martian” (2015) making calculations about how many potatoes he has to grow in limited Martian soil to ration food until a rescue attempt can save him or the velocity of a space ship intercepting a free floating astronaut in space, numbers are everywhere and expected. (Yes, I’m an Andy Weir fan.) But, besides goals in Heated Rivalry numbers aren’t relevant in this series. Why does Rose talk about the number of movies she’s been in or how many boyfriends were closeted? For me, numbers were the little clues that confirmed Rose as Ilya’s mirror that we will outline below.

In episode 5 “I’ll Believe in Anything”, what does she say about her boyfriends in the scene below? That “70% actually 80% of my boyfriends have dumped me for guys.” Those numbers are unimportant in this context. Why would she be so specific about that? Couldn’t she just say “most of my boyfriends ended up gay”? But, she didn’t, she gave a specific percentage. She even edited her guess about her boyfriends, increasing the percentage of men who came out gay up 10% higher. Why? That intentional change to her calculations seems deliberate for the audience. This is the filmmakers saying “Hey! Wake up! This dialogue is important!”

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

If you have spidey subtext senses and can already see a pattern forming, you might be able to see how these numbers are important to revealing more about Ilya. Or, rather solidifying your theory that Rose is a mirror for Ilya. But, it was not until she started talking about movies that it all clicked for me.

This number analysis is even wilder, or requires a little bit of intelligence on our part. Buckle up!

In “Rose”, episode 4, we are given two pieces of information about the people who will be at this restaurant JJ invites Shane to. On the phone, JJ says there will be actors from one of the hottest movies being filmed and do we remember that bartender with the radiant smile? He also tells us that Shane should be on the look out for even the most famous of the members of the cast of that movie, Rose Landry.

In Shane’s and Rose’s first ‘date’ where they meet accidentally at the restaurant, they chat about their careers and Rose reveals information about her family. She easily introduces herself to Shane with “Hi, I’m Rose by the way.” However, he needs no introduction. She already knows him.

She then says, “I’m a Michigan girl with three brothers. Have a fry Shane Hollander. Detroit is not going to go easy on you tomorrow night.” In just three short sentences, Rose establishes that she is kind, down to earth, and knowledgeable about the hockey world despite her status in the movie industry.

Shane can relate already. She speaks his language in terms of his career knowing which team he will play next, how that individual team performs, and when his next Montreal Metros game is to be played. Yet, she presents her directness so kindly that he’s able to navigate this social situation with ease.

If we think about how Ilya and Shane first meet, we know that they are both very aware of each other. Shane introduces himself even if Ilya doesn’t need that information. They are both incredibly talented kids quickly rising to the top ranks of the MLH draft. Why would they need a formal introduction besides maintaining social norms (which Shane is want to do here)? Thankfully Shane was brave enough to take the first step. What they didn’t explicitly know is that the other was watching their own journey.

This is the same with Rose: Rose has been paying attention to Shane’s career and Shane has done so for Rose in return, unbeknownst to each other.

They continue their ‘date’ with Rose sharing her experience as an actor. As one of the most sought after actresses in the film industry, Rose has been in many films. Rose admits she has worked since she was eight years old. In fact, she was kidnapped in that movie. She claims despite the nature of the film, she had a great time learning how to act when she is kidnapped because she has been kidnapped in four movies since then. No, five actually.

“I have been kidnapped in no less than four movies, including the one that I’m in now.” But, she makes a mistake admitting the current film is a kidnapping one. She clearly breached her contract of not disclosing any details of the movie to Shane and begs him not to tell anyone else.

So, more numbers here. With specific attention to the fact that she changes her calculation from four to five movies. Now, she never said “five movies”. But just after that slipup, she calls our attention to the fact that she made a mistake. This is the filmmakers doing it again. They really want us to pay attention to this dialogue. This adjustment in numbers or calculations has been seen before. Those two scenes with adjusting numbers have to be connected in some way. But, honestly, it’s still not clear why all of this movie talk is so important. How does this help us know more about Ilya or even connect Rose to Ilya at all?

Fast-forward to “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5 where Rose is being painted blue for reshoots of the role she discussed with Shane at the restaurant. She complains that “This movie makes no sense” and how kidnapping movies were easier. “I miss being kidnapped, I regret shape-shifting.” If Rose is Ilya, what is Ilya saying here?

At their first date Rose talked about how she was in a lot of movies and a considerable amount were about kidnapping. Considering that Rose is quite young, somewhere in line with how old Shane is. So, early to mid-20s at this point? How many movies do we think she’s actually starred in? It can’t be that many more than the ones in which she was kidnapped.

We could make a very small mental leap here that the number of movies she was kidnapped in outnumbered by a considerable amount the number of movies she was not kidnapped in. Or, about 70-80% of the movies she’s made are kidnapping movies. Do you see where I’m going here?

What were those other types of movies about? We don’t know except for this one in which she is a shape-shifter. So, we have to think if Rose is Ilya, what does he do regularly that has a different ‘flavor’ than the same sort of thing elsewhere. Because, she’s in movies where she is kidnapped and also in movies where she isn’t kidnapped, two different ‘flavors’ of movies. Those not kidnapped movies are different. She says about this one in particular that it “makes no sense.”

Also, this shape-shifting movie is harder than the kidnapping movies. What in Ilya’s life does he do regularly in which some of those things (being kidnapped) are easier than others (not being kidnapped)? And, the ones that are easier, he does more frequently (the kidnapping movies) than movies like this specific movie where he (Rose) takes on a different shape? What is he doing now that “makes no sense”?

Lastly, she is specifically being painted here because she is reshooting parts of the film that need a do-over. Is there anything that he does that “makes no sense” that he has to do over to make it better?

Let’s rewind again back to the gay boyfriend number conversation again. Think about how close that percentage is to what we leaped into guessing was about the number of movies she makes that were kidnapping movies (about 70-80%).....

Hopefully, I’m not being redundant here but I want to write it all again to let you get to the answer before you read on. And, when I say subtext is about pattern recognition, this is what I mean.

1. Rose is in many movies.
2. Rose stars mostly in kidnapping movies but sometimes has other parts where she is not kidnapped. We can assume this because she is not old enough to have made so many other movies that they would outnumber the amount of movies where she is kidnapped.
3. Rose states that this particular movie “makes no sense”.
4. Rose has to redo some parts of the movie that didn’t work out before.
5. Rose is a shape-shifter in this current movie (that “makes no sense”).
6. Rose asserts that playing a character who gets kidnapped is easier than this current role.
7. Rose admits that 70%, actually 80% of her boyfriends end up gay.

To me any discussions of movies from Rose is really a discussion of the cross-section between Ilya’s sexuality and the people who he sleeps with.

Easy right? No. It took me a while to get there. And, I got heavily sidetracked with the subtext of her family members as well as the sequence number ‘4 and 5’ that is littered throughout this entire series. Let’s hope my writing stamina continues and we get to those other fun subtext bits later. Back to mirrors and subtext.

What do we know about Ilya and his sexual partners? He admits he is “only a little” gay.

But we have gathered other clues while watching the show that paint a broader picture of Ilya’s sexual behaviors. We know that he has a friends-with-benefits situation with Svetlana that fizzles out over the series but they remain good friends. We see him dancing with women in clubs and his reputation is that he is a “lady’s man” according to David and a few bits of dialogue with Marleau. Of course, we know any sex with men would not be publicly known because of hockey which means we’d never hear rumors of that going around. So, chatter around Ilya is that he sleeps with women often but we never hear anything outside of his core friends about any sexual relationships with men. Ilya jokingly complains at the cottage that in every city he has beautiful women available to him whenever he’d like. He also tells Shane that at his house while eating Tuna Melts as if he has a woman ready to sleep with in every major city he plays hockey in.

We also know that he has had sex with Sasha back in Russia when they were younger or maybe even more recently. We don’t know for sure but Sasha pops up enough times in the dialogue to let us know he stills exists in the social orbit of Ilya and Svetlana. We can also assume Svetlana thinks that Ilya is still interested in men because she tries to set Ilya and Sasha up together during the Sochi Olympics; which alerts the audience that Ilya, up to starting this relationship with Shane, probably slept with men occasionally. We don’t know specifically if he continues to sleep with men during his long, undefined relationship with Shane but he admits he does so with women.

So, Ilya sleeps mostly with women and sometimes with men. What percentage would you guess? 70%, actually 80% of Ilya’s sexual partners are women? Hmmm….

Now, being bisexual doesn’t necessarily mean that the attraction you experience towards one gender correlates to the percentage of time they are your partner. You could be more attracted to men but for whatever reason find it easier to have relationships with women. Or, vice versa. But, this is film. We can only make guesses about a character based on the information provided on screen. Ilya without saying it out loud is bisexual; he admits he mostly sleeps with women, occasionally with men because he is “only a little” gay (my guess - about 30%, actually 20% gay).

Let’s get back to Rose. She’s been in a ton of movies, and most notably in many kidnapping movies. Any movie in which she is kidnapped is a woman Ilya has slept with. Because, like the number of men Rose has been in a relationship with that turn out gay, “70%, actually 80%” which is awfully close to the percentage of movies in which we assumed Rose has been kidnapped. The vast majority of the people Rose has been in a relationship with are gay men, including Shane. The vast majority of the people Ilya has slept with are women.

Rose’s discussion of the types of movies she is cast in and the percentage of boyfriends that turn out gay tells us about Ilya’s sex life. Ilya mostly sleeps with women. But, the current person he is sleeping with is Shane. In this particular movie Rose plays a shape-shifter character, or Ilya shifts into the other side of his sexuality which is having sex with a man.

This leads me back to the line “This movie makes no sense”. This is what I’ve been working up to this whole time. Ilya does not express to us any of his struggles or his frustrations with anyone on film until he does so with Shane. Additionally, he doesn’t confide in anyone on film his feelings for Shane so we have to infer his feelings from the text: how Ilya moves around or talks to Shane, that he texts him constantly, how he smiles when he thinking about hooking up with him or jiggling his leg constantly in anticipation of meeting up with Shane, and so on. We also don’t know how Ilya is dealing with his family issues, being an outsider in North America, his past loves or losses, his hopes and dreams. But, this subtext tells us explicitly that Ilya thinks it would be easier to meaninglessly sleep with women than be in love with this man because loving Shane “makes no sense.” This is all in episode 5 no less. We’re near the end of the series and Ilya still can’t quite understand why this particular man is who he finally fell for. Out of all of the possible people out there, it had to be a man who is described as his rival in a profession that doesn’t have room for gay sex or gay relationships that he falls madly in love with.

Could this also allude to us that Ilya doesn’t think he deserves Shane? “This movie makes no sense” could also imply that Ilya doesn’t believe that Shane reciprocates the same feelings towards Ilya. It “makes no sense” that Shane could love him back too. Though, I think that’s a little less of a clear connection. It is plausible with how fiercely Ilya loves the people closest to him and is surprised when some fiercely love him back in return.

Rose has a very short screen time. What other gems can we find?

Let’s think about what Rose means for Shane. If she is Ilya’s mirror, then, really just Ilya, what does she accomplish in Shane’s life that he needed to overcome to be able to return to the true Ilya fully?

We know that she accomplishes as Rose, the character, the opportunity to be in a romantic relationship with a woman of which we have not seen yet nor has it been alluded to that Shane has even been in a relationship with a woman. Once he tries out a relationship with a woman, he realizes that he very much does not want to date women. The one woman he did try to be ‘straight’ with is perfect. If he can’t figure out how to be sexually attracted to her, then what is he doing? (I think he’s asking himself this which leads him to understand that…) He is 100% gay.

But, what does Rose, as an Ilya mirror, do for Shane, not just as a character?

Now we’re thinking a layer deeper in the subtext. If Rose IS Ilya here, does Rose/Ilya provide Shane with a safe and open place to finally accept his queerness? Does Rose/Ilya provide him time and grace to determine that Ilya is it for Shane? He doesn’t want anyone else. And, the second he no longer entertains the idea of ever finding a woman to settle down which is what is expected of him in his profession, by his friends, his sponsors, his fans and his parents, he comes right back to Ilya. He’s finally able to fully present his whole self to Ilya without any lingering expectation of leading a heteronormative life in public and sidelining Ilya either forever or keeping him as a sidequest cheating on a future wife whenever their schedules line up. (Ilya deserves better than that.) He determines that wants to live his life by Ilya’s side in whatever capacity Ilya will take him. (Though, Shane deserves better than that too.)

This whole Rose/Ilya gives hims space and time to figure out who he is and what he wants, lead to the coming out scene. In the hotel in Florida, Shane finally admits to Ilya that he is gay. This is the first time he said those words out loud to anyone. Ilya’s response is “Okay. So, you’re gay. What does it matter? Why are you telling me this?” To me this time with Rose/Ilya gave Shane the freedom to explore those feelings. Rose, the character, made him understand he was not attracted to women. While Ilya, in the subtext, gave him the space to find himself without any pressure. Actually, Ilya in “Rookies” episode 1 jokes with Shane in their second sex scene when Ilya proposes anal sex for the first time, says “Does touching your ass make you gay? ‘Cause you know what else makes you gay? Is sucking dick”. So, Ilya has been open with his acceptance of Shane’s sexuality from the very beginning even if Shane didn’t quite understand, yet, his identity.

Equally, Rose essentially outs Shane to them both with her delicate handling of that restaurant scene. They both tell Shane before Shane tells them. She actually apologizes to him about how she approaches the conversation which I think could represent Ilya apologizing to Shane for how later he bluntly says “Okay. So, you’re gay. What does it matter?” Because it does matter to Shane who finally made peace with that reality and felt comfortable enough to say it to the one person who he could tell and with whom it might be important to know. He’s telling Ilya here, there will be no public relationships with women, no future marriages with women, no beards. He’s implying that he would probably not come out to the world but would possibly lie by omitting his sexuality from public discussion.

The thing about subtext is it’s not linear. It doesn’t chronologically flow with the main story. Notice above how we get Rose/Ilya apologizing for mishandling Ilya’s later impatient tone when Shane comes out to him. I am not smart enough to have caught that preemptive apology from Rose/Ilya. Maybe you were.

So, Rose/Ilya allows for Shane to truly find out his sexuality AND who he wants in his future.

Actually, I was almost done writing this article not wanting to miss any dialogue in this scene outside the restaurant between them pledging to stay friends. I just happened to go back and watch the whole coming out scene with Rose before that through the lens of Ilya speaking as Rose. (I did not realize they had actually completed the whole ‘date’ because the waitress took away their plates seconds before the scene in a wide shot.) Definitely Still an Amateur writer here was balling. This connection below is new to me today, like now-today. Whereas most of what I’ve written thus far had been worked out months ago. I guess that’s what I get for being stingy about watching the series fully only four times up to this point; I miss important subtextual details.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

If we imagine Ilya speaking through Rose, we could assume that when Rose says “We’re not meant to fit. And, it’s really fine. I don’t think that we can keep trying” after unsuccessfully using the square-peg-in-a-round-hole metaphor, Ilya is really saying “what we have makes no sense. We don’t have to keep trying at this relationship. It doesn’t make sense in our life and we keep ending on bad terms. We should just let go.”

That made me cry. Besides the fact that the scene is so beautifully executed in every possible way, poor Ilya struggles to see a way forward with Shane in their current state of staying in the closet to protect their status in the hockey world. He sees how terribly they end each time and doesn’t know if Shane will come back again. And, Ilya knows that he is partially to blame for how badly they end each time.

So, Rose/Ilya admitting they won’t work out as a couple came before the first solid piece of subtext that matched Ilya to Rose in my mind. The line about her gay boyfriends comes later in this scene. And, the “makes no sense” line comes close to the end of this same episode. Which is why it’s so important to look at larger patterns. Since subtext doesn’t follow the main story line, once you find that connection of, say, a Mirror Character, you can pull more meaning from how characters interact.

If subtext does not always chronologically follow the storyline, I’d like to think about that line again “This movie makes no sense.” Rose says it late in the “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5. Considering what we know of the evolution of Shane’s and Ilya’s relationship, this line doesn’t really fit in the end of episode 5. Ilya at this point is very much in love with Shane. He just saw Shane taken away by an ambulance after taking a hard hit on the ice, he doesn’t know if Shane was seriously injured and has no way to find out without blowing their cover. He’s in deep. I’m not sure he’s thinking “This makes no sense” at this moment. His problems are more ‘Does Shane love me in return and how do we make what we have work in our current life?’

If we study the scene in episode 5 a little more, Rose is preparing to reshoot scenes from the movie she filmed while dating Shane. They spoke about that movie during their first date. I’m betting this line is intended to reference the original mention of the movie in the restaurant on their “first date”. But, what just happened previously in Ilya’s and Shane’s timeline? Ilya unsuccessfully tried to take steps towards a deeper, more emotional relationship with Shane which ended in the Tuna Meltdown. So, is this Ilya at this time in “Rose” episode 4 after the meltdown really thinking “This makes no sense”? Feeling the emotional ricochet from their last failed encounter, Ilya might be trying to work through why Shane makes him feel the way he does. He simply cannot wrap his head around why he loves Shane. And, he’s pretty sure Shane feels the same way in return. (They admit to Yuna and David at the cottage that they don’t understand why they are in love either.)

Speaking of subtext being chronologically out of order, let’s look at the elements of that scene again with Rose in the chair painted blue. She is preparing for a reshoot of the movie originally mentioned months earlier on Shane’s and Rose’s first unplanned date.

What just happened in this timeline that rattled Ilya? Just a few short scenes earlier, Shane was taken away by an ambulance after a serious hit on the ice. Ilya has no way of knowing if Shane is okay after the game as well as during the night without blowing their cover. He was in deep already as per Storrie’s performance in Shane’s hospital room the next morning. The line “The movie makes no sense” does not really work here. Ilya knows he loves Shane already. He’s no longer grappling with this reality. Though, he has a bigger problem in that he doesn’t really know for sure if Shane loves him in return or how they go about navigating their relationship moving forward.

I’d wager that line references the original mention of the movie on Rose’s and Shane’s first date. What is happening in Ilya’s and Shane’s timeline during that first date? The emotional backlash of Ilya’s failed attempt at forging a more emotional connection with Shane that led to the Tuna Meltdown scene weighs heavy in his thoughts. Nothing about that encounter ended well for Ilya. He’s probably wondering about a redo. That line happens with Rose in a reshoot of parts of the movie that didn’t work out. Can he try that conversation again in a different way that might produce better results, fix the parts that didn’t work out the first time? Can he try to ‘reshoot’ that conversation again to see if Shane is willing to take things more emotionally serious? Because during Shane’s and Rose’s first date, Ilya doesn’t know that happens. He still thinks Shane is single and that he can try again. He still has a shot.

The line “This movie makes no sense” works here because he probably can’t wrap his head around why he loves Shane so fiercely and why Shane’s rejection cut so much deeper than anyone else’s. Which may be why he reacts so aggresively in the gym to the news that Shane and Rose are in a relationship. Ilya had a plan to redo (reshoot) that conversation and now that’s no longer an option. Loving women (making kidnapping movies) is easier. This whole relationship stuff is so much harder.

Some more tidbits after the restaurant scene (which is why I actually went back to watch it in the first place): Outside, she begs him to text her and that she will text him all of the time. She says “You’ll wish you never met me!” implying that she would be texting him a ridiculous amount. What does Ilya do but text Shane incessantly? Ilya very much pursues Shane through texting.

I know I’m taking this scene out of order but, Rose, as Ilya, earlier also gives Shane the permission to talk to him about his queerness. She realizes that she is the only one he might be able to do so with openly as a friend. Ilya here offers to Shane more than just someone Shane sleeps with. Ilya wants to be more to Shane than just a lover. He wants to be Shane’s friend and confidant as well.

We all noticed that once Shane started dating Rose, Ilya stopped pursuing Shane. It’s almost as if the screenwriters didn’t dare subject Shane to two Ilyas at one time, the menace that he is. Though, that’s how it’s presented in the book too if I recall.

What’s ironic and beautifully written is that Rose, the character, is the perfect fit for Shane in every way that Ilya isn’t. And, Ilya is perfect for Shane in every way that Rose isn’t. They are different sides of the same coin. And, they are the same person in this show (Rose as Ilya in the subtext). Does this foreshadow Shane’s future? A future with everything he could possibly want and desire in a romantic partner? If you read the books you know.

What did I miss with Rose? Their text exchange? Can you find anything specific in the subtext from that? I think that two-side-of-the-same-coin is evident here with her use of the angel emoji in juxtaposition with Ilya’s use of the purple devil emoji. She mentions ‘shooting’ which could for Ilya mean shooting goals or shooting, um, well I’m sure you can guess where this is going… Yes? Please say ‘yes’. I feel like there could be more to that bit but I’m losing my wind and it’s been almost 3 weeks since I’ve posted. I got to get this article out!

If I missed anything else about Rose that could lend to knowing more about Ilya, toss it in the comments so we can hash it out there.

Ironically, most of the subtext I’ve found relates to Ilya, not just because of Rose. There is more! That could be because he’s such an endearing character and Jacob Tierney wanted to explore Ilya more in the subtext or it’s harder to understand Ilya on the surface. Also, if you’ve read the Game Changer series, Ilya plays the role of hockey fairy menace wherever he goes. Characters are constantly confused about his intense ‘perceiving’ of them and others. In the books, he’s coy about his personal life so no one really truly knows him except Shane. Providing subtext for Ilya helps the audience figure out who he is when he’s not one to share.

Similarly to Kip, Elena and his dad, provide us more information about Kip’s thoughts, Rose provides us pertinent information about Ilya’s inner thoughts we wouldn’t otherwise know. There are many other characters in the Heated Rivalry series universe who represent Ilya in some capacity and I can’t wait to dive into them all with you. But, there are also other characters that serve purposes other than Heart and Mind or Mirror Characters. It’s kind of gnarly once you know.

Hopefully I can write about a good majority of what I want to go over before the Season 2 premier in 2027. Will Tierney and his team keep using these other characters in the same manner as Season 1? Time will tell. And, with the potential introduction of three other sets of main characters from Reid’s book series, including all of the characters in their mini-universes, the possibilities are endless.

While I have a lot to write about, the next topic is up for grabs. Does anyone want to suggest something? I’m all (mirr)ears. is a Mirror Character.

See you at the Cottage!

When film characters serve more than one purpose

A peak into Kip's heart and mind

There is a point in a film or series when one thing clicks for me from the subtext and then everything shakes loose from that. (Well, mostly.) Strangely, Kip apologizing to his dad at the end of “Hunter” episode 3 started my whole subtext hyper-fixation with Heated Rivalry.

Despite what my family may say, I do not approach all films with the intent to unravel all of the layers of subtext within it. I might catch a couple of pieces of subtext during a watch, and share out, or not. But most films are not interesting enough for me to give it that much energy. Or, I just don’t watch that much film to begin with. Either way, nothing has caught my subtext attention, or the world’s, quite like Heated Rivalry.

(However, I have been warned on multiple occasions to keep mum about subtext because it ruins the experience. Oops.)

What’s so important about Kip apologizing and hugging his loving father? Inherently, it’s not very interesting at all beyond the fact that very few fathers are presented in film as loving parents to their queer male children. Usually, fathers are very disappointed or down-right abusive to their gay sons. On the flip side, the moms are more often presented as the loving and accepting parent.

This may or may not be true in real life. Film isn’t real life. Each character is crafted by a screenwriter, then a director, then an actor, and, lastly, an editor. So, if a dad in a film abuses his gay son, many hands have been a part of making that character abusive. Jacob Tierney, the screen writer and director of Heather Rivalry, did not disappoint in this department when he made Kip’s dad.

George Grady, Kip’s dad, played by Matt Gordon, represents what every queer person wants in a dad. Well, maybe, everyone in the world. He continually supports and cheers on Kip, proudly professing his love for Kip and demanding that love to be reciprocated. He’s not disappointed in Kip’s lack of a steady job and only provides encouragement and confidence in Kip when he applies for scholarships for graduate school. While we never get a coming-out story between those two considering the short time we see Kip on screen I imagine George would have enveloped Kip in a hug and said “Son, you are so brave to tell me. I love you no matter what. What do you want for dinner?” Nothing more was necessary to discuss and George’s unapologetic devotion to his son meant he probably already knew before Kip even said anything. (Kip’s dad isn’t named in the film series but he IS named in the book, “Game Changer”, by Rachel Reid.)

(I originally posted this on Substack and it's weird. I was taught to underline book titles but you can’t underline anything in Substack. Quotation marks it is.)

If you are a Heated Rivalry film loyalist, you may not know that the book, “Game Changer”, explores Scott’s and Kip’s story and jumpstarts the six, soon to be seven, book series dedicated to this universe that includes Ilya and Shane. Rachel Reid spent time creating a cozy family of four for Kip to include both of his parents, Margaret and George, and a supportive sister, Megan. Clearly there was not enough time in one episode to develop the believable romantic relationship between Kip and Scott AND forge that strong family bond. Or, was there?

Tierney gave Kip time to develop relationships with his friends and coworkers. So, why not his actual family beyond his dad and maybe limit screen time from one of his friends instead? About choosing to not include Kip’s mother as a character, Tierney has said “It wasn’t in the budget” or “I just didn’t have the time in the script.” (I don’t recall the actual interview he said this in. Please drop it in the comments if you remember.) I call this a lie, respectfully.

And, directors and show runners do lie in interviews all of the time. They lie for many reasons and, I’ve said before in other articles, that the lies aren’t meant to harm. They lie because it would take too long to describe the subtext in most interviews. Most people don’t think about subtext outright even if they can subconsciously feel there is more to a scene or character despite not fully understand why. Literal interpretations of subtext could take away from the popularity or digestibility of a film or series (this is here to honor my family because I don’t think it does). And, part of a filmmaker’s art is for others to interpret it on their own, which I do here a lot. Sometimes I’m sure incorrectly but that is why art captivates so many. We can all take something different away from the experience and no one’s experience or interpretation outweighs another.

George serves more than one purpose in this film and this multipurpose character is the reason why Kip’s mom isn’t included. Yes, George is Kip’s dad but he tells us more about Kip than what we see with our eyes and ears. This is where the magic of storytelling really gets interesting if you know what to look for. And, that apology at the end of the episode created the push in the domino effect that is my film subtext spidy-sense for this series.

In order to describe what I think George reveals to us about Kip, we need to look at another book and film series that most of us have heard of. And, if you’re my age, you might have spent most of your young adult life enjoying one book release after another and one movie release after another from this dominating franchise that is Harry Potter.

Despite the current narrative of ‘love the art, not the artist’ and a fair amount of critics who believe She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is in fact a terrible writer, the story resonated with kids all over the world creating a cultural phenomenon around books that had never been witnessed before. Although writers of children’s and youth books were common before this series, the importance of this genre was not taken as seriously until that point in when Harry Potter franchise took over the zeitgeist. Since then this genre has exploded into relevance. And, if anything good can come from this series is that publishers are now paying attention and our youth are afforded a similar range of stories adults are given exploring the same array of emotions and difficulties to overcome.

The story is based on a boy, Harry, who befriends in his first year at a magical boarding school, two unlikely friends, Hermione and Ron. Hermione’s bookishness, rule-following behavior, and slightly anxious tendencies annoy her friends but get them out of tough spots time and time again. While Ron’s goofy grin, intense loyalty, and relaxed nature balance the trio when tensions heighten. Most often these two characters are at odds with each other when faced with adversity. While they respect each other, they are more loyal to Harry in the beginning and it takes time before they begin to truly see themselves as friends too. But, whether Hermione and Ron are friends or not, Harry can’t conquer the evil in their world without them. They are with him until the very end credits in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Picture from: Elite Magazine

Hermione and Ron are integral to this story just as much as Harry is. But, they aren’t just his friends. They represent so much more to inform us of who Harry is at his core; Because authors and screenwriters use all elements of the story and film to tell us something about the main protagonist. What are these two characters to Harry besides his best friends? They represent his Heart and Mind.

What better way to show us what a character thinks and feels than by using the other characters around them? Books don’t always have reliable narrators and film doesn’t usually offer the platform for inner monologues. So these extra characters give us the information we can’t get otherwise about our main protagonist. What boggles me is how authors and filmmakers both can make incredibly believable supporting characters that have their own stories, feelings, ideas, goals, and interests and that somehow also reveal information about the main character. What an art form!!

More recently streaming platforms have lowered the bar in audience attention by narrating the story. They literally tell us what is happening and how the character feels about it almost like we’re reading their journal. I fear the chicken or the egg conundrum exists here. Are we not paying attention enough to film by looking at other screens so we need the filmmakers to spoon feed us? Or, do we need the filmmakers to spoon feed us because the stories so boring, we’re looking at other screens?

Whichever it is, Tierney does not spoon feed us. We have to watch the screen to understand everything the characters in Heated Rivalry experience and how the supporting characters reveal information about our main protagonists.

Heart and Mind characters have been used in film and written words for ages, way before we got all distracted or stories stopped being original. The author of Harry Potter created Hermione to show us how and what Harry thinks and Ron to show us how and what Harry’s heart feels.

(Do I capitalize those words: heart and mind? This whole ‘not being a writer’ thing but also being somewhat of a perfectionist frustrates me to no end. Apologies if I inconsistently capitalize or don’t those words.)

Most often in film male characters will represent the Mind because for so long we’ve associated analytical thinking with men. Conversely female characters in film more often represent the Heart because they are perceived to be more emotional and less able to think rationally. And since filmmakers have mostly been men, those stereotypes linger even today. Considering our current state of affairs, I think it’s best we dispel with those notions. When it comes to our leaders, men are incredibly emotional and irrational. Women, on the other hand, more often make policies that help us all and don’t start wars.

We could go into how many critics think Hermione is bossy, a know-it-all and rude. But, we all know a boy in that same role would be described as assertive, smart, and direct. Since Hermione is a ‘she’ and not a ‘he’ this girl is subject to both hatred in the book series and in the fandom. But, that is another article for a different writer and probably already written in a different time.

When I started to write this article and kicking around what characters I could use that represent Heart and Mind characters that most of us would recognize (thank you for that idea Tanya), I started to think about which scenes in the Harry Potter film series might show this dynamic the best without having to go into the Voldemort story. Which, to be fair, is why Harry Potter, the boy, exists in the first place. For those of us not familiar with this series though, diving into that part of Harry’s journey isn’t necessary to finding clues to the true Harry. My mind jumped to Hermione’s and Ron’s love interests in the film.

Hermione briefly dates a professional athlete whose name is Viktor, young enough to still be a student but talented enough to play on a team for the magical sport of Quidditch. He is broody, quiet, and aloof. He’s not known for his intellectual abilities (which is not to say that is a character flaw) yet knows his way around being used by people in powerful positions. They don’t seem like a match made in heaven but he is the first boy who sees her for someone who is not just the top-of-the-class, smarty pants that everyone else sees and who happens to be friends with Harry. They eventually go their separate ways but manage to stay in touch over the years.

Ron also briefly dates someone a little closer in age to him, Lavender. But, she’s insincere with her affections, attention-seeking, the jealous type, and smothering. Ron sees no way of extricating himself from this clearly one-sided infatuation and basically ignores her until she finally gives up on him. He really did her wrong by not outright admitting his lack of feelings towards her.

So, how do these two characters inform us more about Harry? We have to suspend the rational belief that Harry is actually Hermione or Ron because he is not. Hermione represents his mind; Ron his heart.

In the case of Hermione, Harry does not want to date this male athlete. He, for what we know, likes girls only. But, knowing that Hermione represents what he thinks, we know that Harry would not do well romantically with someone who embodies the same characteristics as Viktor. Viktor isn’t very interesting beyond his abilities in Quidditch and Hermione loses romantic interest in him because well, he’s basically an attractive meat sack of Quidditch. Harry would need to be with someone who is thoughtful, has conversations with him, and has more than just Quidditch in common with him. Though, we can assume Quidditch will play some role in her life. (If you’re a fan and are tracking who Harry DOES date, you’ll know that both of the girls are incredibly capable at Quidditch.)

Equally, Harry would not match well with the likes of someone as needy as Lavender which is the exact opposite of Viktor. Ron can’t handle her over-the-top gushings over him. At first, her attention makes him feel wanted and popular, both of which he struggles with being a child of seven at home and always overshadowed by Harry and Hermione at school. Over time though, her affections become overbearing and theatrically fake. Harry’s heart really can’t take her obsession or insincerity anymore. But, his heart does not have the courage to dump her outright knowing it would hurt her. Harry would need someone who can exist independently from him, show him an appropriate amount of affection (which he would return equally) and see him as Harry and not some hero of this magical world. (Again, if you’re tracking who Harry dates, they both have these qualities.)

The last film in which I dug into the subtext with my friend was Femme (2023) by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. Unlike, The Great Flood (2025) mentioned in another article about what water represents in film, I highly recommend Femme if you can get your hands on it if subtext piques your interest. Just make sure you read the summary before watching it if you have certain hesitations. What jumped out to me first and foremost in Femme was the use of the Heart and Mind characters too. The female flatmate represents the main protagonist’s mind and the male flatmate represents his heart. Have you noticed this pairing in any other film or book? Drop them in the comments if you do.

Let’s get back to Heated Rivalry and Kip. So, have you figured out who George is yet? We didn’t just get through four pages of Heart and Mind character analysis if he wasn’t one of those. Kip’s dad is Kip’s heart. And, I literally tear up every time I think about that apology at the end of the episode. We need to get through a couple of scenes to really stick this point though because it’s important to verify our theory with more evidence. And, while scenes with George are short and sparse I think we can get enough out of them to support this claim.

First and foremost, George is Kip’s number one fan. George pumps up Kip often, offering him support like any good dad should by remembering where his dry cleaning is for work, encouraging him to stay positive about his application status for grad school, and just hanging out with him watching hockey. Except he isn’t just Kip’s dad. He gives Kip the time and grace to figure out his future in his own time choosing his own path. As any good heart, I mean dad, should.

When Kip and Scott start dating, Scott asks Kip to keep their relationship a secret because gay sex can’t happen in hockey. Scott promises that one day when he retires, he will come out and he and Kip can be together like other ‘normal people’. In hiding their relationship, Kip keeps so much from his supportive and loving network. One night, in Scott’s very dark apartment, we see Kip on the phone with his dad. George admits that he misses his son because Kip hasn’t been around. It seems like Kip hasn’t been checking in with his heart as often as he should. But, his heart continues to reach out to Kip in order to get through everything that Kip is struggling with right now.

(Those two links above are articles already written in this blog that will help you understand other pieces of subtext in this show but are not necessary to understand this particular concept.)

At the end of their phone conversation his dad says “I love you.” When Kip doesn’t respond in kind but not unkindly, George pushes Kip to say in return “I love you”. Kip finally does say “I love you” to his dad and George jokes “I’m sorry that was such a struggle.” So, Kip’s heart is saying, “Hey, remember me? I’m here. But, you’re ignoring me. You’re struggling to remember to love your heart. You’re not being true to who you are by engaging in this secret relationship. Remember, to love yourself first no matter what and no matter what it costs you.” George doesn’t know about Scott but Kip’s heart does. Through his promise to Scott to keep their relationship a secret, Kip turns his back on the foundations of his life: being authentic to himself by being out and proud to include the family and friends who lovingly support him.

This conversation happens at a time in the episode where we can see Kip starting to question his choices around Scott. Peter Peter’s sorrowful composition, Young and Restless II, hangs over several shots of just Kip trying to figure out where he fits in all of this. What better way than to check in with your heart to see what you should do. And, your heart just said “I love you and you need to love yourself too.” We see Kip slowly come to the conclusion that their love affair has to end as it exists in its current state. And, Scott unknowingly kills their relationship by refusing to join Kip, even if pretending as a friend and not a lover, for his small birthday celebration at a gay bar surrounded by Kip’s friends. Kip didn’t trap Scott there intentionally but that moment of refusal reveals to Kip that their relationship will indefinitely remain closeted. And, in that moment Kip decides to choose his heart above all, no matter the cost.

We aren’t done yet with George and we’ll get back to that apology scene. That’ll be the last scene to dissect because that was the first domino for me. I want to finish where I began.

You might be wondering if Kip’s dad is his heart, who then is Kip’s mind? One person in Kip’s world pushes him to consider everything, doesn’t allow him to lamely answer hard questions, and even thinks for him when Kip sort of goes offline sitting with his mouth gaping open. Does that ring a bell?

Yup, Elena. Elena is Kip’s mind.

Once I realized what George represented for Kip, it took no time at all to figure out Elena. Because, rarely will a filmmaker create a Heart character without the equally important, informative, and sometimes antagonistic to the heart, Mind character. And, this next scene was the first one I thought of that Elena clicked in place for me as his mind. Though, I’d say the heart and mind characters share the same goal if for different reasons.

Has anyone counted the number of times Elena has to jab Kip in the ribs at the hockey game to jumpstart Kip to respond to Scott’s covert flirting? Whenever Scott interacts with Kip I can almost see a loading symbol rotating over Kip’s face. He doesn’t get it. It’s as if his thoughts scramble and he can’t put them together or formulate appropriate responses. He doesn’t get that Scott is flirting with him and Elena, his mind, has to think for him. This is Scott Hunter after all, famous hockey star, philanthropist and hot (we’ve seen that 6 pack under that skin-tight workout shirt). And, what are the chances that he’s gay?! There are no gay hockey players! Kip probably misreads all of the flirty signs because Scott is too perfect. Elena has to process that Scott looks up at them in the stands, waves, and expects some sort of recognition in return as he doesn’t skate away until Kip waves back. Because why else did Scott offer the tickets and why else did Kip take them?

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Like good subtext students we have to verify our theory about this character too and make sure all of the scenes and interactions with this character fit nicely into that theory. Since Elena has so few scenes, we can basically look at them all.

There are two Kingfisher bar scenes with just Kip and Elena. The Kingfisher is not named in the film series that I can recall but it is named in the book series. This is not a bar in a club, this is the sort of sports bar with booths. So, they can have takeout (from another restaurant!) and talk about their lives.

The first scene Kip crushes on Scott but it takes Elena’s cunning to prompt Kip to adjust his work schedule so that the next home game Kip will be working when Scott would stop by the Straw + Berry to get another one of those smoothies. Kip just accepted defeat that he had a day off on the next possible opportunity to see Scott. Elena was not willing to allow Kip to miss out on this opportunity. But, he couldn’t figure it out. Honestly, he seems a little dense here. She looked up when the next home game was and encouraged him to switch shifts with a coworker to be present at the shop that next time Scott was sure to stop by. Oh, Kip. You just lose all logical thought when Scott flashes that smile at you.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

The second bar scene with Elena begins Kip’s doubts about his relationship with Scott. She susses out quickly Kip is in love with Scott, that they are in a secret relationship, that Kip is lying to his dad (and has been lying to her for over 2 months) about said relationship and there is no plan for Scott to come out anytime soon which by default shoves Kip in the closet. The friend that she is points out all of the red flags in such a way that the wheels start turning in Kip’s mind and every gesture from Scott now seems tainted. Not that Scott’s gestures aren’t genuine but that no matter how in love Scott is with Kip and Kip with Scott, Scott isn’t coming out anytime soon and Kip knows he will be forever miserable hiding parts of himself.

If you haven’t read the Mirrors are for hiding article yet, I highly recommend you do. We talk about the ways Tierney uses mirrors to show characters hiding their true selves and Kip is rarely seen in front of a mirror. While Scott hangs out in front of a big mirror for a very long shot.

But, Heart and Mind characters don’t have to just talk to the person they’re representing. They are living, breathing human beings who can walk (um, dance) around with other characters in the story. Which brings us to the scene at the fundraiser where Elena feeds Scott some morsels of reality.

Is that the same as the ‘shovel-talk’? This term never showed up in my life growing up so I’m never really sure what that means.

At first we see Elena and Kip standing together at a high-top table. Kip seems incredibly nervous while downing his flute of champagne to calm his nerves (which also allows Kip to hide behind performative heterosexuality). It’s clear Elena is annoyed with Kip’s nervousness. I expect she thinks he should be more confident in himself. She is, after all, just that - confident. And, why be nervous?

If Elena is Kip’s mind he’s being awfully harsh on himself. Because, we consistently see Kip nervous in public with Scott. More like, we see Kip nervous about how Scott might react to having Kip around and the possibility of his (you choose who I’m talking about here) homosexuality showing. He never wants to be the person who accidentally outs Scott.

Queer people definitely don’t do that on purpose and go to great lengths to not out anyone accidentally either. Everyone has to tell their own story in their own time. Scott knows this but, for some insurance, actually asks Kip to keep his secret in exchange for the promise of being out later. ‘Later’ because he perceives that his whole livelihood depends on keeping this secret. Kip will always honor that unspoken expectation in queer communities but also promises to honor Scott’s request. Kip is understandably under a lot of pressure. He should be gentler with himself.

So, if Elena is annoyed about Kip’s behavior that means Kip is equally nervous about this evening and annoyed about his behavior too. This tension will come up later in the dance between Elena and Scott.

As Scott approaches, Kip loses his tongue again. Did anyone see that loading symbol on Kip’s forehead? No? Well, Elena does and takes the reins of the conversation when Kip can’t seem to think of anything to say to Scott. She essentially forces them to chat by calling out their inability to chat.

Can we wonder together about something? Why do we think Elena insists on introducing Kip as ‘Christopher’? By introducing him as ‘Christopher’ does Elena insist Scott not relegate Kip to some sort of minor character status in his life? I almost wrote ‘infantilize’ but that’s not the vibe really. Scott doesn’t infantilize Kip but he doesn’t always give Kip equal say in their relationship. Does she do that to remind Scott that Kip is just as important as Scott? Because that is basically what the dance is about. Let’s hold that thought about their dance.

It seems like Elena, Kip’s mind, is saying “Look, the established pattern here is that we are not equals and we need to correct that imbalance.” Maybe a plea from ‘Christopher’ who looks hot in a tux will be taken more seriously than one from Kip the smoothie barista. If ‘Christopher’ can play dress-up and look just as handsome as Scott can, then they are equals and should have the same input in how their relationship unfolds.

Stepping back into the dialogue, Elena offers to get them both that drink to allow them space to start talking because maybe, she thinks, they will start chatting once she leaves. And, ironically, she knows what Kip and Scott both want to drink even though she’s never met Scott because, well, Kip’s mind knows what his boyfriend likes to drink. So Elena knows what Scott likes to drink. And, by Elena leaving, we can assume that Kip puts aside those pesky thoughts he’s recently been having because he just wants to have a nice night out supporting his secret boyfriend in a part of Scott’s life that is important to him.

Once she leaves Kip and Scott do chat awkwardly which eventually smooths out until Elena interrupts them and asks Scott to dance before they both leave for their after-party celebration (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.). This is one of those scenes that beautifully contrast their desire to be together and the forces they think that keep them a secret. (Because there is no gay sex in hockey.) What we see is Kip’s unrealized desire to dance with Scott. What we get is a scene laden with subtext. The real Kip watches from the wall as his boyfriend dances with his beautiful best friend. He looks miserable! But, Kip’s mind, or Elena, finally locks in mustering up the courage to have this serious talk with Scott.

While we don’t yet understand the importance of this episode 3 scene in the context of how it will play out for Shane and Ilya, there is more subtext in this scene beyond the ‘Sunshine’ line. (Because, sometimes when I write, concepts become more clear and ideas crystalize.)

This ‘dance’ is Kip’s mind dancing around Scott’s inability to see Kip for who he really is. Scott loves Kip but the catch is Scott loves Kip for what Kip does for Scott too. Kip provides him with a loving relationship he has craved for years but has not allowed himself due to his career: Someone who cares for him, is easily accessible, smart, fun, attractive and understanding about Scott’s need for discretion.

Now, I don’t deny that Scott loves Kip with his whole heart. He absolutely does love Kip as fully as he can right now. But, is that enough for Kip? I would say, no. What does this look like for Kip in return?

Kip needs Scott to see what Scott should do for Kip. Scott should either come out to the world so Kip can lead a happy and healthy life or he should let Kip go. Elena, Kip’s mind, uses this dance metaphorically to get Scott to understand the reality of the imbalance between them. He can’t say it to Scott’s face outright because Scott wouldn’t see it. He would defend his stance and status as the one in the relationship who can demand this discretion. Also, from Scott’s perspective, Kip’s life has markedly improved by their relationship; a nice apartment away from his childhood home, lavish gifts, no worry about financial instability anymore, access to expensive food, etc. What more could Kip want? If Kip can bring Scott to understand Kip’s position by ‘dancing around’ the concept of Kip deserving more than these surface-level benefits, then Scott might be more willing to see Kip’s suffering. Scott has to come to this realization on his own with a little nudge from Kip’s mind.

Can we agree that if Scott takes Kip away from Kip’s dad’s home by offering his place to stay that Scott asks Kip to stop accessing his own heart? If Kip isn’t listening to his heart then he won’t see that this relationship hurts Kip more than Kip bargains for.

Back to the dance - did you notice how Scott does a fair bit of twirling and dipping Elena before they even start dancing? She even laughs at his cute antics. He’s taking control of their dance, showing her a good time. How does that compare to Skip? Kip and Scott do a fair bit of smiling and laughing when they fall madly in love with each other. Scott takes control of their relationship, showing Kip a good time, wooing Kip with his money, infatuation, and ease between them. This twirling fun all happens before Elena lays out how Kip feels. As they find their rhythm in the dance, this represents the time in which Kip and Scott fall into an easy rhythm in their day to day life. And, even though they are madly in love with each other, the toll of keeping their relationship a secret starts to wear on Kip. This easy pace in the dance is where Kip decide to be honest and where Elena digs in:

1. Asking hard questions,

“So. What are your intentions with my Kip?’ She’s really trying to get to the bottom of what their relationship is because Kip has just now started to question whether he’s making a good choice or not.

1. Telling hard truths to Scott,

“He’s crazy about you. He’s also miserable.” Scott looks so confused. How could Kip be miserable with this relationship? “Nobody wants to be kept a secret.” “He’s not!” “He is!” “Eyes on me handsome.”

Scott confesses that he loves Kip and he’s doing his best. As in whatever Scott offers Kip has to be good enough. The line “Eyes on me handsome” seems like a plea to Scott to not look away from this hard truth. “Pay attention to me because I need you to hear this.”

1. And, demanding a better reality for them both.

Kip’s mind says “And, he’s so in love with you that he’ll put up with it. But, it’s killing him. I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m really not. And, you seem great. But, he’s great too. He deserves the best. He deserves sunshine. And, so do you.”

Until at the end when they actually stop dancing all together. He has to really look at and listen to what Elena says about Kip. Because he’s clearly been oblivious to Kip’s suffering or he realizes it and is unwilling to change. Which is worse? To be honest, he truly seems shocked by what she tells him which means he was oblivious to Kip’s distress.

What is telling of Kip’s characters is that he understands Scott’s position:“I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m really not.” One gay man can understand another gay man’s hesitation about coming out especially if Scott believes coming out in hockey would be the end of his career. Kip isn’t mad that Scott to come out and Kip doesn’t want Scott to do something Scott isn’t comfortable doing. But, Kip needs Scott to know that he deserves equal or greater status in Scott’s life than hockey: “He deserves the best. He deserves sunshine.” And, if Scott can’t come out, then Kip will probably leave. Kip really understands that might be their reality. But, Kip doesn’t want to leave. He wants Scott to come out too. The closet steals so much joy from lives and Kip wants Scott to step out of the closet for Scott’s own sake, not just Kip’: “And, so do you.” It is easy to understand why so many fans of this series love this particular episode. Kip’s endearing nature, his staunch confidence in his sexuality, and the supportive network he created are the envy of even the most well-adjusted person.

This last part where Elena demands a better reality for them both is not fully realized yet as it lays over a scene of Scott getting into a limo by himself and picking Kip up at the back entrance. The truth of what Elena lays out for Scott does not seem to hit Scott until he gets into that limo alone and sits in the discomfort of what he’s about to do. He’s about to pick up Kip separately instead of getting into the limo together for everyone to see. And Kip still worries he might accidentally out Scott. He looks left and right before entering the limo to make sure no one watches him climb in.

What’s even worse is later we see a flashback in which Scott in his speech can’t even hint to the party guests that there is more to Scott than hockey. “Hockey is everything” he says to those rich donors. And, while this really sells the story of why they should donate more to this organization to support youth in hockey that might not be able to afford it, it tells the TV audience and Kip that Kip isn’t even a blip on Scott’s radar of importance. Whatever hockey demands will always supersede what Kip needs and deserves. He knows his place.

This whole dance encapsulates their romantic relationship from the beginning of episode 3 through episode 5. At first it’s fun (Scott twirls Elena around and even dips her!). Then cracks start to show because of how trapped and invisible Kip feels in this relationship (once they find their rhythm the reality starts to set in). And, the relationship finally stops right after this fundraiser scene (Elena and Scott stop dancing) because Scott still doesn’t understand the imbalance. Or, he does but does not have the courage to change anything in their relationship. While the hockey game scene in episode 5 implies they are back together, I think because their dance ends at a stand-still and how the shots cut to them later getting into the limo separately, we can assume their relationship reaches a stalemate somewhere between the end of episode 3 and the end of episode 5. Though, we never really see how their dance ends, no longer are they growing together. They are stuck until Scott changes or acquiesces to Kip’s realistic expectations.

I’m still so thankful that Tierney let Kip leave Scott. Scott has some growing up to do.

So, if Elena introduced Kip as ‘Christopher’ did this help Scott finally ‘see’ Kip for what he is worth? Definitely not during the fundraiser because boy did we all feel that slap in the face when Scott says hockey is everything to him with his secret boyfriend standing right there in front of everyone. We also don’t get any sort of recognition of this in the scene after the fundraiser when Scott refuses to come to Kip’s birthday party at a gay bar. Scott really doesn’t seem to get it until ‘Christopher’ leaves him that night.

Or, maybe identifying himself as ‘Christopher’, Kip finally recognizes his own self-worth and musters up the courage to leave.

Authors take great care when naming characters. In this odd position where Reid created the story and characters while Tierney adds scenes and more meaning to these characters in the film, I think he correctly leaned into the importance of Elena in Kip’s life when he expanded her role. Elena’s name means ‘shining light’. She is the light by which Kip follows. She is foundational to his existence and she, his mind, finally stood up for him against Scott. What a great fit.

Tierney knows how to write a female character and Nadine Bhabha, who plays Elena, really came through! We are going to eventually tackle more of these powerful female characters later. Tierney uses them to further these character’s lives but also adds deeper layers to how we understand Shane and Ilya.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

I debated on adding this shot above but eventually did add it because its Kip’s heart and mind flanking him at the most pivotable scene in this whole series.

At the end of episode 5 “I’ll Believe in Anything” Scott Hunter comes back on the scene to win the World Cup. He apparently invited Kip to this important game and gave him extra tickets to attend with anyone he chooses. We, the audience, aren’t privy to where Kip and Scott are in their relationship. But, I would guess they came to some new place of understanding and maybe even started seeing each other again with very specific expectations outlined by Kip for their future. Because he left for a very specific reason and we all hope he only re-enters into a relationship with Scott under very specific conditions. Also, why else would Kip be at that game if it wasn’t important to both Scott and Kip to be there. Additionally, would Scott know where to look in the audience if Kip wasn’t the recipient of his personal tickets?

As Scott’s team wins the Cup, Elena, his mind, consoles him. She knows that Kip might struggle with not being accepted on the ice to celebrate with Scott and the other families. But, can also acknowledge Kip’s pride in his boyfriend’s (?) accomplishment.

But, dad, his heart, is a different story because, George does’t know they’re in a relationship. He observes his son react emotionally to this win when he should just be joyful like other fans. He sees his son staring affectionately at Scott Hunter on the ice. Dad curiously thinks, “What is going on? My son is staring at this man as if they are something to each other even though I’m not aware of it. Wait a second! Why do we have such good seats?!” I have no idea about that last part but can you imagine what George thinks in the moment?

The audience knows that George has no idea that Scott and Kip were together or even are possibly together right now. His reaction as a dad is valid from our perspective if you didn’t know his true purpose in this show as Kip’s heart. Is Kip happy that someone significant to Kip on the ice just won? Because, the only people winning are men. George knows that Kip is gay but not that he is dating a hockey player. Could Kip be secretly dating a hockey player? Specifically Scott Hunter?

His reaction as a heart character is a little more complicated. I think his heart here is curious about why Kip is so emotional. His heart checks in with Kip to see if this is something to be happy or sad about. As a fully realized character, Kip can express both happiness that Scott won and sadness that he still sits in the stands as if just a fan. Seconds later though George smiles towards Kip as Scott beckons Kip onto the ice. That smile indicates that Kip’s heart IS happy because Kip can go onto the ice to celebrate with Scott at his side as his partner. Kip’s heart finally knows their relationship is going to be okay. In fact, more than okay as Kip stumbles down the path to get onto the ice which ends in a kiss with Scott for the whole world to see. Kip finally gets everything he deserves and so does Scott. No more confusion from the heart character. They finally get their sunshine!

When I started this article, I didn’t expect to tease more layers out of the dance scene. That really caught me by surprise. I knew that Kip’s mind needed to lay out the reality of the situation to Scott but I didn’t catch that the dance also represented their entire relationship we see on screen minus the kiss in episode 5. Additionally, Kip’s mind metaphorically ‘dances’ around Scott’s ego to get his point across. Three meanings in one: brilliant. Any additional subtext discovery is a welcome find even if it makes the article longer than I intended and a later release date than intended.

Notably, as mentioned before, we don’t see two female characters in Kip’s life that are present in the book: Kip’s mom and sister. Tierney knew he had to show us as many layers as possible of Kip in the limited amount of screen time we have with Kip by utilizing Heart and Mind characters. If Tierney leaned too heavily into his family, there wouldn’t be enough time to show us his friends and vice versa. So, Tierney showed us a fuller picture of Kip as a happy gay man in a supportive community by using one family member, dad, and one friend, Elena, as Heart and Mind characters. Which is why I, respectfully, accused Tierney of lying about why we don’t see Kip’s mom (or sister) in the show. They wouldn’t have given us much more information about Kip and Tierney needed every second of screen time in episode 3 to show us how amazing Kip is. This is one reason book to film adaptations are changed. Not, every reason though.

Let’s end at the beginning: that apology. Kip leaves Scott at their apartment after Scott won’t even consider attending Kip’s birthday party at the gay bar. He wanders around the city finally ending up back at his childhood home. George meets him at the door and proceeds to catch him up on the mail delivery which he knows Kip has been asking for. Kip doesn’t respond as he expected which stops George’s rambling and he quickly assess the situation. His son comes home after weeks of staying at ‘Elena’s place’ wearing a suit that isn’t Kip’s with the bowtie undone. Kip can’t even say anything. We know he’s probably on the brink of tears even if George doesn’t but he can tell something is very wrong. This dad is incredibly in tune with his son.

Dad: “Hey, my boy. Come here. What’s up?”

Without even saying anything to his dad, Kip falls into George’s welcoming arms. He begins to cry even before they make contact.

Dad: “Oh, hey!”

Kip: “I’m sorry.”

Dad: “For what? You have nothing to be sorry for silly.”

Excuse me? What?!

Now that we know that George represents Kip’s heart, here we have Kip realizing where he went wrong. He had been ignoring his heart. Remember he was physically living separately from his heart only checking in sporadically by phone. On the phone we hear George insist Kip call him more and remember that dad loves him and to remember to love dad in return (his heart is saying to love himself). Kip had been pushing his heart away because his love for Scott outshone the harm done to Kip until it didn’t. Until Elena, Kip’s mind, took Scott for a dance instead of the other way around. Kip had to connect with both his mind and heart to remember his true self. He let his mind finally in by telling Scott he needed more. Now he has to apologize to himself, his heart, his dad for not remembering his worth.

And, his heart forgives him just like that. Dad says to Kip that he didn’t need to apologize. Dad understood his absence and isn’t mad about it. No questions asked! We love George here. We love Kip here, too. Yes, we do.

So, yeah. That’s the scene where the subtext began to reveal itself, the apology. Layer after layer of subtext fell into place like pieces of a puzzle that is this show Heated Rivalry. And, while we didn’t end up at the cottage, we will eventually get there again.

If you had to pick for my next writing topic, would you like to read about what Alexei represents or Svetlana? They’re both new concepts and entirely different uses in film we haven’t discussed yet. Or, Rose Landry? The sky is the limit.

Feeling Wet?

How Heated Rivalry filmmakers use water in subtext.

Have you seen The Great Flood on Netflix? A young mom attempts to rescue herself and her child from the rising waters caused by relentless city-smashing tsunamis. She loses her son in the chaos and realizes that he has died. But, she wakes up, presumably the next day, to the same scenario, her son is alive and she is faced with the same harrowing task of saving her small family. This happens over and over again; Think Groundhog’s Day but with very wet life and death choices. We soon find out her mission is to understand how a human would and should react to each dilemma she encounters. Every time the audience sees her make the right choice that drastically alters the events we see on screen, another tsunami hits, unlocking another layer of horrors. We learn she is part of a simulation and we can tell just how many times the simulation starts over by the number that climbs higher and higher on her shirt. It’s a staggeringly high number. Human emotions are not easy to understand.

The appearance of another tsunami demonstrates that she engaged in the correct human emotion that led her to make that right decision that saved lives, reunited families, or killed the enemies. She, or this simulation, was learning how to feel. She was literally drenched in her feelings. This summary is not a ringing endorsement for this film. Honestly, I felt waterboarded with this metaphor. Seeing the characters constantly drenched and wading in knee-deep water only made me wonder how much chafing the actors were subjected to. But, if you’ve never noticed water in film before used to represent something other than water, this should have been the movie that clued you in.

Many movies and films use water to demonstrate feelings. Water serves important emotional roles in film but film makers use it many different ways: The iconic kiss from The Notebook where rain falls down around the lovers representing joy, reconciliation of past misunderstandings, and starting anew; Disney’s Moana where water acts as an important member of their village providing food, comfort, adventure and a fair bit of comedic timing; in Jaws where water instills terror and hides a killer provoking fear of the ocean for many in real life too. When you find water in most films, it usually represents feelings.

Some feelings are simple like the pride of landing your perfect job or the pain of a broken heart from a relationship that didn’t last. Though other feelings can be hard to define. Even when we can put words to them, sometimes describing something like fear, love, sadness, or joy is intangible at best and often different for each individual. Emotions do not always exist in a vacuum either. We can be joyful on the day of the birth of our child and also feel immense sadness that a grandparent passed away before meeting their grandchild. Sometimes we can’t even verbalize our feelings leaving us confused but we know we’re feeling those feelings.

When an internal monologue in the form of a written narrative is not available, how can a filmmaker present to the audience a feeling a character experiences without them turning to the camera or another character and saying “I’m sad”? Of course a director can hope the actor shows those emotions on screen but sometimes the scene doesn’t allow for a character to reveal those feelings through their facial expressions, dialogue or blocking. In these instances there is a gap between what we see or hear and what we are supposed to understand in the scene. Subtext fills in those gaps.

Since this series is based on a novel, many fans insist one has to read the novel in order to understand Ilya’s and Shane’s unspoken thoughts. But, that is where film subtext fills in holes when dialogue isn’t possible. Having read the book series by Rachel Reid has helped me uncover some of the subtext, I don’t know that either is more informative. Reading books and watching films are just different mediums.

My daughter read a novel and she instinctively knew there was subtext layered through it all. As an inspiring writer she got curious when I started chatting about subtext in film and how it can be employed in writing as well. It became her mission to figure out how to use it in her own writing. She asked me to read that same book so we could try to figure it out together. I don’t read as much as I should these days. Actually, I haven’t physically read a book since before I started learning about film subtext. But, authors employ similar techniques as filmmakers. In case you were wondering, the book is “If He Had Been with Me” by Laura Nowlin. And, we found metaphors in tables, tiaras, cars, and more. It was quite fun taking it apart with her. Even though this book is for teens, it ripped my heart out of my chest and tore it into little pieces. I still shudder when she brings it up.

Subtext hides everywhere in art waiting for you to discover it.

While water is not as obviously depicted in Heated Rivalry as it is in other films using this metaphor, we should know water is used by filmmakers to show feelings and be on the lookout for it whenever possible.

As a fun little exercise, try to think of all of the ways you might encounter water in real life. Go ahead and stop looking at this screen and make a list. Here are a few to start: rain, drinking water from a cup, a swimming pool, a lake, snow, and ice. Water doesn’t have to appear in just liquid form; solid forms of water are helpful too. Now that you’ve taken the time to think a little about water, surely you named more than my paltry list there.

Well, filmmakers can use all of those ways in which we encounter water in real life to show a feeling in film. Surely you’ve seen one of the most cliche-y uses of water on film: a heavy downpour when a character ugly cries in their sadness. Thankfully Jacob Tierney, the director of Heated Rivalry, avoids this tired trope (mostly). I encourage you to stop reading here and go look for water in all of its forms in Heated Rivalry and decipher what each instance means.

But, since you’re still here, we can do it together. That’s fine. I’m happy to oblige you. Maybe you did try the challenge on your own and will have some overlap with the examples I list below. Either way, let’s dive in. (Pun intended.) Oh, and just like the list above that includes only a few examples of water in real life, we will only go through a few, and maybe a few more, significant water examples in Heated Rivalry. You can go find more once we’re done here and post in the comments.

In one of the first scenes Shane and Ilya interact privately in the gym at their hotel where they ‘compete’ on the stationary bikes and then collapse in front of the mirrors from exhaustion, water is everywhere if you know where to look. Even though we’ve seen shots of them playing hockey with narrations of how the story will unfold and we saw a little bit flirting in the opening scene where Ilya can’t light his cigarette, this time Shane and Ilya are highly aware they are together, in private and very alone; They understand just how talented each other is in hockey, that they have been pitted against each other by the hockey world, and unbeknownst to the other, are mildly attracted to each other. Did we not all see Shane almost fall off of his bike when he realized Ilya took to riding next to him?

Pictures from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Now that these young men rode their bikes into a near cardiac arrest, they are huffing and puffing their way to a slower heart rate in front of that mirror. (If you have yet to read the mirror article some of the next bits might be confusing. I encourage you to pause here and read that article before returning here.) What do we see dripping from their every pore? Sweat. Sweat is 99% water. We don’t need to go into the details of that other 1%, right? Because we are really here just for the water.

I can see you yelling “Of course they’re sweating! They just sprinted on those bikes for longer than we imagined ever watching on film. They are going to sweat.” My counter would be “Sure, but the filmmakers made sure we saw them sweaty…on purpose…. and not for just the sake of realism. Look at what they’re sitting in front of: that huge mirror hiding something. They are drenched in water and trying to hide from those feelings in front of that mirror.”

Filming takes time, new shots with new cameras can take long periods of precious filming time, if not hours to set up. Between camera setups, Storrie’s and Williams’s (real or not) sweat would have dried. Someone sprayed them down with water multiple times to make sure we saw sweat dripping down Shane’s and Ilya’s bodies.

What does that dripping water represent? Their desire for each other.

I can tell you’re not convinced yet. That’s okay.

Because of how Tierney shot that mirror scene with intense close-ups of arms, legs, necks, and lips mostly from Shane’s point of view, we know Shane not only shares admiration of Ilya’s hockey talent but also of his physical body. Likely, this is the same for Ilya as well. The bolder of the two, Ilya, engages in a conversation about their future hockey teams and respective cities to gauge Shane’s interest in this dynamic. Will Shane bolt at the slightest suggestion of flirting or play along with him? Noticing Shane doesn’t have any water to drink after that mini cycling competition, Ilya finds a way to test those limits when he encourages, nay demands, Shane drink water from Ilya’s water bottle. We see a little bit of the beginning of their soft dom/sub relationship here. (Please go read about this on your own if you’re not sure what this means. Knowing more about this type of relationship will inform you about their dynamic in bed. But, I’m sure I’ll have to address it more in depth in a later article.) Ilya tests how far he can push Shane with drinking water and Shane complies. The demands are not unrealistic. Once Ilya stops making demands, Shane stops drinking. Shane does not bolt.

Wait, I did just write ‘water’ there. Ilya demands Shane drink the water, drink his feelings. Ilya encourages Shane to honor those feelings of (hidden) desire and soft obedience to Ilya even if Shane thinks he manages to hide those feelings from Ilya and himself (I mean, there is that huge mirror there). How long did Shane look at Ilya’s lips and neck? And, Ilya absolutely caught Shane raking his eye down towards Ilya’s crotch. But, Ilya makes sure Shane understands Ilya’s intention here with that obvious finger brush over the bottle both of the times they pass the bottle between each other. Everything about that scene screams desire and discovery down to the positions they sit in to the long un-broken eye contact to Ilya’s parting wink.

That mirror plays a large part in this interaction too. This world they are in, the toxic masculine hockey world where gay slurs are launched in the locker rooms regularly, does not allow for sexual desire of the male variety. Admitting those feelings to themselves is hard enough, though maybe harder for Shane, but admitting those feelings to each other seems impossible. In a different (non-hockey influenced) world and different time, this interaction would probably end with both of them in a hotel room together. However, those feelings have to be hidden and pushed down never to be spoken of again.

Gay male hook-up culture can be fast and impersonal. Though, that is not true for all gay men it is a huge feature of this culture. And, here’s where I’m going to make sure we all know that I’m not judging this behavior. I believe part of the reason why this exists is baked into the biology of how females and males roles differ in reproduction in most mammals.

The short of my thoughts on this is that female bodies are required for the lengthy and highly resource-dependent act of producing and raising the next generation. Males are generally only needed for a few seconds to perpetuate the next generation and then they move on with their life without a thought about what happens later.

Anecdotally, I see females of many different species carefully select who they allow near them. Their behaviours reflect cautious choices about how far they venture from home and they tend to be more careful about any new environmental stimulus. Conversely, I see the males in my life explore farther from home, take more chances, trust everyone and everything around them.

Layer onto that the patriarchy established by humans and we see a largely half of our population (the men) with little or no expectation of doing the hard work of raising families with the mother or maintaining close bonds with their children even if they are completely capable of being equal caregivers. This biological take that male bodies are largely expendable isn’t an excuse for men’s lack of commitment to caring for the young but it is a reason.

And, I AM judging men here who do not think that they need to care (or do just the bare minimum) for their children and the children’s mother. Men are highly capable of nurturing and caring for their children. Patriarchy really is the culprit here behind this social construct and it requires men to deconstruct their role in this culture in order to overcome these behaviors and dismantle patriarchy altogether.

(There is a distinction of some terms that I hope you are tracking. When I say ‘female’ and ‘male’, the discussion is not limited to humans. When I say ‘women’ and ‘men’, it is.)

Essentially, men’s bodies are expendable. Sorry guys. I didn’t make the rules - evolution did. So, if male bodies are not as important for the future of a species then they aren’t instinctively as cautious with their own bodies. This is all subconscious stuff here. You ever heard of the Darwin Awards? It’s a take on how evolution works in which those who partake in careless acts die young therefore removing their genes from the next generation. They have naturally selected themselves out of the gene pool. Who do we see consistently featured in these awards? Men.

For humans, women are more cautious because the worst thing that can happen to a man on a date is that he could be rejected by said woman; The worst thing that could happen to a woman on a date is that she could be killed by said man. This leads to a culture where men who have sex with men can often do so fast and sometimes without even a proper introduction. There is, usually, no power imbalance. They are able to engage in sexual intimacy without the fear of bodily harm by their sexual partner or the potential to have a future child to take care of.

Listen, I’m definitely still an amateur in many areas of my life and some anthropologist or sociologist of queer culture might come here to blast my very underdeveloped theory about gay male hookup culture. I’m fine with that really. This whole writing adventure is just for fun. No one is quoting me in their next dissertation on queer culture, or shouldn’t, at least. I think I will be alright. But we came here to talk about water representing feelings and I’m afraid I’ve gone too far off topic already. Let’s get back to Ilya and Shane.

(Do I need to put in a bit here about how women can engage in impersonal hookups as well and that’s just fine too? No, this is about gay hockey. I should go back to talking about gay hockey.)

The first shot of the Sochi Winter Olympics pops on the screen at about the 14:45 mark in “Olympians” episode 2. The first shot shows a beautiful snow covered mountain which sets the stage for a new location and a new experience beyond the typical circuit of the hockey games they play. The characters compete in the Olympics in teams based on their national origin instead of the professional hockey league teams that employ them. Ilya, obviously, will play for Russia and Shane for Canada.(Bonus points for a Scott Hunter and Carter Vaughn appearance representing the USA.) The next shot shows what the filmmakers want us to know are happenings at the Olympics: Lots of skiers, snow, people milling around and… is that a frozen river back to the left?

What whiplash! Ilya just left Shane (and us) all warm and fuzzy after that stairwell kiss moments before in the run of the show. This was his first experience bottoming (I feel like I can probably skip over explaining this considering you watched the show and saw what happened. Right?!) with what felt like the longest 2 years of his (our?) life. By the look on his face, it was one of the best experiences of his life. Then the shot immediately cuts to this icy, rocky landscape that we know occurs just a few months later in their lives but literally seconds after in our experience of the show. If you’re reading subtext in real time, you would sit up and point to the screen and yell “Why do we see so much frozen water?! Warning! Warning!” There are a dozen other ways to introduce the Winter Olympics that don’t include so much snow and so many jagged peaks. Yes, yes. It’s the Winter Olympics. So, of course they had to show snow and ice. But, did they have to show that much snow? It literally takes up ¾ of the screen.

Something that my friends and I bantered back and forth about was the distinction between the icy surface of the hockey rink versus the ice and snow in the Olympics. We agreed to take care with connecting ice to the metaphor of feelings because the whole premise of the show is that these fellas meet on the ice because….hockey.

Filmmakers try to consistently use metaphors throughout their series or film. If ice represents one thing throughout the series it should represent that in every instance shown. Logically then ice on the hockey rink should represent ice in a cup or the ice in the rink of an ice skating competition and so on and so on. But, I think we can look at the act of playing hockey on ice separately from the ways in which ice and snow are presented in Sochi and other scenes in Heated Rivalry.

If we consider the range of emotions Shane and Ilya have with and for each other playing hockey, we can assume that the ice in the ice hockey rink is just part of the scenery. There isn’t one consistent theme of feelings on the rink to make a definitive stance about how that ice connects to their feelings. That ice never changes but their feelings do.

However, if we think about the change from cozy stairwell kiss to the frigid introduction to the Olympics, we can probably make some new connections between feelings and this specific ice and snow. Think about what is happening between Shane and Ilya in Sochi. Ilya is indifferent towards Shane at best and daggers of ice towards him at worst. We know as an audience that Russia is not safe for queer people. Ilya definitely knows this and it seems like Shane also finally catches on to that. However, the last time we see Shane and Ilya together was one of their best experiences yet. They parted, feeling content and probably anticipating when they could see each other again. While their communication in the stairwell wasn’t entirely forthcoming, with Ilya not giving many details about his family dynamics, their communication during sex couldn’t have been clearer.

Shane’s new awareness of the danger Ilya is in (thank you Carter Vaughn) prompts Shane to reach out to Ilya by text. He’s not even trying to coordinate a hookup. Shane is genuinely concerned about Ilya as a person he knows and just wants to check in on him like a coworker might. Forget about the ‘with benefits’ part. That isn’t Shane’s goal with his text or during the meeting at the ice skating competition. Ilya rejects Shane harshly which doesn’t make sense to Shane nor the audience. Shane considers it would be acceptable for two hockey players on different teams to speak casually to each other at the Olympics (and so do we). Ilya’s icy cold demeanor doesn’t track with how their relationship has evolved or, even, if they were just having a collegial chat. Just look at that face of disgust. (Did anyone notice the snowflakes above their heads?)

Now we could surmise that Ilya is protecting himself from the suspicion of being queer and, by extension, also protecting Shane. But, again, Ilya’s reaction doesn’t match the expectation that Ilya would at least speak to Shane cordially when Shane reaches him at the upper parts of that stadium. Is Ilya trying to ‘ice out’ Shane completely to move on? Did he get too close to the sun with his desire-turned-more for Shane and realize he has to douse himself in an ice cold shower to quell his feelings. He is back in Russia after all, away from the cocoon of the queer peace that is Canada and in growing parts of the US during this time. (While same-sex marriage was dependent on each state during the Sochi Olympics, the Obergefell v Hodges court decision would allow for same-sex marriage at the federal level in the US in 2015, one year after the Sochi Olympics.) Does Ilya think that if he is cruel enough to Shane, Shane will walk away from whatever this is between them? He’s tried this tactic before and they still couldn’t stay away from each other. Will it work this time?

(For a comparison of Queer rights in Russia to include the the timeline of Heated Rivalry read here. Thank you for that link divi.)

We also have to consider that Ilya is often in turmoil when he is in Russia due to his family’s cruelty. Set aside how they would treat him if they knew he was queer. (In that bridge monologue Ilya admits to the audience that Alexei hates Ilya just ‘for existing’. That is a sentiment heard by queer people from homophobics often. Their mere existence is a reason to be hated. While I can’t prove that is what Ilya truly means, considering Tierney, a gay man, wrote that line as it was not in the book, I believe that is at least part of the reason that line exists.) They treat him as a verbal punching bag, as a bank and also, by his dad, a trophy to show off. Grigori’s son is, after all, one of the most talented players in the league. Well, this time Ilya is a disgraced hockey player son because he captained their team to a loss against Latvia.

And, the one thing that could bring him joy in Russia died when he was 12. One could also speculate that Grigori and Alexei despise Ilya because he reminds them of Irina. Alexei, at least, lost his mother alongside Ilya and if Ilya looks anything like Irina, Ilya is a constant reminder of that loss. And, of course, Ilya’s accomplishments are a constant reminder of Alexei’s own shortcomings.

The only thing that is important or consistent in Russia is the hockey which he plays for the Olympics. Everything else is a pain.

Except at this moment which has never happened before for him: Shane is here in Russia with him. Shane brings Ilya so much joy and love while everything else in Russia, besides hockey, brings him pain. It’s difficult to hold those two things at the same time when he can’t even do that; he can’t hold Shane literally at the same time he is one of the most talented hockey players in the world. The joy Shane brings in his life in Russia is not allowed. He is crushed by his feelings for Shane because he’s never been in love before and doesn’t know what to do with these feelings. He can’t live openly, or even covertly, in a relationship with Shane that could be the industry’s best kept secret because it is not allowed in hockey. And, he can’t be in a relationship openly, or covertly, with Shane “because Russia”. So, even though Shane brings Ilya so much joy and love, everything beyond the tight bubble of these two men in love is so painful. And, Russia is an immediate and painful reminder of that reality.

Safely we can say that ice and snow in Russia represent the cold and distant, even cruel, way that Ilya treats Shane. His feelings have to be cold and distant in order for Ilya to be able to get through his brief time in Russia. And, maybe if he is cruel enough, Shane will cut ties and this conundrum Ilya finds himself in will all be over even if that means he will never be with Shane. Can we never go back to Russia please?

There are two more references to water in Russia but occur in the bathroom scene that are worthy to mention but don’t need much analysis as we understand now what ice and snow mean for Ilya and Shane in Russia. When Sasha is introduced he is literally snorting ‘snow’, a nickname for cocaine. Also, Sasha, for most of that shot, is in a receptacle for water, or a receptacle for feelings, a bathtub. And, that receptacle is completely dry or empty. We can surmise that Ilya does not have feelings for Sasha at all. To Sasha’a chagrin, Ilya signals verbally and physically that sex will definitely not occur in that bathroom or anywhere else. Whatever Svetlana was trying to rekindle there was not going to happen.

As discussed in the article, Ginger Ale is a metaphor for Shane’s homosexuality, we determined vodka represents Ilya. After Ilya wins MVP in “Olympians” episode 2, Shane finds himself in Ilya’s hotel room. Ilya demands Shane ‘perform’ for him while Ilya drinks a glass of vodka - “This is a good hotel. Really nice vodka. Is hard to find in America.”

This is a new situation for Shane. Shane feels a little uncomfortable performing but concedes to Ilya’s demands. Their dynamic in the beginning of this series and sprinkled throughout in later scenes reflects soft Dom/Sub roles. Shane knows that Ilya won’t demand something completely out of Shane’s comfort and Shane can always say “no” to anything asked of him. The fandom calls Ilya ‘The Consent King’. He checks in with Shane to make sure Shane still agrees with whatever they are doing at that moment and never pressures Shane to do something Shane doesn’t want to do. While those rules still apply to this scene, the distance between them literally reflects the distance between them figuratively. What was before a loving and physically close sexual experience at the top of this episode, now seems cold and detached. In the article Introductions and Cigarettes, we discussed that the unlit cigarette represents how the spark dies between them when Ilya has to go back to Russia. So much about Russia wrecks Ilya and he has to find a way to get rid of these feelings for Shane. I don’t think anyone viewing that scene felt anything but awful for Shane’s confusion and maybe a little angry at Ilya’s treatment of Shane. But, we also understand Ilya’s battle as well. He has to figure out a way to stop these feelings for Shane.

What tiny water clue from the top of this scene informs us of Ilya’s feelings? Did you say ‘ice’? Same-independent8120 on Reddit broke down some of the Russian aspects of the show as she speaks Russian and enough English to enjoy Heated Rivalry. She mentioned that Russians do not drink vodka on ice, rather they drink it chilled. Other countries do drink vodka on ice, especially North America where this series was created. We have to decide if this choice of vodka on rocks made by the filmmakers (because Connor Storrie did not decide to put ice in that glass) was just a default choice due to what they know about serving vodka in North America OR if the ice in the vodka was there to fill in the gaps of the text.

By now you should pick “ ‘or’, definitely ‘or’ ”. That ice is there to tell us how Ilya feels at this moment about his own feelings for Shane. Remember how we talked about how vodka represents Ilya? This Ilya is cold and aloof here. He is not cruel to Shane like he was in Russia but the loving connection Shane expected seems lost especially after Ilya reassured him in the bathroom after during the awards ceremony just a few scenes before. If he is cold to Shane maybe Shane will, over time, lose interest in Ilya and they can just be rivals-without-benefits. Not having a sexual relationship with Shane fixes many of Ilya’s problems even if it will break Ilya’s heart to not be together. And, as Shane attempts and fails to craft a text to say “goodbye” to Ilya for the summer, we can all agree their relationship is on the rocks.

Sometimes when I start an article, I’ll write down a list of scenes I want to discuss. The next note here was “Shower scene”. It was one of the last scenes I wrote even though it’s not the last scene of this article. I don’t know why I did that. Remember, I’m not a writer. Why does any writer write about what they write about and in what order do they write it? (That felt very Dr. Seuss-ish.) Anyways, now that I’m back to writing about this “Shower scene” I don’t remember which scene won in my brain: the scene in a public shower after the commercial shoot in episode 1 or the scene in a private shower embedded in a montage in episode 4.

To me the public shower scene in episode 1 might warrant its own article later because it is packed to the brim with historical nods to gay hookup culture. So, we’ll just stick to the private shower scene in episode 4. I will not provide you with a picture of this one (unless I start putting these articles behind a paywall) but you can find it at the 3 minute mark and it lasts for 6 seconds. Considering the shot is short we can only infer a little bit about the scene. But, here we go.

To say the least, they are both very wet and are both experiencing an array of emotions.

To say the most, we see this 6 second shot tucked among a grouping of narrative shots that tells us a story about their hockey performances, their individual interests, and their almost constant hookups whenever they are in the same city.

Their hockey playing is on point with Shane’s team winning two world cups over a few years of their lives. When they can play together they covertly flirt, finding ways to be close by slamming each other into the boards, and watch each other’s every move on the ice. However, they both seem to lose interest in their normal hobbies or obligations outside of hockey; Ilya clubbing and finding women to bed and Shane reading and building his brand image with product endorsement obligations. Their friends notice they are more distracted than normal and they each constantly check their phone for new messages from the other. It’s implied those old interests and obligations take a backseat to their new interest which is each other. Additionally, their sex life is better than ever when they have a chance to be together.

This narrative story happens in the short 6 minute intro before the Heated Rivalry title hits the screen for “Rose” episode 4. Tierney paints a picture that hockey remains their central focus but they begin to experience this all-consuming infatuation with each other that overshadows almost everything else in their lives and sex is their main way of communicating at this point. (After 28 years of this reality, I feel called out by this show. I’m literally obsessed with my partner to this day while everything else is optional. Well, besides the kids. We have to pay attention to them. Ironically when we were younger several well-meaning adults noticed and cautioned me against our obvious infatuation with each other. If only they knew…..)

We can clearly state that the shower scene shows us in the subtext what we see on camera: They are falling for each other, their feelings being showered on top of them, and they don’t want to admit it. Admitting their feelings for each other would breach a wall they have fiercely defended of keeping this with-benefits situation just that: Sex without feelings or commitment. Because their life is hockey and there is no gay sex or gay romantic feelings in hockey. But, with all of those showery feelings falling on them, it will be harder and harder to deny their love for each other. (A nice little setup for the Tuna Melt scene.)

While we’re on this water adventure, I encourage you to try to spy each time they have wet hair, especially after they have sex. If you have a less than stellar quality video it might be difficult to tell but often one or both of them take showers right after sex per their wet hair. Ilya once announced it in episode 2. Other times we have to look at the clues in the scene to understand a shower occurred. Logistically that makes sense, some acts of sex are messy that require a freshen up. But, after we’re done here with this article, you’ll probably understand why it was important for us to see wet hair. Remember, everything you see in film is a choice. Tierney did not have to show us heads shiny with water or towels wrapped around bodies after sex implying showers occurred. If we see wet hair or bodies, we know some feelings are happening here and since they really don’t start communicating until the cottage, they aren’t showing each other their feelings either. Thank goodness for subtext though. We got your number Ilya. You’re the first one to take a shower and drip those happy feelings for Shane all over him.

One of the most adorable series of scenes in Heated Rivalry is during the Allstar Game Weekend in “I’ll Believe in Anything” episode 5. We see Shane looking a updated in a new style approach Ilya at the bar. Shane tries his best to break through Ilya’s cold exterior and Ilya finds out that Shane flew solo with neither a girlfriend nor parent in sight. At the end of the scene they understand that they can potentially proceed with some stolen moments later in their hotel rooms. But, first we see Shane lounge by the pool while Ilya shows us his more playful sides engaging in pool games with the children of the hockey players for this weekend. There is so much to see and understand in the subtext during this scene but we should stick to water for now.

Before we get too far though please listen to the end of the scene at the bar where Ilya has to cover his mouth as Shane walks away. Moments before they fell back into their normal bantering dynamic and Shane confirmed he is single. At that moment the music cuts to a fast thumping beat to a composition by Peter Peter named *checks notes* “Hollonav”. We are to understand this is Ilya’s (or, maybe both of their) heartbeat(s).

Ilya’s heartbeat takes off like he is running a race. It occurs to Ilya that he has a chance with Shane when earlier he had convinced himself Shane would move on from their secret relationship and find a nice woman to settle down with (and that current someone is Rose Landry). Ilya struggles to control his grin as he realizes this weekend will not be the nightmare he envisioned watching Rose drip all over Shane showcasing their perfect relationship. And, can he hope for something after Ilya all but confessed his love for Shane in the Tuna Melt scene in “Rose” episode 4? I don’t know about you but my heart is beating fast for Ilya.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

But, there are two things I want you to hear, the beat and the splash. The song flows over several scenes unrelated to each other but thematically connect together; the games at the pool and the All-Star game they all came for. This particular composition shows us that Ilya and Shane are on the same page: covertly flirting, openly talking with each other around other people which they have never done besides a press conference years previously, playing on the same team (but not just playing, their smiles and the shots of smooth puck maneuvers between them indicate this is the most fun they’ve had in a long time on the ice and the best they’ve ever played with anyone), and openly praising each other’s skill on the ice.

The splash introduces us to the next scene where Ilya plays in the pool with the kids. Even though we don’t yet see any water looking at Ilya’s satisfied and expectant expression, we know by the sound that we hear splashing water. This filming technique is called a J cut where the sound of a new scene is heard before the current scene concludes. The sound usually does not match what we see in the current scene but it cues our brain to prepare for a new and entirely different scene next.

If we’re following along here with this water metaphor, and specifically, the liquid variety of water, we know that liquid water represents very good feelings in each of them for the other. That splashing sound occurring in a scene with just Ilya sitting there in the wake of Shane’s departure indicates to us he is very happy about what just unfolded and what will come of this weekend.

The next scene cuts to Shane lying by the poolside while Ilya is neck deep in all of that liquidy water. Ilya’s enthusiasm and hope are as consuming as that water is deep. What transpires in the pool on the surface is just a fun guy entertaining the team members’ kids. But, if you listen to the dialogue one more time you might just hear Ilya forecasting the future. He promises the kids “Okay. And, I will not be losing this time.” You got that right Ilya. You won the game of Shane’s heart and no one, not even Rose Landry, will beat you.

Ilya fakes a loss to the kids claiming a shark attack. We see him act like a shark is dragging him down below the water and he’s struggling to get to the end of the pool where the race ends. What we’re seeing here is future Ilya struggling with his feelings about their relationship. Even if he knows that he loves Shane (drowning in that pool of feelings) and wants to continue their previous arrangement of secret rendezvous, he’s not sure how to express it or even know how to hope that there could be something more (unable to reach the end of the race) between them. While he doesn’t lose Shane this time, he really struggles to accept and express his feelings.

And, a couple of scenes later in the hotel room Shane confesses all of his feelings; he admits he’s gay, which is hard to admit for him, he apologizes twice for the way he left abruptly after the Tuna Melt scene and he confesses that “I like you a little too much.” Shane has been putting the work in! While all of these feelings are hard to confess, he does anyway. He needs Ilya to know exactly where Shane stands right now, which is honestly considering what a true relationship could look like together, not just clandestine hookups three or four times a year. He got a taste of what a relationship could feel like with Rose and that’s what he hopes he could have with Ilya. What could a relationship like Rose’s and Shane’s look like WITH amazing sex? That’s the Golden Ticket and Shane is almost holding it. He demands that Ilya lay out his true feelings and expectations about what Ilya wants between them. Shane asks “In a perfect world would you want us to be something?”

Ilya feels at this moment they can’t be together so why even entertain this notion. He blocks Shane’s ever more specific questions and demands walking around the idea of a “them” by providing all of the potential roadblocks he feels keep them apart (the fact that they are two men, their ‘rivalry’, Russia and his implied family’s homophobia) instead of what could keep them together. He, metaphorically, hasn’t reached the end of the pool. That ‘shark’ seems more like a four-headed water demon than just your run-of-the-mill Great White. He very much says here “I want to be in a relationship with you” without actually saying it and Shane hears that loud and clear.

Ironically back at the pool, Shane claps at all of the kids who have reached the edge of the pool and who have beaten Ilya. I find that hilarious because he’s congratulating himself for coming to terms with his queerness and admitting he wants more with Ilya than casual sex. He was swimming in those feelings but he also reached the finish line. Ilya does feel his love for Shane but can’t reach the end of the pool, admit that love and hope for a better future together with Shane.

And, what is a pool for if you can’t flirt with your man by showering him with all of his feelings with a quick shake of his head while Shane lays elegantly by the pool? The head shake and water raining down on Shane represents Ilya’s playful flirting but also those happy, loving feelings he has for Shane. Shane doesn’t even complain about it. He just gives the love of his life a look from head to toe behind those glasses drinking him in. Williams here gives us the subtlest of head tilts so we know Shane is literally soaking in all of Ilya’s glorious form even if we can’t see what his eyes are doing. (Yes, I’m leaning on all of the water imagery we use in the English language to really hammer in this point.) We all know why you wore those shades Shane!

I digress, Shane takes those droplets of water, Ilya’s feelings, without complaint. For goodness sakes, Shane just witnessed Ilya play out right with a gaggle of kids that aren’t even his. And, while we don’t know in the show if Shane eventually wants to start a family, what better ringing endorsement for an outstanding man than that said man creating a safe, joyful, and creative space for those kids? Because, instead of being a goofball in the pool from Shane’s perspective, Ilya could have been lounging on the side of the pool drinking a beer or picking up a woman nearby. [There is that one woman in a red bikini (that I hope to talk about at another time) hanging around everywhere we look.]

Did anyone notice the tiny parallel between how Shane reacts to the feelings flinging off of Ilya and how Ilya expresses his feelings later in the hotel? When pushed hard enough by Shane, Ilya raises his voice in frustration because Shane still does not understand that Russia is the largest hurdle preventing Ilya from living an openly queer life. It’s such a surprising reaction that Shane flinches just the slightest at the tiny outburst but does not let Ilya’s frustration deter him. He encourages Ilya to continue to explore his feelings. By the pool, when Ilya shakes his head to spray Shane with water, Shane flinches but does not protest. He continues to stare at dripping Ilya with only the cover of his sunglasses to hide his admiration.

We’re not done with that pool scene yet. In the beginning of that scene Ilya at one point jokingly boos a kid who says that Shane is the best player on the team. He stops splashing the little girl and says “I forgive you. You can stay.” He’s telling us that he forgives Shane for his behaviour after the Tuna Melt scene and lets Shane know that he can come back into his life like they were before Rose.

What better way to round out this article than at the cottage again? While writing about metaphors has been great, there are some other parts of film analysis that can inform the audience of more layers of subtext and won’t always land us at the cottage. But, for now, here we are again.

Water appears in many ways at the cottage, including that stunning sunrise shot where Shane takes the time and energy to care for Ilya who has never been afforded that loving attention. Or, when we can see the lake behind them in a loving embrace. But, there are two notable watery examples that can’t go undiscussed.

When Shane invites Ilya into his cottage, Shane as a great host offers Ilya food, Coke and water. Actually, this awkward man says “The water here is really good. I have my own well. You can see it. In case you’re thirsty.” He points to somewhere out of the cottage onto the property but I’d wager that Shane was actually pointing to his image in the window. He was pointing to himself offering all of his emotions and feelings out in the open for Ilya. “Those feelings here are ‘really good’.” He says “I have my own well of feelings ready to be drunk from. Look, they are right here [as he points to his reflection in the window]. You can have all of them if you are thirsty for them.” If we didn’t understand his intentions there, we understand just minutes later what he is offering when he suggests to Ilya, “I have an idea. For the next few weeks, let’s just be honest with each other about what we actually think and, maybe, how we really feel.” This cottage getaway will allow them the time, space and freedom to explore and share those feelings openly.

Do you remember the scene where Shane asks Ilya what his mother’s name is? Ilya says “Irina. Why?” Then Shane elaborates on an extension of their plan to be together in the future (because it better not be married to Svetlana). They could offer summer hockey camps to kids and donate the proceeds to organizations that specialize in suicide prevention of which Ilya’s mother died from. If Ilya wasn’t in love with Shane enough at this point, he just fell harder, head over heels in fact, in love at that moment. For Shane to think this carefully about guaranteeing a future for them and somehow including Ilya’s deceased mother in that future they want together is like a dream for Ilya. He can stay in Canada with Shane, continue playing hockey and, in the off-season, do something for people who suffer like his mother did from their work together, at the same time hanging out with kids by teaching them hockey. (This feels like a run-on.) It can’t get any better than that!

And, what scene follows directly after that?

Oh! There is Ilya, literally head over heels in a body of water immersed in and showing all of his loving feelings for Shane.

Even though Shane isn’t in the water here with him, he has already offered all of his water from his well at the beginning of this episode.

While their future as a couple in public is uncertain, they know for a fact that they love each other and will fight to be together in private. They have both shown their love for each other by their acts, planning for a future together, and actually saying those words out loud.

Besides them both drenched in water, making out on the porch, when David accidentally catches them, that’s the last bit of water we see for Season 1. Right? Let’s keep an eye out for how water shows up in Season 2.

Feel free to add any other glimpses of water in the comments below whether it be the liquid kind or the frozen kind. And, this request isn’t limited to actual water. There is a poster promotion for an electric looking Hydrofuel supplement (whatever that is) hidden in plain sight on the hockey rink boards (‘Hydro’ meaning water in Greek).

Hopefully you’re convinced now that water represents feelings in film and that it was used typically in Heated Rivalry if you didn’t know this metaphor existed already. Tierney uses this metaphor subtly but the signs are all still there; other films club you over the head with it. Once you see how water can show feelings in film, you’ll never not see it. If you found other notable films using water using this metaphor, feel free to share below.

Next up, a detour into the characters in “Hunter” episode 3.

See you at the cottage, or at the Straw + Berry!

P.S. Did anyone find the tiny scene of a sad character on a rainy day in Heated Rivalry? Tierney snuck that in there if you look hard enough.

And, the long journey to get there.

DEFINITELY STILL AN AMATEUR

FEB 13, 2026

Mirrors as a Metaphor for Hiding

Heated Rivalry uses mirrors in two ways during Season One. At first I wanted to reaffirm and further explore the metaphor about internalized homophobia that Reddit user Aromaticchicken posted on …. 72 days ago (sigh).

(Oh Reddit, why must you use unconventional measures of time like ‘72 days [ago]’. So now, I have to count back how many days it is from today that this metaphor was posted. Let’s see, I think they posted the article on December 4, 2025. But, how would one know to look that up other than to go to the link above and scroll through their posts? No where does Reddit use normal dates like the rest of the world that I can tell.)

But, 10 pages into writing about how the mirrors in Heated Rivalry represent internalized homophobia, I actually stopped writing. It felt wrong. The clues weren’t lining up with that metaphor. Like the Ginger Ale metaphor we discussed in the last article, I started to dig deeper into what mirrors represent in this show and it isn’t internalized homophobia. I’m sorry again Aromaticchicken. Considering I was 10 pages deep into reaffirming this theory, it is a good take. My take encompasses a larger idea that can include internalized homophobia but really can mean different things to different people. The goal is the same though.

Mirrors in Heated Rivalry represent hiding. Much of that hiding is in The Closet. (Do I capitalize that? I don’t know. I don’t care either. I’ll do what I want. This is my article.) But not all mirrors are hiding someone’s queerness. Actually, there are only a couple mirrors that don’t represent The Closet. And to be honest, those really had me stumped because as I was dismantling the idea that mirrors represent internalized homophobia, I was forming the idea that mirrors represent The Closet. And, like I said, those couple of scenes really didn’t fit into the metaphor. The ‘hiding’ metaphor is the third metaphor I’ve landed on with these mirrors that fits them all.

Here is the thing, when we look at a mirror, we are seeing something; ourselves, the surroundings behind us, or whatever is in the frame of that mirror. Seeing these physical things makes us think, either consciously or subconsciously, we are gaining more information about the world, mostly about ourselves. It makes us think we have a better understanding of who we are when we can see our face and how we move. But, does seeing ourselves in a mirror really inform us more of who we are? I’m not so sure.

As it happens, mirrors, in real life, may alter how we present ourselves. Think of the last time you were chatting on a video call and adjusted your facial expressions or your hair to look better when your eyes drifted to the tiny rectangle that enclosed your face on the screen. Having a ‘mirror’ there made you more aware of how we are perceived by others and then prompted you to adjust your appearance to be perceived even more favorably. By doing that we are hiding parts of our true selves. We are presenting a version of ourselves that isn’t as authentic as it should be and we changed something about ourselves that we wouldn’t have if there wasn’t a ‘mirror’ there to inform us any differently.

So, these mirrors in Heated Rivalry are actually helping these characters hide parts of their true selves because without the mirrors, they wouldn’t know what was unfavorable. Or, what their world makes them understand is unfavorable.

I need you to be very clear about what I am trying to communicate. I am not trying to say being queer is unfavorable. Being queer is beautiful. There is nothing unfavorable about it. Accepting my queerness has brought me immense joy and I am proud of it. Also, I do not believe the creators of the queer joy series want us to believe being queer is unfavorable. It is the belief of these characters that their queerness (and that one scene with Shane in a suit before his first hookup with Ilya) is unfavorable and must be hidden.

This article will heavily lean on the mirrors are hiding the queerness more because that is what mirrors mostly represent in Heated Rivalry. When someone is hiding from their queerness they are in The Closet. Being in The Closet for some real people is due to internalized homophobia. But, there are other reasons why a queer person would stay closeted including discrimination, fear for one’s safety, internalized, transphobia, or living in a hostile environment

So, that’s what we are going to explore more here in a minute. How mirrors show us how characters hide in The Closet or from other ‘unfavorable’ aspects of their lives.

I promise we will get to the other way this show uses mirrors in another article later. Oh? You forgot there are two ways mirrors are used in this series? It has been almost two pages of blabbering about hiding that probably made you forget.

The other use of mirrors has nothing to do with hiding and it’s used in other films frequently. It does, in fact, help us see more about these characters which is exactly the opposite of this article. Bear with me, once you see its function in Heated Rivalry and know what to look for, you will notice it constantly in film. The catch is to know when the Heated Rivalry filmmakers use each method and when, maybe, those methods overlap.

My friend, divi, shared the Reddit link with me in the middle of December which is a point before the last episodes even dropped. So, kudos to Aromaticchicken for presenting this metaphor early on and before all of the shows aired. Again, I’m sorry I disagree with this take. It did lay the groundwork for me to think more deeply on this topic so it was an instrumental piece in the subtext discovery process.

They actually include more metaphors in their post that are adjacent to the mirror metaphor related to hiding in The Closet. The whole show’s premise is due to the factors that influence why these hockey players stay in The Closet which renders them unable to fully live their lives together. So, it’s not hard to see how they jumped to those other metaphors and how they could get lumped into this same post. For the sake of those new to subtext analysis, mixing metaphors might get confusing. Today, we’ll just stick to mirrors as a way of hiding.

First we’ll touch on two scenes that show characters hiding something that isn’t their queerness.

Take a look at this shot of Grigori in front of that mirror pouring some alcohol into two tumblers. Why have him in front of that mirror? He could have poured those alcoholic drinks (metaphor for heterosexuality) on a side table looking out of the window. The use of that mirror is significant.

Ilya and Grigori are going to a gala that was likely organized to bring together the old and new guard of Russian hockey players because the Olympics is in Russia this year. (We don’t know anything about this party other than its a ‘gala’. This was as good a guess as any.) There are probably many other rich and famous Russians in attendance. Who doesn’t love a party? Everyone must look their best and Grigori dresses in his military/police finery. That jacket probably weighs 10 kg with all of those medals. He wants people to know he is important and whatever that is in, he is highly decorated too. What else do rich people do other than flaunt their accomplishments and money? Equally, what do people who want to be part of this class do? They look the part.

Through the dialogue between Ilya and his dad we find out that Grigori doesn’t seem to always know where he is or who is living. He believes Ilya’s mother is alive and we find out from Ilya she isn’t. He doesn’t seem to know where his current wife, Polina, is. Also, he also doesn’t seem to remember they are going to meet with the minister even though Grigori just mentioned that was the expectation. Ilya’s reactions to these slipups tell us that Ilya is just now realizing that his father has dementia in real time with us.

Grigori is hiding his cognitive decline behind all of that regalia and legacy. I believe he’s also hiding financial troubles considering Alexei continues to demand money from Ilya throughout the series. Both of these ideas are unfavorable for a once thriving Russian man and something to hide.

What country does that sound like? A decaying economy covered in the veneer of opulence but when you peer behind the curtain, the real truth exposes the decline of the quality of life for many of its people and the corruption propping it up like a house of cards. Hmmm??

There is more to this scene and the following Russian scenes that inform us about Ilya. They will be touched on later in another article. We can’t stray too far off track from this metaphor even if I do want to criticize Grigori for how horribly he parents Ilya.

This guy right here, Shane Hollander, was just propositioned by Ilya Rosanov in the showers. Ilya suggests he will knock on Shane’s door at 9 o’clock and implies they should have sex. Shane has never had a sexual experience with a man before and honestly this may very well be his first sexual encounter ever. (We’ll get into that in another article.) He’s in this state of panic where he has time to waste in his hotel but he doesn’t know what to do with the time before this Russian hockey player comes to “maybe” knock on his door. He gets this crazy idea to put on his suit.

Throughout the series we see Shane unable to grasp what is expected of him in different social situations so this tracks with his uncertainty. (Weren’t they shooting a commercial in their gear? Why would he need a suit to do that?!) He looks at himself in the mirror with this suit and realizes that this doesn’t make sense. Why would anyone wear a suit right before a casual hookup?

But, this IS a mirror and we think mirrors are for hiding things. So, what is Shane hiding here with that suit? Thankfully he takes the suit off before Ilya arrives which informs us that he does not want to hide that part of himself from Ilya.

What is he hiding though? Well, what other scenes does Shane wear a suit? Yes, you literally have to think about all of the elements in a shot and where else you see it in a series to figure out the hidden meaning. It’s hard work but worth it!

Shane is in a full suit with tie in three major points in this series besides this shot. The draft where he wins second pick; when he wins the Rookie of the Year followed by the scene with Scott Hunter at the bar then Ilya on the rooftop; and, lastly, when he presents an award with Ilya which is then followed up by the bathroom scene where they make plans to get together later, and then the hotel room. There are other scenes where he lacks a tie or a suit jacket and tie. So, we will discount those as they don’t quite match. It seems weird to be oddly specific about this but we need to single out those instances where the same care is taken with his outfit, where all of the pieces match, to see what those scenes share.

What do all of these things have in common? In the beginning of each scene, there is some sort of prize to be won - a draft, Rookie of the Year, and Most Sportsmanlike Player. Even if Shane isn’t up for the award like the last one, they are somehow connected to winning an award or prize. So, Shane here in his suit is trying to hide that he is a prize to be won. Not, a trophy wife situation. But literally a person who is worthy of love and devotion because he is a kind and honorable man.

Shane, you should never hide that. You are a prize and Ilya should be grateful he has the chance to be with you.

Now that you’ve all dabbed your eyes a bit, can you find any other scenes in the series in which characters are hiding something that doesn’t have to do with their queerness? Because we have to move on and embark on several scenes that involve hiding because of queerness.

When I saw this scene, it was THE shot for me that solidified the mirrors are a metaphor for internalized homophobia. Wait, not that one. Not internalized homophobia. We’re talking about hiding. (But, maybe it’s interesting to those curious about discovering subtext to see how others come to their conclusions and have to rethink everything once new evidence emerges.) It’s still a great representation of my theory and viewing it through the lens of hiding in The Closet along with evidence above of hiding other things, these next few shots tell a more accurate connection to that theory. The caveat is here we are seeing the result of homophobia as the reason for this mirror of hiding (in the Closet).

In “Hunter” episode 3, we are unexpectedly detoured into a story about another hockey player we’ve seen as far back as the “Rookies” episode 1, Scott Hunter. He is a legend in this sport and has been mentioned enough times already for us to not be too surprised by this storyline. We see him fall quickly and deeply in love with a local smoothie barista, Christopher ‘Kip’ Grady. Most of us are so smitten by this episode we almost forget about Hollanov and some fans were sad when “Rose” episode 4 thrust us back into the lives of Shane and Ilya, our original protagonists.

What’s great is we don’t have to pick, people. We can like both story lines for different reasons. No story wins or loses; no characters are better or worse than the others (except maybe Grigori and Alexei).

After one night together, Hunter expresses his intense desire for Kip to live in his apartment and basically commit to being an exclusive couple but there is one drawback. Hunter isn’t out (there’s that hiding in the Closet, yikes). No one in his sphere has any idea that he is gay. No one from work, not his friend, Carter Vaughn, and certainly not his de facto family, the organization he supports, knows he’s gay. He can’t be out and thinks he has to wait until he retires years later to step out of hiding, hopefully, with someone like Kip by his side.

We know up to this point that Kip is out to everyone in his sphere; his dad, his friends, and his coworkers. Everyone knows he’s gay and loves him deeply including this part of him. This man is living a beautiful existence not hiding any part of his life from anyone and probably has been for years. He has not been pressured by a sport or other circumstance to stay closeted.

When Scott lays out to Kip what he wants, Kip is faced with the ultimate sacrifice to hide part of himself from his world to protect Scott. We see how deeply and quickly Kip falls for Scott as well. And, Kip chooses to step back into hiding for Scott for a little while at least. Kip is hiding part of his life in The Closet because of Scott’s struggles, not any of his own.

Again, this story line is about how Scott struggles with homophobia which keeps him closeted. Hiding in The Closet is a hard place to be in. Once out, it’s even harder to step back in it when circumstances outside of your control dictate the necessity to be there.

The audience does not want Kip back in that Closet or hiding, nor does he or Scott, but here he is faced with this decision. At first it’s easy living this little lie; secret romances are exciting. They cook for each other, look for the other to come home, make love, and discover more about each other that makes them fall even deeper in love every day. But real life eventually creeps in and Kip has to make a choice to protect himself or his relationship with Scott. Bless the story tellers here for allowing Kip choose himself.

We’re getting to that shot where Scott fills that whole mirror, I promise.

The filmmakers introduce us to Scott’s apartment in a grand way to help demonstrate to us how Kip feels about the disparity in their living conditions and the possibilities that await their future, even if just for one night. We see a sweeping span of the entrance, kitchen, living area, city skyline beyond the windows and back towards the entrance to an area leading to the bedrooms. It’s a full 180 degree rotation of that shot. We’re presented this experience through Kip’s eyes even though the shot never moves away from Kip on screen.

The only rooms we haven’t seen yet just in this introduction to Scott’s apartment is the bedroom and bathroom. And, it won’t take long to get us to that bedroom. It seems like the filmmakers are already saying to us “Scott wants to give Kip everything and has nothing to hide” due to the way they filmed that continuous and sweeping scene and the lack of mirrors anywhere in it. Kip is overwhelmed and maybe even pinching himself how lucky he is to have landed himself in this apartment with this very famous and sexy hockey player.

After his initial shock of the grandeur of Scott’s apartment, Kip remembers that they’re not just at Scott’s apartment for take-out, that is, if he read all of the signals correctly. And, of course, we see that this is exactly what Scott was thinking because moments later Kip decides “Or” to a topless Scott when Scott asks “Do you want a full tour now or…?”

We see almost all of that apartment in that sweeping shot and that is intentional. Every shot in film is meticulously designed and blocked to show us what the filmmakers want us to see. Sometimes that means leaving out details until they are useful later even if we have the impression otherwise. When they enter the Scott’s apartment the entranceway is dark, the living area is bathed by a soft glow (and a fire!). There are no obvious mirrors anywhere. All of this set up is intentional for a gut punch later.

However, we get to this above picture much later in the episode where we see a mirror in the entrance for the first time. This is new information. This mirror has never been shown yet despite us exploring the whole apartment with Scott and Kip. Do you remember what scene it follows?

Kip takes Scott to an art gallery showcasing his favorite artist actually. Scott decides to chance a venture out in public with Kip. Kip mentioned earlier that he loved this artist and what is a Scott to do other than to go to this gallery with his new lover with the intent to buy a piece to hang in Scott’s (their?) apartment. If you have oodles of money and no one to spend it on, this seems like a great opportunity to buy something for someone you love who would never be able to buy it for themself.

It’s clear in the gallery that Scott is on edge. This whole outing with Kip makes him uncomfortable. He’s hiding under a baseball cap and behind a pair of dark glasses. Unexpected noises make him jump. He flees at the first hint they could be a couple.

Look, I don’t know much about hockey in real life or how popular these star hockey players are seen by their fans. Do people follow them around with cameras like movie stars? By the way Scott acts, it appears to be the case. Maybe this is just what we are to know happens in this world. And, I guess that’s all we really need to know. What happens in our world doesn’t always apply to a fictional story. So, we have to forget about our biases when deciphering subtext and assume his fears of being photographed with Kip are real.

Scott is trying so hard for Kip and it’s absolutely backfiring. He is trying to stay calm, to hope the world sees Scott hanging out with a friend, not a lover, but also to do something special with and for Kip.

Scott flees the gallery after the curator/dealer makes vague hand motions towards them and asks “might they be shopping together” leaving Kip behind to cover for Scott’s unexpected departure. Scott couldn’t handle even the underimplied insinuation they could be together. The art dealer wasn’t even really assuming anything other than trying to understand how to approach these potential customers. It doesn’t even look like she recognizes Scott. It’s possible the art and hockey world don’t have a large overlapping section in their Venn Diagram of comparison. I wouldn’t know.

Anyone who has been in a homosexual relationship has probably had this happen to them especially in restaurants. Servers assume that a pair of differently gendered customers eating together is paying together unless there are obvious clues that this meal is a business meeting. But, they almost always assume a pair of same gendered customers eating together is paying separately and ask “Would you like separate checks?” The server doesn’t care either way, they don’t want to assume anything. There is usually no judgement behind the question, just the need for clarity. Unfortunately, by asking, they already have assumed something, which is that the same gendered diners are only friends. When in reality they’ve been in a romantic relationship for nearly 30 years. Server, couldn’t you see the heart eyes between those two?!

So, the art dealer doesn’t care what they are to each other. She already has customers in her gallery that she assumes are a gay couple and they are viewing the art and shopping without being bothered. She just doesn’t know how to proceed with these men who just walked in. But, the ambiguity of her assumption about them sends Scott into a right panic attack.

This is where it all leads up to this shot that made me go “YES! Mirrors do represent hiding in The Closet!” Scott enters his apartment here where the lights are now bright. The shot gives us a moment where Scott walks in front of the mirror. This mirror we have not seen up to this point no matter how many angles of the apartment we see of them making out or blending smoothies or having sex.

And, Scott hasn’t stopped panicking when he crosses in front of the mirror. His whole body takes up that mirror. (Do we wonder if that mirror was selected and hung in such a way so that we can see all of each of those character’s torsos?) Kip walks in right after to console him. Thankfully Scott apologizes and admits his unnecessary worry and unexpected departure were not okay.

His panic means he’s upset about how the world perceives him and to be perceived to be anything but straight would probably destroy the life he created. He’s also angry with himself that he’s likely disappointing Kip. He believes he can’t let anyone know about his sexuality but he doesn’t want Kip to have to live in secret either. Scott is admitting in this moment that those two realities - loving Kip the way Kip deserves isn’t possible while Scott is hiding parts of his life from the world. They both deserve sunshine but Scott can’t see a way to open that door yet to step into that sunshine.

That mirror is showing us so much of what is going on internally in Scott’s mind. And, he’s suffering in his hiding.

Do you notice that Kip keeps his back to the mirror for most of the time he passes by the mirror? He does so under the guise of closing the door gently and maybe stealing himself for what is about to happen with Scott. It would be easy to ignore that blocking.

But, look at that shot below. We see all of Kip’s back for a nice long pause. Robbie GK, who plays Kip, must have felt as slow as molasses in that scene, stalling for what probably felt like eternity so the camera could get that one shot of his back in the mirror. Because, Tierney wanted us to see Kip’s back in that mirror for as long as possible to show us that he has turned away from hiding his sexuality and is proudly out by facing the audience (or, the world).

What is Scott doing with that mirror when he enters the apartment? Scott faces the mirror exclusively. He fills it up completely, never turning his back to it. He has his back towards us the whole time. We are the world and he isn’t able to show us who he really is because he is hiding in The Closet.

There is a tiny instance where Kip is facing the mirror right when he enters the apartment. I bet we could read it as at some point as Kip enters his early adult life he too was hiding in The Closet; Maybe as a teenager when he was still grappling with his sexuality. But, that time in The Closet was short-lived and he’s never really gone back in.

Aromaticchicken made an excellent point in their post when Shane and Ilya are in front of a public bathroom mirror after the MLH awards, Tierney uses shots with mirrors to convey their dilemma.

They both experienced a huge public appearance where they were most definitely stuffed into a closet. But, when they can shut out the world, and all of the nastiness that comes with it, and it’s just them connecting again, there is no mirror. They are not hiding from each other. They know each other intimately and neither judges the other or condemns the other for their sexuality or other foibles. Yes, each is in pain here for different reasons. But, once they put that aside, it’s just them - two men in love. This, I can say, happens in real life folks.

We see that happen with Kip and Scott in this scene too. Towards the end of it, the camera cuts to the other side of the entranceway. It’s a 180-degree turn where there is no mirror. We need to take this 180-degree change in perspective as a cue that something else is happening now. Kip holds Scott to comfort him hoping to calm him down and reassure him that Kip is not upset with Scott’s behavior. When they are embracing and pouring into each other, at that moment, Scott no longer has that fear. No longer is the challenge between the difference of one lover in the closet while the other is out. They are just two men in love.

Let’s take a look at how metaphors can overlap and support the ideas presented in a scene. This is a scene we discussed in the Ginger Ale as Metaphor for Sexuality article. I just didn’t include any pics in that article. I’m leveling up!

We see Scott standing in front of a very large mirror holding his brandy/whisky/scotch drink. And, Shane is holding his Ginger Ale micro-sipping out of a tiny straw. We only know its Ginger Ale because Shane admitted as much to Scott that it was indeed his carbonated beverage of choice. But, Shane isn’t in front of that mirror. His arm just barely touches the frame of the mirror.

Remember, every shot in film is intentional and clearly designed probably before the actors even get to set. The camera could have been positioned farther to the actors’ right side (Stage Right) and we would have gotten them both standing in front of those wine bottles. Or, the camera could have been positioned three meters to the left of the characters (Stage Left), our right, where they could have been standing in front of a wall.

Here’s an image of those two terms mentioned above if you’re new to stage direction terminology. To give context, Shane is standing Stage Left of Scott.

Why not put them BOTH in front of that mirror? We are supposed to see only Scott in front of the mirror and Shane next to it, just barely touching it. Even more, Shane is wedged firmly between that shelf of wine bottles and the edge of the mirror. Not literally mind you, just the visual representation of his body between those two physical features.

Can we put all of these elements together? Scott is drinking his, uh, man-drink. Shane is drinking Ginger Ale. Scott is in front of a mirror. Shane is wedged between two different images. Even though we don’t know it in “Rookie” episode 1, we find out later that Scott is very gay. And, he’s firmly in The Closet except to the man of his dreams and, unintentionally, that fierce friend of Kip’s, Elena. He’s performingheterosexuality there with his man-drink which is some sort of alcohol and definitely burdened with hiding in the Closet by standing in front of that mirror.

Often when things or images are presented above a character’s head, it is what they are thinking about. Look at how big that mirror is. Scott is most definitely thinking about The Closet so much that the mirror takes up half the shot. That big of a mirror is significant; that’s a big closet. Poor Scott.

Now, you could get really technical with me and say ‘Definitely Still an Amateur, Scott is turned away from the mirror and towards us. Doesn’t that mean he is turning away from The Closet and showing us all of himself?’ And, you’re right. That’s what I said above, almost. I will counter with you that we don’t actually see his image in the mirror either way, front or back. The angle of the mirror is such that we don’t see anyone or anything in the room in the mirror except some lights. And, I would give the filmmakers some grace here. It would be strange to position a standing mirror in that shot such that we see Scott’s face. The point is there is a large mirror in which Scott is standing in front of that is above his head while he’s drinking down a healthy dose of performative heterosexuality. It’s so large in fact that Shane could also have fit in front of that mirror with Scott but he isn’t.

What about Shane? Well, Shane is still very much trying to figure out who he is. He’s young, 18 maybe? (Tell me in the comments, I don’t know). He is faced with three choices right there in the shot. He has a choice in his hand, Ginger Ale (his homosexuality); the one to his right, the mirror which he is just barely touching (hiding in The Closet due to external homophobia); or the one to his left, the wine which he is covering with his shoulder (heterosexuality). And, as the series progresses, he chooses all three at different points. Shane is not guzzling that Ginger Ale. He’s drinking it in tiny sips. Right now, he’s really just dabbling in the idea that he is attracted to men. Later, in the series he very much wants Ilya, he definitely hides his love for Ilya (the mirror), which also means his desire for men (the Ginger Ale), and he has that pivotal experience with Rose (all of that wine). All three of those ideas featured in one shot. Brilliant.

I’d like to point out that the closest of those three ideas is the one in his hand. Make of that what you will.

And, that mirror is most definitely just Scott’s Closet. Shane isn’t in there hiding with him. They don’t know that about each other. If Ilya was standing there in place of Scott, Ilya and Shane would probably be shown in front of the mirror together. Most of the experiences of their Closets are shared. Not all, but most. Because they have a relationship that is most definitely not open to the public.

How awful is that idea though? Scott is in The Closet and, yet, next to him is someone who might understand his pain and struggles. If Shane was shown with the same mirror above his head too, I would say they were out to each other but not the world. But, Shane is not in that mirror. For most queer people, hiding in The Closet is a very lonely and isolating existence.

Shane is technically hiding parts of his life from the world right now. But, is it The Closet? There is one quick shot at the beginning of this scene where we do see him briefly in front of that mirror. But, it’s a quick shot. Scott’s is not.

Maybe there is more nuance behind the length of those shots of them each in front of that mirror. Does it represent how long they’ve been hiding? Scott has been hiding for decades; Shane only a year, two?

Or, is it more about what’s going on inside Shane’s head? This is a point in his life where he is trying to figure everything out. He’s probably very confused about his desire for Ilya, working through those feelings alone. And, he probably fully expects to one day meet a nice woman to settle down with (Checking in on all of those wine bottles in the back. Yup, they’re still on the shelf.). He doesn’t have anyone in his life to talk to about what this is with Ilya nor does he see anyone represented in a queer relationship in his world that could be a model for a future version of himself and Ilya. Nothing about his feelings for Ilya is concrete or clear. So, is he hiding something he doesn’t even understand yet? Yes, but it is The Closet? That seems like a strong idea for what Shane is working through at this moment.

Of course Shane is hiding his whatever-this-is-with-Ilya from the rest of the world but some straight couples do too for a multitude of reasons. We do see a portion of a mirror in their first sex scene. It’s not front and center and it only shows parts of their back and legs if I recall correctly. And, they are meeting in secret from their teammates. This is a secret rendezvous. They know being caught like this would be very bad for their reputation. Shane makes sure that Ilya knows the world can’t know they have been intimate with each other. However, they aren’t a couple at this time at the awards. They don’t have to hide much at all. It’s not like they love each other yet and have to hide that too. They don’t even have a history really. He likely thinks this fling will fizzle and he’ll skip on to a life of heterosexuality without a hiccup. Also, those mirrors in the hotel room in that first encounter could show us some of Shane’s internalized homophobia because he’s not sure that what he is doing is right or good even if he very much enjoys what he is doing.

That’s vastly different from Scott’s experience who does not have any intention of ever finding a woman to settle down with. He fully expects to start dating men when he retires from hockey.

So, I don’t see this mirror in the shot with Scott as a representation of a definitive Closet for Shane. This scene to me is showing us Shane is really between several possible outcomes and hasn’t decided yet what route he will take. Because, what is he even anyway? Straight with a convenient rival-with-benefits that happens to be male? The Q part of the LGBTQIA+ alphabet? Bisexual? He’s not really sure yet. How can you see the walls of The Closet when you haven’t even defined who you are?

What a great shot with all of those overlapping metaphors.

Who likes a jealous Ilya? In “Rose” episode 4 Shane rebounds off of a semi-serious relationship with Ilya when their feelings get too intense. How are two pro hockey players, the top of all of the players in the MLH, presented as mortal rivals supposed to be in a loving and romantic relationship? They can’t. Rose Landry comes on the scene at the exact timing that Shane needs a distraction and a potential future spouse. We’ve already talked about how she’s perfect ‘on paper’, right?

Ilya finds out through the news of Shane’s and Rose’s relationship in the gym with his teammates. It’s very clear Ilya is not over their semi-serious relationship and, later in the hotel room, finds it incredibly difficult to just relax with his teammate. He finds himself in front of this mirror staring at himself. What do we think he’s feeling?

Ilya has never been uncomfortable with his sexuality or his attraction to men. It never feels like he is a victim of internalized homophobia. He fully embraces his sexuality. That part seems pretty easy. He never labels himself either but he’s clearly interested sexually in both women and men. Though, it is probably easier as a high-profile hockey player to stick to female partners because that is what is expected and wouldn’t cause a media storm if a partner was identified. It seems he’s only worried about losing his job as a hockey player and getting deported back to Russia, not necessarily the revelation that he is queer. Because walking back into Russia as a disgraced ex-hockey player and a known queer man would end badly for him no matter how you slice it. Everything that is harmful to Ilya about his sexuality comes from without: the toxic culture in hockey, his fear of having to return to an unforgiving Russia as an outed man, and the fear of disappointing his family. Best keep his not-completely-straight sexuality to himself.

There is this one problem though that Ilya never wants to go away: Shane Hollander. He just this side of actually saying the words to Shane that he loves Shane in the Tuna Melt scene. Ilya had, in that scene, been testing the waters on how Shane feels for him; asking Shane to stay, making him food, hinting that he would rather not find another female sexual partner in place of Svetlana who is less available, implying he would want to be exclusive with Shane and, most importantly, I think, allowing Shane to lead their sexual encounter for the first time.

And, it seems to Ilya that Shane is reciprocating those subtle cues; taking a nap together instead of leaving like they’ve always done, asking about his father because he understands the word ‘papa’ when Ilya answers the phone, and initiates sex in a way that allows Ilya to receive the pleasure when he’s usually the one providing it, or at least calling the shots.

For the first time they are able to let down their walls during sex speaking each other’s given names.

Just as quickly as those revelations opened doors to potential possibilities in their relationship, Shane slams that door in Ilya’s face, crushing any hope for something more.

Now Ilya is left in shambles. He not only is no longer in contact with Shane, Shane is absolutely not having sex with him and has moved on with Rose Landry. In all of the years Ilya has known Shane, Shane has never had another romantic partner whether secret or out in the open. Ilya assumes (probably correctly) that Shane has only had one sexual and semi-romantic partner: Ilya. He’s essentially sexually monogamous with Ilya even if they aren’t a true couple. Ilya probably assumes that Shane would apply the same principles to his and Rose’s relationship. Crushing defeat for Ilya.

We should mention that it’s known and implied several times that Ilya is not sexually monogamous with Shane. Shane knows this. Ilya knows Shane knows this.

This is where I’m going to say that I don’t pass judgement on these fictional characters, or real people either, in how they conduct themselves in their romantic or sexual relationships. As long as everything is consensual and everyone is being honest with each other, that is key. Even at that, it’s none of my business. I don’t stand by the traditional conservative rules that everyone should be in heterosexual monogamous relationship. If Ilya wants to have multiple sexual partners, I don’t care. If Shane wants to be monogamous, I don’t care.

Having said that, there are times in film and art where lack of consent can tell an important story. This topic should be presented carefully and the audience should understand that the message is ‘This is a bad thing’. Thankfully, lack of consent isn’t a part of this story.

So, here is Ilya who just about declared his love for Shane and was crushed by Shane’s reaction. He’s trying to get Shane out of his head staring daggers into his own eyes in that mirror.

He’s forced into hiding here. He can’t tell his teammate, who is obliviously choosing dinner from the hotel menu, that he’s struggling after this breakup. No one knows he is in love with Shane and has to watch from the sidelines as Shane moves on with life without Ilya and begins this highly public and publicly approved relationship. Ilya is very jealous of Rose. Or, is he jealous that Rose can be seen publicly with Shane and that it is not Ilya on Shane’s arm? It doesn’t matter. It’s probably all of the above. What matters is external homophobia has forced him to hide this part of his life. His solution is to drown out his sorrow by finding someone to have sex with at a club. That should scrub this man with freckles out of his mind. Right?

Ilya here is hiding from a world that can be dangerous to him. But, that leaves him bereft and angry. He’s mad at himself too for falling so deeply for Shane.

Before we leave this metaphor, let’s go back to “Hunter” episode 3. There are a few notes to point out about the art gallery scene that are intentionally crafted.

Shiny surfaces are used widely in place of mirrors in this show to also convey that metaphor of hiding. This shot below shows Kip and Scott entering the gallery and we’re treated to the left third of that shot with a surface that could be a mirror or just a wall of very clean, reflective glass. The material is less important here than the effect. It’s a huge mirrored surface.

We didn’t need that shot. Jacob could have positioned the camera in front of the entrance of the gallery in which the actors walked towards us. But, Jacob used that angle to get that reflective surface to show us something specific.

Take a look at the right third of that shot. It’s an area separated by a wall of glass but it’s transparent. Now, look at our guys positioned in that entrance. Who is positioned by the mirrored surface and who is positioned by the transparent surface? Scott is on the left and Kip is on the right. Scott is closeted, and hiding, and Kip is not.

When a shot like that seems unnecessary or maybe just pleasing to the eye, artsy even, take a deeper look. Sometimes it’s worth pausing the film to see how all of the elements work together to convey a message.

Here it is clear that Scott is positioned close to the mirrored surface because he is hiding his true self and Kip is positioned on the right close to the transparent surface to show us that he is not.

It’s not really important to note this but just a thought about how that shot was crafted. Those actors are technically not even near that glass corridor. But, the message is still clear that we understand one of the characters is struggling and one is not.

Do you notice where the curator is positioned? She is in the middle ground between Kip and the transparent glass. I’d wager the filmmaker wanted us to understand she too is queer and openly living life without fear or shame. She’s definitely standing in front of something that looks like a closet. But, she is not actually hiding in it.

Also, in the beginning of that scene Kip tells Scott “You don’t have to do this.” Scott replies with a grimaced smile “It’s cool.” But, the background police siren tells us that this public appearance is not cool with Scott. He’s internally screaming and all of the alarms he’s created for himself to never be in this type of situation are going off right now. He’s definitely freaking out. Poor guy.

As you come across shiny surfaces or mirrors in this show, drop them in the comments below. I wish I could go through them all but that doesn’t leave you with anything to find on your own. I’m waiting for someone to point out the shiny surface of some chair legs later and give a thought about what is being hidden in that scene.

So, mirrors, and mirrored surfaces, are for hiding what the character thinks is unfavorable to the viewer. Much like we hide bits of ourselves when we look into the mirror, these characters hide too. Sometimes they’re hiding dementia, their worth or their queerness. No matter what, I’m just glad there aren’t that many mirrors at the Cottage!

See you at the Cottage!

And, the meaning of other beverages in Heated Rivalry

FEB 05, 2026

Film makers use visual cues in their films to convey a story or thought that is not shared through dialogue or blocking. In place of inner monologues in written form like a novel or poem, screenwriters and directors resort to other methods to allow us a peek inside of a character’s mind.

In the previous article we discussed how a lighter that suddenly works, when it didn’t previously, after two characters, Ilya and Shane, touch means there is a spark of interest between them. This spark goes beyond the usual “Hi. Nice to meet you. We realize we’re equals in this hockey sport. Let’s not kill each other on the ice”. It’s more on the lines of “I have mad respect for you on the ice. You’re hot. I want to know what those lips taste like.”

We didn’t discuss the metaphors of fire in the last article beyond that first spark of the lighter because the article would have gone off on a tangent and I wanted to keep that article about smoking cigarettes only. But, there is fire in this show many times. I believe that’s a metaphor discovery you can attempt on your own. (However, if you’re dying for me to write about it, just let me know in the comments.)

The now household-name, Jacob Tierney, used a very specific beverage, Ginger Ale, to convey a message about Shane Hollander in the show Heated Rivalry. There is a general rule of thumb that when an object, idea or number is mentioned or shown three or more times in a film, the audience should take notice. That thing or word or phrase will lead us to more information about the story the filmmakers are truly trying to convey. We need to examine every scene it’s mentioned in or seen on film if we want to get to the bottom of the subtext puzzle.

Considering you’re still here, I’m guessing you are interested in Heated Rivalry beyond the feel good tingles you get from watching it. If not, stop reading and go watch “The Cottage” episode again. Don’t waste your time here. Or, do. That’s up to you.

You might know off the top of your head how many times Ginger Ale was discussed or shown in Heated Rivalry. I don’t.

The number of times usually doesn’t matter (beyond the 3 times we see it to tell us it’s important). What matters is what that thing, in this case Ginger Ale, represents and that it consistently represents that idea every time.

When is Ginger Ale first brought up or shown on film? I spy it in “Olympians” episode 1 at the 43 minute mark at Hayden’s house for dinner. Now, nothing in that scene just jumps out at us and screams this is what Ginger Ale is!!!! There are clues to what dinner at the Pike’s house means for Shane prior to that scene but the meaning of that dinner was definitely not something I caught right away. We will revisit that scene in another article. But, for now the hunt for the meaning of Ginger Ale continues.

The next time Ginger Ale is mentioned, correct me if I’m wrong, is in the “Olympians” episode 2 around the 26:40 time stamp where Shane comes over to the Pike’s house again to watch the last game of the playoffs. Jackie Pike greets him at the door with a big hug. Shane hands her the wine and she looks down at it saying “What am I supposed to do with this?” Shane responds “I don’t know. My mom told me to bring it.” She chuckles and says off-handedly “There’s Ginger Ale in the fridge.” If the captain of your husband’s team is coming over and has a special drink, somebody better buy it and stock it in the refrigerator.

This makes total sense in the text. The text is what we see with our eyes and what the basic story is in front of us through the dialogue, camera shots, blocking, music selection and more lays out for us. Shane’s favorite drink is Ginger Ale. People that know him will have it available for him when he visits their home. He probably doesn’t prefer wine and his friends know it. This is what the text is telling us.

Unlike the subtext which can be as small as the flame on that lighter conveying the message of wanting or it can be as big as a completely different story underneath the story we see on film. So, what is the story of Ginger Ale telling us?

Why does Jackie even say anything about Ginger Ale in the dialogue? Shane brought wine. Bringing wine to someone’s house is not unusual. It’s customary to bring a small gift when you are an invited guest. Maybe even a little bit more expected if you’re the captain AND possibly the highest paid player on the team. It shows respect to the host and a nice dose of team spirit. But, this isn’t real life. Shane’s not a real person at a real house. (I heard that same sad sigh when I broke it to you that Ilya wasn’t a real person. I’m sorry.) Why have Ginger Ale again at the Pike’s house? Why does Shane bring wine when he doesn’t even want it? Also, did anyone catch the weird dialogue there?

Something has to be going on in the subtext, the meaning or idea, under the text.

In her shock that Shane brought wine, Jackie is slightly rude to him by laughing at his gift. We could think they have known each other for years and have a close enough relationship where Jackie can get away with joking with him in this manner. But, what average adult in Canada would look at the gift the most honored guest of the group brought to their house and say “What am I supposed to do with this?” They wouldn’t. So, why in the world would she say that beyond just the light jab? There must be a reason so we really should pay attention to that whole scene in the foyer.

Shane’s response pulls us back to normalcy in “I don’t know. My mom told me to bring it.” We know Shane doesn’t always know what is appropriate in these situations. He’s not always sure how to act socially and relied on his mom to help him out. It’s clear his team mates and Jackie don’t care about that and he’s a welcome as well as a happily greeted guest with a chorus of “CAP! CAP! CAP!” when he is announced. (That is until a worried mom shushes them all about a napping toddler.) Shane had to get advice from his mom about what to bring and he’s not worried about what Jackie will think with that admission. Though, it’s clearly not his drink of choice but that comment is such a Shane thing to say we quickly look over the slight from Jackie. Thankfully someone stocked Ginger Ale for him.

If you’re still lost about this whole metaphor by this point, I would be too. What is important is that we know Shane likes Ginger Ale in the text, his friends know that and there is more Ginger Ales to be seen later in the series to figure this all out.

Sometimes Shane is mocked for his Ginger Ale preference or it’s not even available to him at all. But, there is one other person who freely and willingly gives Shane Ginger Ale: Ilya. This is where I think some people forget that Jackie, and the Pikes in general, have Ginger Ale on tap for Shane whenever he is around. Ilya is not the only person offering it to him.

So, whatever Ginger Ale is to Shane, Ilya wants him to have it and so do the Pikes. Ilya wants Shane to feel comfortable by offering him his drink of choice, going so far as to ask if the Ginger Ale is cold enough for Shane in the Tuna Melt scene of the “Rose” episode 4.

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

This is about when my subtext spidey sense starts tingling and I can feel the thread of some idea crocheting itself into a metaphor scarf one stitch at a time. If the love interest of this show always has Ginger Ale available for Shane even in his hotel room, we should really take note.

If we weren’t insanely interested in subtext, I think we could stop here and say that Ginger Ale is Shane. Cassandra Moran on Instagram created a wonderful visual presenting a Ginger-Ale-as-Shane metaphor. At very early stages of the series release and before I might have gone off the deep end with this subtext journey, I was on board with this metaphor. Although her theory already has a flaw in just within the graphic. We’ll explore more about why Ginger-Ale-as-Shane metaphor doesn’t quite work.

She mentions that Ilya is the only person who gives Shane Ginger Ale but we know that to not be true: the Pike’s give him Ginger Ale whenever he wants it. Understand that my intention is not to dump on Cassandra’s theory here. I just don’t agree with it. She puts out amazing content about Heated Rivalry (and other popular shows); It’s worth taking a look at her page.

So, if Ginger Ale isn’t just Shane we need to look at more evidence from each scene to get to the truth.

We forge on.

Enter Scott Hunter at the MLH awards in “Rookies” episode 1 around the 43:50 mark. The film makers want us to see from Shane’s perspective that he is looking for someone in the room. By this time, it’s not too difficult to know who. And, that someone special is nowhere in sight. While Shane is scanning the crowd we see him take a sip of something. Scott says to Shane “That better be just Ginger Ale, Rook.” Shane, “Uh, it is Mr. Hunter. I wouldn’t dare indulge in front of you.” Awkward Shane, real awkward. Shane is drinking Ginger Ale here. This bar gave it to him. But, we didn’t see him order the drink and it hangs around the idea of looking for Ilya.

Scott, in the meantime, orders something alcoholic in nature from the bar, maybe a whiskey (I don’t know. I don’t drink often and never really anything like that.), and ALSO offers that Shane and some others take some shots. There is some light banter about Ilya being somehow connected more to Shane than just rivals that rattles Shane. But, we’re to believe the mention of Ilya is to also include him in the next scene which is a slew of hockey bros knocking back shots with an order up for another round. No wonder he is close to drunk when he finds Ilya on the terrace later.

So, he’s drinking Ginger Ale looking for Ilya while he also gets slightly mocked for his relationship with Ilya by Scott. Scott is talking about Ilya while Shane takes mini sips of Ginger Ale through that tiny straw. Looking for and talking about Ilya happen during tiny straw sips of Ginger Ale.

Then, Shane starts drinking shots with no more mention of Ilya OR with Ilya along for the taking of those shots. What a strange thing for Scott to say about Ginger Ale AND Ilya. Why those questions together at that moment in time? Why the absence of Ilya while he’s drinking hard liquor with the hockey bros?

After writing up this scene just now, it should have been glaringly obvious to me what Ginger Ale is but I promise you I didn’t figure it out from this scene. This next scene is what did it for me.

Didn’t Shane ask for Ginger Ale in the second restaurant scene with his parents? Go back and watch it in episode 4, it’s about half-way through the episode. Shane’s parents, Yuna and David, each order a glass of Chablis. Shane asks for Ginger Ale. The waiter offers sparkling water instead of Ginger Ale which is not available at this restaurant. Yuna says “I’m sure you could have a glass of wine.” To which he replies “No, I can’t. Not during the season.” He’s quite annoyed here. He did just maybe break up with his long-time secret hookup when it got too serious in the Tuna Melt scene before. A guy just really wants his Ginger Ale…..

This is an instance when Ginger Ale is not an option. But, why?

The next time we hear mention of Ginger Ale is in the bar just a few minutes later in the episode. Can we all take a moment to appreciate that bartender? Jacob Tierny knew what he was doing there. Shane should have noticed that bartender flirting with him blasting him with that million dollar smile. But, this is Shane and he’s clueless. (Wait, rewatch this scene instead of the restaurant scene with his parents because well, that bartender and that smile. Swoon. This IS a series based on a romance novel after all. There is bound to be radiant people in it.)

Anyways, it is important for us to help unravel this metaphor that the bartender is presented in a certain way. That bartender is very gay-coded. He’s beautiful and in a less structured outfit than most straight men wear.

Yes, yes. I’m making generalizations that apply to real people. Men of any sexuality can wear whatever they want to express themselves in any way. But, a visual storyteller like a filmmaker has to use a character’s mannerisms, costume and dialogue to convey what is important for us to know about them. In this case, that bartender is gay.

Let’s remember these are fictional characters. If the bartender was in a graphic tee, poorly fitted jeans, an old baseball cap, didn’t basically ogle Shane but was supposed to be gay, how would we know? We wouldn’t. He’s gay. Or, at least gay enough to check Shane out. ‘Queer’ may be a more appropriate word here depending on your mileage because we don’t know this character at all other than he wouldn’t mind a night with one of the most eligible bachelors in town.

Sorry, we got off track there. Or, did we? Shane asks for a Ginger Ale again here and even though they have it, the bartender kind of laughs at his request. Why would one of the most famous hockey players in town want a simple Ginger Ale when he can have anything at the bar? Trying to ascertain what is appropriate in this situation Shane backpeddles and orders a beer instead.

We haven’t yet talked about Shane’s autism. I don’t have plans to write about it because while it is important to his character motivations and how he moves through and perceives the world, I’ve not found that it affects the subtext. If there is evidence that it does, I will address it more in depth later. We’ll just move forward knowing that is a part of his character and we see it in the text.

As someone who is neurotypical, that I know of, I will defer to others more expert in autism to speak on it. Check out this women who discusses it briefly. If there are more voices you’ve found helpful understanding his motivations based on his autism, please feel free to drop them in the comments below.

I do just want to say that this whole project I’m undertaking is a huge hyper-fixation and along the lines of a semi-info dump. So, make of that what you will. We probably shouldn’t discuss how many of my family members I believe are undiagnosed with autism but I digress.

Back to Shane’s ordering fumble. Shane orders a beer and that bartender gives it to him ‘on the house’ without even accepting the tip. There’s that massive grin again. The bartender just can’t help that one of the hottest hockey players (we mentioned ‘famous’ and ‘eligible’ already) just ordered a beer from him but denied Shane the Ginger Ale. I think that guy will be grinning all night just from that interaction. He’s definitely into Shane.

Does anyone else notice the bartender’s body language towards Shane after he picks up the beer and takes a sip? That bartender is drinking up every bit of Shane while Shane is in his presence. Any sane gay man at this point might offer a potential love interest their phone number but the bartender does not. Nor does the bartender ask if Shane will be around when he finishes his shift. Those are pretty common pick-up techniques in the modern dating world. Considering how shocked he is that Shane is at the bar and we see how generous the bartender is here, I would expect an offer to meet later would be the next line from smiley smilersens. But, he doesn’t make a move on Shane.

They chat a bit more because Shane doesn’t seem to know where to go and when it’s acceptable to walk away from this encounter. Shane seems to be thinking “Do I say ‘thanks’? ‘Bye’? Do I just walk away? Not sure, so let’s talk about the obvious elephant in the room that is the movie stars mingling among us.”

The almost too attentive bartender drops the fact that Rose Landry is in the crowd. He says it like Shane should know her; Almost like we should know her. Shane’s reaction indicates that not only does he know her but he’s impressed that she is at the bar. The “I might need another one” line indicates that he’s interested in meeting her but couldn’t possibly muster up the courage to approach her completely sober.

Think about the bar again, why would Shane take the beer even though he wanted Ginger Ale when earlier he didn’t drink wine with his parents? This isn’t a personal choice where he prefers beer over wine. It could be that Shane just didn’t know how to read that situation so he went with the more socially acceptable choice. But, I think this is a choice by the film makers to tell us something else. I think we can assume these two scenes happen on the same day because he wears the same outfit to both the restaurant lunch with his parents and the restaurant he was invited to by his friend JJ.

Something started to click at this point. In most of these scenes Ginger Ale is found in contrast to other drinks that are usually alcohol in nature. My friends and I started to come up with something more nuanced and more inclusive to all of the other drinks in the show along with Ginger Ale that gets us past the Ginger-Ale-is-Shane metaphor.

In the “I Believe in Sunshine” episode 5 at the very end when the Hollanders are watching the play offs, David hands Yuna a glass of wine. What is happening in their world at that moment that is entirely unexpected? Jaws on the floor, eyes glued to the events happening on the TV screen in front of them, nary one of them expected (or, even us watching them watch this scene unfold)?

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Scott Hunter just won the World Cup. One of the highest honors a seasoned hockey player could ever win. There was no one there to celebrate with him until he brought down a fan from the crowd and kissed HIM on the ice. He kissed a man… on the ice… having just won the World Cup after years of chasing this dream. This is absolutely unexpected and unheard of in the MLH, the fictional hockey association, in Heated Rivalry. And, there is Yuna holding (not drinking) a glass of wine.

The MLH was a change from the book by Rachel Reid where she used the term ‘NHL’. But due to copyright issues the production company, Crave, changed the league name to MLH. We are to understand as an audience it is the same league with the same toxic masculinity and homophobia oozing out of every pore. Remember that ‘No Smoking’ sign from the first article? Yeah. No gay sex in hockey. That is not allowed.

Except here we are watching this scene, clutching our hearts, holding our breath and absolutely punching the air with excitement over these two men kissing in such a way that leaves no room for question what that kiss means. And, the kiss in front of the arena, the league and the whole world doesn’t just mean a kiss. They definitely know each other much than just a kiss on the lips. (Did anyone check to see if that ‘No Smoking’ sign was still up?) There is definitely gay sex happening in hockey now.

Ginger Ale is specifically homosexuality, and since half of this story is about Shane, it really means his homosexuality. And, that is different from the Ginger-Ale-is-Shane metaphor.

Ilya willingly gives Shane Ginger Ale whenever he wants it and without judgment. When has Ilya ever judged Shane for his sexual preference? When has he ever asked Shane to deny his sexuality? Never. Shane is always the cautious one even once reminding Ilya they can’t talk about their first time they had sex to anyone after the commercial they filmed together.

While the Pike’s don’t know about Shane’s homosexuality, we can predict how they will feel about Shane when he does come out to them. They will willingly accept Shane for who he is, caring little that he is attracted to men and not women. Hayden does joke around about Lily in Boston but notice he never asks about details. Hayden respects Shane and his privacy and will respect this about him too.

Remember that line from Jackie “What am I supposed to do with this?” when Shane hands her the wine? Wine, and more generally alcohol, is heterosexuality, maybe even compulsory heterosexuality. Let’s hold off on vodka though. That is its own special Russian category.

We can now go back through each scene to check that Ginger Ale represents homosexuality, Shane’s homosexuality, and that alcohol represents heterosexuality (minus vodka).

Yuna prods Shane to drink wine at the restaurant. But, he just wants Ginger Ale. In other words, Shane’s parents prod him to engage in some heterosexuality by meeting a princess at the tennis match in London and seeing where that takes him. Unfortunately, Ginger Ale is unavailable. Shane just broke up with Ilya and not only can he not have Ilya, or this homosexual relationship, his parents don’t even pick up on the fact that he most definitely is not interested in a Swedish princess (by encouraging him to drink wine). He’s not interested in the princess because he refuses that wine.

Let’s think about the scene where Shane wins Rookie of the Year. Scott Hunter engages in that funny dialogue with Shane about Ginger Ale and in the next breath asks about Ilya. So, does Scott know about Shane and Ilya at this point? If Ginger Ale represents Shane’s homosexuality and Scott just verified Shane was in fact drinking Ginger Ale, what do you think? Well, Scott does engage with Shane multiple times throughout the show about Ilya specifically. (Me thinks he knows.)

But, wait. Scott and Shane start drinking alcohol with all of those hockey bros. Why? Well, drinking alcohol means heterosexuality so Shane drinks up. It’s possible Shane doesn’t really know what his sexuality is at this moment, he is still quite young and Ilya was only one man. Maybe he is running from reality trying to ignore his sexuality that he can’t deny or he is drinking to convince himself and his hockey pals of his heterosexuality.

Drinking Ginger Ale does not inherently indicate to anyone in his world he is gay. Nor does drinking alcohol mark you as straight in his world. But, it does tell us, the audience, what is going on in Shane’s mind at that time. He definitely doesn’t want anyone to suspect he’s anything but straight. Shots it is. Did anyone see where he put his Ginger Ale?

When million-watt-smile-bartender asks Shane if he really wants Ginger Ale, what do you think he is really asking about? Well, if Ginger Ale means Shane’s homosexuality, Shane is asking to have some of that homosexuality because that is part of Shane. In the timeline of events, this is years after the Rookie of the Year award. He’s had more stolen moments with Ilya than he can count but he did just call it quits with Ilya. So, he’s likely figured out his sexuality by now and doesn’t mind asking a clearly gay-coded character for some more of that homosexuality.

In response, the bartender says “Shane Hollander can have whatever he wants here” which means the bartender gives Shane the opportunity to love whoever he wants, this is Canada after all. The Canadian government legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, nearly 10 years before the USA.

But, honestly, that bartender is thinking “Really?! You?! Gay? No, no way. You’re that famous hockey player. There’s no way anyone, much less you, can be gay in hockey. That’s absurd.” So the bartender hands Shane a beer (heterosexuality) and not Ginger Ale (homosexuality) because the bartender can’t even believe it.

Shane states that he prefers men (“Do you have any Ginger Ale”) but this gay-coded character can’t even imagine that this hockey player prefers men. Despite that fact that Canada is an open and free country for homosexuals, society has conditioned even gay men to reject the idea that there could be gay hockey players. Yay … toxic masculinity … and the trappings of patriarchy … yay. Remember how the bartender didn’t ask Shane for his number or offer his own for a future meet up?

And, let’s remember what the bartender offers Shane next, the chance to meet Rose Landry, not himself or Miles, Rose’s very gay actor friend who is starring in the same film, mind you. Technically we don’t see Miles in that restaurant but by alerting Shane that a highly eligible bachelorette (not bachelor) is around and Shane should go find her without mention of any equally suitable man is the last nail in the coffin to the bartender’s assumption about Shane’s sexuality. The bartender thinks Shane is straight even if Shane just told him he wasn’t. Tsk tsk. What a gas lighter.

So Shane takes his beer with him, admitting he might need a second beer. We see him next socializing with JJ and some other people (actors, other hockey players, does it matter? Not really.).

Did you see how he drank that beer? Who drinks beer like that? This could be seen as just a dude not knowing how to use his body, despite knowing how to play hockey better than anyone in the world, the socially awkward guy that he is.

Hudson Williams, the actor who is cast as Shane Hollander, commented in interviews that he plays Shane like a boxy robot. What I think is really happening here is Shane is trying to fake his heterosexuality to himself (and the world) and he’s miserable drinking that beer (heterosexuality) down.

He just broke up with Ilya. He has to move on and find some woman who he can find attractive and exciting because none really have up to this point. He is telling himself he has to forget this Russian man because it will never work in his world. He can’t really go looking for another boyfriend, or male sexual partner, because that could end in disaster so his only option is to find a woman. What a miserable future he’s faced with.

The moment we see Shane trying to escape this crowd, clearly overstimulated and in need of a quiet space, he lands himself in a booth in front of Rose Landry herself. Escaping that space to me is Shane’s way of removing himself from social pressures he feels about his sexuality. But, he can’t even escape those pressures because he’s faced with the one woman that could be perfect for him to lose himself in and cover for something he’s increasingly finding it difficult to deny. It would be so easy to be with her.

She is the whole package. She’s a gorgeous, kind, easy to talk to, smart, rich, famous, and a highly sought after actor probably inundated with offers by male suitors constantly. And, apparently, his fan. She even knows that he’s playing tomorrow night, including which opposing team he’s against.

What must a closeted, probably in denial, gay man do? Easy - Date Rose. She’s literally perfect for him and they would be seen by the public as the IT couple.

He does still have that beer at the table. That beer is front and center on that table for us to see which he sips at least three times during their dialogue. And, can we assume she’s not drinking water in that delicate wine glass? This would be a completely different scene if she was drinking Ginger Ale though. Ha.

Why do I hear you screaming at me ‘But, the bar at the All-Star Game!! They’re drinking beers at that bar!!’ Yes, they are. And, what are they trying to exude? In front of dozens of hockey players across the MLH, their families and other regular guests at this hotel, they can’t just drink Ginger Ale. They can’t just announce they’re not straight. They have to drink beer, heterosexuality, as a cover. I’m not sure it worked considering how intensely they were looking at each other and checking each other out. But, it was a valiant effort no less. Not only that, these beers convey to us, the audience, what they are trying to say to the world: “We are straight and just hockey pals.”

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

The shape of those bottles has me chuckling though. They’re chugging down some heterosexuality but their lips are touching something very phallic in shape. Both of them are drinking from the same shape. We are all thinking the same thing. Right?....Right?!

Can I give you a small task? Find another scene in Heated Rivalry in which two extras drink beers out of a similarly shaped bottle. Their intentional synchronicity astounds me. Think about the sequence of events happening around that quick shot. The type of beer is irrelevant such that I know the All-Star Weekend beer is Corona but I have no idea what these beers are at this moment.

What do those characters (and the world they exist in) expect to see? What do we expect to see? Who is on screen driving the narrative? Why would those bottles be important there? And, after the conclusion of the scene, do we see those bottles again?

On your nth rewatch with Heated Rivalry (I promise I’m not judging you.) test the theory of alcohol-equals-heterosexuality metaphor to see if it holds.

Next up, vodka. Or, is it just good Russian vodka?

This is the one exception to the alcohol-equals-heterosexuality metaphor and it almost broke me. Most of the time metaphors in film are consistent and inform us of a specific idea. Wine, beer, and other hard liquor all inform us that the message portrayed on screen at that moment is heterosexuality. Ginger Ale is homosexuality. And, then there is vodka and it just doesn’t fit that metaphor. But, it IS consistently shown around Ilya. So, we’ll have to make this one exception.

It’s possible that fans easily settled on the Ginger-Ale-is-Shane metaphor because I think good Russian vodka IS Ilya. It doesn’t represent anything else other than this handsome Russian hockey player with blue eyes who’s scared of loons.

Ilya drinks beer on screen to lie to his world that he is heterosexual when he is not. But what else does he drink? Water, wine, vodka, shots with Svetlana and something at the cottage that could be several different options (or nothing at all).

This is a good time to ask when does something NOT happen? Ilya never drinks Ginger Ale does he? It’s because he’s “Not all of the way gay.” Ginger Ale represents all-of-the-way-gay. Absolutely 100% gay with no wiggle room outside of Shane’s minor foray with Rose. Because Ilya is bisexual.

The first time Ilya drinks vodka is in the hotel room with Shane in the “Olympians” episode 2. He states “This is a good hotel. Really nice vodka. Is hard to find in America.” Looking at each line we can see that Ilya is, in fact, in a good hotel, he is thereally nice vodka, or Russian man, and that kind of vodka, or Russian man, is hard to find in America. So, nice (or good) vodka is Ilya.

We all know that vodka originated in Russia, right? Maybe Poland. Somewhere in that area. They both claim it. I have no allegiance to either enough to take a side. The filmmakers are stating that vodka comes from Russia because Ilya comes from Russia. And, it is a staple beverage in Russia. That’s all we need to know. I’m sorry if you are Polish and disagree. Be mad at the filmmakers. I didn’t make that rule. They did.

We might question the filmmakers’ motivations here behind those lines he states in the hotel room: “This is a good hotel. Really nice vodka. Is hard to find in America.” We could read that this Canadian show is taking a stance on the politics of Russian relations with the Western World and that Westerners perceive all of its people as bad because they are a product of their corrupt government. But, I don’t think that’s what’s happening here.

This is a political show in that the filmmaker’s take is that human rights include a world where queer people can live openly and freely, and, we know that is not the case in Russia. We see slights about Russia, the country, during the Olympics in “Hunter” episode 3 and great things aren’t happening in the scenes with Alexei along with the other events happening there.

However, I don’t think the show’s message is to paint a wide brush that all people from Russia are bad, in which Ilya is one of the few good ones. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But, to me this show reads, let’s point out that Russia has an issue with homophobia rather than everything about Russia is bad and there are only a few Russians that are good people. Because, yuck, if that is the case.

In terms of vodka, clearly there is good vodka and sub-par vodka. I don’t know the difference. (Ask someone else about it.) And, I honestly don’t know anything about the vodka shown in the series despite my efforts. But, I imagine they are high quality varieties to get the point across. Ilya is “really nice vodka” or, a more appropriate phrase for this metaphor, “one of the good ones”. Also, there are sometimes sub-par vodka, or sub-par men. Ilya is not a sub-par man.

We know Ilya is the good variety because, among other things, he is not homophobic. He is kind (maybe not in this Las Vegas scene). Eventually he loves Shane and treats him well. He tries to do the best for his family and tries never to let his hockey team down. He is a really good man that happens to be Russian.

In a more obvious visual cue that basically knocks us over the head that good Russian vodka is Ilya, Ilya in Moscow, after the death of his father, propositions Shane over the phone. Ilya props his phone against an indiscernible dark bottle but just in the foreground we see a bottle of Russian vodka. We also see a glass of clear liquid in a tumbler that looks like something to drink vodka from that he is probably drinking. What he is drinking is probably good Russian vodka. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)

We can’t forget the scene at the cottage where David offers Ilya vodka. David says to Shane while he’s pouring Ilya a glass of vodka from a blue bottle, “And, there weren’t any nice men in Montreal?” Shane doesn’t know and doesn’t really care because he has a nice Russian he found in North America right next to him that checks all of his boxes and more. And that blue bottle is somewhat reminiscent of a Russian’s blue eyes sitting at that table.

Remember that line from the very beginning: “This is a good hotel. Really nice vodka. Is hard to find in America.” This is the first line about vodka in the show.

After a sip, Ilya hums with “That’s good vodka.” David responds, “Thanks, I try to buy the Russian stuff.” Those constellations of words are seen together again with Ilya: good, nice, vodka, Russian. And, this is the last line about vodka in the show. Good Russian vodka is Ilya. Nice bookend lines that tell us who Ilya really is from start to finish. He is a good man who happens to be Russian.

Now, I do know about that very beer colored drink they are sharing at the cottage alongside the burgers. But, like some other beverages in the series, its origin is ambiguous in nature. There is no label on the drink, no specific shaped bottle or glass to visually tell us what they are drinking. Honestly, it could be carbonated apple juice. The color of the liquid looks like apple juice but it has bubbles like it is carbonated. Carbonated apple juice isn’t a popular drink in North America but it is in some countries in Europe. But, can we really tell either way?

This is an instance where the filmmakers had to give the characters something to drink or it would be weird. Any good summer barbecue with burgers would have a drink, probably beer. But, identifying it specifically as beer would poke holes in the message of alcohol-is-heterosexuality. I think we’re not supposed to know exactly what that drink is other than it’s just a drink. If they wanted us to know it was beer, why pour into glasses like that? Just drink it from the bottle. Then we would have visual confirmation it is beer.

There is actually another scene at Yuna’s and David’s cottage where the four of them are holding identical mugs that might have a hot beverage in them. But, we don’t know what the drink is. There are no tea bag strings hanging down the side of the mugs. No one says, “Thanks for the coffee”. So, sometimes a drink is just a drink in this show and it doesn’t have a meaning. I’m going to guess the instances where we can discern what the drink is supposed to be, it is important for us to know and take meaning from its existence in the shot.

What do you think? Does Ginger-Ale-is-Shane work now? Or, looking at how Ginger Ale is in competition with other drinks helps us see that Ginger-Ale-is-homosexuality? Now knowing that informs us of what the other drinks represent.

Not only does Ginger Ale allow us to understand more about Shane, the other drinks on the show also tell a story. They give us more information about how characters are feeling, what they’re hiding or offering, what others expect of them or who they are at their core.

For the next article, we’ll talk about mirrors. But, I really can’t wait to discuss other ideas that haven’t been talked about before (at least from what I see).

If you are starting to think about subtext, is there anything that you’ve noticed you want me to discuss? Here is one big caveat to that: there will be articles that will have to come before certain ideas can be outlined. I wouldn’t be able to explain one concept without the basic knowledge of several previous (yet to be written) articles. Otherwise, the article will be 5,324 pages long. So, know that if you request a topic, I very much might have to write two or three articles to lay the foundation to get to your specific idea.

Also, there are a few more things I’m trying to work out. Maybe you have figured them out.

Well, are we all enjoying the cottage yet? I know I am.

What smoking means to Shane and Ilya

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

If you’re here right now it’s probably because you’re very interested in the hit TV Show Heated Rivalry created by Jacob Tierney that debuted in November of 2025. Someone, somewhere shared this link with you because they know you consume everything about Heated Rivalry and “why not add a That subscription to that obsession?” Or, maybe you found it yourself. Either way, I see you and thank you for being here.

This little project is ambitious and incredibly outside of my comfort zone in so many ways. Writing is not my profession….at all….in any imaginable sense of the word. So, if you’re bored by my writing style or think it’s pedestrian filled with grammar mistakes, I do too. We’re in good company. Also, I have obligations outside of this little project like work and family. If I don’t publish on a rigid schedule it’s because I’m busy. That’s life.

Additionally, did you see the title of my listing - Definitely still an amateur. Because even though I think I am untangling the web of the subtext of this show, I’m definitely still….. Well, you know where that’s going. I have not had formal training in film anything. It was never an interest of mine as a young person and is nothing I currently work in either. Specifically, film analysis is something that I’ve only just started exploring in the last few years as a hobby.

To begin this endeavor feels like a drop of water that is the sea of content we’re drowning in with Heated Rivalry in the winter of 2026. (I’m happily drowning here. Please don’t misunderstand.) My droplet of content is nothing I’ve seen yet explored on any platform to the depths that I am craving. Yes, there are some shining examples of subtext exploration here and there but no one creator really consistently dives into all of the crevices that is this ocean of subtext. So, I’m going to try to lay out my thoughts with your help to try to shine a light on everything we see on film that has an extra layer of meaning.

Let’s talk about what my listing, Definitely Still an Amateur, is and what it isn’t so you’re not disappointed when we don’t go over that one thing you’re dying to learn more about.

What this project is:

1. My project is about film subtext. My primary focus, for as long as my attention allows, will be the subtext in the TV series Heated Rivalry. Though it’s not in the current plan to explore other series or films, don’t be shocked if the conversation steers off course for a bit.
2. It’s available to anyone who wants access to it. There might be a stray article that will go behind a paywall because of the explicit content discussed considering the nature of some of the scenes. But, my hope is to avoid that as much as possible.

What this project is not:

1. This is not a gossip column. The personal lives of any of the creators or actors will not be discussed here unless it directly relates to the subtext of the film.
2. This is not a project that will tackle minute character motivations like when an actor hesitates before one word and how the audience is supposed to know their every thought because of that pause. I just don’t think like that. There are plenty of sources for that online including podcasts like “Shelf Aware” that lend depth to these characters and meaning to their motivations. It’s a valid discussion to pursue; Just not something I’m going to go on about. There are too many content creators to list here. Feel free to comment below with your favorite creators.
3. This is not a project to break down the technical aspects of filming like types of cameras, lighting techniques, sound and music selections, editing and shot angles. It might come up to support a theory but it will not be the major focus. There are creators like Valentina Vee on Instagram who you should seek for that content.
4. This is not a project that will analyze any of Rachel Reid’s written work. Her books are the source material of the series and could have a valid place in discussing film subtext. But, anything beyond using her work as a reference for our discussion is not something I wish to pursue.
5. A project about hockey. My knowledge is limited to just about what is shown on screen and it will probably be easy to tell. Thankfully the filmmakers only showed us the parts we needed to know to figure out the real story.

That’s the intro folks. There are some other smaller things that will come up later but we should really get started.

There are at least three widely accepted metaphors that have been discussed in the fandom up to this point. We will start with those as some of you may have knowledge of those metaphors and we’ll use those to move into more complex topics in the future. So, some of the focus of the first three articles I did not come up with on my own but do merit some weight to discuss here. I do extend those metaphors further but their bones are already out there. When I can find the source of those metaphors, the link to the source material will be included. If I don’t know the creator or I can’t find it please comment below with the source, if you’re aware, so we can give credit where it is due.

Why not open this article with the opening shot: A young Achilles in a beanie is trying to light a cigarette against a gray wall. He fails miserably until another cute young man with freckles shows up and introduces himself. We all know that scene - Shane Hollander offers his hand to Ilya Rozanov to shake and, after they touch, when attempted again the lighter magically produces a flame, or a spark, to light the cigarette.

Most viewers caught this ‘spark’ right away. Bravo! Because at the end of the day, that’s what starts this whole love story, this magical spark between the two of them. And, that’s what these articles will be about, finding the additional meanings behind the choices made by the film makers. But, I’m going to guess that’s about as far as most of you got on this little spark. And, that’s okay. The lighting of that cigarette made you think a little deeper about something other than what you saw on screen. You saw a physical spark from the lighter but you understood the real meaning which was to show us what is happening between those two junior hockey players. They absolutely felt a spark between their interactions and we got to watch that spark grow through the whole series. No one had to say “We felt a spark of mutual attraction” for us to know that is what they felt.

Now, the metaphor doesn’t stop there. Or, rather there is another very tried and true filming metaphor in that shot. We can look beyond the flame between Ilya and Shane to the cigarette itself along with some other key details in the shot to understand even more about this series. My friend, we’ll call her divi, and I were chatting about this scene and she pointed out a very important sign on the wall. It might not have even registered in your mind that the sign was there, ‘cause it sure didn’t with me either, or you just chuckled at the irony of this young man smoking a cigarette right in front of it. This IS Ilya Rozanov after all and, if you didn’t know before this shot, we soon find out that he is a little bit rebellious.

The sign is the ‘No Smoking’ sign in picture form. The one with the red circle with the line going diagonally through it with the picture of the offending item or action inside of it. It is clearly a ‘No Smoking’ sign. If you’re a super fan, you’ve seen pics of regular people standing in front of that wall and what is NOT there is the ‘No Smoking’ sign. So, the sign was put there for a reason. Ilya does not give one care that the sign exists but he most definitely saw it when he leaned against that wall to smoke that cigarette.

Also, we know from the line by Shane, “You’re an awesome player to watch”, that they are currently at a hockey practice while he motions with his hand in his pocket to the inside area in the background and behind him from whence he came. We KNOW that hockey is occurring just behind that wall and they were participating in it within the last few minutes. That same wall that specifically has that ‘No Smoking’ sign behind the man smoking that cigarette because he wants to (maybe even needs to) smoke and, importantly, in defiance of that sign.

Does anyone see where we’re going yet?

What would Ilya want, and maybe even need, that is also in defiance of the rules? That cigarette of course. But, could it be something else? Um, yes. I didn’t lead you on this long for it to not be. And, I did lead with ‘tried and true filming technique’ at the very beginning of this. So, let’s just say it. The cigarette is about a gay sex. [Let’s identify what this term means here so that there is no confusion. The term ‘gay’ can mean many things to many people in the queer community. But, for the sake of this story and what these articles will be about, let’s just establish ‘gay sex’ means sex between two cisgendered men because that is what this series is about.]

These little visual clues about sex were cleverly crafted after the creation of The Hays Code. You can look it up but the short version is that these were a set of rules developed in the early 20th century that restricted film makers from talking about or showing simulated sex on screen or even showing body parts that they considered private. If they did, those films would not be distributed to any audience. Filmmakers resorted to unique metaphors, innuendos, props and more to wink wink, nudge nudgeyou through the story they wanted to tell. And, it largely worked. Most audiences caught on.

Metaphors and the like didn’t develop because of The Hays Code as they were a key part of storytelling and filmmaking before that code but film creators had to get even more creative to share their story. I wonder if maybe they got away with more than they would have attempted if The Hays Code had not been enacted and enforced.

You can find countless other films that use this visual of a man smoking a cigarette looking at another man as code for gay sex. Cigars are a favorite prop of filmmakers as well considering their more appropriate shape. But, make no mistake that filmmakers utilize a myriad of other phallic shaped props to crudely get this point across; Hot dogs, erupting fountains, churros and more have all been used to show us what is on the mind of the people in the shot (maybe not always two men).

Okay. So what? Ilya smoking a cigarette means he wants to have sex with Shane. But, that is not the whole picture. We talked about that ‘No Smoking’ sign. That is very important. And, where that sign is posted is an important piece to this puzzle.

If Ilya isn’t supposed to smoke, and cigarettes are a metaphor for gay sex, the next logical leap is that Ilya is not supposed to engage in gay sex. Well, specifically in hockey because where is that sign posted? On the outside of the hockey rink where he and Shane Hollander just emerged from. Ilya is not supposed to have gay sex in hockey. Not literally on the rink but the idea of gay sex in hockey, among its players, is not acceptable.

This is exactly what those three pieces tell us. Smoking a cigarette equals gay sex. The ‘No smoking’ sign means he is not supposed to engage in gay sex. And, the sign posted on the rink wall behind Ilya tells us that he is definitely not supposed to do that in hockey. [There is one more layer to this metaphor I discovered upon writing this article you’ll see a little further down.]

Oops. Ilya Rozanov is smoking anyway. He does not give one care that there is not supposed to be smoking (gay sex) in hockey. He is going to do it anyway. And, guess who he is smoking next to? Shane Hollander.

Now, we all know Shane does a very good job of trying to convey to Ilya that smoking is most certainly not allowed here in his best I don’t speak your language and you probably don’t know mine very well either hand motion and with the most basic English possible. Poor guy. We all know he left the rink to talk to Ilya, otherwise why is he out there in the cold?! He’s not smoking.

Shane felt that spark between them on that first handshake and he is a little shy about talking to Ilya because he’s most certainly been paying attention to this guy and very much in awe of his talent. Shane is one of the best new recruits and when anyone can challenge him in hockey, he’s going to pay attention. The only one who is on his radar is Ilya because he is the only one who equals Shane’s ability.

Ilya is also paying attention for the same reason. They are both the most sought after players in the industry right now. They are not rivals yet (were they ever?) but they are definitely aware of each others’ skills and paying close attention to each other. And, here Shane is reminding Ilya that Ilya is not supposed to have gay sex in hockey. Ilya is not phased one bit and just keeps smoking. I’d like to think Ilya takes that chastisement as a challenge.

In the first 1 minute and 30 seconds of “The Rookie” episode in Season 1 we basically get the theme of the entire show: these two characters share an undeniable spark with each other but the rules of this sport dictate they aren’t allowed to follow that spark.

My friend, divi, and I were chatting about the cigarette metaphor and she concluded by the logic that smoking means gay sex we should see Shane smoke on screen too. This discussion happened before all of the episodes dropped and I agreed. Actually, I think I said, “he either won’t care, no longer bothering Ilya about it, or we will see him smoke too”. Ironically, another friend, Fiona, coming to the conversation later, leapt to the same conclusion that Shane will eventually smoke on screen. Is it possible we’ll see Shane smoke in a later season? I actually don’t think so now. We’ll take a detour a little bit later in this article to look into Shane’s feelings about this metaphor but for now let’s continue with this metaphor for Ilya.

The thing about metaphors in film is that usually they extend throughout the whole piece. Sometimes a metaphor can last for a moment like the lighter finally catching a flame to represent the spark of their attraction. But, other times you can find the trail of that metaphor littered throughout the film or series. The goal then is to verify that the hunch you developed about the metaphor still holds. Let’s check out a few scenes with Ilya and cigarettes.

The first scene on my radar is when Shane finds Ilya alone on the terrace of the building in which Shane wins MVP. At first glance, this is a typical snapshot of someone who smokes. They leave the event, step outside for a few minutes of quiet to themselves and have a smoke. Looks absolutely normal, nothing to see here. But, Ilya isn’t real. Sorry to say that out loud. I can hear your sad sigh through the screen. I amtruly sorry.

Connor Storrie was told Ilya would be smoking in this scene and so he did. And, not just to set a melancholy mood, but for the sole purpose to extend that metaphor.

We have to look at all parts of a scene and the dialogue to really understand it. So, what is happening in that scene? A slightly drunk Shane stumbles upon Ilya on that terrace. Ilya is smoking alone looking out onto the beautiful city skyline. Shane’s state of mind makes it difficult to read Ilya’s mood and subtle hints of distress (even more than normal). We know from the dialogue that Ilya’s heaviest thoughts are that he will return to Russia in three days. This is where the film makers trust we are smart enough to track where Ilya is going with this.

When he returns to Russia, Shane will not go. He never goes and, while we will get more into Russia and the dangers there for Ilya in a later article, Ilya will most likely not engage in gay sex there. That is definitely not allowed in Russia. Ilya knows it’s a long three months until his return to North America and the potential to see Shane again. We can infer there are more reasons why Ilya does not want to go back to Russia because there is much more, but for the sake of this discussion, we’ll limit our analysis of his despair to the cigarette metaphor.

That cigarette will likely be his last one before a long summer, or he isn’t having sex with a man, much less with Shane until he returns to North America. Additionally, Ilya is very alone in this endeavor until Shane stumbles upon him. He has to smoke in private, sometimes with Shane. No one else can see him smoking. In the North America, Ilya can smoke, have gay sex, in private. But, that stops once the plane leaves the tarmac on the way to Russia.

For another Ilya smoking scene, step into episode 5 “I’ll Believe in Anything” after Rose so gently coaxes Shane out of the closet. Ilya and Svetlana are laying on Ilya’s bed watching a hockey game. Ilya is smoking and Svetlana grabs the cigarette from him and says, in my translated version, “Since when did you start smoking again?” His response is “Haven’t started again. Just every once in a while.” In isolation, this just seems like a normal thing to chat about with your longtime friend-with-sometimes-benefits. Maybe you’ve both agreed to stop smoking but needed it just this once. May I remind you that THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE! Ilya and Svetlana are fictional characters. Ilya is smoking there for a reason. (So is Svetlana but that is another massive article coming to you in the very distant future. If I forget to mention why Svetlana smokes in that scene too, please remind me. It’s too good not to point out.)

Back to that scene, what happened in Ilya’s life prior to this scene and what is about to happen after it? Go back and watch it if you can’t remember. No, really. Stop reading this right now and take a look. I already told you what happens before that scene with Rose and Shane. Just look at what happens after that scene. I’ll be here when you’re done.

Did you catch it?

Ilya is hanging out at the bar in Florida for the Allstar Game. And, what starts happening again that had stopped? Ilya and Shane start having sex again after each having a much needed emotional breakthrough. We don’t even get to see the sex because that is no longer important to show us. Their emotional connection is what matters now. Since smoking cigarettes is gay sex for Ilya and we see that in the scene with Svetlana, we can predict that gay sex is about to start again. And, it does. Yay!!!

Did you catch the scene where Ilya isn’t smoking a cigarette that is in his lips? It’s a blink-and-you’ll- miss-it scene. Think about what happens right after that scene. You might have to skip past the amazing departure from their story line that is episode 3 to find the clues.

[Major detour here because of that last paragraph and almost a reason for scrapping this entire article. Divi read this article before publication and said something that sent me into a ‘did I get this metaphor right?’ spiral.

And, while this article originally stopped discussing most of the smoking scenes, minus the last one, at “find the clues” above. I felt the need to add something that unlocked another layer of this metaphor that we will have to discuss more in depth in a later article.]

Ilya is not smoking that cigarette at the end of “Olympians” episode 2. But, he just had gay sex with Shane. Shouldn’t it be lit? Well, he did smoke a cigarette when they were chatting in bed together. The scene then cuts to a short jump in time later where Shane is in the foyer by the door leading out of the room. As we see Shane clothed and ready to leave, the camera pans back to Ilya with that unlit cigarette in his mouth.

How did we all feel about the end of that scene? Hollow, untethered, confused, mad, sad, hurt? What we are feeling is exactly what they are feeling and Tierney does a magnificent job pulling us into their minds. We can see in both of their faces and demeanor what we are feeling inside about this encounter. And, for Shane we see his distress in the elevator with his unsent text messages and his head falling onto the elevator wall. He’s really trying to understand what just happened.

The sex part was great and something they both desperately wanted after a time where Ilya basically ghosted Shane during the Russian Olympics and after it. They missed each other but something was just off about it and he doesn’t know what or why. We see it in Ilya’s stony and hollow expression and dejected posture with that unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.

So, what does this unlit cigarette mean? If you recall above we talked about the scene where Ilya smokes on the terrace right before he has to go to Russia. This is essentially the same scene, a parallel scene, where we should see the same thing happening with that cigarette because Ilya is about to go to Russia again. But, it isn’t. One cigarette is lit and he’s smoking it and one is not.

This one difference had me spinning and thinking about smoking a cigarette in a different light (Ha!). I think that the spark they felt between each other with that lit cigarette in that first scene is the fire inside the cigarette. No one can smoke a cigarette without fire, not even Achilles incarnate. Remember I said there was a fire metaphor you could figure out on your own? Well, here it is again. When Ilya smokes a cigarette (has gay sex) he can only smoke it now because of a spark inside of the cigarette (the attraction between Shane and Ilya). That unsmoked cigarette means something is most definitely wrong in their relationship.

They are functionally stuck to having sex in the shadows and slamming the brakes on any more development in their relationship because of the external homophobia that is within hockey. They can’t see how to move forward even if they want to. In effect, this makes their relationship regress. The spark dies.

Ironically, and probably very intentionally, that scene sets us up perfectly for the conclusion of the “Hunter” episode 3. We see two men deeply in love but unable to see how to move forward. Their relationship breaks down even though they seem perfect for each other and ridiculously in love with each other. (I bet you couldn’t tell which couple I was talking about there. That’s on purpose.)

Another way to confirm your own theory is ‘when does this thing NOT occur?’ We never see Ilya smoke at a club or in relation to any other men or any women (Besides Svetlana, I know! We will get to her.) The act of Ilya smoking is limited to Shane only.

Did I miss any smoking scenes or references to smoking? Maybe. Having only watched this show three times and on my cell phone means I have not memorized every detail. But, you can still tease out the subtext if you’re paying enough attention even with limited viewings. I will let you find the other scenes to see what you can tell about what smoking means to Ilya in that moment. If you have a question about a specific scene, feel free to throw it in the comments.

But, we can’t leave without mentioning one last smoking scene.

Parts of this next paragraph didn’t age well considering I wrote it before the fire inside the cigarette is the spark between those two lovers realization. I will use brackets to represent what I wrote and what should be scrapped.

Here is the promised Shane side quest. While this article is primarily about Ilya, it’s important to note that Ilya isn’t Ilya without Shane. Any time we see Ilya smoking or there is a reference about smoking it’s always in conjunction with Shane. [Some of you might think this is me actually saying Ilya smoking a cigarette is Ilya having gay sexwith Shane but I don’t think that’s the actual metaphor. The metaphor is gay sex in hockey and Svetlana is the reason why I think the metaphor shouldn’t specifically include Shane. I digress.]

I do think Svetlana’s role is significant and will be explored later. Also, you should see the process of figuring out subtext. It’s not easy and takes practice and careful thought (and friends willing to point out your inconsistencies).

Back to Shane. Shane’s feelings about Ilya smoking change over the course of the series. We see him first admonish Ilya for smoking, then he slowly bothers Ilya less and less about it.

There is one cute scene where Shane says something like “I can smell the smoke on you”. Ilya responds “It was one cigarette!”. Without the context of the tone of their voice or seeing the softness in their faces, those lines could be seen as aggressive towards each other. Instead we see two people absolutely adoring each other sharing this little jab.

It reminded me of when I’m frantically searching the house for something and my wife just looks at me with heart eyes, shaking her head. The look is “I love this woman and I think it’s adorable that she lost her headphones again.” We don’t even have to say anything and I know we’re sharing an inside joke. This sort of joke implies deep emotional connection and understanding. Shane is saying here “You know you shouldn’t be having gay sex. But, here we are again. I’m not so fussed about it anymore. It’s what we both want. I just want to remind you that this isn’t what we’re supposed to be doing but this is how we started and how it will probably continue for a very long time because our spark is undeniable.” Shane is not smoking because Ilya is smoking. Only one of them has to smoke to show us the spark between them is real and alive.

On your next watch, track how Shane responds to Ilya smoking throughout the series. That will tell you how Shane feels about having gay sex in hockey.

Continuing with that scene, Tierney doesn’t waste many lines. When Ilya says the “one cigarette” line this is Ilya telling us he only has sex with one man. And, that man is Shane Hollander. You could read it as Ilya’s admission again that “I just had sex with one other man (actually a boy) and that was Sasha years ago when we were kids.” I’d be willing to entertain it means both. But, the fact that they’re sharing this sweet moment with this joke that is between partners who really know each other, I think it’s about Ilya only having sex with Shane. That’s close to being allowed in hockey or not as bad as the alternative which is sex with many men. Because having sex with MANY men is certainly not allowed.

Back to Ilya, remember that the theme of the metaphor should run through the course of the whole film or series if it’s found in a few places. And, every time it appears on screen or is mentioned, it should fit the metaphor. Which means…..we should all go to “The Cottage”. Get in your lovebug car and drive along to the secluded place we all crave that is episode 6. I’m so happy we’re all here together!

Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/

Ilya smokes by the lake watching the sun rise while Shane hands his man a blanket and a cup of something hot to drink. They don’t appear to say anything to each other, now comfortable enough to exist in each others’ quiet company. Shane does not admonish Ilya for smoking. Therefore, we can infer from this metaphor that Ilya is having gay sex with Shane. And, we might be able to even guess that since Shane doesn’t push back on him Shane has finally accepted his sexuality and is freely AND joyously having sex with Ilya. Bravo! Shane has finally accepted that gay sex can happen even if it’s not allowed in hockey (remember that ‘No Smoking’ sign from the very first scene of this show? He just ignored that sign altogether.).

I feel like there should be joyous bells ringing in the background somewhere considering how beautifully that metaphor closes out at the cottage. Note that Shane doesn’t have to actually smoke here for us to see that he is most definitely fine with Ilya smoking or having gay sex with Shane and that spark is definitely back in their lives.

Let me just add that I do not believe the filmmakers are trying to convince us all to smoke nor do I think they would want Ilya to smoke if he was a real person. They just used this metaphor to tell us a part of the story without telling it to us explicitly.

Some questions I have for future seasons.

1. What happens if we see Ilya stop smoking later? If the metaphor is carried over to other seasons, that’s not a good outcome for Hollanov.
2. Will Shane ever smoke? I don’t think so but there is still some hesitation surrounding Shane about being in the closet. Maybe he will later when they are, presumably, both out in Season 2.
3. Do we see other characters smoke in future seasons and, if so, can we apply this metaphor to those scenes? (Svetlana will be discussed. Do not fear!)

There was a metaphor proposed on Reddit about how the smoke from the cigarette is an emotional wall Ilya puts up between himself and Shane. (Thanks for the link divi.) The metaphor was proposed before all of the episodes were released. Divi and I batted around the idea that Jacob possibly created a double, yet opposing, metaphor from the act of smoking a cigarette. We might have had a hard time distinguishing by text messages the difference between the act of smoking and smoke emanating from the cigarette to try to accommodate those two incongruent metaphors. It was quite confusing. We were kind of talking around each other at that point trying to figure out if the ‘smoke-as-an-emotional-wall’ metaphor could work with the ‘smoking-a-cigarette-is-gay-sex-for-Ilya’ [the more updated metaphor that smoking for Ilya only happens with Shane and their mutual spark] metaphor.

I commented if Jacob was able to pull that off, hats off to him. Because we shouldn’t see Ilya continue to have an emotional wall between himself and Shane represented by the smoke if they continue to have sex and develop their relationship. As the season progressed, the ‘smoke-as-emotional-wall’ metaphor worked less and less. They became more open and trusting with each other even when smoke was right between them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely still an amateur. I am still mulling over some lines and specific elements that are unclear to me as of the writing of this article and I know my friends are tired of me whining about my inability to figure out what they mean. It could be that as I write more articles, my previous stances will crumble. And, that’s okay. This one nearly did before publication.

This Reddit blogger ‘aromaticchicken’ started off with a solid theory but with more episodes came more evidence and that specific metaphor just doesn’t work throughout the end of series, especially at the cottage. But, this kind of discourse only makes our analysis stronger. Or, obliterates it. Both are welcome in this space. My hope is that if ‘aromaticchicken’ on Reddit ever stumbles upon this article, they will forgive me for disagreeing with their take.

If you’ve come this far, thank you. Next up is Ginger Ale. And, I promise we will tackle more after these first few metaphors. My notes app contains 20+ ideas to write about. What have I done to myself? Sigh.

See you at the cottage!