“Do it under the sand”
I was in the navy during don’t ask don’t tell. I was kicked out for being gay. But when I would go to the movies with a movie, it was the only time we were able to physically show intimacy in public. We would hold hands in the theater in the dark very low. It was all we could dare. And it felt like a small win. Every time. I’m glad we don’t have to do that anymore in this society. We needa let people be people. Everyone deserves to feel loved and give that love back. That cant be wrong.

Since I cant watch episode 5 for the first time ever again, I instead watch other people's reactions so I can relive it vicariously through them.

So... the thing about Ilya and Russia isn't just that he's worried about his family disowning him, it's that it's dangerous for him. If his sexuality were to become public, he would risk being arrested, tortured, even killed if he returned to Russia. We all know his family wouldn't support him, but even if they wanted to, they would also risk being imprisoned or killed just for supporting him. And it's not as simple as him just choosing to never return to Russia. If it were that simple, he would have already made that choice because he's been in love with Shane for a LONG time. But consider the fact that he's a Russian citizen playing for an American team on a work visa. If he gets injured and can't play anymore, if he gets kicked out of the league for some reason, that work visa goes away and he gets deported. So even if he has no intention of ever returning, it's still very, very dangerous for him to come out or risk being outed. They'll talk about it more in episode 6, but Ilya has to figure out a way to protect himself against the possibility of being deported should things go wrong before he can live the life that he truly wants with Shane.

I has been a while since i obsessed with a show like this one.

Huge props to the straight girl friends—Elena, Svetlana, and Rose. Allies matter.

15:38 I don’t know if you noticed this, or if somebody already mentioned it to you, but when Svetlana was telling Ilya that she knows he’s in love with “Jane,” she mentions that she hopes “Jane” knows how happy HE is.

Other viewers noticed that the heart monitor shows Shane heart racing but then as Ilya gets closer, it comes down and settles at 81, Ilya’s uniform number. Such a sweet detail.

That was my man girl. Ain’t he cute? Lmao 😂

Probably my favorite change from book to TV is Ilya's love confession. It's nice reading it, but something about actually getting to hear the dialogue in Russian as well as Connor Storrie's performance. It's both heart wrenching and heartwarming. Easily my favorite moment from this episode and one of my favorite moments of the whole season.

"You watching this girl?". 😅😅😅😅😅

Ahhhh loved ur reactionssss!! NEXT: We goinggg to the mf cottage!!!

the thing is that Ilya is still a russian citizen, and they have laws against promoting "lgbtq propaganda"

i don't know how the athlete visas work, but he may actually be legally obligated to return to russian soil periodically, or if his passport gets revoked he may not be able to travel between the us and canada for work

20:01 "he sang that, didn't he?" yes!! he did 😭😭

One of the best episodes in TV history ❤

7:32 😂😂😂 The thing is, in hockey or sports in general, this is how players are when they play on the same team. The issue with them having to appear as “rivals” is because their teams are real-life rivals, so fans expect them to dislike each other. Now that they were playing on the same team for that game, it's the only time they can be affectionate publicly without people suspecting anything.

Ilya worries that, if he's out or outed, he'll face having his visa revoked and get deported back to Russia, which, if he's being deported for being out or outed as not-straight, is terrifying and something he doesn't want to find out about. He makes a point in the book of saying it's scary to be who he is in America and that's maybe reason number two why seeking Canadian visa and eventual citizenship is preferable.

You guys really be blue balling us.. waiting for these videos to drop! Please don't make us wait too long to go to the cottage! 😭😂🤣❤️

You have the best vibe. Pure joy watching you snark and smile.

Random but I love that yellow sweater. Super cute

Y’all’s reaction to this series has brought so much joy!!! ❤️❤️ see you at the cottage!