The Reel Rejects - Extended Version: HEATED RIVALRY Episode 5 REACTION!! The Emotions Hit HARD!

Episode Date: December 26, 2025

SO MUCH CRYING!! Heated Rivalry Full Reaction Watch Along: ⁠  / thereelrejects  ⁠ Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠https://www.rula.com/REJECTS⁠ ⁠#rulapod⁠ Gift Someone (Or Yourself) An RR Tee! ⁠https://shorturl.at/hekk2⁠ Greg Alba & John Humphrey react to Heated Rivalry Episode 5 (“I’ll Believe in Anything”) — and this one hit us HARD. This episode is a turning point: the emotional walls start collapsing, the stakes of being seen get brutally real, and everything boils until that massive ending — Scott Hunter and Kip Grady sharing a PUBLIC kiss on the ice after the win. It’s not just romantic, it’s revolutionary in that world… and you can literally feel how it ripples into Shane & Ilya’s story. We talk through the intimacy, the fear, the longing, and the moment the series goes from “secret” to “I can’t do this halfway anymore.” And by the end, it’s clear why Episode 5 is the one everyone’s been screaming about. Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...⁠ Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! ⁠https://www.rejectnationshop.com/⁠ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/⁠  Tik-Tok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/reelrejects⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/⁠ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...⁠ POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit⁠ https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo⁠ and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en⁠ Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.⁠ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO:⁠ https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects⁠ Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/⁠ INSTAGRAM: ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/⁠ TWITTER:  ⁠https://twitter.com/thereelrejects⁠ Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/⁠ TWITTER:  ⁠https://twitter.com/thegregalba⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Fandual Casino, you get even more ways to play. Dive into new and exciting games. And all of your favorite casino classics, like slots, table games, and arcade games. Get more on Fandual Casino. Download the app today. Please play responsibly 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. If you have questions or concerned about your gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1866-531-2-6-600 to speak to an advisor free of charge.

Oh no! Oh my God. God, world's converging. I know. The bottom. This video is sponsored by Rula. More on them just a bit. Happy holidays, fellow reject.

We're here to watch episode five of heated rivalry while we stay warm by the fire this holiday season. Am I right? Ooh, I like this sweater. It's all baggy. Nice. John, are you feeling good? I'm feeling good. I'm excited for this.

This has warmed my heart considerably. Yeah. How are you? How am I? Not it. How is it? Well, what are? I'm fine.

Good? Great. You choose? Determine. Let the audience aside. It's a spectrum, you know. You're fine in some ways. You're probably like a little anxious about other things.

You're probably happy about a couple things. You're probably, you know, in the middle on a number of other things. You're not ever one. mono emotion. You may be tapping into one, but you know, you have all these open tabs of life situations, and each one has a motion. I asked Gemini if I should use the sauna or elliptical machine after I wait-lifted today. And they were like, you should use the elliptical. You might be a little too tired after santa. I was like, I don't know AI. I don't know what that means, AI. You might be really tired after sitting in a hot room.

I'm a little tired. Rout. So Gemini was right? Yes, they were. Anyway, we're going to watch Thank you to rivalry. Thanks for being here, guys. I have to get back to my hotel for my pickup. About last night, I... It's fine. I think the season is stressing me out more than usual. Oh, did you not finish? Let's do dinner this week.

Maybe it's just a few of us. Yeah, for sure. She's going to get her heart broken. I feel like this speaks to a sort of more broad understanding of how queer relationships and just orientation can work. Get me sleep those night, huh? You're a fucking new tissue. Let's go.

All right, welcome back to Man in the crease. Your one-stop hockey shop. Man of the crease. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosenov playing on the same team. Oh, me. On the same line even. And where does Scott Hunter fit into the mix? What?

Oh, my God, world's converging. Oh, no. Put this kindly. Crash and burn, like he does halfway through every season. Not sure that's very kind, but it was succinct. Have I told you how cute you are? Maybe. Well, you are.

Miles is extremely jealous. Of me? No, of me. Hmm? Oh. Miles, the black guy who was kissing his neck? Did you not notice that Miles is gay? Yeah.

I guess I hadn't really thought about it. I don't know. It's that kind of thing. And he's low-key in love with you. No. Oh, snap. Does it surprise you that Miles is gay? No.

I mean, of course not. Are you homophobic? A lot of actors are. They're just not all out. Yeah, the guy at the bar is. Are there any gay hockey players? I mean, yes. Are there any openly gay players? I mean, yeah, there are probably gay players or whatever, but none that have said it publicly.

Does she suspect? Uh-oh. Oh, no. I don't think I'm going about this the right way. I really like you, Shane. I like you, too. Huh? You know you like talking to me. Yeah.

Do you like kissing me? Sure. Sure. No, no, of course I do. Sorry. No, hey, don't apologize. Maybe I'm completely off base here, but I don't know. I feel like maybe you'd rather be kissing Miles. Oh, buddy.

Hey, it's really okay. It's not. Wow, now we're punched in on that same shot. I like being with you. I like all of it. I know stuff is a problem. It's not a problem. Problem is something you can fix.

She's understanding. We're more and more like a square round hole. You know, no, I'm No Sorry, forget I said that We're not meant to fit Don't think that we can keep trying That's heavy

I get it I just, I think Hey, you don't know me any explanation I feel like I can to do You really don't This is simultaneously such a sweet scene And such a heartbreaking scene Can I ask if you've ever been

With another guy? Can't lie He can't go through with it anymore Wow Have you ever told anyone that? Before? I think so. Was it different?

Was a guy? She really cares about him. Of course. Was it better? Yeah, it was better. The thing is, I kind of prefer being the whole rather than the... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hell yeah.

That was great. Oh, I was in theater school. Like, the 70% of my boyfriends have left me for other guys. 70%? Actually, 80%. You're the exact right person for this exchange. That's great.

What a great, like, way to go against the cliche. You should follow Miles back on Instagram. No, but I just need to sort some things out first. God, boy. And I was kidding about Miles. But he totally would. With him a heartbeat. Wow, what a scene.

You haven't said anything to him. No, definitely not. And I never will. I need to sign this NDA. Hey, they're hockey colors. Best be friends. Red and blue. Best friends.

I really like you, Shane. You're secretly one of the funniest guys I know. Well, that's secret you don't have to keep. Oh, I will tell everyone. I have a feeling that there's not a lot of people you can talk to. I mean, about all the other things and stuff. Things and stuff can be tricky for me. You need a sex there.

Man. Text me whenever, okay? I mean it, because I will be texting you all the time. Promise. You all wish you never met me. Impossible. Hey, ha. Why do you ask?

Why do you ask? No, he's pretty. Not. He's cool. Not too, he knows. I think she knows. You know, he knows that he's a good,

he's very good. Hey, not gorgeous. I would be interesting to see you on one line with him. I wonder You would have to learn this Russian Earth. They had background speaking before. I'm sorry

Something I don't know, but the Russian feels so authentic. Interesting, how many others will go to Roshenry? Oh, 2017. Oh, I want to key and Pee and style east-west tournament you know like player check-in reel so are they out of ginger ale captain

I'm feeling a bit wild so that should be fun huh I've always wondered what it would be like to play in the same team have you yeah I have nice status in Florida this year right yes here you go

so apathetic about wherever he's it dude coronas though did you bring anyone with you my parents thought about coming but they're going to Mexico like two weeks and they've been to these before so Ha ha ha ha did you uh bring anybody

no my shirt thanks every two uh you know get into the spirit and we're pulling it off cats and dogs yeah look at this you middies one black coffee please oh i'm just fucking like rose he's gonna be a hell of a time let's go east points woohoo

i feel like we're gonna get a lot of that sort of thing this weekend i should give us a chance to get to know each other who knows what we might have in common beautiful light you're looking very pretty today i think you're really maybe someone take you shopping if i um if i tell you something you'd probably not to tell me one or make fun of me he's he'll open up without being judged where the pains seriously I'm sure It's the first time

A ball chair equals you Yeah I love it You got what Tired of looking like shit I just wore like athletic stuff I know what you wore

I paid attention And some of the guys in the league Are so fashionable Yeah so very Not you In the league Other players not you I mean you're fashionable right now

This has nothing to do with Roseland Yeah, she was dressed very well, and so did her friends, but I just want to stop looking like I was always going to the gym. I never really cared about clothes. Fail you, man. You and her or not? She's great, but we're just not compatible, I guess. Yeah, not my... I mean, she could.

Like, you know, there are options for that, but, yeah. I should circulate, I guess. You're going to close to shore. Visual direction is so good. When they're just locked onto each other, it's such, so intimate. Then when it's like, oh, back to reality, they go wide again. Yeah. So well done.

And I will not be losing this time. But if I lose, I will buy you all candy bars from a machine inside, okay? Aww. Hey, Hollander! Hollander, make sure you know this cheater's cheat, okay? Okay. Do you know that guy? Yeah.

Okay. Who's this guy? I've seen Hollander. Ah, so you know this guy. He's the best thing in the whole league. Oh, no, no. That's not true. Oh, it's like when a couple, it's like, you see this with like heterosexual scenes all the time and like whether with the kids, you can imagine like them having a family. It's such a sweet intercutting.

You see that in like a lot of movies and ghosts. Well, and it's cool. It's in fitting with this episode to get more of his sweet and tender. I'm watching them pass the puck around as they're more easily able to banter and interact freely. that was very nice oh that was very sweet they're having they're having so they're having so much they're having so much fun together This is like a romantic get away for them. Found you. So you were looking for me?

Of course not. Oh, I looked up that word, compatible. Huh? Compatible. I thought I knew what it meant, but I wanted to be sure. Oh. Wow. So you and Rose Landry are not.

Yeah, not compatible. Not in that way, anyway. Boy, I feel you. When do you fly out? Early. San, Columbus. Toronto. Oh.

What rumor are you in? Yeah. Not here in the same. Oh, God. No. Oh, my God, please don't tell me his dad died. Yeah, some, some, some, some man. He's gonna need some real emotional support.

This looks serious. It's not. I mean, yeah, I guess. Can you just sit down or something? Oh, boy. It's not just me, right? Not just you, what? You feel it too, don't you?

Oh. Feel what? The last time we were together, it was different. What was different that you ran away? Oh. Look, I'm sorry, I freaked out. Freaked out of nothing. Don't act like that.

This is hard enough without you being an... What do you want, Hollandre? To open up. We get together with... me simple simple for me shit i think oh my god is he gonna say it i think i think i'm gay what makes you think that you you're not gay oh okay so you're gay so what was kind of a big deal to me at least yeah sorry if i'm being boring again why are you telling me this who else am i going to tell yeah it's true Jesus Christ

Not just being gay It's you It's this Being gay is one thing But this In your arch rival Is another thing It's a whole other genre

I am sorry About last time Okay I'm sorry I freaked out Yeah But before that It was nice And it felt like we were something

We couldn't be something Hold'old Ilia's looking away While Shane's looking at him What do you want to be If we could We couldn't That's not what I asked

What does it fucking matter? It matters a whole lot if i don't think i can keep pretending i don't like you anymore you don't like me i think i like you maybe a little too much don't don't do this hollander i wouldn't be able to go home again ever do you get that because your family because russia sure i would not be able to go back to russia what would happen to you i don't want to find out would you want to find out would you want to go back but would your parents my father is police my brother is police and police

and police buried in the police cemetery my father is very old-fashioned and sick sick like crazy actually physically they're too little

but no sick more like cancer dementia mind's going hey sorry don't well man

Oh, they're picking up where they left off. Good night, Shane. Just make it as hard as possible to leave. Good night, Ilya. Oh. Boston Lily's texting you. Have fun. It's not. I don't care.

It's... Well, how early? Oh Shane's an exclamation man Hey man from one exclamation man He's a promise to I'm not struggling with latent gayness

But I definitely relate to Shane a whole lot My brother You take it if you want to No, I don't want to Is everything okay at home? Every coming more and more open Your father Enough

Enough what Questions You have too many of them I'm sorry Never mind It's okay I wasn't clear I'm sure in advance

For tonight's game We're gonna destroy you guys So you're a dear No it's still you No it's not me You are dear Everyone must know this Everyone

Shane Hollander is An asshole $1,000 for every Goals scored tonight Okay boys Montreal goes on crying, please. Yeah, come on.

No, no, no, it's not true. I said you $1,000 for every goal I scored. You didn't show me $3,000. What do you want to? Oh, shit. Hey, did you hear about Rosano? Oh, you did not fly with the rest of the team to Nashville? Uh-oh.

Too separately? I did not go to Nashville at all. You didn't get hurt last night, did he? Not that I know of. No, he didn't. Huh. ESPN is just saying he did not go to Nashville. Yeah, but they post.

Oh, no. Hi, this is E. I will never listen to your voicemail. Oh, I like his reading glasses. Are you okay? You wear glasses. Just where are you? At home.

Put them back on, please. Boston Moscow Oh Bostco I will be better When I see you in your glasses again Happy

Is your father Yes What are people saying about me The media is being super secretive And the Raiders have Good I will be back by the end of the week You should take more time than that

At least he's calling While he's being hardened You can talk to me About whatever I want to help if I can Think of your clothes Ah I'm also in service

If you want to help me Take your clothes off Ah, he's been drinking Oh Glass is back on E That was Sexual comfort

Sexual he Oh Oof His Degraised Madel Echements, yeah HALT me Isbigot

Bro. Bro. Bro. I'm your plan. God. I don't know, Alexe. He just died. And I, what?

It's about money. I've got his money. My glass is over his head. You'll put you in your graysny rot and cocaine in your nose. I'm a baby. I'm a kid. I was. I was with our father.

Five months. Every, Boshay, until he was. Who's, You suck. You suck. Yeah.

You suck. Yeah. Stop. You suck. You can't. You can't. You can't buy my Quarthe,

for my apartment and I'll open when it will be 18. Yep. Smart. And more never ever, if you're

you'll be able to you, you'll use, I'll use use your money, so, oh. Holy shit.

I mean, you know what I'm so, bring me what I'm I'm trying your head out of here. Oh, I'm not you're not you want to me, you know. You know, you know,

but you're not like as Jane, not or not? But not in love? I too, I love. If I'm you need to I always be around, I'm not going to I'm going to go.

Damn, dude, these two are attracted. The best woman. I know. I just, I just I don't see that Jane knows how he was Damn Damn

That line Did she say I hope Jane knows how lucky he is Yeah Yeah They both lucked out with very Supportive understanding Bays

Hey I'm just gonna have fun Wow Why did we show Hunter at the beginning Yeah I thought they were all gonna be The game together Because that became nothing unless how are you okay not good probably bad how's your family at their worst my brother is uh i don't know scared he's just calling to open up it makes him terrible and it makes me terrible back sure very upsetting

yes maybe i'm upset about the wrong thing uh-huh you mean not your father maybe i i wish it could be different it i wish she could know me or knew the real you except you for who you for who you for who you really are? I don't know. I don't know. English is too hard right now. Fellow reject, I've been going to therapy since I believe around 2012. And admittedly, in the past couple of months, I haven't been as consistent as I like to be. Having a difficult time asking for help, having a difficult time being honest with myself, having a difficult time just opening up in general. But going back recently, it's helped me reconnect with my actual values in life. And already I feel like the direction has been helping me get my mental health and personal life

back on the track I wanted to be at. And that's why today I'm happy to talk about Rula. It's an online platform that helps you connect with licensed therapists that will specialize in you. Rula makes it easy to find affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. You just go to Rula.com slash rejects, answer a few questions, and they'll match you with a therapist who fits your needs and schedule. You can meet with them online, and Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance.

I'm interrupting this ad, which is already interrupting a video, to let you know that I was at a party last night where I caught up with one of my closest friends to find out that a couple months ago she actually started using Rula, has not been seeing a therapist, been loving it. I just wish she waited until we partner with them so she could use our code. They made therapy accessible in a way that alleviates a lot of the problems that I often hear from people when they're trying to get into therapy. There's no waiting list, there's no calling around. And of course, if you do decide to sign up, you'll more than likely be asked how you heard about them. It would mean a lot if you could also support us and let them know, we sent you by choosing our name in their drop-down menu.

And sincerely, you deserve mental health that works for you and not against your budget. So you can find the therapist that's right for you at rula.com slash rejects. That's rula.com slash rejects. Thank you again, Rula. Take care of yourselves, people. I wish I spoke Russian Yeah, you could probably learn it in a week No accent

Perfect, bonjour That's French, yeah Yeah, I'm Nushie Where are you? I'm just working I need to get out Out of the cold How about you tell me

Everything that's on your mind But in Russian I won't understand But maybe it'll help Oh I never more I never I just all

I know I see me I don't know. I'm for all. I'm all. I'm all. I'm sure. That's all right

to be not enough to be the mother to be able done. I don't appreciate any of that.

And all that I want more, I need more, more, more, more, more, not enough,

I'm not enough, I'm not enough, I'm not enough I'm all I'm still, I'm just through I'm Oh, I'm poffick.

Smoot, Look at me, and I don't know who. Oh, you can feel this pain. My brother, he always me is a piano piece, too. I know why,

but it's a piece of like Russian classical composition or something. And me up that he's about about my mother's, Or no, it's Moonlight Sonata. Damn. I didn't have a no one.

No, he's all right for all but he'll never me not for me not for what I actually is. It means that now, I don't have a no one. No, no one. No, no, no, I have someone. Sheetlana. She.

She, she loves. And I love her love, but not like... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha so lonely Outside but still boxed in Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like I love you, and what's chrheny I want to take you, and never, only, you know, and I so Situ I love you and I know what with this to do it.

Ah Okay, I'm done. Janehead, Google Translate all the whole time. I mean, that's the thing. You feel better? Good. Yes. Thank you.

Maybe you could teach me Russian someday. Yeah, okay. Only useful phrases. Like what? I don't know, like, harder, please, yes, or... Yes. No, more like me, please. How about...

I wish you were here right now. You would also have. He said her to Russia That was nice That was cool It was really good scene man Everyone's thoughts and prayers Go out to the Boston captain

Who can't have had an easy couple of weeks No You're still on for tonight After 1919 Now just on the ice doing it down That's the code for the front door I'll text it to you Front door brave

Fuck you Yes please That's off from my condolences oh yeah that's nice fuck I should have done that what do you say that's a great cover bro fuck I should have done

I'm pretty convincing one yeah let's make sure we win this one right fucking rights rights Romantic rights Romantic rights Oh

oh yeah what is i just inquire about that i think they do before the cut goes down wow this camera angles must be really hard to get actually oh oh what the fuck shit oh god that wow that wow that wow it looked like a very concerned oh yeah dude oof oh fuck it's unclear if he's responsive or not ah guys open buddy yeah what's your parents your coach is calling them okay okay oh oh no tell him I'm fine I'm okay tell who he's gonna worry oh oh oh no the drugs are making you honest he must be drug he must be drug he must be a little drugged up right now right I can't tell if he's drugged up or just

concussed ooh yeah I love that shot kind of felt like maybe Ilya was out there for a while I just wanted to are you okay concussion in a fractured collarbone no for the playoffs but could have been worse could have been worse okay huh Marlow feels terrible he did not mean to hurt you I know part of the game We don't get our bell wrong eventually, right? Right. So looped out. Hey.

Now he's like on something. Morphine or something. I was excited about last night. I'm mostly mad at Marlowe for him that up. He feels really bad. I don't know. I had a whole plan to ask you something. Oh, shit.

Maybe it's better if you're just dressed out. I was going to ask you, Hold on the real of you come to my cottage. this summer don't go to russia come to my house you have so much fun it's so private no one will know you know he can't do that completely alone maybe maybe just on his reaction oh no I want to leave the room now oh oh smother him with a pillow are you Mr. Rosenoff no no no no but good thinking yeah but no I was just leaving bye bye bye see you next season get well soon hollander I appreciate it

I know He's a code But he's A little Oh All right So on a sling But I can lose the thing

In like In a few days I think How's fucking off Leonard Yeah How are the reissues going Fine I mean this movie makes

No sense It doesn't Oh no What are you blue for I miss being kidnapped I regret shape shifting Oh yeah She's rogue

She's mystique That's right or ex-team, whatever. That's so funny. I've totally made a joke that there's going to be a Rebecca Remain. Yeah, she's doing mystique. Tell them, I'm gay

and you got sick of being my beard. I can't lie to them. I think they love it. My big lesbian secret. Yes. Oh, God. I wish. I'm same.

Ah. Third period starting. Coming. So John Stamos was gay in real life. But let me know. We decide about Labor Day weekend. I will. I love you.

Rosenoff, coming up the right way. When they asked about his ex-girlfriend, Jen or Jess, I was like, is it going to be Jennifer Lawrence? Rosanoff went to see Shane in the hospital. Oh, so now you like it. Well, now I hate him less. Yeah. And good for Scott Hunter. Why good for Scott Hunter?

Huh, it's his year. Is it? How can you possibly know that? She's a witch. How about with that? I'll cast a spell. Like, I love they even give the parents' business in the background. Like, nothing is wasted.

He responds so fast. Turn off all the lights when you go to bed and stop staring at the screen. My head is fine and I'm a fully grown adult. Yeah. 100,000 years old. I'm sorry. Scott should proclaim his love for a kippen in front of the whole crowd like a romantic comedy yeah done what they shut out to do finally bringing the cup back to new york

wow i told you is he gonna come speaking they did check in with the there are no openly gay n-h-l players earlier 15 seconds remaining the buck is in the abhrels and marlowe holds it behind the net sorry what are you getting at Yeah, ha, ha, ha, ha. Fascinating. Way to go, man, performance. Hell, yeah. Dude.

I cannot believe in a cannot remember I'm witnessing right now. It's crazy. Uh-huh. Fascinating. Way to go, man. Yeah, it is. Huh?

Well, yeah, but. They did go. Oh, he actually went. Oh, and his dad's there, too, and his girl, his friend. Hey. Oh. We fucking did it, baby. Carter Vaughn takes it from Hunter.

Vaughn was drafted to New York 6th. I love the way they, like, cut in and out of the commentary, too. It's like it's kind of like there's a jarring nature, but it's also like very sensory in the perspectives. He must be so going right now, even though he won. Hunter seems to be looking out to the fans. He wants to get here. Point at him. Point at him.

Wait, what? Come down here? Oh, no. Oh, my God. Come. Go. Yeah, as didn't go down. As in, guys, to the ice.

Big moment for that fan, it's true. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He's going to fucking do the fucking thing. It's a romantic comedy thing. It's the slap. He's going to do it. Oh, my God.

I can't believe he's actually going to do it. He's going to give him a smack on the cheek. I was totally fucking joking. Hunter now trying to get someone's attention, apparently inviting someone from the crowd down to the rank. That's crazy. come here oh my god he just topped the boards you don't have to do this yes yes i do this is crazy this is insane

who that's the dolly zoom on Shane oh my god that's so fucking touching oh my god oh my lord is so great oh god oh my god good for him good for scott hunter wow wow what an end oh god what an end of that holy shit bro oh shit yeah wow from from wow yeah from he just paved the way i think the guy's name is prokov there uh and he said too he would he would maybe after he was done with hockey now that he's climbed to the top here but he did it on the stage there yeah so cool moment of celebration yeah

Yeah, I can't remember the guy's name off the top of my head. I know there's a guy in the AHL, which is like, I think, a step below the NFL who is out and is like a huge deal and is like contracted with the NHL now to at least, I don't know, I'd have to check the details. I'm regurgitating info that was bestowed upon me by a friend. Shouts out to Mallory at the Reading Smut podcast, but apparently like there is at least one guy. reality who is like adjacent you know who is kind of opened to this door in the recent

timeline but but yeah this was fucking crazy yeah oh my god dude all right well I'll say this prepper

you don't have to edit around as much sex this time I don't think there was any of this episode it's only just you know, turns of phrase and little words and, yeah. This is the one that gets yellow dollar bill. You guys did a bad job.

Yes, but I'll say. Yeah, no excuse. And I want to thank a lot of people have been joining our Patreon page, becoming royal rejects from this show alone. And so thank you guys. That's where we do the full-length reaction watch along, so you sync up

with us. So we're watching the entire thing from getting to that with you. Not missing a moment. and also get yourself a reject nation tea anything like this anything at our store go scope it out barcode on screen baby whoa that was wild

I love that we didn't I was so like taking it back that we didn't see any of Hunter and that's probably like the biggest fucking moment of the whole episode and it's so cool to just get one dedicated episode then you probably spent almost two hours without them in total if you count last episode in this you probably spent two hours without them

and it's just so impactful of what it represents and the door that it opens you know part of me is also wondering what if there was a version where we never saw their backstory that just happened and be like what the fuck's going on right? You'd be slowly exactly

in Jane's perspective like what's going on This is so fucking wild. Yeah. There's other gay people in hockey? I want, like, it makes me, I'm gonna, I'm excited to pick some brains about the book because it's like I can imagine structurally. Sweating.

I can imagine structurally how you would do that in multiple different ways. And I really love what episode three was and it felt kind of appropriate somehow in the overall of the show to kind of have this sidebar happen. that then comes back in but it's weird because I feel like you could absolutely 100% put episode 3

after this you know make this episode 4 you won't be fucking moved but you wouldn't be moved yeah that's the thing is like for the real the true impact to register

you do need that and it is like I think it's really fun the way that they set it up because at first you're like oh no Scott's gonna be somewhere in the episode and they're all gonna be

on the same team is this gonna create a triangle like they're so good at defying the tropes and expectations. It's crazy. Like, he really see him at all

during that East-West game. It's cool. I like the ending note, especially because it shows the power of standing up for something publicly and how that could move. And granted, like,

they do have some type of connection to Scott and it's in hockey and whatever, but to see some display where they don't really know the guy that well, you know, but all it took was that one action to motivate Ilya to go against

everything he was ever told, you know, like to be inspired by it. It was so beautiful. It's really beautiful. Well, and it somehow to me makes like a spiritual sense that it's like you meet Scott and of all the three of them he is the most, he's the furthest down the road of acceptance beyond the completion of that in public, you know, out in front of people, you know, out loud and free.

And I feel like it's nice to, at the tail end of this episode, where Ilya and Shane have made so many breakthroughs emotionally and with their communication with each other, with their bearing of their true feelings and their support, their honest to goodness, like support for each other out in life, to have all those barriers broken and have that growth happen, then to follow that up with this,

you know, kind of in a weird way, makes it feel less like we haven't seen them in a while. It's like it's weird. It feels like you can feel this journey, happening somewhere in the ether. Yeah, it's kind of cool that we are late to this show, right? And like this is the fifth episode?

So it's, and now we're at the time of filming this, like the sixth episode will come out the day after Christmas and we wouldn't be able to get that to you guys till we will be able to get the six ones to you until next week's time. However, we have the benefit of binging this a week to week show, binging it. So we're able to see the narrative threads a lot. stronger like it's playing like one big piece yeah because three is the episode where you get hunter and kip and they're much more open about their feelings while still being in secret and then in the day it shows like what how the secrecy can harm you know and then and and then

they split at the end essentially like that's what that's what's implied right yeah and then in episode four that's where things are So when they start to be trying to be more open with each other with a little conversation, they're getting more intimate and they're realizing how much they really feel for each other, Ilya and chain, then they split. And then this one, they start coming to a moment where now it's not just about sex. Like I love that they actually had just a phone call that was just about feeling, you know, as he's lamenting his pain.

Oh, it's such a beautiful scene. He just want to cry again. I know. He's lamenting. his pain. A couple of those scenes in this episode, honestly. Yeah, there was a couple. I was like, I could think of like three moments for sure. But yeah, that, that scene where he's lamenting his pain in his language where he feels protected because Shane doesn't understand the exact language, but Shane's just closing his eyes and feeling it, you know, it's a lot of times it is

just a feeling. It's kind of like music. So beautiful. And, but the thing is they're still in secrecy, even though they're both getting more comfortable. with knowing they love each other and then have that final bottom moment like it dovetails so nicely it's like it's a really cool companion people like I think three through five is like one and two work

really well back to that yeah and then three through five like is like a great chunk story yeah totally so I'm like I don't even know it's like six would I don't know maybe then I don't know what it's going to be it's got to stay off the fucking internet yeah yeah this whole month has been stay off Twitter

because you're going to get ruined on everything that's coming Oh, my God. It makes me wonder, because I remember when Mallory was reading this, and I feel like what I mainly, you know, it makes me wonder about the book, and I'll have to pick a brain on it, because this, to be in the room when someone's reading something, you know, you hear about the steamier things

or, you know, certain little details, but I am fascinated to know what this reads like in a deeper sense because this show is like so nuanced and dramatic and emotional in a way that feels very well observed and very compassionate and it doesn't feel cheesy. It doesn't feel like melodrama. And it has these incredibly touching and heartfelt moments

amid a lot of really fun steeminess and stuff like that. And so I've come to know the idea of this book as like a smut book, but also, you know, that always comes with an element of romance. And so, yeah, I'm curious as to how like slice of life just like heartbreakingly beautiful the book it could be or if this is more of

you know the adaptation's flavor you know so to speak I think it's gotta be you know because I think like everyone who talked about this with us was like what do you could even show it's nothing but just people begging the whole time everyone talked about it I'm like honestly there's not that much

it's like it's a lot compared of like if they were straight people. Yeah. It would be, I think it would definitely be like, there's not that much, you know? Yeah. It's not that much. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

But because we're not as used to watching gay people bang this much, it's like, there's just nonstop people banging all the time. I'm like, no, it's not, actually. Like, there's, we can, we can get around this. We're trying to log into our, our thing, the Patreon right now because I'm assuming we have questions for our patrons. So, thanks, John. I'll just randomly vamp about absolutely nothing here while John comes back and I'm forsaken here in the land of review because we didn't have it attached to what we needed it to be attached to today, which was like a weird document.

Oh, no, it is here. My bad. My bad. PLD did it. Okay. When I checked earlier, it wasn't here. Thanks, PLD. We got it, John. We're fine.

All right. We're fine. Cool. Hey, let's read some questions. questions from our pageants. Yeah, let's do it. Nikki San Risa. All right.

Woo, Nikki. John and Greg, you've made it to this masterpiece of an episode. Oh, yeah, that's why we've got to, like, read some of these questions beforehand. We don't fucking just go to all good. My question for you, how much of Ely's confession do you think Shane actually understood? What are your predictions for the development of the relationship in the season finale? I think Shane knew. exactly what he I think Shane already can pick up on everything that he's the basics of he's

actually alone he doesn't feel accepted while Russia is technically his home he doesn't quite feel at home there in a lot of ways one while yeah and there's like a weird thing where like there's a lot of pride and there's a lot of like you know commitment to representing your home that way but also it is at least for ilia such an oppressive place that he does seemed to truly hate despite that sort of national pride thing. And the way Ilya is actually opening up to him and reaching out to him, I think Shane understood that Ilya, even if he didn't know Ilya was saying it directly, he knew that this was a way of Ilya saying he's in love with him.

Yeah. Yeah, I think, yeah, it's fun to let you wonder the specifics, but it's very much just you can absorb the tone and the emotion in the sound of his voice and all that. And I thought, like, that's one of the most beautiful scenes. I've seen in anything in a long time. And granted, like, I haven't seen a million, million. I haven't seen as much romance, specifically, as a lot of people. But, like, that was such a sophisticated choice and for Shane to make that call.

Like, because what's important right now is, like, you need somebody to talk to. And it doesn't ultimately... One thing about commiserating and, like, getting things off your chest is, like, it doesn't actually matter what the response is half the time. It's just that you do it and you feel safe in front of somebody to, you know, dislodged that burden to some extent or another. And the fact that Shane is able to create that space is like incredibly unique and striking.

And yeah, it was just like such a beautiful acting moment. It was such a beautiful moment in the writing, the direction of that sequence. Like truly, like for an episode that began on a scene that I thought was really wonderful, and I imagine we may get questions about, I don't know. But like, you know, the whole Shane and Rose scene was such a great back and forth.

and then to top that with you know this really nuanced moment was terrific and I don't know for the finale I mean like I don't know it seems like this show keeps subverting things and I love that it ends just on the sort of like what the hell just happened let's go to your cottage so like I don't know

whether to expect you know love just more love or if I should expect some kind of big perilous development that's going to throw everything into disarray I don't know what to expect anymore yep i don't want to make any predictions honestly

yeah all right it's kind of crazy though oh i was like really close like just when they went to the tv i was making a joke about the cliche yeah because that's what they do i love rom-coms i fucking love rom-coms and that's always the rom-com ending is

some giant speech yeah yeah yeah where's kip where are you with the crowd like or kip wouldn't even be in the crowd i think kip would like be at oh where he watches out he goes to the rink runs the door just as he's finishing the speech or if not in a crowd

it's like a Jerry McGuire where it's usually in front of a group and there's a speech that follows as you yeah well and yeah such a beautiful moment for him to be like he's scaled the mountain you know he's won this cup yeah and and this is a moment in which you can leave something

on the table and damn the consequences even if he wants to play longer, sure. Chaos Witch, thanks for chiming in. Because this episode focuses on the relationships, what are your thoughts on how the women in this show are written? Personally, I like

that they have important roles in the guy's lives and are not an afterthought. Also, the movie being called X-squad, her getting painted blue, and Red Wing behind her, and the Red Wig behind her. Rose Landry is certainly playing Mystique a. Jennifer Lawrence, absolutely.

Goodness. I love that they have, like, I like that, too. It's because you come into this and you're thinking, like, oh, you know, what you hear is gay hockey show, right? And I think from the outside, you know, I feel like the queer spectrum has been kind of, and there are people much more qualified to comment on this than I am. But from this vantage, it feels like the queer perspective is often boxed into this is about solely gay guys or lesbians or maybe both, but there's not really much of the, you know, fluid spectrum of bisexuality, pansexuality, any of the other things that fit in. And I love that they talk about that, A, Ilya, saying like, yeah, I like girls to a degree. And Shane being like, I don't think I do in that way at all.

And, yeah, for them to have these prominent female friends who are so supportive and who also are looking out for them and who are also kind of the people for whom they're the only people besides each other, you know, for like a Shane or an Ilya, these friends that they've made are the only people they can kind of even hint at their true nature, their true, their truth at you with. And it's really nice to see. I love the start of the episode with him and Rose. That whole conversation, you expect your program to expect, all this is going to become dramatic and something's going to go wrong. But that scene was really great. And it's such a wonderful breakthrough for Shane and his whole body language changes after that. And Ilya's had Svetlana the whole time. it's just another really nice facet of the show that yeah I think could have easily been an afterthought and has been really again unique and nuanced to me yeah I liked it a lot

and I do think when it got a Svetlana I don't really care to see more drama with like a cliche route there was a part of me that felt like it rhymed a little too much like on a little like this is when I say a nitpick I mean the nitty as the picks

is that I was like, well, I feel like there'd be a little bit of a conflict here because it seems like you're actually really into Ilya, like, because Rose had just started dating this guy. Yeah. Or Ilya and her

were kind of going back and forth for a lot. And granted, it seemed like, you know, she never, she always had kind of one foot out as well. And it doesn't seem like she was looking for something like hardcore monogamous or some shit. Yeah. Same time, it did. It was like, yeah, this is very similar

to the Rose thing, but I don't really care. I still thought it was nice and touching. Olivia, I love that name. In this episode, we get the beautiful moment between Scott and Kip, where he comes out as the first openly gay player after winning the cup, which is huge. How do you see the aftermath of this moment playing out

in terms of the relationship with each other moving forward, or how the media hockey world responds and how important do you think this moment was for Shane and Ilya to witness? I mean, the latter we've really dug deep into already for Shane and Ilya. in terms of the media how I didn't even like hard to think about that it like the parents were on the couch and they were really in shock

I hope they go into it because they've been scared this whole time and I think it would be a little bit of a cop out if the media and parts of the hockey world weren't offended or like upset by it because at the end of the day

there would be parts of the world that are like the fuck get this off my television I was with my family There's people who would be really, really upset by that. And there's a reason why they've been scared to come out. So I think they have to play that out. And, you know, I don't want this to end on a dour note this season, but I know they have a season, too.

So they've got to end it in some way that has some type of temptation for jeopardy or conflict. But, yeah, I don't really know, honestly. Yeah, I mean, I caught at the end. you know, like the commentators are on TV and they're like, oh, good for him, good for them. Which I don't expect, you know, I guess I imagine a debate to happen next episode. I imagine we'll see kind of a landscape

where some people are about it and some people aren't. I think it's incredibly impactful for Shane and Ilya on the personal tip because even though they have that conversation too, they're like, there must be, you know, gay players, but, you know, nobody's open. I don't think this will lead them to being out also you know, immediately, and I think, you know, yeah, it'll be the kind of like, well, good for them,

but I can't imagine that Scott will face no repercussions from this. And from Kipp's perspective, it's like, on the one hand, this is amazing because it's such a romantic, beautiful moment. It's in front of the whole, you know, it's tied to something so special. It's this huge thing. And now he's out in the open. He's visible. He's not a secret anymore. But I wonder if given the, who is, you know, highlighting this romance now, like his, you know, I don't know how he's going to respond to the deluge of media, you know, and public attention he's about to get. Like, I can imagine how this would intrude heavily on Kipp's ability to lead a normal life

and kind of be a monkey paw thing a little bit of like, well, yes, I want to be not hidden, but also, you know, now I don't have a personal life anymore or whatever. I don't know. I can imagine a lot of things, but it, yeah, it seems like there will certainly be a whole bunch of aftermath to dig through and discuss. trust the show to represent a whole number of different perspectives. And I guess the only thing that leaves me with a mild amount of

a mild amount more optimism than I would normally assume is that commentator thing at the end, because they are like, oh, good for him, this is great. So part of me is like, oh, maybe maybe there's not as much hatred and closed mind in this, towards this possibility

as many people would think, even though I'm sure there is certainly a good amount. Mads. Kickelson. Mad C. Thank you for showing in. So happy you're doing this series, as are we. Episode 5 lacks explicit scenes of sexual intimacy. What do you think was the purpose of showing those scenes so candidly earlier on in the show, yet foregoing them at this point in the narrative? I think a lot of the times when it comes to, you see, with men and women in, in, you know, LGBTQ communities, a lot of times they're just, they try to chalk things up to, it's just sex sexuality and I think the demonstration of that was to first bring it to that of like oh it's temptation and just wanting and for sexuality but it's not emotional and then slowly peeling back the human layer I think the whole point was to start it off like hardcore physical and slowly peel back

the physical so then now you're seeing why they have sex for different reasons sometimes it is escape and then you watch the tension and the troubles I can come from just only focusing on that and not going through the feelings and then how feel and then so it held sex can actually be a mask for the fact that it's more of an emotional thing like even in the first scene here the when he first facetimes him he immediately resorts to take your clothes off like makes it about sex like really fast as a form of comfort but then the very next time they're talking on the phone no sex at all so I think the whole point was to go that way and then show it's just like a very human way of doing it. A lot of times it is like physical

attraction first and that becomes the easiest way to express that. And especially for men. I think men in general have a easier time expressing through like straight men too an easier time expressing through sex versus verbally and

you know, watching that unfold is kind of like the point. I don't know, it's kind of like a long, a short yet long-winded way of saying that. Yeah, it makes sense to me that that would, those would be the first dominoes because there's way they're instinctual things and their split-second physical things. It's like it's so easy to be up in your head and, you know, with emotions or with things that you're experiencing, how to express them.

There's so many ways you can get hung up and lost trying to even consider what that frequency should be. Whereas like the magnetism of a physical connection of a shared eye contact, any number of things can create those momentary sparks where you're moving more instinctually, perhaps more in line with what you're. you actually want but are afraid to acknowledge or understand. And yeah, for somebody like Shane, who as of this episode, is only finally coming to grips with the fact that he is, you know, most likely gay. Uh, you know, yeah, it's, it's the icebreaker. It's the toe in the water. It's, yeah, we can kind of experience this thing and then we can figure out what it is and how to rationalize it and what to call it later on. And, uh, yeah, it made perfect sense to me that this should be the more, you know, this is no less intimate this episode. It's just, yeah,

way more on the emotional end of the spectrum now because they've had this relationship for so many years. And even though they have all these walls up and these, you know, different aversions toward opening up and trusting each other, they know deep down that after so much time, if I could express these things to anybody, you know, it's probably you. So, so yeah, I think, like, I, like, I, like, I love a show like this because you don't have to be gay, you know, Like, I relate heavily just to, like, the, the struggles of communication all these guys are facing and, like, you know, the acceptance of just how you exist and, you know, what you want and not feeling any type of way because of anything else out there in the world. Like, so, yeah, it makes a lot of sense that they would have access to the physical far before the emotional and the intellectual side of love. Yeah, that's true.

Aloha gang. Oh, there's a fake plant here. I was cruising the Patreon here after hours, and I caught a late submission that I couldn't help but want to chime in a little bit about from Jenna McGill over at the Patreon, shouts out, Jenna. Jenna says, the music production and supervision has been so fun in this show, and I certainly agree. What is your favorite needle drop moment or song from the series? So far, I don't know why I'm talking like this. If you've watched these reactions up till now, you will no doubt have seen me express great enthusiasm

over a couple of needle drops by Feist, Leslie Feist, Canada's own terrific artist, and those are two of my... I mean, my moon, my man's a single, so, like, it's not, like, extraordinary to say that that's one of your faves, but, like, sea lion is a banger, and her rendition of that song is terrific. So, uh,

shouts out to Feist. I hope there's a Feist song every two episodes. I'm waiting on that season finale for like a, you know, Feist hat trick. Uh, hockey term. Um, also iconic. The, uh, all the things she said, tattoo and then like the segue into the remix,

you know, this alternate version I never heard before. Uh, iconic, certainly. Uh, I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting. somewhere along the line. I also just think the music in the show that is, I mean, the needle drops are great and they're very, you know, expressive and well-chosen. But I also just love the music palette in general across the show, especially in a lot of the really sort of intimate tender moments, these like floating, ethereal, sometimes tense or sour, other times euphoric and

pillowy and, you know, cosmic in a way. Like, there's just, yeah, there's so much love use of sound and music across the show and uh hell yeah or maybe that song it's still it's still funny to me like shades on the bicycle in the first episode and he's just like listening to like what sounds no slight i don't know if this is like an actual song but it just sounds kind of like you know like we just need any song put it like you know hit up the archive you know of stock music either way though uh excellent music across the show uh and you know as a music nerd could not help but uh yeah rattle off a few thoughts on this so anyway

appreciate you back to us in the past past yeah well guys we got one more episode left in this season um the i don't know you guys already watched it

uh wait no i don't know when's this is coming out it might be coming out before then your predictions if you're watching it then or how'd you feel towards the end of that love to hear your interpretations in the comments thank you guys for being here thanks pre friend of this down we'll see you guys later bye