HEATED RIVALRY Episode 5 - Aaron & Andrew's WATCH ALONG!!
Added 2026-01-08 08:30:04 +0000 UTCAaron & Andrew arrive at one of the FINEST episodes of television in recent memory!!
Watch Along: https://youtu.be/L4KJGt2IsvU
More HEATED RIVALRY Watch Alongs: https://www.patreon.com/c/thereelrejects/posts?filters%5Btag%5D=Heated+Rivalry
Comments
I’m never rewatch episode 3 cause their full speed romance gives me the ick 😅 I think it’s the personal experiences we bring to viewing also, for me rushing that fast into something never reads as romantic but I understand why it could for someone who has had a positive experience like that. Shane and Ilyas slow growing emotional connection feels so earned, with every small step forward being showcased.
Laura Marie
2026-01-09 05:53:48 +0000 UTCI could have sworn they said 5 and 6 in the beginning. 😩
Lauren
2026-01-09 04:41:03 +0000 UTCScott and Kip have an even more toxic relationship than Shane and Ilya. 😭 Shane and Ilya meet at 17 and act the way dudes in their early 20’s act. Kip is 26 when he meets Scott who is like 30. Kip moves in after one date because Scott is obsessed and basically becomes a kept man. (Honestly in the real world Scott is a giant red flag.) Kip hides from his father, who is just a subway ride away, because he’s ashamed of lying. Like yeah it all works out in the end but this narrative that they have this wholesome relationship baffles me. And hey to each their own. It worked for them and Scott was brave as hell in the end. But Shane and Ilya were minors when they met, not fully grown men in their late 20’s. Scott and Ilya were also just starting their careers and Scott’s was trending down. If it went bad for him, he genuinely could just retire a Stanley Cup champion right then and there. They way more pressure because they had way more to lose career wise. And Ilya also had to contend with possibly being persecuted in his home country. (Excuse my rant. Seeing Scott and Kip as a wholesome couple to be admired in episode 3 is a pet peeve. 😂)
Lauren
2026-01-09 04:35:10 +0000 UTCWhile Kip and Scott’s relationship is undeniably captivating, the sheer weight of the obstacles Shane and Ilya have faced and continue to face resonates with me on a much deeper level. There is a profound difference between the maturity of Scott and Kip (who met at 26 & 28 and publicly came out at 29 & 32) and the raw, formative struggle of Shane and Ilya, who began at 17.. Scott and Kip accepted their sexuality (even though Scott was closeted), and both benefited from constant proximity to one another by living together for over 2 months. Shane and Ilya’s connection was forged in the fleeting gaps between games over several years. Shane had not yet accepted that he was gay, and Ilya, who accepts that he is bisexual, didn't think having a relationship with a man was possible due to his ties to Russia. The stakes for Shane and Ilya are uniquely high. They are trying to navigate this relationship with one another while battling internal acceptance, international political danger, and the intense scrutiny of BOTH being active MLH rivals whose professional integrity and loyalties are constantly under fire.
Kris
2026-01-08 19:24:13 +0000 UTCLoved your reaction and the progression of your understanding of Ilya & Shane compared to in the previous episode! It's just so sweet seeing them finally accept themselves and their feelings for each other. Scott being the catalyst for them wanting to be together even more, and acting on those wants (agreeing to go to the cottage to spend time with each other!!) was just the cherry on top. Thank you guys for reacting to this show <3
Lauren
2026-01-08 15:29:05 +0000 UTCThis is my favorite episode although 6 is great too something about 5 just feels special. Maybe because both Shane and Ilya start to accept themselves and their feelings? It’s just beautiful.
Claire Settlemoir
2026-01-08 13:12:27 +0000 UTCThis! Thank you
Addy
2026-01-08 11:34:59 +0000 UTCI appreciate the upload 🥺 I expected 5 & 6 to be uploaded in a pair like the other eps tho so now I’m jus sitting here after the reaction bummed out 😂😭 now I have to find something else to watch
ParkMinJeon
2026-01-08 10:51:26 +0000 UTC"i'm coming to the cottage" hit like a line of cocaine
Anaïs
2026-01-08 10:43:00 +0000 UTCI get sad when people say Hollanov's relationship is toxic. I mean, they do hurt each other sometimes but unlike Scott, who's older and more established in the league, and Kip, who's an openly gay man and lives a 'normal' life, Ilya and Shane start hooking up when they're 18 (!) years old. Ilya obviously has explored his sexuality and come to terms with it already when they do but he is from one of the most homophobic countries in the world, and Shane only really finds himself confronted with his sexuality when he meets Ilya. Also, Shane's on the spectrum, constantly stressed and scared of losing his "golden boy / hockey prodigy "-reputation, and has a mom that's also his manager and putting a lot of pressure on him. So yeah, their relationship isn't as wholesome as Kip and Scott's maybe, but I find it so much more romantic that they, despite everything, still continue to choose each other and have for over 10 years.
lisabts
2026-01-08 10:17:34 +0000 UTCAaron, I knew you would get it more fully eventually! :D Loved y'all's reactions! Episodes 6, 5, and 3 are my favorite episodes of the season. I LOVE a rom-com moment, and we don't get enough queer rom-coms, so I was so happy at the end of this episode. To be fair, people were mainly mixed on episode 3 *before* episode 5 even came out, because Shane and Ilya's story is technically a different book from the same book series as the Scott and Kip story. I think many people might have changed their minds when they saw episode 5 though, lol.
Christian Seibold
2026-01-08 10:06:55 +0000 UTCIlya's monologue in Russian was the best I've heard on TV in a very long time.
Tracey Lough
2026-01-08 09:47:11 +0000 UTCI'm super hyped! I can't wait for the cottage. Thank you guys for watching this show 🥹🫰
Senni
2026-01-08 08:51:46 +0000 UTC
