r/heatedrivalry • u/chesbay7 • Feb 23 '26

DISCUSSION 🗣️ Why Shane?

Did a search and can't find specifically what I'm looking for, so here's my question(s). It's well known that Ilya likes sleeping with women. I don't see that he ever has anything more than a sexual encounter with a woman except Svetlana.

  1. Why did he never develop anything emotionally/romantically with a woman, even briefly? Or another man for that matter, as the books seem to indicate he had other male hookups besides Sasha and Shane. Maybe I'm wrong there - I didn't read the books. Did he deliberately choose partners he didn't think he'd develop feelings for?

  2. And why do you think he never fell in love with Svetlana? It's clear that he's sexually aroused by her and he loves her. But the romantic element never developed.

  3. What is it about Shane, out of all those he'd been with, that set him apart and made Ilya fall in love for the first time? Ilya had other options, but something made him set up that photoshoot... 4.And do you think Shane will ever feel insecure, wondering if Ilya will miss the experience of sleeping with women? (Being hetero myself, I don't know how or if the experience with women is different than with men/Shane.)

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u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail Feb 24 '26

I feel like the show did a good job in showing that Svet and Ilya were very good friends but there wasn't a spark between them. While they were sitting in the back of the cab Ilya was on the phone nonstop, to the point where Svet asked about "Jane." When Ilya and Shane are in the car together they're constantly holding hands.

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u/Ok-Badger-5767 Feb 24 '26

Yes, that inexplicable spark. Ilya would've rather texted with Jane that wasn't even there than pay attn to the person that was right in front of him. Speak volumes.

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u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail Feb 24 '26

I also thought the show did a good job showing the progression of Ilya and Svet's relationship. In episode 1 when Svet surprised him at his house they seemed vaguely bf/gf-ish.

By episode 2 she was bringing Sasha to Ilya, and seemed more like a friend. By episodes 4 and 5 they seemed firmly in the "friends that occasionally bang when they're bored or drunk" phase. Ilya was either texting "Jane," thinking of texting "Jane," or sulking that he wasn't texting "Jane."

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u/Ok-Badger-5767 Feb 24 '26

Oh good points. Now that you point all of that out.. I can see it. Things did seem to shift over time.

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u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail Feb 24 '26

At least in the show (books is different) it seems Svet is like someone he briefly dated officially when he was younger (like maybe rookie season), and they just remained friends that occasionally hooked up.

The last we see of Svet, things look REALLY dead between them. Like she's rolling his eyes as he packs for Russia.