and on that note, my 2025 is officially over. this show was the best thing that happened to me in 2025 (besides zootopia). i have so much to say about this show but i'll cut it short the way gay romance has been portrayed in the media in recent years has been shedding so much light on the queer community. they mostly surround the topic of coming out and the pressure behind it. but there's a reason why people still come back for more even if each of them surround this same plot - it shows a different side of masculinity that we don't usually see. i'm pretty sure hudson talked about the same thing in an interview with connor so i won't discuss much on it (and i am not very knowledgeable on the topic either) i love both shane and ilya but i love ilya not because of ilya, i love ilya because of how connor played him and that is such a weird occurence for me because i usually like fictional characters for who they are, not for how they are portrayed. connor is such a powerful actor, i literally do not know what other word to use even though this doesn't quite seem like the appropriate word. like powerful in a subtle way, does that make sense? he gives not only scenes with lines meaning, but the silence as well, and that's a craft you don't find often nowadays. anyway i need to rest cuz i just got out the hospital this morning recovering from a high fever. i have so much love for this show and the cast and crew behind it. heated rivalry you have truly made the last month of 2025 better. i can't wait to see what jacob has in store for us, but in the meantime, i will be enjoying the two books by rachel :)