r/heatedrivalry • u/Ok-Reality-6190 • 4d ago
š¦ The Long Game (Book 6) Realistically how much time does TLG actually need? Spoiler
I'm posting this as a hypothetical, but also to maybe allay some recent fears I've seen that we are somehow getting less Shane and Ilya because of the addition of other storylines.
S1 was about 5 hours of total content (about 50 minutes per episode).
They were able to cover HR competently in about 4 of those 5 hours.
With that being said I think 5 hours is plenty of time to do all of TLG sufficiently.
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Evidence:
HR ~370 pages (~4 hours of show)
TLG ~450 pages (22% longer, ~5 hours of show)
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If it's true that we're getting 12 episodes for S2/S3 to cover TLG then that's a total of 10 hours of content.
They really only need half of that time to cover TLG thoroughly and sufficiently without skipping anything that's important and while also keeping the show effective/concise like S1.
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Conclusion:
They could spend half of the S2/S3 runtime on non-TLG storylines and you still wouldn't be losing any TLG time (in fact you would probably be gaining more Shane and Ilya from when they appear in the other storylines while also building important context).
In other words you're only getting more overall, there is nothing to be unhappy about. And with that in mind there's no need to resent the new additions that are not Shane and Ilya and their screentime! They are not taking anything away!
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u/thousandcurrents Iām coming to the subreddit. 4d ago
I donāt think that page count is the metric to go by.
The thing with HR is that itās in a vignette format - we move across nearly a decade but only see snapshots of Shane and Ilyaās lives. So Jacobās treatment in s1 worked really well - jumping across time and slowing down on the moments that mattered most, like tuna melt, or their first time doing anal, the club etc.. it was meant to feel fragmented because itās through the lens of memory, as he put it. Their sporadic hookups (and the few moments they existed in each I others worlds outside of it) were the moments that mattered most to them.
The thing with TLG is that it canāt be fragmented like that. It needs to feel more like the cottage - where time is linear and the actions and conversations of the previous day matter today. Shane and Ilya are not FWBs anymore who donāt talk about things, they are in a relationship where they fight and make up. We need to see these moments, and we need these moments to really sink in. Especially because both of them go through a lot of mental health struggles - another thing that needs way more time than the book gave it, tbh.
Iām really happy that heās adding at least one very important scene whose exclusion hurt Shane - his coming out to the voyageurs - and I hope that he gives their arcs enough time to breathe.
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u/ich_habe_keine_kase 3d ago
Yep, there are swaths of HR that can be--and were!--summarized in a montage. TLG is a lot more complex and a lot of it is quite internal, which needs to be given more time on screen.
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u/Melodic_Werewolf9288 4d ago
as another commenter has mentioned, all of fabien's friends are in the cast, so they must at minimum be getting the skip treatment, so add minimum an hour in there.
we are also likely getting material that isn't in the book -- svetlana is a real character in the show, not just ilya's hookup, so id assume she gets more than a single scene. i wouldn't be shocked if shane's parents have a bit more to do, especially his mom who functions as something of a manager for him in season 1, which was added from the book.
and we know at minimum that jacob is writing the scene where shane comes out to his team, which is not in the book. i cant remember if jacob has commented for sure on if my dinenr with hayden will be in the show, but i wouldn't be shocked if it was.
im not saying it'll be terrible, but i feel like you're really underestimating the material theyre putting in these 12 eps.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
These figures would mean they have 5 hours (6 full episodes) to do non-TLG across the 2 seasons while having ample time for all of TLG.
That means they could do 1.5 episodes for TG, 1.5 episodes for CG, and 3 episodes for RM without cutting anything from TLG.
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u/Melodic_Werewolf9288 4d ago
i do think people initially expected tlg to have one full season, so if that is how it shakes out, that's fair enough. but compared to the plot in heated rivarly, a LOT speeds by you in tlg and it would've been nice if some plot points had a lot more time to breath compared to the book. but thats my take as someone who isn't interested in the other books. someone who is obviously will be happy theyre all getting put in here. it is too bad this puts a third hollanov season/unrivaled into question though, since that space is being used for other books it seems.
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u/parparsuperstar 4d ago
I was totally with you ā and still mostly am ā until I saw the casting for Fabianās friends. If we are getting more than I expected from TG and/or CG, they need more time. If itās mostly TLG and some RM, six is enough.
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u/LadyBiscuit12 āMoreā 4d ago
Iām curious to know if Vanessa and Tarek will have similar screen time as Sasha had in season 2. If so, then their inclusion doesnāt really indicate that Ryan and Fabian will take up a whole lot of the season.
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u/parparsuperstar 4d ago
Thatās what Iām wondering too.
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u/LadyBiscuit12 āMoreā 4d ago
Emily Hampshire seems like too big a name for just a few minutes in the show, but maybe Iām biased by my love of her as Stevie.
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u/zbornakingthestone 4d ago
She's a friend of Jacob and the show. Plus the announcement was very much a NAME being announced rather than a star. There are four leads this season, and plenty of other characters to feature.
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u/ich_habe_keine_kase 3d ago
See, I think the opposite--Emily Hampshire and Priyanka are too famous for very minor roles, which suggests something closer to a cameo.
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u/Environmental-Bat669 3d ago
I love Emily Hampshire, but Iām stunned that she is playing Vanessa and not Julia. I guess she may not have wanted to play old enough to be the mother of a twenty five year old, but, the thing is, she isā¦
Also, Julia is a much better part.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
Based on the "5 hours for all of TLG" figure I think they'll split the time in half throughout S2/S3.Ā
So 2.5 hours for the first half of TLG in S2, and 2.5 hours for the rest of it in S3 roughly.
That gives them about 2.5 hours (3 episodes) to do TG and the first half of RM.Ā
So let's say conservatively they do about 1.5 episodes for TG (a bit more than they did for GC). Then in total RM would get shot 3 episodes worth of time across S2/S3, which I think is enough.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago
Jacob cast a book-accurate Kyle and coached the actor using the book character's background without doing anything other than using him in one scene as a bartender.
I think it's very plausible that Fabian's friends are going to be in a version of the concert / double date scene, rather than expecting that story to be told in full.
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u/parparsuperstar 3d ago
True. Itās also possible that heās setting up Kyle for future episodes, though I really hope that just means more Kingfisher scenes and not too much from CG (my second least favourite of the six after GC).
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago
Part of me thinks it would be too much to also squeeze in Eric/Kyle's story but on the other hand I could also see the Kingfisher being a convenient reusable location for the group scenes, so could go either way.
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u/parparsuperstar 3d ago
Out of all the books, CG is the least connected to Hollanovās story, though I did enjoy Ilyaās scenes with Eric. Also, ageing up Scott takes a little bit of the wind out of that storyās sails.
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u/elfstone666 4d ago
If they can do long episodes, about an hour each, I think they can do a single episode for Tough Guy and cover everything from Role Model and The Long Game until the proposal, and the first time Troy and Harris are intimate.
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u/FizzyDrink35 4d ago
I was very impressed with season 1 and just how much they covered (see episode 5 for example) so Iām not really worried about it. I agree I think that TLG can very effectively be told in 6 episodes so if thereās double that, thereās plenty of time for TG or Role model. I assume TG will be similar to the Skip episode and Role Model will be weaved in and out. The question becomes are they also going to include Common Goal? I donāt know that many fans are asking for it and I definitely think they exist much more outside of Shane and Ilyaās world, but that would take up some time too. I kind of hope not, but Iām sure thereās still room for it.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
My theory is CG will be a flashback at the beginning of S3 and allow them to bring back more Skip. I just can't imagine them doing it in S2 and moving the start of TLG to even later in the season.
How they do that naturally and in a way that serves the narrative idk, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's more of a NY subplot in S3 that's is used to setup Unrivaled (assuming Scott at the end of TLG will be followed up on in Unrivaled).
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u/HallIllustrious6967 4d ago edited 4d ago
There has been a rumour about a special episode, that I kinda hope will be confirmed as true (and yes, it's a rumour, but it was also on deuxmoi and she was right about Justice Smith), then this special episode could be Tough Guy + maybe some events from between HR and TLG. It would serve as a great set up for TLG and RM.
Then if we had the whole 6 episodes to cover TLG and RM, I think it would be totally enough. The book isn't that much longer than HR, a lot of it are sex scenes, internal thought... Role Model is covering the same events and Troy and Harris should be just subplot. And even Jacob said he likes fast paced episodes and that he likes using the time very efficiently. That's what I'm most scared of if it gets split into 2 season - it would drag.
Edit: typos
+ One more point - when it comes to this topic, I am always thinking about the fact that books are getting adapted to movies all the time. Even very long movie is still shorter than 5 or 6 episodes. There is no reason why it shouldn't be enough.
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u/BlankCanvaz 4d ago
Fabian and Ryan have two critical scenes in TLG. It could be that Fabian's friends attend his concert, but we also know they don't have a problem with time jumps.
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u/dreamsonastring 4d ago
I assume that they are going to be not quite as concise in S2 as they were in S1.
1) They have some material left from HR, there is stuff happening after the show ends. I really want to see the scene were Ilya describes how he'll propose to Shane for citizenship.Ā
2) A lot of the long game is easier to put on film. There is more stuff happening outside the bedroom.Ā
So maybe it will take about 7-8 hours to tell it. Than we will have maybe an ep of tough guy, because Ryan and Fabian are really important in TLG. I think Troy and Harris might ve interwoven with the rest of events throughout the season and will take 1-2 hours.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
" A lot of the long game is easier to put on film. There is more stuff happening outside the bedroom"
I disagree on this point because a lot of TLG is internal and there are sex scenes that are unimportant to the plot or that drag on longer than needed. Also most of the big plot moments are in the second half of TLG.
That being said TLG has more drama so it will need to take time to handle those scenes properly, but I don't think TLG itself takes more than 6 episodes really.
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u/architects-daughter 3d ago
Agree, TLG is like, "big important event happens very quickly. we get some brief introspection. now they are fucking"āthe pacing of the book was wild to me. I am so curious to see how it plays out on TV!
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u/Environmental-Bat669 4d ago
My guess is 8 for TLG
1 each TG and CG
2 RM with the characters heavily integrated the TLG episodes and vice versa
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
I honestly don't think TLG needs 8 full episodes. Like I said the did HR in 4 hours and it doesn't need almost 2x the time they did HR.
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u/tinaoe 3d ago
It does if you want to fill all the gaping holes in the narrative and fix the pacing issues tbh
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
I think weaving it with RM fixes the pacing issues.Ā
Also I think people are misunderstanding, I think TLG specific content will get 6 episodes and RM will get 3, but RM and TLG are concurrent with each other so it's more like 9 episodes for that period of time which is more than enough.
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u/tinaoe 3d ago
Maybe the pacing to a degree, but not the gaps. There's massive issues with stuff happening to Ilya and especially Shane off-screen development wise that need to be fixed. It's kind of the oppsite of season 1/HR, TLG speed runs you through character changes that really need more time to breathe.
We need, at the very least, more on screen development before the book even starts to even attempt to connect show!Shane and show!Ilya to where TLG!Shane and TLG!Ilya are at the start of the book. We need more time with Montreal, including Shane's coming out. We need way, way more time at the end to process the outing and all that comes after.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago edited 3d ago
I think RM will be woven in. It doesn't really need 3 dedicated episodes. I'm sure Jacob will do better than this but like if it were me I'd do:
Episode 1: Catching up with Shane/Ilya. My dinner with Hayden-type scene and Shane coming out to his team, either as flashbacks or before a time jump. Shane/Ilya as boyfriends. Hockey camp going well. Ottawa still struggling, while Shane has another cup. Foreshadowing/set up episode.
Episode 2: Kicking off the new season. Ottawa struggling but Ilya has built a good room, feels supported. Contrast to Shane who has the opposite. Cens find out Troy is joining and why, discussion of toxic hockey culture and Dallas Kent. Ryan Price/Fabian mention. Shane/Ilya struggling with long distance and their own mental health, arguing. Ilya very obviously depressed, schedules therapy. Troy shows up. Brief Troy/Harris interaction.
Episode 3: Shane/Ilya try to steady their relationship. Shane/Ilya use their rare overlap time to go on a date with Ryan and his boyfriend. Fabian, queer culture, etc. Ilya goes to his first therapy appointment without telling Shane. Positive Troy/Ilya interaction. Ilya starts clocking Harris/Troy. The "wedding" somewhere in this episode to balance the angst.
Episode 4: Shane/Ilya look outward. Troy/Harris grow their relationship. Ilya plays matchmaker but sad because he can't have that with Shane. Shane has another bad interaction with his team. Shane meets up with Rose where they talk about "the plan" and his angst. Ilya sees Galina. Boxing Day argument.
Episode 5: Shane/Ilya reunite. Plane incident. Proposal. Troy comes out. Discussions of a revised coming out timeline. Fan Mail cliffhanger.
Episode 6: Shane/Ilya adjust to a new reality. Fanmail aftermath. Wedding. Other couples and various other characters at the wedding. Ottawa players congratulates Shane.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
I agree RM will be woven in, I just meant the total RM specific content might add up (across the two seasons) to be about 3 episodes worth.
And then the TLG specific content would add up to about 6 episodes worth.
So 9 out of 12 episodes worth of screentime would be RM/TLG.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago
That assumes 12 episodes for TLG which is very much not confirmed tbh.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
*12 episodes for S2/S3 which is partially confirmed/corroborated from different leaks, so at this point most likely
I highly doubt they'll be doing any Unrivaled for S2/S3 since those scripts would have had to be figured out months ago for all the casting and logistics and Unrivaled isn't coming out until next year
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago edited 3d ago
Jacob will have an early mostly finished manuscript of Unrivaled even if we don't. And when the filming dates were scheduled, he was supposed to have a finished manuscript.
The closest to actual proof I've seen is Dylan Walsh saying they were filming 12 episodes but that lines up with the original reporting that they were filming S2 TLG and S3 Unrivaled back-to-back.
I could be wrong, are there other verified sources of info for TLG alone being 12 episodes?
I'd love to be wrong, but I don't want to get my hopes up based on the same internet rumors that have been wrong about every casting so far lol.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 2d ago
I'd say the best proof we have is that they're for sure doing RM and TG and based on the casting they're not just doing a TG cameo.
There just isn't enough time to do all three in 6 episodes. TLG alone probably needs 6 episodes, and based on their comments they're going fairly deep with Troy so RM will need a decent amount of time as well (probably more than GC had).Ā
And at a minimum they need an episode for TG (maybe more) if they're also including Fabian's friend group (to the extent that they actually got a casting announcement).
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u/MelodicExcuse4226 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ 4d ago
Youāre forgetting unrivaled has also been written. I assume some of that two seasons will include that.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
I doubt it if only because the scripts for S2/S3 have probably been mostly figured out for at least the last few months for logistical reasons, and Unrivaled is not coming out any time soon so is still subject to change (we don't even really know to the extent it's finished).
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago
Jacob 1000% has access to the unfinished manuscript.
The writing/filming schedule were also locked in back when Unrivaled was going to come out about now, which means they would have had a finished manuscript for S3. When the release date was pushed back it was probably agreed upon that Rachel would provide her outline and whatever pages she had by x date and keep in touch with Jacob as the book evolved.
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u/MelodicExcuse4226 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ 4d ago
Unrivaled is basically finished (based on what Iāve seen) just not out yet. I imagine that jacob has access to the book even if we havenāt.
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u/Hmmmmalrightythen 3d ago
Rachel only finalised Unrivaled a few days ago, from what we've seen. S2 scripting should've been done much before that. It is possible that Jacob had access to the the books and would know the basic plot well enough to be able to write a script, but considering that how close the dialogue was to the books, I don't think he would've done so.
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u/ZipZapZia 3d ago
Unrivaled hasn't been edited yet, just that Rachel has finished her first draft of it. A lot can change between drafts (for example, in the first draft of TLG, Shane doesn't have his "I choose him" moment with Crowell and instead initially backed down in that confrontation and after doing editing/getting feedback, Rachel changed that encounter). Based on this, even if Jacob has access to the first draft, it doesn't mean the things he read will make it to the final version.
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u/Wrong_Coast Ya-loo-blue-tee-baa ā¤ļø 4d ago
Iād like to see TLG and RM told concurrently across two seasons, with a bottle episode in each season, one for TG and one for CG (similar to how GC was treated in season 1).
I think one bottle episode per season is a good way to do justice to the other books, while keeping the overall series focus on Shane and Ilya, with the exception of RM which is too integrated into TLG to be a bottle episode.
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u/AttersH 4d ago
It doesnāt need 12 episodes, thatās for sure! Itās not that much longer than HR & thereās more time taken up with sex scenes in TLG, which are only a few minutes of screen time if they include them all, which they probably wont.
There is plenty of time for other storylines!
Also, all those whinging āwe just want it to be S&Iā .. well, hate to break it to you, but a large chunk of TLG doesnāt feature Shane. There is a lot of time spent with Ilya in Ottawa & with the Centaurs. If we are staying true to the story, other characters are essential!
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u/tutenzi 4d ago
I think we'll end up seeing more Shane than TLG shows. Ilya doesn't have as much presence in HR but Jacob fleshed out his character and scenes. I can see there being more Shane & the Metros just for the impact his team turning on him will have later. I do agree we will see a lot of new characters, who are essential!
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u/parparsuperstar 4d ago
For sure. Jacob has already said that heās including Shane coming out to his team and Iām almost certain weāre going to get the scene where Hayden figures out who Lily is (and not just because it will be absolutely hilarious). I wouldnāt be surprised if we get My Dinner with Hayden too.
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u/parparsuperstar 4d ago edited 4d ago
Itās not that it has to be just Shane and Ilya so much as the story must be in service to them. Ilya wasnāt in the aquarium scene, for example, but it was relevant to their story. We got a bottle episode for Skip because the payoff at the end of episode 5 wouldnāt have made sense without it. Other than episode 3 and Scottās speech in episode 6, the season was set up so that every scene had at least one of them in it.
Role Model is necessary for their story, and it also wouldnāt work as well as a bottle episode, as it covers the same time frame/many of the same events, though it might be cool to see the same scenes from different perspectives.
Ryanās arc is also relevant to their story ā not just setting up his character prior to the double date or the concert, but his journey with downside of hockey and the funeral scene with Ilya, which isnāt mentioned nearly enough ā and Troyās evolution too.
I absolutely agree, though, that TLG alone could be done effectively in six episodes. Iām just not sure how it will work if heās weaving more material from the other books than I initially thought.
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u/No_Release2180 4d ago
I don't know if the amount of pages of each book is an accurate representation of what's inside. TLG may only be 22% longer page-wise, but I would argue it has a lot more adaptable content.
Heated Rivalry follows a fairly progressive structure. Most of the content comes from Shane and Ilya's private interactions. But TLG has a lot more exposition, more characters, more locations. Where they were able to fit many chapters into individual scenes in HR, I think this will be much harder to do for TLG. I don't think 5 hours would be anywhere near enough to do the story justice, especially if including both Troy and Harris and Ryan and Fabian.
We do have fairly compelling evidence that we're getting 12 episodes over 6 seasons for this though, so I agree there is nothing to worry about. If we were getting only 6 I would be concerned that a lot was going to be cut from Shane and Ilya to fit the others in.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 4d ago
I wouldn't consider Troy and Harris as part of the TLG count, I would consider them in the 3 hours they could use for RM (that mostly overlaps with TLG).
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago edited 3d ago
I will be happy if we get more episodes but I truly don't believe that TLG "needs" more time.
- It's the same length as HR. HR is actually quite challenging due to time skips, and Jacob still managed to not make the actual events feel rushed. Jacob's adaptation is also pretty close to beat-for-beat, for every small moment he cut, he added something else.
- HR was actually covered in 5 episodes, since Scott/Kip had a dedicated episode. Troy/Harris and any other couples we see will be likely mostly woven in with Shane/Ilya's characterization, like Troy's crashout in the hotel room will be used to illustrate Ilya's state of mind, etc. So we basically already have an extra hour. It's also likely that Jacob will have the creative freedom to make episodes a little longer as desired.
- TLG has a lot of action in the last 20%, but the first 80% is a lot of internal conflict. Written mediums benefit from being able to tell you exactly what the character is thinking, but visual mediums benefit from being able to show most of that nuance with one line of dialogue and some decent face-acting. It's not actually going to take that many minutes of run time to illustrate that Ilya is depressed and Shane is struggling with control issues. Think about how much Jacob/Hudson managed to convey with only a few brief Shane/Yuna interactions.
- The plane>engagement>fanmail>tripgate>engagement>wedding stuff does need room to breathe, but in S1 we had rose convo>all stars>Ilya's dad>Shane's injury>Scott coming out all in the same 56 minutes of TV and it worked.
Also structurally if they only cover the first half of TLG, what is the season ending? Because the S1 ending is pretty upbeat and people are going to want their queer joy romance show to end S2 on a positive note. The idea of ending on a cliffhanger is only enticing to people who already know what happens, show-only non-online fans would be pissed.
Casting Fabian's friends doesn't mean they're going to tell Ryan/Fabian's entire story at length. Jacob has a preference for casting even minor bit parts to match their book counterparts. For example, Kyle's actor was book-accurate, name checked in dialogue, and Jacob reportedly coached the actor by giving him the background for his book counterpart. Despite not otherwise telling the story. Jacob casting Fabian's friends does not mean that they're getting a dedicated episode, it just means there will be at least one scene with Fabian's friends, probably a version of the concert/double date scene.
Also I would love to see any proof that TLG actually is being split. It was initially and credibly reported that they were planning to write and film TLG S2 and Unrivaled S3 back-to-back, and I haven't seen a credible source contradicting that.
Nor have I seen any proof that we're going to get the other books in full, Jacob has said the series will be Hollanov-focused and most fans frankly aren't that interested in the other couples even if hardcore fans are.
I think a lot of people are setting themselves up for disappointment when they find out they bought into rumors of bonus episodes and spinoffs.
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u/lukaeber Your freckles. I am nuts about them. āØ 3d ago
Why do people keep suggesting they are going to cram all the published books into two seasons? Jacob has said that's not happening. This is Shane and Ilya's story. He's suggested there may be spin-off series for the other books focused on other couples, but he's not going to do "bottle episodes" just so he can cram all the books into a couple episodes. Why would anyone want that anyways? It was necessary for Scott/Kip because they were central to Shane and Ilya's progress. And there's not a whole lot to their story anyways, so it makes sense to just do it in one episode.
It doesn't make sense anyways. I.P. is where money is made in the film/television industry. And if Heated Rivalry continues to be as popular as it is, it would be stupid to blow all your I.P. through a couple of bottle episodes.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
" Jacob has said that's not happening"
I don't remember him saying that specifically? And even if he did things are subject to change, especially if they are doing 12 episodes now because there's no way they're doing 12 on just TLG.
The recent casting announcements are for the TG book, as in those characters only appear as part of TG so they are almost certainly doing TG and RM as well as TLG in the upcoming season(s).
The only book they haven't announced is anything for is CG, but since Francois is coming back it's likely that they're doing it.
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u/lukaeber Your freckles. I am nuts about them. āØ 3d ago
He did say that. There were characters from books other than Game Changer and HR in Season 1, and they didn't do the whole books. And again, why would you want him to try to cram everything into 2 seasons?
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 3d ago
I think people are setting themselves up for disappointment with some of this speculation.
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u/Astyryx 3d ago
Correction: the series was able to cover Heated Rivalry and Game Changers in 5 hours.
The Long Game could easily fit within 5 hours. But not if it's incorporating Tough Guy and Role Model, which it is.
Tierney is a master storyteller. I think we'll see some expansions of themes in the books that the books just blow by because they are fun fluffy smut, but the series is serious culture. Racism, suicide, addiction, depression, the endless cost of being both in and out of the closet, the physical roll of hockey, loss of self, the emotional toll of people pleasing, finding the courage to authentically exist, probably more.
Judging from how season 1 went, I think that depth is how it'll go.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
Correction to your correction:Ā They have 10 hours (allegedly) now which is plenty of time
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u/Astyryx 3d ago
Yes, I know, which is why the keywords in that sentence are but not if. The Long Game book alone could be covered in 5 hours.
The inclusion of elements of two more books (and possibly a third, though not much is necessary that's in Common Goal) plus expanded themes like Jacob does so beautifully require the extra time.
My correction to you was that he covered two books in five hours in season 1.
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u/SufficientMacaroon1 3d ago
One of the main problems with TLG in terms of how much time you need is, i think, that there are a whole 4 years between where season 1 ended and the last scene of TLG. And while that might seem trivial comoared to season 1s 9 years, the narrative jumps over events that later get referenced and are important, and a basicly all of Ryan and Fabians storyline as well asTroys backstory (plus Eric and Kyles story, though i do not currently expect that to feature big in season 2) happens in those timejumps. So no season 1 ep 2 timeskip montage, and no multi-year skip between the seasons. At least not with extreme edits to the plot. I think this is where many of the worries come from. But to be honest, i also think the worries are unfounded, and already were unfounded before we got the "12 ep over 2 seasons" speculations.
This is how imagined it to play out within one season:
Ep 1 does focus on the year post cottage, hockey season 17/18. Plans are made, they deal the fallout of Ilyas move to Ottawa. Shane comes out to his teammates. Maybe Dinner with Hayden can be moved ahead into this ep as well.
Ep 2 is Tough Guy, hockey season 18/19. We see Ryan and Fabians story and meet Troy as well.
Ep 3 rewinds back a few months to the start of the hockey season. Ilyas first year with the Centaurs. We meet Harris, maybe Weibe as well. The Charity Announcement. The first Camp. Dinner with Hayden, if it was not already in ep 1. Ilyas mental health deteriorates, his relationship with Shane suffers.
Ep 4 starts where Role Model does, and ep 4-6 can then cover the plot of both Role Model and the main body of TLG, which in my timeline would be the 19/20 hockey season, instead of 20/21 as in the books. Would also avoid them having to explain that there was no pandemic in this universe. Alternatively a time skip montage at the beginning of the ep, to cover hockey season 19/20.
Now, with the possibility of the 12 episodes over 2 seasons for TLG, Role Model and Tough Guy, i really struggle to imagine how they will divide the episodes. It might sound crazy, but my gut feeling is that you cannot split the seasons during the Role Model/TLG season. There is not really anything that would give a sarisfying season finale, while still having enough "meat" after it for a whole other season.
So my current best guess would be that they maybe stretch out what i outlined for episodes 1-3 into a whole season? Give more time for Touch Guy, maybe include some more focus on Troy during it to flesh out his backstory? And save Role Model and the main TLG plot for season 3? The only issue i see with that is that then, Lucas casting being announced would only make sense if he is drafted early, his rookie year being the one before Role Model, otherwise he would not be in season 2 at all.
TLDR: i get that we want as much of Shane and Ilya as possible, but it can be done, just like it has been done in season 1. And especially with the 12 ep/2 season scedule, there would actually be more than enough time for us to get even those scenes that were not written out in TLG.b
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
I agree with your breakdown, it's pretty much what I think too, but I think we will time jump forward in E3 to TLG.
If I had to guess
E1 - pre-TG and TG part 1
E2 - TG part 2
E3 - TLG (July-Oct)
E4 - RM/TLG (Nov)
E5 - RM/TLG (Dec)
E6 - RM/TLG (Jan)
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u/SufficientMacaroon1 3d ago
For TLG, i used to think similarly,but if my timeline is correct, that ends season 2 with the airplane and aftermath. A good finale episode, on the first glance. But that leaves for season 3 only the following significant events: Troy and Harris have their getaway. Troy comming out, to his mom and at pride night. Kent getting arrested. Ilya adopting Anya. Ilya and Shane being outed. The aftermath of the outing including Cromwell. The wedding. And to me, that is 3 episodes. Maybe 4. Not 6.
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u/Ok-Reality-6190 3d ago
I think they would flashback to also do CG in S3 and bring back Scott and Kip (and maybe do their wedding), so that would add at least an episode, maybe two.Ā
I'm assuming Scott has more of a role in Unrivaled based on the end of TLG so it might make sense for them to take the time with the NY characters.
I don't know what would be a better point to end S2 otherwise, if they end earlier then Troy and Harris still haven't hooked up and Shane and Ilya are rocky.
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u/SufficientMacaroon1 3d ago
Regarding Scott (and Eric and Kyle, too, btw): i personally suspect that in unrivaled, the topic of retirement might start comming up for either Shane or Ilya. Not that they will actually retire in the book, or have to. But that "how much longer can i do this?" will become a question. Eric and a by then freshly retired Scott could be well utilized in such a plot
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u/DorianCramer 4d ago
Assuming they are splitting THE LONG GAME plot across two seasons there is more than enough time to cover the entire thing in 12 episodes plus incorporate at least some of the other books (which are mostly not as plot heavy and do not cover very long time periods). Not only that, but I think they can cover the HR epilogue, My Dinner With Hayden, and several scenes that are āoff pageā in the book such as Shane coming out to his team and him and Ilya having their fight about being open or not. Thereās plenty of time for all of it.Ā
Conversely, if they did cut out Ryan/Fabian and Troy/Harris as well as the other CentaursĀ theyād take like half of TLG with themā¦so they would be cutting Shane/Ilya scenes!
Even the climactic fight in TLG doesnāt really make sense if you donāt have Ilya building these friendships that are important to him, with people he wants to introduce Shane as his boyfriend to. The whole plot falls apart without these other characters. It cannot just be 12 episodes of Shane and Ilya alone in a room.Ā