HW: Our show was kind of unusually block shot. It was shot like a giant movie, which means we're shooting parts of episode 5 in the beginning, parts of episode 4 early on. In the same day we're going from multiple scripts. We had to hold the entire story and then go in on command to these different points that these characters are at.
(sources and disclaimers below)
the basis for this gifset were the film stills from sabrina lantos's website which contain the day number in the file name and the date taken in the properties:
and then most of the other stills from here have the date taken embedded:
since the above stills don't contain the day in the file name, i made a schedule to assign each date to a filming day number. i can't guarantee it's correct, but once the weekends were in place it did all line up nicely (including with the confirmed wrap date, june 10th).
the following days were mentioned in interviews:
DAY 1
"We jumped around. I think we were in five different years or something crazy on day one. I remember doing the first scene of the day..." â Connor
"The foot tap." â Hudson
"[The Tampa hotel room] was day one of shooting. I'm pretty sure that was the second scene we shot before the Vegas scene where I crawled to him." â Hudson
DAY 3
"[The Russian funeral] was day three of production overall, and that was my first day." â Slavic
DAY 4
(alexei's scenes were filmed on two consecutive days) "I was only there for two days." / "I got to meet Hudson the [day after the Russian funeral] when we were doing my [phone scenes]. He was just down the hall in a different studio" â Slavic
DAY 11
this day wasn't mentioned by number, however, the time code on the film slate seen in this behind the scenes video [image version] shows 05 05 25 11 (5th of may 2025, day 11). and there is mention of which scenes were shot that day:
- rachel said, "They were filming the very first sex scene..." (for 4 hours!) and "I stayed until the very end [of that day] because I knew that the last thing that they were going to film was on the beach in Tampa".
- the casting directors were also on set this day, they saw the sochi cafe and hudson getting sprayed with water for the ad.
- further visual confirmation: 1. connor at the cafe in his hookup outfit 2. the cafe set being taken down ready for the beach scene
DAYS 35 & 36
"[The cottage] was the last two days of shooting. The last scene we shot was Ilya talking about his mom when heâs on my lap." â Hudson
ASSUMPTIONS
DAY 7
in this behind the scenes posted by ksenia [image version] you can see the file number of the recording which has 250429 in it, i.e., the 29th of april 2025. since she was there at the same time as connor and hudson doing their scene, and since she's in the same car used for the scott scene... i'm making the assumption all the car interiors were shot on the same day.
DAY 14
an image from this article contains the date 2025_05_08 in the file name. it's a photo from set while they're filming at ciao bella (for the lunch scenes with shane's parents). the stairwell (for shane's apartment) is located around the side of the building.
DAY 18
christina said while filming the episode six yuna shane scene they "... were getting pummeled with rain. So we had to stop, and we had to come back the next day and shoot it." so i think they would have finished that scene and then also done the rest of the scenes (shane in the sling, watching tv) on day 18.
DAY 20
it seems like they used two consecutive days for filming at each of the residences, so i imagine they probably did the svetlana and watching tv scenes this day. the only scrap of evidence i have is this behind the scenes photo where you can see the camera set up while they're watching the leafs beat the panthers-- which i did check, did happen on may 16th (...but also on the 5th and 7th of may, so not exactly irrefutable).
DAYS 32 & 33
the owner of shane's "apartment" said filming took place there in june. so that slots nicely into these two days-- not really anywhere else it would fit.
CONTRADICTIONS
- the biggest discrepancy i came across was regarding day 17 at the parents' cottage:
christina said, "It was just the four of us for a couple days, so it was a really wonderful experience. It was towards the end of the shoot, and I think we all felt like, "We get to do this, finally.""
and jacob said [on connor eating so much spaghetti], "I do feel it was the end of the shoot and I was like, "Oh, he's carb loading. I don't think he has to take his shirt off again.""
so both of them stating those scenes were near the end of the shoot almost made me throw this whole gifset concept in the bin, but then on the other hand, i'm like... people make mistakes... i could be misinterpreting... why would the camera dates be wrong... but yeah, this one really confused me.
- another one that didn't line up was hudson saying, "The drive when weâre in the car leaving was two weeks into the shoot. So we still had, like, three weeks of shooting left while weâre shooting the drive off. Me picking Ilya up in the âItâs not a Jeep, itâs British, itâs good in the snowâ car took place, like, three weeks into shooting."
the photo still (in the carpark) was taken on the 28th of april and there's also a photo of the film slate that looks to be the same date. so i just straight up think he's wrong? which is understandable, he is recalling it 7 months after the fact. it just makes me doubt everything.
- otherwise i feel like things match up with what i've heard, like the hockey being a week towards the end, sophie arriving a month in, tampa bar being the last friday, etc.
here are some other extra details:
- on may 10th hudson posted a bts photo of connor at dundurn castle, meaning the jogging scenes were filmed prior to day 16
- the scenes done at mcmaster university would have been done early may (as filming isn't permitted on campus during april and hudson said he, "hadn't had a chance to train that much yet" (indicating that it was still early on in the shoot)
- robbie's first scene was the art gallery, followed by the smoothie shop, and then the banquet and intimacy later on. his last day was the on ice kiss.
- two full days were spent at the kingfisher
- the sochi cafe scene was shot twice (they weren't happy with how the vfx wall was looking, they changed it into an interior shot)
- another scene they redid was with the hockey cup (producers weren't happy with how small it was previously + kolton said it broke when he lifted it)
- françois's final scene was the cup celebration (he lost his balance and cut his hand on his skate)
it was fun putting all this together. i hope you found it interesting! i tried my best to source everything so i'm not just saying, "trust me bro", but at the same time, please don't take it all as fact. i obviously wasn't there, i'm only looking at dates!
any additional information or corrections are welcome :)
Shane can't help the smile when he reads the message on his phone. He leans against the kitchen island with his hip, while Ilya is putting away the last few pieces from the dishwasher.
"What is funny?"
"Hm?" Shane looks up, Ilya is studying him.
"Another message from Rose?" Ilya says in a way that Shane realises is meant to sound uninterested, before turning to put a stack of plates where they belong.
"All her messages so far have been about how things are going with you." He says with fond exasperation. They've had this topic twice already.
Ilya closes the dishwasher and mirrors Shanes lean against it, crossing his arms. Shrugs.
"Tell her amazing. I am the best at sex and you can't get enough of me. And that she can talk to you in october."
Shane snorts and shakes his head. I did tell her the first bit. He doesn't add that.
"It wasnât Rose. It was my dad."
Ilya stands up straighter instantly, arms uncrossing.
"Oh."
"What, no joke how he can't be funny because he's boring?" Shane doesn't fight his smile.
"I like your farther, he drinks good vodka. What did he say?" The serious tone of his voice makes Shane move closer, wrapping his arms around Ilya's middle and squeeze him a little with his next words.
"He said he thinks my boyfriend is a good egg."
Ilya pulls his head back, to look at Shane better in surprise. There's a hestitant smile but he's also frowning.
"Egg?"
The smile on Shane's face grows wide and soft. He nods. "Mhmm."
"Is good thing, yes?"
"Yes." Shane leans in for a short kiss. Just a peck. Then two more because Ilya has this proud little smile on his face now.
"So, they don't hate me for you."
It's said as a statement, but Shane answers it anyway, to make sure Ilya hears it.
"They don't hate you for me." With a single nod.
The following kisses are hindered by the wide grin on Ilya's face.
---
Ilya googles the saying later in bed, with a sleeping Shane beside and half on top of him. The warm feeling that spreads through him when he reads the words makes him press closer to Shane and too giddy to sleep for a while. Repeating the explanation he found in his head on a loop. Shane's dad thinks he's a thoroughly good, kind, and reliable person.
laughing about the fact that i know in my heart that ilya babytalks anya while shane talks to her like a colleague
ilya is holding her like a baby and cooing in russian going, "who is my beautiful little baby bunny? is it you? it IS you, beautiful little baby with your beautiful little baby paws and your beautiful little baby face and-"
and meanwhile anya took off with the zoomies instead of standing still in the entryway so shane could wipe her muddy paws off after a walk in the rain, and shane is toweling her off after re-capturing her and going, "that was not our agreement, anya. we had an understanding. this is not treat-earning behavior."
We (rightfully) make fun of shane for putting on a suit before their first hookup but we should also be making fun of ilya for wearing a fashionable denim jacket. They were staying in the same hotel. he put that jacket on just to down the hall and up the elevator. he only wore it because he thought shane would think it looked cool (he did) and that shane would love a sexy little striptease (he did). Embarrassing!
ever since Jacob said that the show is formatted through memories I canât help but notice that structure even more significantly. The hockey games are a blur, we donât see them, because in Hollanovâs memory, the only thing that stands out is each other. Itâs exactly how memory works, especially when you love someone- the reality of it blurs over time, but they remain vivid. You fixate on certain details, touches, kisses. (One of my favourite scenes in the whole show is Shane talking to Rose and remembering his encounters with Ilya)
I honestly think this conscious decision throughout is what makes the time jumps completely seamless, because weâre still grounded in the emotional reality of these memories.
Itâs what I personally like to call âtrim the fatâ writing, which so many shows fail to do, with bloated scripts and way too much exposition and audience handholding. JT said âfuck thatâ and I respect it heavy
anyway I love the little vignettes. #ourvignettes <3
