This is potentially one of the most heartbreaking moments in any VM routine. Because it’s so symbolic of their relationship in the build-up to Sochi and the subsequent time afterwards. VM do synchronicity so well, and to watch them both move to the music but in completely different timing whilst trying to be together and not getting any closer is painful.
Eventually, they give up. And they go in their separate directions and are spinning alone. And it reminds me of the quote in the show when Tessa says: “When we finish skating competitively, sometimes I think that we’ll just go in our separate directions and touch base once a year. It’s hard to know whether skating is that common bond that holds us together or whether all of our shared experiences and our history will keep us there.”
‘Stay’ was an explosion of pain and loss and heartbreak and it’s truly a miracle that they came back together, chose one another and changed the ending because being apart hurt them tremendously. And that’s why Art on Ice ‘Stay’ is the best performance of the routine because they seemed to shut down letting the performance go as far as it could in the Sochi era because they weren’t ready to feel those emotions or they didn’t truly let themselves feel it until the separation had kicked in and they weren’t a consistent part of each other’s lives anymore. They were desperately trying to get closer but couldn’t make it happen yet. They missed each other so much.