Favorite Programs: Jason Brown - Love Is a Bitch (2018 - 2019)
I meant to link the program that Jason skated at IdF, but as with many videos, it seems that one was taken down. So this one from a few weeks later at Golden Spin will have to be the one I use, and I guess they both get the same point across.
Anyway, this is one of those programs that grew on me. It’s different to the things he’s done before, so it was a bit hard to get used to. Jason’s difficulty performing the program earlier in the season contributed to how hard it was to connect to it as an audience member, and probably reflected his own troubles adjusting to the differences.
The thing that I love most about this program isn’t really the program itself, although I think it does showcase a lot of what I love about Jason, like his musicality and how well his skating flows. What I love the most is how he grew into it. Having changed coaches since last season, it was expected that Jason would have difficulties with the changes, which was the most clear during Skate Canada. But then, several weeks later at IdF, he gave an amazing performance.
That performance helped get him the silver medal ahead of Alexander Samarin, who was one of the favorites to make the Grand Prix Final. It was a great moment to see how happy Jason was upon finishing the performance, and the confidence carried over into the free skate.
Not that the linked video at Golden Spin is any less special. Jason continued to perform well there, too, and as a result won his first international competition since 2016. That must have been satisfying after the changes he made, and it was lovely to see him so happy.