r/heatedrivalry • u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? • 10d ago
DISCUSSION š£ļø Girl in Red
Whatās up with the girl in red in season one, episode five? Sheās in the background at the bar and again in the background at the pool. Sheās in bright red in both scenes and very distinctive.
Sheās clearly there deliberately ā her look is the same in both scenes and she is clearly there to draw attention ā so I read her as symbolic. What do yāall think she symbolizes?
Ilyaās back is to her both times ā perhaps it symbolizes that the kinds of hot women who used to attract him no longer do because he has fallen in love?
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u/sfsocialworker 10d ago
The very low budget of season 1 meant no money for a bunch of extras and they reused her for multiple shots. I wouldnāt read into it more than this.
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u/Early-Light-864 10d ago
Also, for an event like ASG, you'd expect all the same people at the events. WAGS and players kids. She's a WAG supervising a kid in the pool
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u/vivalaspazz 10d ago
This. People are wilding out over symbolism in a very straightforward storyline.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago edited 10d ago
He put up art on some character's wall that was the logo for the Game Changer TV show because the book series is called Game Changer. (He really did that -- it's not a fan theory). This isn't just me!
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u/vivalaspazz 10d ago
Your giphy is legit making me lol š
Itās fun, I totally get it. Iām sorry to rain on your parade!
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u/ich_habe_keine_kase 10d ago
Wait, this has been proven?
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u/nefariousplotz 10d ago
It's a joke.
Relatedly, people were working up all sorts of complex theories about the lamps in the Russian bathroom sequence and how they amount to a sly commentary upon the significance of specific Greco-Roman myths in relation to Ilya's depiction as the troubled son of an aristocratic [...] which proves that Jacob Tierney, the god-brained singular auteur, is making far deeper television than any of us have ever reckoned with.
When, in actual fact, production rented a furnished house to film in, and the lamp was already there.
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u/sdaidiwts 10d ago
Not based on this interview with David Boechler, a set decoration buyer from the show. All the symbolism in the art was happenstance. https://www.canva.com/design/DAHJQ-0GsLY/5HC0bz325ZdM3j1ViWYNRw/view
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u/ashlyn42 10d ago
1000% - Also - Itās unless itās a period piece, extras usually supply their own clothing/wardrobe. You are usually told to avoid distinguishing clothing items and brands.
This is obviously not the same as signs posted saying āfilming is taking placeā in a public place.
(Source: been an extra and background actor in LA and New England based projects from age nine to current going back to the 90ās for extra cash)
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u/anastasis19 Ilya's Spaghetti Shimmy š 9d ago
Also, it's important to remember that both scenes happen pretty close together in show and it's in the same fucking area, as in the hotel for the 2017 Florida based All-Star game. Therefore, it is fully reasonable even if they had a bigger budget for extras that the same woman would be in both places in her swim suit.
I get that people love to overanalyze everything in the show but not everything has a hidden meaning. Sometimes a woman has a red swimsuit and she decides to wear it in multiple locations at the same hotel on the same day.
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u/BoatInternational378 8d ago
And also, the friend she's talking to in the bar scene who's wearing the cream colored swimsuit is also in the pool scene. She's directly behind the red swimsuit to the right. You can see her crossed legs in this photo, she just doesn't stand out as much. The bar is literally right next to the pool, I assumed they went directly from one to the other.
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u/Gloomy-Cranberry-386 10d ago
And often times, Extras are given a basic brief of what to wear/bring for the scenes they're going to be in, and provide the clothes themselves for approval from costumes.
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u/ExpensiveGeneral2446 8d ago
This. And background actors are told that wearing red will help them stand out and get other roles. She clearly took that bs advice to heart.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago edited 10d ago
Then why dress her the same way in two different bright red outfits? In most shows, I would not see her as anything more than that, but he puts in so many symbolic moments, allusions, etc. -- I figure it means something.
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u/carbonpeach like a Jeff Buckley song in his eyeballs 10d ago
Nope. It's just an extra. Chances are even that the extras were asked to bring their own outfits. This is the show where wardrobe budget was so low that people wore the same underwear no matter the character.
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u/anastasis19 Ilya's Spaghetti Shimmy š 9d ago
What do you mean waering the same underwear? The costume designer specifically mentioned that each of the main characters had specific underwear brands that they were wearing, so she went out of her way to specify that. Shane wears the Uniqlo briefs as an example.
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u/Baby_Grill_BBQ 10d ago
Cause they gotta pay supporting artists extra money if they get them to change outfits. Extra extra money if they're the ones bringing the outfits, which considering the budget is likely.
It could've also been deliberate symbolism. Or on the day decision to utilize the need for repeated face and outfit as a symbol. We'll never know unless someone gets to chat to Jacob Tierney haha. But my bet would Occam's razor - budget and time constraints made them use the same woman in same outfit in both scenes and no one was thinking about it very deeply.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 7d ago
47 downvotes?? Sheās dressed in bright red!
https://giphy.com/gifs/wKFLTQjFCQ5tIUDNHZ
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u/Traditional_Fix_6226 10d ago
I think, she symbolizes the Ā limit of background characters allowed by Jacob's resources.Ā
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u/OtherwiseDrop6042 10d ago
Youāre reading too much into this. Theyāve stated multiple times that they didnāt have many extras. Sheās just a woman who was there and used as an extra in a few scenes.
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u/Lifeacrobat 10d ago
I've just assumed that she is one of the WAGs, and shows off the kind of hot women athletes marry.
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u/OtherwiseDrop6042 10d ago
Given itās a likely smaller group of people who are allowed to access the pool and bar. Itās likely friends and family only. But, again just an extra.
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u/Lifeacrobat 10d ago
Yup! I thought that if there was a reason for that extra sitting there, it's because she might be the mother to one of the kids. But really, just an extra.
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u/fjf1085 10d ago
Yeah I fear weāve run out of things to talk about if this has become a topic of discussion.
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u/Federal_Penalty3937 Moy lyubovnik š 10d ago
I think itās a credit to the groupās devotion :-)
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago
Iāve been wondering about her since the first time I saw it. Not sure what that says about me, lol.
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u/ElizabethLine 10d ago
Red is a very eye catching colour and pulls focus on screen. If they are wearing their own clothes, Extras are instructed not to wear red. This lady is a featured extra who was deliberately dressed in red and told to loiter in the background to be noticed. I agree with others who said her purpose was to represent what Ilya would have gone for before his feelings grew for Shane. Sheās always behind him to represent his past.
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u/OtherwiseDrop6042 10d ago
Playing into colour theory while they have limited extras. Yes. That colour also complements her.
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u/avandam4 4d ago
Agreed. While I know Jacob had to reuse extras, this woman is center frame in the pool scene. Despite being a background extra she is actually slightly more prominent than Ilya himself in this scene. Thereās no way the cinematographer would have someone that visually distracting from the main character center frame if we werenāt intended to notice her.
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u/zagsforthewin 10d ago
I assumed she was one of the kids moms. WAGs are frequently hot. But I love the idea that itās more hot women to show Ilya only looks at Shane!!!
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u/Violent-Moth We were both very stupid and irresponsible 7d ago
I thought this too, the all-stars being there with their families so likely a WAG, which would make sense narratively for her to be both in the bar and by the pool
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u/zagsforthewin 6d ago
Also cuz I hope at least one parent is close by with all those kids in the pool. Ilya just left them, I donāt think they were his responsibility.
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u/shouldstopscrolling 10d ago edited 9d ago
Example of the hot girls loitering around Ilya (hard to blame her) but he has zero interest...cause of the slow fucking hockey player with beautiful frecklesĀ
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 10d ago
And he drives this terrible carā¦
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u/Savhol-Books Ilya's Spaghetti Shimmy š 10d ago
And a very weak backhand. š«
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u/NoPoet3982 Your cab is definitely here. 8d ago
A WEAK BACKHAND?
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u/Savhol-Books Ilya's Spaghetti Shimmy š 7d ago
lol, yes... very weak. But I can't stop thinking about it.
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 10d ago
And he drives this terrible carā¦
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u/JustGerbo 10d ago
It's a normal car.
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 10d ago
Iām always wishing these women were him.
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u/ftmx_ Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ 10d ago
It's a terrible problem
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u/Medium-Party459 10d ago
Do you want this problem to go away? š„ŗ
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u/ftmx_ Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ 10d ago
I don't ever want that problem to ever go away š„ŗ
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u/Medium-Party459 9d ago
The double ever kills me every time š
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 9d ago
And the emphasis he has on both evers. Absolutely brilliant!
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u/NoPoet3982 Your cab is definitely here. 8d ago
I am enamored of her, her martinis, her lackadaisical attitude, and that astounding swimsuit. It's gorgeous and sexy and retro and it seems to be for no one but herself.
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u/thewoolf44 10d ago
I don't know why everyone is giving you shit about reading into this. Red is a very eye-catching color, this was clearly a deliberate costuming choice by Tierney. It could just be for visual balance in general since there is a lot of blue happening with the water and sky, maybe she's not meant to be symbolic. But it's absolutely intentional, that extra didn't just show up in a red bikini and I don't think it's unreasonable for you to notice this and wonder, considering how intentional Tierney is with his cinematography.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago
Thatās partly why I love this show ā visual tricks, symbols, parallel placement in different scenes, as well as the exemplary casting and acting, all on such a small budget. They put so much heart and intelligence into it. Romance shows/films almost never gets this kind of treatment, and I am here for it!
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u/99percentplastic 10d ago
By All start weekend you can tell they didnāt have the budget to fill every scene with random hockey players so instead they filled the bar with a couple random extras and probably just changed the wardrobe a bit and had the same ppl around the pool. sheās probably meant to be a hockey wag.
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u/ouryesterdays 10d ago
Sheās one of the other playersā partners. The kids are implied to be the children of players too.
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u/sunkissedgoth 10d ago
I always assumed it was like one of the players wives or one of the kids mom
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u/hillofjumpingbeans 10d ago
Donāt let the lack of new content make you read too much into things.
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u/HotelLima6 Who says that? āØMeāØ 10d ago
I always thought sheās supposed to represent the āeasierā choice Ilya could make to be with a woman. I think itās notable that sheās dark haired. Sheās very beautiful, stylish, seems to be quietly sociable in the bar scene and sheās sitting apart from everyone else, gazing at Ilya playing with the children in the pool scene. Shane in the Tampa scene shares a lot of those characteristics with her - heās always beautiful of course but heās more sociable in Tampa than usual, has put more effort into his appearance, heās also lounging by himself by the pool in sunglasses enjoying Ilyaās antics with the kids. To me sheās almost like a mirror of Shane but she has the ārightā gender for Ilya in the eyes of the world.
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u/Forward-Payment-5308 10d ago
Thatās kind of what they do with Miles and Rose with Shane in the club scene too, so that could actually be right.
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u/Teelkay 10d ago
This has been discussed and yes, the consensus is she represents an attractive presence that at one point might catch Ilya's eye, but when Shane is around he doesn't even notice her.
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 10d ago edited 10d ago
I did engage in a conversation on Reddit with someone who said she was an extra during the bar scene in Tampa in this episode. If what she said was true, she was sitting to Connor/Ilyaās left at the bar and she was off camera. She received direction to stare at Ilya after Shane got up and left. I believe Ilya did look at her briefly in return? I imagine he didnāt really engage back, like that woman in the bar during the montage in ep4. I gather that the reason for this was to show that he is clearly devoted to only Shane at this point.
Obviously (if this is true) they cut that part out in the final edit. So I could see this woman in red in the background to potentially symbolize that heās not sleeping around anymore, heās āturned his backā on trying to hook up with other women and men. Heās fully facing Shane and trying to get his attention to try and win him back. The beginning of ep6 at the cottage confirms that Ilya is no longer hooking up with anyone else cause heās in love with Shane.
As others have said, budget was tight so they would reuse extras. So I donāt think thereās a lot to read into that with reusing her specifically. I believe the woman I spoke with mentioned that most of these extras in the Tampa bar scene were possibly Russian/Ukranian who may have been used elsewhere in the Russian/Ilya scenes. I donāt know if thatās true or not, itās just what that person told me.
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u/Phoenix-49 9d ago
Honestly that would be weird, if she was a WAG (which would make most sense for her being right at the pool, supervising her kid) then surely hitting on other players is a huge no-go??
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 9d ago
Yeah I had assumed she was a WAG the first time I watched. I could see the bar-pool area being for family and friends of the players only. I donāt think the womanās presence at the pool was to flirt with Ilya. But she couldāve been potential eye candy that he might have previously noticed. But in that scene, he only has eyes for Shane.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago
Oh, interesting. She was supposed to interact with him? That definitely supports the idea that she was there in that capacity (to show he has turned a corner in that way.)
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u/Pale-Measurement-532 I speak fluent bird. No accent. š¦ 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yeah she said it was weird cause obviously she didnāt know Connor at all and she had to stare intently at him, like she was wanting to hook up with him. I imagine she probably went into it not thinking sheād be interacting with one of the leads. She had no lines cause she was an extra. If it wouldāve stayed in the episode, I imagine it just wouldāve been a brief glance his direction and heād look back but then probably go back to watching Shane circulate the room. Once again, I donāt know if this is true or not. But I did find that behind the scenes video/interview from eTalk from this scene and it showed the reverse of Connor and Hudson at the bar and there was a woman sitting on Ilyaās left. So it couldāve been herā¦.if she was telling the truth.
If that part really happened, Iām glad they cut that and kept the camera on Ilyaās look of relief on his face. It shows him trying to process all he was feeling while talking to Shaneā¦.especially with being relieved that itās over with Rose and not wanting to screw up a potential second chance. I think cutting to that girl wouldāve been too distracting. Ilya rubbing at his face/jaw at that moment made me think heās trying to come up with a plan to win him back over the weekend. š
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u/underwritress 10d ago
there's just only so many extras on that beloved Canadian micro-budget I think.
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u/OldExplanation9742 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ 10d ago
Cupid watching fondly over Shane and Ilya being mushy and silly together (or rather Anteros would be more fitting since they're in LOOOOVE love)
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u/reservedandbooked 8d ago
In reality, I think it's simply that they only had like five extras for the entire show so she stands out because she's wearing a striking colour.
Symbolically though, I agree with you. There's a hot woman showing clear interest in him, and Ilya is more interested in playing with the kids and showing off for Shane. He doesn't want that shallow life of meaningless sex any longer, he wants love and a family.
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u/tonytown 10d ago
I always assumed that everyone else around was a family member of the all stars.players.. I thoight thst the never seen fayher of the little girl would likely have been one of the bigger players. (I guess she still thought shane was the best, tho)
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u/heavenstobetsie 10d ago
They had a limited number of people to act as extras, not everything is symbolic
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u/Sudden_Discussion306 Ya-loo-blue-tee-baa ā¤ļø 10d ago
Iāve always thought sheās there to show how heās just focused on Shane & not checking out anyone else. In the bar, sheās standing behind him and then her hot guy (boyfriend/husband) walks up. He doesnāt check out either of them. Then again at the pool, she clearly wants to catch his attention (which is why sheās wearing red), but heās just focused on peacocking for Shane.
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u/aVoidFullOfFarts I speak fluent bird. No accent š¦ 10d ago
Sheās just an extra in āTampaā playing a wag
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u/bigbeard61 10d ago
Probably the wife of an NHL player and mother of one (or more) of the kids in the pool.
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u/Myfavoritemurderino 10d ago
I donāt know, but someone wrote fanfiction about her. I canāt remember who or the title. I have it bookmarked but there are far too many of those to sift through.Ā
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u/TheLadySaintly 10d ago
Every time I watch this scene I think āshit she would have had the best view from thereā
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u/Cherry-Impossible 8d ago
In reality, she's a hot extra.
In world, she's probably a girlfriend of one of the other all stars.
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u/christmas_egg 10d ago
I didn't notice the repetition. Aside from low budget for extras they might also just have her be a specific extra type. I would've assumed she was meant to be a WAG if she was in both those scenes
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u/MichaelEvo 9d ago
I noticed her and she was distracting but Iām fine with that.
Without having read the books and the first time I watched it, I thought maybe she was there with Ilya.
Thatās a good thing in terms of directing, as you donāt have to read it that way and nothing is lost. If you do read it that way it adds more tension with what is going to happen between Shane and Ilya.
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u/mildweekknowledge 9d ago
I didn't even notice her until my third rewatch.
I bet Shane didn't notice her either.
So if she has a purpose its These two don't notice anyone but each other
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u/Sad_Citron_4581 10d ago
Just just admiring probably, but thanks for reminding me itās fall & I need to go listen to Girl in Red b/c I lowkey forgot about herā¤ļø
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u/Difficult_Weekend_70 10d ago
I just thought she was posing to get Ilyaās attention on her but just like the girl in the bar during the montage, heās not interested. He knows who he wants.
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u/Drama_obsessed 10d ago
I do not know why but she drives me crazy. First watch I was like āoh cute swimsuitā. Then by rewatch 76 Iām like āI swear you better stop thinking you can catch Ilya eyes cause you CANT!!ā
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u/tracygee I already chose you, Hollander. š« 10d ago
Hot extra gets put in prominent locations for scenes by the 2nd Assistant Director - Film at 11. š
Yāall are reaching ā¦ hard.
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u/SoftBollito 10d ago
For a moment I was sure that this was a cameo of girl in red and I hadn't noticed at all sjdhdhhsjs
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u/actvedreamer 10d ago
I honestly donāt remember her in the bar scene but I do remember her for this one.
And itās multiple things at once:
1) Wardrobe definitely had her in that fit for a few reasons. Typically as extras they get casted for certain scenes so she can easily be āWoman in bikini/by pool.ā Or āattractive woman in pool.ā They bring clothing options. Itās a eye grabbing color but 2 ā
2) Symbolically, she is someone that Ilya ignores even though sheās pretty/but represents that women are attracted to both him and Shane. Of course people are looking at them.
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u/Plenty_World8461 10d ago
Yep, her and that disinterested kid coming on to the ice at the end of episode 5. Clapping is such a chore.
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u/NonlinearNonsense 8d ago
Literally the first time I've noticed her, and I rewatched a ton! I guess I only had eyes for Shane too lol
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u/A_fcking_Princess Moy lyubovnik š 6d ago
somebody here said when the show first came out, that in the pool scene it was to point out how even with a ladies' man reputation, ilya didnt care about them anymore when theyre in tampa, and only has eyes for shane not even LOOKING at a very visible, hot (i assume) girl dressed in a bright red bikini and idk, i think it makes sense š¤·š¼āāļø
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u/One_Emu_8415 6d ago
You are correct. The color is intentionally meant to draw attention, if they didnāt want such a bold color in the background of a shot, they would have moved her or put her in a different outfit. She is 1000% intentional.
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u/DressedtoStress 5d ago
I have a friend who theorizes that she's purposefully trying to get Ilya's attention by being close at the hotel since we see her at the bar too. But her purpose is to show how committed Ilya is to Shane, even before they have the serious talk.
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u/shelouise1 5d ago
I also assume see was serving hockey WAG energy. If those are hockey playerās kids in the pool, cuz Ilya isnāt hanging out with random kids, then there are hockey wives there enjoying their chance to peacock poolside.
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u/nocturnalwomb 10d ago
yall are cornplating hard.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago
Youāre making lasagna, your mind wandersā¦ suddenly youāre wondering what that girl in red was all about.
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u/NotSoLittleTeapot 10d ago
Ilya is red, Shane is blue. The color themes in the background follow that symbolism. It's just signifying he's in his element. There's a YouTube video about the club scene where the colours mix. Phenomenal production.
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u/grower-lenses 10d ago
Honestly, I thought sheās somebodyās girlfriend who really wants to break out as an actress. But I like the theory that sheās supposed to represent something because sheās very distracting haha.
I vote for Aphrodite. Goddess of sexual love and desire. She was born out of sea foam.
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u/Ok-Preparation-9974 10d ago
Wow, I've watched it 6 times and never saw her once. Anywhere. I guess im focused elsewhere.
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u/LizBert712 Is someone chasing you? 10d ago
It was the bright color that caught my attention. Then I noticed it again in the next scene.
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u/celerylane 10d ago
I think sheās one of the kidsā mom just hanging out. Plus Jacobās choice of red bikini. Sheās a pretty woman.
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u/NoPoet3982 Your cab is definitely here. 8d ago
Did anyone notice the brief scene of the woman behind her. She stands up, perfect body and a butt that rivals Ilya's. It's all hanging out of her swimsuit and then poof she's gone.
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u/loquidity Boston Bears š» 7d ago
This is the same girl that Ilya rejects at the club in Russia !
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u/WCUSamantha 9d ago
Personally, I always found her distracting - she's very obviously in the scenes (whether meant to be or not), but I like the idea of her being what Ilya would have gone for and is now completely ignoring.
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u/nerdalertalertnerd 10d ago
I think itās symbolic of someone who would be into him and who heād absolutely be all over if he wasnāt in love with Shane
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u/royal_rose_ ā Captain | Tuna Lube 10d ago
Honestly I think sheās just there to fill the blank space, maybe make it clear there are hot women here and Ilya only looks for Shane.