Many of us were expecting Yuuri to win the gold and for Victuuri to retire into domestic bliss after having found each other. But perhaps we – like Yuuri – missed the fact that Yuuri’s ownskating has value beyond being for Viktor or embodying his feelings for Viktor.
Yuuri still doesn’t know that Viktor was empty and unfulfilled in his lonely God-like position (and may likely be done with figure skating in general?). Yuuri still believes that him continuing to skate is holding Viktor back. While he still believes this, Yuuri retiring to put Viktor back on the ice amounts to Yuuri again not seeing his own value as a skater, the value of continuing to push himself and his value to Viktor.
No wonder Viktor’s pissed off.
I still believe Viktor did not truly intend to return to competitive skating. Nothing about his face feels like he’ssuper keen to return. But Viktor has always met Yuuri in his own ‘language’ in order to keep Yuuri close to him. Yuuri will be a delicious katsudon to channel his Eros? Viktor loves katsudon. Yuuri wants to call these ‘good luck charms’ instead of wedding rings? Viktor will call it a good luck charm.
And now that Yuuri has equated attaining gold to leaving Viktor and leaving skating? Viktor will fightto keep Yuuri from the gold, so that Yuuri will keep skating. Skating has always been their love language so this is Viktor desperately saying stay close to me through his actions.
Looking back, it’s pretty masterfully executed. Viktor fires Yuuri up before the free skate by emphasising all he has sacrificed for Yuuri to win gold. This seemed really out of character at first – Viktor’s love isn’t conditional on Yuuri winning gold and we know this. But Yuuri has ‘already made up his mind’. Viktor reassuring Yuuri of his love (eg. ‘I will love you no matter if you win or lose’) would reaffirm the romance issue but it would not keep Yuuri on the ice. So Viktor says he wants to kiss the gold medal. Yuuri has to win. To Yuuri, this seems like it’s acceptance of Yuuri’s decision. Skate a perfect program, give Viktor his final present (a gold medal) and retire.
But Viktor has other plans. After the skate, he essentially says to Yuuri, ‘you skated a great program but you still need to beat me.’ Will that motivate Yuuri to continue skating? Maybe – it certainly excites Yuuri. But Viktor has to be sure. Yuuri can’t win the gold. So now it’s up to Yurio. It’s no coincidence Viktor chose this moment to insist on breaking the news to Yakov – when he knew Yurio was listening.
I…don’t think it’s skating, for Viktor.
Note Yurio being the one to see through Viktor’s comeback talk and zero in on the main point, which is Viktor’s desperation to prevent Yuuri from retiring from skating. Let’s not discount the fact Viktor put aside all that happened at the beach and make himself both vulnerable and humble by hugging Yurio – this is a crisis and Yurio understands this and skates the skate of his life, all while thinking he will make Yuuri regret retiring for the rest if his life by winning. Viktor’s not the only one who sees value in Yuuri’s skating as its own existence – Yurio’s noticed it from the beginning. And Yurio wins, and it’s working – Yuuri is fired up.
Now it’s time for Viktor to sink in the final hook. He’s failed as a coach, clearly. He doesn’t get to kiss Yuuri’s gold medal. How sad. What a regret.
There’s the Yuuri he loves, this (and not making his own comeback) is what gives Viktor his ridiculous Minami!moe eyes. A Yuuri who wants to continue to fight. A Yuuri who will stay with him.
So these two idiots confusedly stumbled into what they both wanted – to stay together – without having a proper conversation about how…that doesn’t necessarily need to involve skating. But right now, it does need skating.
Stammi Vicino therefore achieves the dual purpose of both reassuring us their romantic relationship survives but also that one of them being on the ice should not be at the expense of the other. If this becomes a thing in Season 2, Yuuri needs to understand that if Viktor chooses to leave skating, it’s Viktor’s own decision, and not a sacrifice Viktor is making to keep Yuuri on the ice.
This is a conflict the writers have left unresolved – and it’s something I think they need to resolve to move forward. Hopefully a second season will give them the time and nuance to do this in depth.
Nothing but My Aching Soul 