Of course he doesn’t want to leave the rink. Of course he doesn’t want it to be over. Yuuri never once actually wanted to retire. His anxiety constantly got in the way of what he desired from himself- telling him to let Victor go because Victor wanted to return to competitive skating anyway, telling him that he won’t be able to last much longer because his body won’t hold out, telling him that his only choice was to retire after this season because it would be better for everyone involved- when in reality the opposite was always true.
Although Yuuri has been skating for over a decade, it wasn’t until this season that he finally found enjoyment and fulfillment and inspiration in his own skating, and we can all see how much better he’s become for it, in both his technical skill and in the way he lives his life. Only just now has he found his own version of Life and Love- the confidence and beauty and love that Victor brought into Yuuri’s life. And he hasn’t even realized his full potential with this new inspiration. He has yet to win gold, but he’s more than capable of it. If he was able to tap into his current mindset on the day of the Grand Prix short program, he would have won the whole damn thing. All of us can see that this isn’t an end for Yuuri- it’s just the beginning.
And after months of telling himself that this was his last season, that he was going to have Victor step down as his coach and then retire from professional figure skating (yes, in that order- because skating was always about Victor for Yuuri) he reaches the end of his final skate- and it clicks. Of course he doesn’t want it to end when he’s only just begun. This is the sport that he loves, the sport that he dedicated his life to, the sport that brought Victor into his life and everything that entails. When faced with the end of everything precious to him, Yuuri finally realized how much it meant to him- realized that he wasn’t ready to give it all up.
First off: Victor is still staying on as Yuuri’s coach? He outright says as much in the episode.
There are so many posts about how Yuuri is going to be coached when Victor is competing, but Victor outright says he’s still coaching him.
It is going to be difficult for Victor to try to juggle both, yes. But it’s so Victor, and so Victor for Yuuri, that it’s not surprising. And as much as Yuuri will lean on Victor, I’m sure Victor will lean on Yuuri.
I also got the impression that this season isn’t as much about the results as Victor, as it is the love of the sport. Sure he’s competitive, but hell Yuuri’s got to get that five time world champion streak started as soon as possible or he’ll have to retire before he can complete it.
Okay so the real meat of this post. I’m going to talk a lot about Victor’s love for Yuuri and how it manifests in this episode, and also a little bit about Yurio’s love for Yuuri.
With Yakov and likely his other rinkmates who know his habits, Victor’s hug is actually not an affection thing or a reassurance but an SOS call.
Guess what he did in episode 12.
“Help me, Yuri. I can’t do this. Yuuri’s retiring and I can’t stop him. I cried and I can’t stop him. Please skate your best. Please stop him from retiring. It’s still not too late right now, he still hasn’t completely decided. I can’t think of anyone who can save both of us but you.”
…………..and literally any salt I had remaining for Yurio getting the gold just vanished in the blink of an eye. GOOD JOB WITH THAT SKATE, SON.
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.
When I first watched the episode, I never quite understood what prompted Victor to hug Yuri after announcing his return to skating.
It felt like it had come out of no where, but when I rewatched the scene, I began to form a theory.
We know that Victor is unhappy about Yuuri retiring, but they had agreed to form their own separate decisions after the GPF. Victor decided to return to skating professionally but when he told Yuuri, he didn’t look excited or particularly happy at the prospect.
Maybe he was hoping that being a part of the competition would entice Yuuri to not retire, but that plan didn’t seem to work so he decided to go on his next plan. Yuuri wanted to retire after winning gold, so who is Yuuri’s biggest competition?
Time to light a fire in Yuri.
Victor didn’t have to announce his return to Yakov right before Yuri’s FS. He could have waited after, especially since they need to be ready to head into the rink, but Victor intercepted them specifically so that Yuri would hear the news too.
Yakov is of course surprised but Yuri’s reaction?
He honestly doesn’t give a fuck about Victor returning. Yuuri is the one he’s interested in, the one he’s been interested in the entire series (which delves a little into a slightly different meta so I’ll leave that alone) so when he hears the news, he’s floored.
I feel like Victor’s reaction to Yuri’s expression is really telling in this situation. Notice how the lighting suddenly darkened just for this shot of his face and how his hair is covering his eyes, something that many people have pointed to indicate when Victor is guarded or hiding something.
That’s the look of a man who laid a trap and Yuri fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
Otabek’s monologue is great (which is kind of amazing since he was only introduced two episodes ago?? ) and it goes hand in hand with this scene. Victor wants Yuuri to keep skating, to keep going. Yuri competing his heart out and keeping Yuuri from winning first place is the VIctor’s last hope of keeping Yuuri on the ice.
That is to say, I don’t think Victor really wanted Yuuri to lose, but there might have been a part of him that hoped that if Yuuri didn’t win gold, maybe he wouldn’t retire.
tl:dr Victor hugging Yuri is him placing his trust on his successor to win and keep Yuuri from gold and retirement.
Nothing but My Aching Soul 