I feel like Yuri P. was mostly set up for whatever plans they have for the "next levels". I probably shouldn't read him and Victor as products of our universe's USSR too much, since apparently they are at least much less homophobic than the real version, but growing up in a family that comes from the same culture I can't help it. Just like Victor, Yuri P. is unable to express his emotions in a way that would make him vulnerable. With Victor it manifests as a mask to hide his anger and hurt. With Yuri, he can't seem to turn the anger response off. But while Victor escapes the confines of his culture to a place where it is acceptable to express feelings and be more vulnerable without loosing face, Yuri gets the opposite treatment in the form of Lilia's training. He has to double down on his defense mechanisms because he spends most of the show's timeline in an environment that expects him to repress his emotions (not that any talk of connecting to his Agape stops when Victor stops training him, at least from everyone but Yuri in his inner monologue. They call him a beautiful monster and tell him to break himself into a new mold as necessary for his routine, not to connect to what's already in his heart like victor did). Rather than being disappointed that he didn't grow like Victor and Yuuri I was surprised he managed to keep as much as he did from the time he spent with them. Hopefully now that he has Otabek, Yuuri and Victor to support him from within the skating world he'll get better.

Can I just mention that the amount of rot13 in the comments here is so much lower compared to previous episodes. This is a pivotal moment!

Yes Victor tends to be doing that sort of thing. He does the same when Yuuri chooses the target of his Eros to be Katsudon: Smoothly accepts the situation then promptly leaves to spend the night drinking (and consequently shows up late for practice the next morning).

Completely agree about the dub accents being ridiculous. My first watch was subbed but the second time I was watching with my SO who can't read fast enough to also watch properly. I suppose I wouldn't have been as thrown off by Chris's nasal lisp if I hadn't watched the Japanese version first. Victor's accent would not have passed with either of us since Russian is our first language and it. is. SO. Bad. It's made doubly ridiculous by the fact that everyone in Hasetsu speaks perfectly american English so Victor really stands out.

Me, watching for the first time: "Oh Victor, you don't understand a word do you? *sigh* and the miscommunication conga continues..."

Honestly, I always took the harsh remarks (as to weight and such) from Victor as the legacy of being raised by harsh, emotionally distant stereotypical Soviet trainers (as we've already experienced Yakov's tender affections towards his prized champion). I'm sure that in Victor's mind he's being very sweet and lenient compared to the abuse he'd had to go through from his coaches and trainers growing up. He's obviously learned not to take such criticism to heart after a cry or ten as a child and he would imagine Yuuri's been through a similar experience having arrived at a level of skating fit for the Grand Prix.

Gurer'f n serrmr senzr zbzrag (evtug nsgre Lhhev ershfrf gb yrg Ivpgbe fyrrc jvgu uvz) gung fubjf Ivpgbe nfyrrc, phqqyvat Znxxnpuva naq jvgu n grne va uvf rlr. Oebxr zl urneg jura V fcbggrq vg. Cbbe Ivpgbe unq fhpu uvtu ubcrf bs n pbaarpgvba... Zl vavgvny jngpu bs gur fubj jnf znvayl fcrag lryyvat ng gur fperra gb "hfr lbhe jbeqf nyernql!!", nygubhtu vs gurl qvq gurer jbhyqa'g or n fubj, boivbhfyl :C gur orfg guvat gung rc. gra qvq sbe zr jnf erzbivat gung vpxl frafr bs Ivpgbe orvat gbb chful naq vtabevat Lhhev'f boivbhf qvfpbzsbeg jvgu uvf syvegvat. Orvat npr V trg bire frafvgvir nobhg punenpgref orvat cerffherq vagb hajnagrq frkhny rapbhagref.

Based on the brief flashback scene Yuuko and Takeshi are at least a couple of years older than Yuuri (Although the triplets being around 6 they're still very young parents, just barely out of their teens).

Is it completely shallow of me to be absolutely certain that Snape wasn't the shallow villain he was made out to be since the first movie, because it was inconcievable that Allan Rickman would bother to play someone like that? I also adore snape as the best developed character in HP, and I think I would have liked him less if his backstory were to erase his bad traits and turn him into a saint. As it is, he's a selfish and immature young man (remember that he's barely into his thirties in the first book), who tags along with Voldemort for childish vengeance upon those who bullied and excluded him in school, never understanding the cost of it untill people he is close to are actually killed, almost by his own hand. During the books, Snape slowly grows some values and a consience, thereby becoming a better man than Dumbledore, and even caring about Harry's fate and well- being (not that he would ever have admitted all that before certain death, which shows his pride and unwillingness to allow anyone to pity him).

I think he just doesn't want to tell Harry that what he sees is his family, whole and alive, just like Harry. Anyway it's obvious to Harry that he "wasn't entirely truthful" (just quoted from my head from a book I haven't opened for at least a year. What's wrong with me?!