Declan is back for Part 2 of our Common Goal discussion, and is joined by Brittany from the Long Game Book Club to finish unpacking Rachel Reid's fourth Game Changers novel.

This time, we're asking some bigger questions, like does the age gap between Eric and Kyle really matter? Why is Eric so emotionally self-aware but so terrible at communicating? And did Common Goal miss an opportunity to explore the realities of retiring from professional hockey and coming out later in life?

Brittany makes a surprisingly convincing case for changing the reading order of the entire series. Should Common Goal actually come before Tough Guy?

Things get a little competitive as we put our favourite Game Changers couples head-to-head. From chemistry and emotional intelligence to grand romantic gestures and long-term compatibility, we're ranking Shane and Ilya, Scott and Kip, Ryan and Fabian, and, of course, Eric and Kyle. Some couples come out looking considerably better than others.

Join the conversation in our Long Game Book Club on Fable, and check out our Patreon for early access, exclusive newsletters and more.

As a note, we will be moving our scheduled weekly drops to every 2 weeks. This is to give us more time to balance editing and recording with life stuff so that we can keep the quality high. Thanks for your understanding.

Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC

Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod

Write to us: longgamepod2481@gmail.com

Find Declan:

Instagram: declan712

Tiktok: declanmccallion1

Find Silvan:

Instagram: Silvates

Tiktok: silvates1

Listen to the Podcast on:

Apple podcast:

Spotify

Amazon podcast:

Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/DjZ4LJQrWwY

Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697

Declan is joined by Kirsty from the Book Hashira as we move on to Common Goal, the fourth instalment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. This is one of the most divisive books.

In Part One, we dive into Eric and Kyle’s relationship and ask whether their romance really feels like a happily-ever-after, or whether “happy for now” might be a better fit.

We explore the book’s significant age gap, Eric’s anxieties about retirement and getting older, and whether the story misses an opportunity to dig deeper into what leaving professional hockey might mean for someone whose life has revolved around the sport.

We also unpack Kyle’s lingering feelings for Kip, his difficult past and the unresolved questions surrounding what happened to him at 18. We discuss if Common Goalgives Kyle enough space to work through his own story, and if we are we actually convinced that he wants Eric more than he ever wanted Kip?

There’s plenty of discussion about third-act breakups, miscommunication, the evolution of Rachel Reid’s writing across the series, why alot of poeple love Role Model and how Ilya continues his unofficial second career as the Game Changers resident lurker, matchmaker and dispenser of unsolicited relationship advice.

Find Kirsty:

Instagram: thebookhashira_

Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC

Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod

Write to us: longgamepod2481@gmail.com

Find Declan:

Instagram: declan712

Tiktok: declanmccallion1

Find Silvan:

Instagram: Silvates

Tiktok: silvates1

Listen to the Podcast on:

Apple podcast:

Spotify

Amazon podcast:

Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/VrffkZ_Eix0

Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697

hashta

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Common Goal and the Game Changer Series

02:19 Character Development and Themes in Common Goal

05:08 Comparative Analysis of the Game Changer Series

08:18 Standout Characters and Their Arcs

10:22 The Complexity of Eric's Character

13:06 The Third Act Breakup and Its Implications

14:36 Realism in Age Gap Romance

18:45 Power Dynamics in Age Gap Relationships

21:45 The Impact of Past Trauma on Characters

26:29 Unresolved Themes and Character Arcs

34:06 Character Development and Unresolved Threads

38:30 The Impact of Miscommunication in Relationships

42:37 Retirement and Its Emotional Toll

48:06 Unrequited Love as a Plot Device

54:33 Character Arcs and Redemption Themes

Silvan is joined by actor and musician Justin Stanek for a conversation about acting, music, Next Door and the reality of pursuing a creative career in Los Angeles.

Justin takes us back to where it all began, from community theatre and an unexpected first commercial to packing up his life and moving across the country to LA. He opens up about the less glamorous side of being a working actor: endless auditions, day jobs, rejection, last-minute bookings and learning to confidently say, “I’m an actor.”

Of course, we have to talked about River, his character from the Next Door. Justin shares the story of almost playing a completely different character in Next Door, his chemistry read with Nick, developing River with director Caroline Plyler, and why those lingering looks at Kit were absolutely intentional. We also get into the rapidly growing world of vertical filmmaking, what Justin thinks the format gets right, and wrong, and why he believes verticals aren't going anywhere.

We discuss Justin's love for music. We dive into musical theatre, songwriting, finding confidence in his own voice, his love of beautifully sad music, his dream of releasing original material and the musician he'd love to play in a biopic. Plus: Ben Platt, Rachel Zegler, The Last Five Years, Waitress, Phoebe Bridgers, a potentially lost Tori Kelly Vine and our campaign to get Caroline to make a boy-band movie.

This was such a fun conversation about taking chances, finding your people and figuring out what kind of artist, and person, you want to be.

The next episode of the Long Game podcast will be released on Sunday 27th September 2026.

Find Justin:

Instagram: justin_stanek

TikTok: _jutty_

Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC

Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod

Write to us: longgamepod2481@gmail.com

Find Declan:

Instagram: declan712

Tiktok: declanmccallion1

Find Silvan:

Instagram: Silvates

Tiktok: silvates1

Listen to the Podcast on:

Apple podcast:

Spotify podcast:

Amazon podcast:

Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/g0NBXcO3wdY

Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Justin Stanek

02:10 The Journey into Acting

05:03 Transitioning to LA Life

08:02 Family Support and Relationships

11:04 The Reality of Being an Actor

14:15 Auditioning and Resilience

17:04 Booking Roles and Project Selection

19:39 Behind the Scenes of Next Door

36:44 Exploring Vertical Filmmaking

40:28 Collaboration with Caroline and New Projects

44:23 Character Development in Next Door

53:11 The Impact of Vertical Filmmaking on the Industry

57:34 Navigating Social Media as an Actor

01:07:35 The Intersection of Music and Acting

01:10:46 Musical Theatre Memories

01:14:49 The Art of Songwriting

01:18:09 Musical Inspirations and Influences

01:24:33 Future Roles and Aspirations

01:30:23 Connecting with the Audience