REVIEW: Yuri!!! on Ice Episode 4 Is Where Vulnerability Becomes Strength

Welcome back to our Yuri!!! on Ice rewatch roundtable! Last time, we covered Episode 3, where Yuuri found his eros, Victor proved he was the right coach, and Yurio reminded us why he’s everyone’s prickly little favorite. Now, in Episode 4, “Like Yourself!”, the series delivers one of its most emotionally resonant episodes yet.

A quick note before we begin: 🍰 represents redbeancake, and 🪼 represents redbeanjelly.

🍰: “Only Aeroflot has kept me waiting for as long as you have.” HAHA. I kind of forgot how much Yuuri idolized Victor, but it’ll be nice to see how much he’s grown in his comfort levels with Victor.

Sigh, PCS. There used to be a time when skaters were rewarded fairly for their program component scores, but not anymore.

Episode 4 really turned up the notch on the “Victor has a huge massive gay crush on Yuuri.” That old man going “thank you, God” is us.

🪼: 100%! I’m glad it’s not a slow burn… since we only got one season. (sob)

🍰: Hm. What do you think of Celestino as a coach?

🪼: Obviously, I’m biased and think Victor is the greatest coach ever. But I like Celestino, especially after he begins training Phichit.

🍰: I feel like Celestino tried his best to be a good coach to Yuuri. Like he does give his skaters a chance to choose their own music and Yuuri did bring him a piece of music that he wanted to skate to. And he very accurately pinpointed Yuuri’s program which was his lack of confidence. But perhaps the problem is that he never really clicked with Yuuri. He was perhaps trying some methods he used with his other students and it just didn’t work for Yuuri. Which, in hindsight, makes sense why Victor was so determined (half flirtatiously and half because he needs to do his job as a coach) to get to know Yuuri.

🪼: I agree with your analysis. I don’t think Celestino is a bad coach, or that he didn’t try his best with Yuuri. It seems to me that he gives his students a fair amount of autonomy to do what they want, and because Yuuri isn’t particularly confident, he was never able to live up to his full potential. With Victor around, it’s a different situation because Yuuri idolizes him, and perhaps has a crush, tee-hee. So, the stakes are completely different and he knows he has to put his best foot forward regardless of how he feels about himself.

🍰: Very true! Very astute.

PHICHIT! Yuuri’s best buddy.

🪼: Phichit is great! I wish we saw more of him… PERHAPS IN THE MOVIE OR A SECOND SEASON.

🍰: Lilia is freaking intense. And Yurio has to be with her 24/7.

LOL, look at Victor trying to feel him out with “think about your girlfriend.” I don’t blame Yuuri for exploding on him like that.

🪼: I don’t even think our show is synced up anymore. LOL I just saw Yuuri poke Victor’s scalp.

🍰: LOL. PAUSE! This moment at the ocean with Victor and Yuuri is very poignant. It’s the first time that Yuuri has really, truly opened up to Victor.

🪼: Paused! I also think this might be one of the few times in his life that Yuuri has been truly vulnerable. He’s sensitive and quite a few people care about him, but he’s not very open as a person.

🍰: Yes! Kudos to the writers for the ending of their conversation. Victor says that he won’t let Yuuri off easy and that’s how he shows his love. Then Yuuri responds with, “When I open up, he meets me where I am.” Is that not basically how their relationship works? And is this not really what love is about? You fighting for your partner, pushing them to reach their potential, but also knowing when to slow down and meet them where they’re at. It’s so beautiful. I don’t think I appreciated how wonderful this scene is until this rewatch.

I am now at the scalp poke! They’ve really come a long way. Episode 1 Yuuri would’ve never done that.

Yuuri! How could you step on Makkachin?! You need to apologize with a lot of treats.

🪼: That’s true, you push me all the time. Against my will. But I always… USUALLY listen to you.

🍰: No you don’t. You liar. Get out of here. Stop editing.

🪼: How dare you interrupt me. LOL

🍰: I wanted the truth to be KNOWN. I needed to set the record straight.

🪼: OH LOOK, PARTY POPPERS!

🍰: I’m giving you a look.

🪼: The drawings are soooo cute!

And the Yuuri!!! banner! I love that they tied that in with the title of the series.

🍰: Victor’s forehead is obscenely shiny.

AH! THE CHILLS. THIS SCORE STILL GETS ME NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I LISTEN TO IT.

AH! Yurio taking off his hair band!! YURIO OUR PRIMA BALLERINA.

🪼: YAAAAS! THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE YURIO SCENES!

🍰: DOES IT KINDA HURT ME WHEN HE SAYS “I only have a small window before my body changes”? YES. And it ties in nicely but also heartbreakingly with what Yuuri said about how this might be his last competitive season and that competitive figure skaters can only stay competitive for so long before they’re forced to retire.

I might be getting teary with Yuuri pleading with God to give him as much of Victor’s time as possible even if it’s only for a little bit.

🪼: It’s such an accurate portrayal of what professional athletes go through in real life… but it’s not impossible to keep going for a while more. I mean, Scott Hamilton didn’t turn pro until he was in his 20s, and he didn’t officially retire until sometime in his 40s. I think that’s a pretty good run.

🍰: I suppose, but things are different now. You either retire young because you can’t keep up with the skaters who have a higher tech score, or you retire because you basically tried to kill yourself trying to keep up with the higher tech score. I’m not bitter.

🪼: This sounds like the premise of Cars 2. But you know, even when their professional career is over, they have a ton of options, like becoming sports commentators or coaches. I would pay good money to hear what some former athletes think of the fresh batch of up and coming pros.

🍰: They’re paid to be diplomatic LOL. I would too, but they can’t be too honest. Maybe once they’ve been at it for a few decades.

🪼: And that’s it for now folks! LOL See you next week for our unhinged rants on Episode 5!

Episode 4 is where Yuri!!! on Ice truly cements its emotional core. The ocean scene between Yuuri and Victor is a masterclass in vulnerability—Yuuri finally opens up, and Victor meets him exactly where he is. It’s a moment that defines their relationship and reminds us what love, at its best, looks like: pushing someone to grow while never losing sight of who they are.

The episode also gives us Yurio’s breathtaking performance, a heartbreaking reminder of the limited window competitive skaters face, and a quieter, more introspective Yuuri who’s finally learning to ask for what he wants. The show balances humor and heart with remarkable precision, and this episode is a prime example.

Next up: Episode 5. We’ll see what happens when the competition truly begins. Stay tuned for our next roundtable!