#i haven't gotten to s8-11 yet so i'll be keeping this ask in mind when i get there

[hayscodings]

hi!! i know i probably sound insane at this point, but i love your posts so i have a few svetlana questions. if svet and yevgeny had stayed until the series finale what do you think would have happened with their characters? what would svetlana do when mickey gets out in season 10? would she and yevgeny attend the gallavich wedding? would svetlana stay in the thruple or get her own place or would something else happen? what would be a proper ending for her?? she’s such an interesting character and we were so robbed when she left with such a bad ending

Noooo I love your asks and asks in general, I am always more than happy to talk about Svetlana.

So before I get into these questions, I just want to preface this by saying that, even though I'm on my third rewatch, I still don't have a good "big picture" concept of each season, especially past S8. So I probably won't get into timeline specifics because my general recollection of the timeline is...not great. I've also never really thought about how Svetlana's storyline would have played out if she'd stayed on the show, so this will be entirely off the cuff.

Personally, I would have liked to see the throuple to work out. I think, because it was executed imperfectly, that there was a lot of potential to work out those kinks and improve on what needed improving. I think they should have delved into each of those dynamics more and showed us how they complemented one another. One of the things I missed in S7-8 was Kev and Svetlana's friendship. They bonded in S5 and worked alongside each other all of S6, but then as soon as they all became a throuple, the focus shifted to Svetlana and V (to the point where you almost forget that it was initially Svet and Kev who made a connection).

All three of their feelings, concerns, etc. should have been properly explored (one short therapy session scene wasn’t enough) and their issues should have been addressed and gradually worked out over the course of the season. I would have liked to see more meaningful conversations between them, not just short little disagreements that conveniently resolved themselves by the end of the episode without them getting to the actual root of the issue. Svetlana wasn't a good communicator, Kev would resort to immaturity any time he got angry, and V frequently put Svetlana on a pedestal while neglecting to consider Kev's feelings. They all had things they could work on.

As far as how it would all play out, I think it would have been good for Svetlana to be on her own for a bit. She could focus on herself and raising Yevgeny and maybe reflect on where she went wrong in her relationship with Kev and V. So let's say that by the end of S8 she's living in the apartment above the Alibi with Yev and her aunt. (She's not paying rent because Kev and V owe her that much after reporting her to ICE and generally treating her like shit.)

When S9 starts, she still owns 50% of the bar and is working alongside Kev and V. Maybe there's still some awkwardness from the whole breakup, but for the most part they're doing okay. I honest to god don't remember what Kev and V's plots are this season, but I think this is the one where Amy and Gemma start acting up and one of them says something about how they don't remember the girls behaving this way when Svetlana was around? I thought it was odd that they didn't consider that the twins missed their stepbrother and stepmom, so...Amy and Gemma start acting up, and they realize it's because the 'divorce' really affected them.

They talk to Svetlana about this (Yevgeny misses his sisters too) and decide to arrange playdates with the kids. I always felt that Svetlana just taking off to marry that old dude was too clean a break. I mean, they made no mention of a divorce, didn't have to deal with custody, didn’t bring up Svetlana’s 50% ownership of the bar, and never had the kids see each other again? That’s so lazy. So anyway, this gradually ends up bringing them all closer together again. They discuss putting the kids in the same preschool and it's all very full circle to S5.

Another thing I would have liked to see for Svetlana is her no longer having to depend on another person for a visa. The show never addressed her and V getting a divorce, so I have no idea when that happened, but let's say that they get one in S8. I am not an expert in immigration law by any means, but my guess is that Svetlana would be left in a similar position as she was in S6. So, she does some research, applies for a T Visa, and ends up being eligible for one. This is a huge relief for her because it's the first time that her status in the country is legitimately secured. By the end of the season she's saved up enough money to get her own place (the room above the Alibi isn't big enough for three people), so she rents a nice little apartment where Yev can have his own room. She also enrolls him in some sort of activity— maybe dance or gymnastics, whatever he shows interest in.

Come S10 she's thriving. Once again I have no idea what happens this season other than Gallavich wedding, so I apologize for not being able to incorporate more plot-relevant storylines. I'll come back to this ask once I’m further in my rewatch. Anyway, this is the season where shit really starts going her way for once— she's doing pretty good money-wise, she's officially back on good terms with Kev and V, and Yevgeny is thriving. She's got lots of ideas for bringing in business to the bar, and maybe a couple of side hustles for good measure. She's still in touch with most of the girls from the massage parlor and one of them ends up giving her the number of a therapist who specializes in helping survivors of human trafficking. She sits on it for a long time but finally brings herself to call when she gets news from her mother in Russia that her father passed away.

She finds out about Mickey getting out of prison from Ian. They end up reconnecting and talking somethings out and Svetlana tells Mickey that if he wants to have a relationship with Yev, whether in a parental capacity or otherwise, then the door is always open. He asks her about the whole throuple situation— teases her about how he would have loved to be a fly on the wall— and she assures him that that ship sailed and that she blew it. She gets invited to the Gallavich wedding and attends with Yevgeny. Mandy is also in attendance, and the two of them get to talking and wonder why they didn't bond sooner.

S11 is when she's finally a place where she's ready to try and make a relationship work again. She's grown and healed a lot since S8, and she's no longer dependent on anyone for security so that anxiety has ceased being a motivating factor for her actions. Kev and V have since apologized and made up for everything that they put her through, and Svetlana understands why they felt betrayed about the bar and apologizes for hurting them. The three of them start to rebuild their relationship throughout the season, determined not to make the same mistakes as last time. Eventually they decide to move in together and buy a place somewhere away from the Southside, though still not too far. It feels like a proper fresh start.

Ian and Mickey start to be a part of Yev's life and Svetlana considers them family. She also becomes very close with Mandy and encourages her to go back to school so that she can get a better job. She’s relieved when Mickey informs her that Terry died, but attends the funeral in solidarity. His mixed feelings remind her somewhat of her own when her father passed.

Post-series, Kev and V get to practice the little Russian that Svetlana has taught them when they finally meet her family (her mother and grandmother fly out to Chicago to see her and meet Yev for the first time). They’ve learned to embrace her culture. Yevgeny is fully fluent and the tries to teach Amy and Gemma. He’s also inherited his mom’s mathematical prowess. Svetlana is safe and happy and finally has what he always wanted for herself and her son— a loving family. Several years down the line she’s able to obtain citizenship.

#sorry if this sucks i literally just made it up </3 #i haven't gotten to s8-11 yet so i'll be keeping this ask in mind when i get there #ask #message #fandom ask #shameless ask #m4ndysk4nkovich #svetlana yevgenivna #yevgeny milkovich #veronica fisher #kevin ball #mandy milkovich #mickey milkovich #ian gallagher