Us Against You

The online comments begin to chant the familiar tune of “just let the guys play,” and don’t want to acknowledge what happens to Benji as relevant to the sport. However, the harassment continues when someone posts a picture online of Bobo exposing himself to Zackell on that first day. It isn’t long before threats are being made against Zackell and the team. Despite the real warning of the threat, the players (except Benji) all gather for practice and are impressed that Zackell doesn’t bring up the photo of her circulating online, distributed by one of her own players. Sune and Peter debate what to do as they watch practice. Beartown Ice Hockey club can take a stand with Benji publicly and send a clear message of inclusion, or they can respect Benji’s privacy and not make his hockey career about his sexuality. Meanwhile, Benji secretly sneaks a gun away from Adri’s house and says goodbye to the dogs.

Benji goes out to the forest to end his life, but he is startled by an enormous bear. Instead of turning the gun on himself as planned, he turns it on the bear, and it disappears. Benji realizes that he doesn’t actually want to die. He turns back home and replaces the gun and key to the gun safe as though nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Bobo and Amat are joking around in the locker room when Bobo’s little sister runs in. Their mother is unresponsive, and Bobo suddenly grows up.

Vidar Rinnius learns from an early age that he has to be ready to fight for himself and his tribe no matter what. He carries that instinct to his clinic, where he finds an outlet yet again in practicing hockey. However, the clinic is concerned about his early release. Even so, Vidar returns home and refuses to live in the state-given apartment. Teemu, proud and joyful to have Vidar home, tells him that Vidar is invited to try out for the Beartown Ice Hockey A-team. Vidar is surprised when the others tell him that Benji is no longer one of them, but he decides to stay focused on hockey instead of the scandals he’s missed.

Maya and Leo play computer games together, and when Leo accidentally hits her on the shoulder, her overreaction makes him see how physically traumatized Maya is. He brings her to Adri’s, where Jeanette holds her MMA class in the barn. Leo helps Adri with her dogs while Jeanette teaches Maya about body appreciation, discipline, and trust.

Ana is torn up about no longer having Maya in her life and guilty over what she’s done to Benji. She follows Maya around from a distance, so painful is their separation. Later, she and Vidar will notice one another on the bus to school.

The press conference in Beartown goes exactly as Richard Theo plans: Peter publicly states he’ll work against “hooliganism,” and Richard’s two political opponents are turned against one another.

Benji doesn’t attend practice, but one day he goes to the rink on his own to practice shooting pucks, “to see if it still feels the same. If it can be the way it used to be” (307). Zackell approaches him and asks if he’s going to be playing in the game. He tells her everyone hates him and her for being gay. She tells him she’s not gay and that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, as long as they play well. She tells Benji that from now on, he’ll have to work twice as hard to prove that he is a good player, just like she has to work harder to prove she’s a good coach.

Ana sits next to Vidar on the bus, and they chat about his Minecraft game, something a psychologist recommended to practice his impulse control. Vidar falls in love with Ana right away.