Hormonal teens may eternally seem fast to their elders, but the slow burn is still alive. In the fifth episode of the HBO Max original series Generation, homosexual pining glimpses acceleration in the liminal space of the Southern California equivalent of the Snow Day. Our protagonists’ crushes intensify: Greta and Riley’s mutual desire deepens, and — unbeknownst to Sam — so does Chester’s romantic pursuit of his guidance counselor. So on the fifth episode of Generation: The Podcast, hosts Gigi Goode & Whembley Sewell talk about the anatomy of a queer teenage crush with show co-creator Zelda Barnz and Chase Sui Wonders, who stars as Riley. Plus: fashion as carapace, bleached blonde tendrils as flagging, and isolation as an incubator for creativity.