OK, I don’t know if I can make a case based on the show, but I’m taking all the Scott/Kip in episode 3 as a magical flash-forward within the otherwise linear progression of the timeline. It wouldn’t have worked to push all that into this episode somehow but him staying closeted for 3 years or whatever *and* finishing every season badly until now without the turnaround being that he met Kip is not to be borne
I’ll probably do a rewatching binge next week, will look for clues I can hand wave into support