Abhiroop Das
Created by Jacob Tierney, HBO Max’s ‘Heated Rivalry’ chronicles the love story of two hockey prodigies, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who also happen to be professional rivals of the highest order. Over the course of six episodes, this sports romance television series follows their journey from being rookies for the Montreal Metros and the Boston Raiders, respectively, all the way to becoming team captains. However, underlining all of that is their bursts of romance and passion, which gave way to a sexual dynamic that grows and simmers for years. As such, the season finale, titled ‘The Cottage,’ culminates their arcs in the most tightly knit way possible: far away from the ice rink and in a peaceful cottage, where their relationship blossoms into something truly special. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Heated Rivalry Finale Recap
‘Heated Rivalry’ season 1 episode 6, titled ‘The Cottage,’ begins with Scott Hunter winning the prestigious MLH awards for his performance on the ice. While his team has just won the major leagues, the talk of the town is his coming out in the previous episode. With his winning speech, Scott expresses how his partner, Kip, has changed his perspective on life, finally giving him the confidence he needed. This, in turn, has a positive effect on Shane and Ilya, who get ready to spend a cozy few days at the former’s cottage in the woods. Once there, things quickly get steamy for both of them, as they are finally able to let out months’ worth of pent-up feelings in one go. Shane’s neck is almost fully healed, which means that he is likely to play again and potentially resume the on-and-off cycle that has characterized the relationship thus far.
Over time, the bond between Shane and Ilya grows much stronger, and the duo begins discussing their deepest secrets. Ilya reveals that his mother took her own life when he was 12, possibly due to his father’s abusive nature. That incident left its mark on his psyche and is a large part of why he wants to break free of his family. At the same time, Shane admits that he wants Ilya fully to himself, even if it means figuring out a way to get him to permanently settle in Canada. With that, the duo finally confesses their love, leading to an outburst of all the emotions that have been welling up in their hearts for years at this point. The next morning, too, things seem almost too dreamy as they passionately make love and then laze around at the lake outside the cottage.
Things take a sharp turn when they come face to face with Shane’s father, who is at the cottage to pick up his keys. Embarrassed, his father leaves without a word, leaving Shane panicked about how his family might react to this news. Luckily, Ilya is there to bring his partner out of the frenzied state, and tells Shane that it’s time for him to be transparent with his parents. Still fearful of what the worst possible consequences might be, Shane gathers just enough courage to drive to his family home, with Ilya by his side. When Shane stands before his parents, David and Yuna, the air is as tense as it is curious, beckoning the moment of truth.
Heated Rivalry Ending: Do Shane and Ilya End Up Together? Will They Come Out?
‘Heated Rivalry’ season 1 ends with Shane and Ilya coming out as a couple to Shane’s parents, not long after confessing their love to each other. The final hurdle in their romantic journey, however, remains the decision to make their relationship public, and both choose to hold back on that, at least for now. In a way, Scott Hunter’s public announcement of his relationship with Kip in the previous episode serves as a springboard for Shane and Ilya’s development as a pair, as they finally gather the courage to spend some quality time by themselves. While David’s surprise arrival at the cottage does disrupt the flow of events, it also ends up becoming the push Shane needed all along. Still a nervous wreck, but with Ilya by his side, Shane makes his way home, where he tells his parents that he is gay and deeply in love with his professional rival.
Shane and Ilya’s decision to keep their sexualities a secret is rooted in a whole spectrum of social anxieties, some of which are highlighted through Scott’s speech at the start of the episode. In the world of ‘Heated Rivalry,’ hockey does not have many openly queer players, and both Shane and Ilya have firsthand experience with the relentless homophobia that is baked into their environment. While Scott manages to get past his fears and openly comes out as gay, there are more complications involved in Shane and Ilya’s case. Most importantly, the two have one of the most famous rivalries in hockey, and revealing a relationship that has been on-and-off for years can put their entire careers into jeopardy. We see a glimpse into this possibility when Yuna asks Shane whether he ever let Ilya win, and while it is easier to explain things to her, the public response is bound to be far more unpredictable.
Thus, the dilemma at the heart of Shane and Ilya’s love story is brought to the surface. Essentially, this becomes a choice between their careers and choosing a life together without the need to constantly hide. Neither can afford to lose any part of what they have, and that results in an impasse. In the midst of this, however, Shane devises a roundabout plan by which he can at least be close to Ilya at all times. The idea is to build a shared charity or foundation, which they can present as an explanation for their strong connection to the public sphere. While the plan has a decent chance at success, it doesn’t really resolve the larger complications surrounding the relationship. Ironically, the show’s unique premise about two rivals in love itself becomes the biggest wall between them and a truly happy ending.
Will Ilya Quit the Boston Raiders? Will he Play For Ottawa?
Shane’s joint charity plan with Ilya has one glaring problem: their ongoing professional rivalry. It is generally uncommon for archrivals to collaborate on anything, which means that Shane and Ilya joining hands is bound to raise some eyebrows. Even further, it might even lead to team animosity, as their working together outside the ice can be misinterpreted as a dilution of the Montreal Meteors and Boston Raiders’ competitive spirits. In the face of this, Shane comes out with yet another strategy, where Ilya can play for Ottawa instead of Boston, thus securing himself as Montreal’s neighbor. However, for Ilya, this also means bidding goodbye to the Boston Raiders, and in the final moments of the season, we see that he still isn’t fully sure of the decision.
While a defining element of Shane and Ilya’s romantic struggle is their inability to choose between sports and each other, the finale puts Ilya in a difficult position, as he may have to leave the Boston Raiders behind. Just like Shane, Ilya has not switched teams since his rookie year, to the point that his identity as a sportsperson is now intimately connected to the team he represents. Thus, Ilya’s hesitation starts to make sense. However, in the end, there is a very strong chance that he will go through with the plan, breaking away from the team’s rivalry and re-establishing himself as a player. Ilya has made the depth of his feelings for Shane very clear, and while this is not the ideal course of action by any means, he is unlikely to let it get in the way of the relationship.
Notably, were the scenarios to be flipped, it is very likely that Shane would have made the same choice as Ilya to switch teams. As such, with this particular exchange, he is merely on the luckier side. Ilya’s potential quitting of the Boston Raiders has yet another major implication, as it means that he will now be working towards a Canadian citizenship instead of an American one. This also raises questions about Ilya’s plans with Shane for the far future, as neither intends to make their relationship or sexual orientation public any time soon. In the case that things remain a secret from the public eye, Shane and Ilya seemingly plan to wait till retirement, but that seems less like a plan and more like the absence of one. Still, the idea of Ilya living in Ottawa opens the door to many developments in his love story with Shane, this time without any game season breaks punctuating their relationship.
Do Shane’s Parents Welcome His Relationship With Ilya?
While the larger trajectory of Shane and Ilya’s dynamic remains largely ambiguous, things are looking up on the family front. The first season of ‘Heated Rivalry’ ends with Shane’s parents celebrating his relationship with Ilya, contrary to his fears about facing familial resistance. While they are initially taken aback by the fact that their son has been hooking up with Ilya for years at this point, their overall response to his sexual orientation is one of support and empathy. During the conversation, David and Yuna reveal that they always considered it a possibility that their son was gay, and are, in fact, proud of Shane’s resilience in the face of societal challenges. In the same vein, Yuna is saddened that her son felt the need to keep his sexuality a secret in the first place.
Making amends for the past, both David and Yuna create a positive environment where both Shane and Ilya can open up about their feelings, romantic or otherwise. As the family gets to know Ilya better, their preconceived notions about him start to fade. For them, he becomes more than Shane’s sports rival and a man known for his flamboyant lifestyle as their conversations reveal a whole other side to him. What brings all of this together is the duo’s palpable chemistry, which has been self-evident this entire season. Deeply in love, they are determined to get through every big decision in life together, and thus, visiting Shane’s family together ends up being their greatest strength. Shane’s family comes to have a renewed appreciation for Ilya by the time he leaves the house.
In many ways, Shane and Ilya’s relationship has the power to take the entire world by storm, purely due to the absurdity of them being both partners and rivals at once. Yuna understands the marketing potential of this dynamic and is already making plans about the big reveal when Shane stops her mid-process. The subsequent media buzz is one of the many things he wants to avoid, not encourage, in his relationship with Ilya, and that means keeping things under wraps, at least for now. While Yuna is bummed out by this decision, she also understands and respects Shane’s agency in this matter. At the end, what matters to her the most is her son’s happiness, and while Shane and Ilya’s love story isn’t hitting the news anytime soon, the duo is all set to start a new, and possibly the happiest chapter in their lives thus far.
Read More: Is Heated Rivalry a True Story? Are Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov Based on Real Hockey Players?
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