Francis Dominick, a Los Angeles-based content creator, watches Heated Rivalry episodes as they hit HBO Max. When he saw episode five, he knew he wanted to watch it again – this time in front of a big crowd.
“I thought, 'Listen, I need to try this on people,'” Dominic tells TODAY.com.
Dominic headed to a local gay sports bar where episodes of the romance novel adaptation had been airing since episode three, showcasing the snowball effect the series has had since its November 28 premiere.
In my videos from the evening the crowd applauds during the last scene as if they were attending a live sporting event. Other reactions flooding social media: just as euphoricand people say they watch it “like it's the Super Bowl.”
But why did episode five lead to such an outpouring of love? Here's what you need to know.
What is “heated rivalry”?
Based on Rachel Reed's Game Changers series of romance novels, two hockey stars fall in love in Heated Rivalry.
In a league with no openly gay players, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) feel trapped, especially as their feelings for each other grow.
Full of angst and NSFW scenes, the series was hailed by fans as the perfect adaptation of the romance novel and attracted new ones, hence the crowd at Francis's local bar.
What happens in Heated Rivalry Episode 5?
Episode 5 continues the dramatic rise and fall of Shane and Ilya. Notable moments include the end of Shane's relationship with Rose Landry, Shane being shot and taken off the ice on a stretcher as a distraught Ilya watches, and Ilya's confession of Shane's love (i.e., in Russian, the monologue that “Fans of “Heat Rivalry” who are native Russian speakers especially loving.)
But in the last few moments, after four episodes of anxiety, there comes a reprieve that the fans experienced with pleasure. joy – and documented for social media.
To explain this, we'll have to go back to episode three, in which we deviated from the story of Shane and Ilya and focused on another hockey player, New York star Scott Hunter (Francois Arnault).
Although he is older than Shane and Ilya, who are in their 20s, he struggles with the same problem. His meet-cute with an aspiring art historian named Kip (Robbie GK) leads to true love, but he feels unable to open up. Because Kip was tired of living in the shadow of a secret affair, they reached an impasse.
Then comes the finale of Episode 5, with Scott's New York Admirals winning the Stanley Cup. As his teammates hug friends and family on the ice, Scott walks to the edge of the rink and scans the crowd for someone.
Shane and Ilya watch what is happening on TV. This means that fictional characters And Heated Rivalry viewers are shocked by what Scott does next: He motions for Kip to come down to the ice. He then kisses him on live television.
Meanwhile, Shane and Ilya appear to have their own revelations about what this could mean for their relationship.
At the end of the episode, Ilya calls Shane and accepts his offer to spend two weeks alone at his house. For the first time in many years, they will have quality together.
The episode ends with Ilya telling Shane, “I'm going to the dacha.”
Why is Episode 5 so important?
While Heated Rivalry has been going from strength to strength since its premiere, episode five was particularly emotional.
Ronald Charles Chavis filmed his husband Refil Shtivi crying after watching the episode. in a video posted to TikTok. Talking to TODAY.comThe couple say the episode's “grand gesture” reminded them of their own story. Shtivi was encouraged to reach out to the wider world after meeting Chavis in 2023.
“That part of coming out to so many people was something I did myself. I felt like they had a big release. I felt very connected to it,” Stivi says.
“Gay, straight, people want to know they are loved,” adds Chavis. “There was beauty in this episode.”
Chavis calls the episode “cathartic” for viewers, especially after four episodes of preparation.
“It was such a release for them that everyone who watched the episode felt it. Because at one point we felt like we were all holding our breath and waiting, and when he did it, it was like a sign that everything was going to be okay,” Chavis says.
Dominic points to the widespread phenomenon of LGTBQ pop culture. love stories ending in tragedy. Instead, at the end of the fifth episode of Heated Rivalry, the gay love story is “loudly celebrated” as the stadium crowd applauds as well.
“What was so great about it was that we finally found great happiness,” Dominic says. “When I watched it alone, I cried because it’s like we’re constantly fighting for our happily ever after.”
For Dominic, the ending of episode five is a meta-ending, with consequences reverberating both on the show and in the real world.
“I think seeing Scott pick Kip and put him on the ice was such a triumph because sometimes that never happens in real life or in media portrayals of gay men in relationships,” he says.
“I hope people will be inspired to live the truth they’ve always wanted,” he said. “If this is what's happening in the media right now, I ask why can't it happen in real life?”
