Heated Rivalry Episode 4: All the wildest moments, including that post-tuna melt frottage

  CAUTION: Spoilers ahead for Heated Rivalry Episode 4, “Rose” 

Last week, Heated Rivalry took a detour to New York City for a different love story: That between hockey star Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and his smoothie barista boo Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.).

And while that episode offered all the heavy flirting, heart-wrenching emotion, and steamy bedroom scenes (and bare bums!) we’ve come to love from the series, we couldn’t help but miss our boys Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) & Shane Hollander (Hudson William) and their specific brand of hot-then-cold-then-really-hot-again romance.

This week, they’re back in a big way, with what might just be the series best episode yet, with Ilya and Shane getting more intimate than they ever have before (tuna melt, anyone?), only to immediately run in the other direction. Are they doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes, or are there signs here that these two can eventually make it work?

Well, they did just officially announce a Season 2 is coming in 2026 (thank god!) so they have some time to sort this all out!

Let’s get into it as we unpack the most notable moments from the latest Heated Rivalry…

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The Last Two Years

In classic Heated Rivalry fashion, Episode 4 plays it fast-and-loose with time, breezing through two full years of the guys’ lives with an opening montage. Thankfully, it’s a particularly stylish montage, one set to the tune of Feist’s fantastic track “My Moon, My Man.” Starting in summer 2014, we see them training & preparing for the season ahead—Ilya parties while Shane keeps busy filming for brand partnerships—checking their calendars to see when their teams go head-to-head, and, when they do, taking advantage of being in the same city to f*ck. Wash, rinse, repeat until fall of 2016. Is this really all they want this relationship to be?

Shane’s A Daddy?

Time finally slows down, just a bit, in October 2016. Shane’s now led his Montreal Metros to two consecutive Stanley Cup wins, but everyone in his life wants him to find something to care about other than hockey. (That includes his parents who, in a later scene, try to convince him to take an offer for box seats at Wimbledon next to a Swedish Princess—they’re trying to set him up on a date, right?)

When he accompanies his teammate Hayden (Callan Potter) to the aquarium with his kids, even he’s starting to wonder why Shane won’t loosen up and start dating. It all leads to a funny moment where Shane’s left holding one of Hayden’s kids when two young fans approach, wondering if he’s a daddy. Oh no, no—barking up the wrong tree!

By the way, Hayden is apparently completely aware of the fact that Shane’s been incessantly texting “Lily” over the past few years, completely unaware it’s actually Ilya—um, has he noticed the filthy things they’ve messaged each other then, too? Meanwhile, Ilya’s friend Svetlana (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova) knows about “Jane” and presses him to open up. He won’t of course, but their exchange tells us a lot about their life-long connection. She seems like the kinda gal a gay might want to come out to one day, no?

Heart (& Tuna)-Melting Moments

So then we come to the true centerpiece of the episode: Shane’s visit to Ilya’s place in Boston. Believe it or not, it’s really the first time these two have been alone together during the day when they’re not on the ice. Kind of nice seeing them in sunlight!

Naturally, they have sex right away, but it’s what happens after that’s maybe most romantic of all: Ilya asks him to stay the night. And though Shane’s ready with excuses, he can’t resist those sparkly blue eyes & pouty Russian lips. The two even snuggle in bed together (Shane’s the little spoon, obviously), before Ilya offers to make something for them to eat: Tuna Melts.

Now, if you’re clued into the Heated Rivalry fandom at all, the tuna melt is a big deal. Not because it’s a delicious & cheesy way to enjoy tuna, but because of the actual, genuine, couple-like conversations it prompts between these two. They talk about whether or not Shane’s funny, they’re favorite cities to visit during the season, and whether or not they like girls (“Of course,” says Shane. “I like girls but I also like you,” Ilya responds.) And after Ilya gets a call from his father—clearly experiencing symptoms of dementia—Shane’s genuinely concerned, even if he couldn’t understand more than a word. Ilya seems delighted regardless.

If you just saw these scenes, you’d almost think they were a real couple! Almost…

To Frot Or Not To Frot

Shane lays his head on Ilya’s big, broad hockey-player chest. Ilya strokes and sniffs his hair. Shane begins a little heavy-petting over the sweats. It’s all pretty damn hot, we’ve gotta say! And here’s how you know that there are actual queer man calling the shots behind-the-scenes of this show (shoutout Jacob Tierney): Nobody’s going to have any kind of penetrative sex right after tuna melts!

Instead, Shane straddles Ilya, pulling his sweats down just a bit to reveal a tasteful bit of crack—but they’re not off! The two begin partaking in the ancient art of frotting while kissing, quite passionately we might add. As it gets more and more heated, the guys even call each other by their names. Their first names, mind you! It’s honestly kind of strange to hear Ilya say “Shane” but that’s how you know there are some real, genuine feelings of love & affection bubbling up here!

But that’s exactly what freaks Shane out. Oh, poor baby Shane—he can’t handle it! So he tucks his hockey stick back in his sweats, and comes up with a lame excuse to leave. “I’m sorry, I can’t… I can’t, uh, do this.” Confused, dejected, heartbroken, all Ilya can offer back is, “Hollander,” as he’s left sitting on the couch, shirtless and alone and digesting that tuna melt.

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La Vie En Rose Landry

Back home in Montreal, Shane’s got a busy night planned of, we don’t know, watching more YouTube videos of odd animals friends, we guess? But his buddy convinces him to come out to the bar for once in his life because apparently the cast of some movie called “X Squad” will be there, including the actress Rose Landry—that’s Yellowjackets‘ Sophie Nélisse in the episode’s titular role!

He basically sits down at her table by chance, she offers to share her fries (which should’ve been poutine—it’s Canada, damnit!), and the two hit it off! They chat about where they’re from, Rose recalls her earliest role, and remembers the last time she was in town to film some “horrible” FBI movie that Shane apparently liked. Rose is cute, and it’s all very fun & flirty—enough that Shane might even think he’s catching feelings. Oh sweetie, you don’t have a crush, you’re just finally discovering one of the great joys in every gay’s life: Gabbing with the gals!

Yet, before the night’s over, they’re touching hands under the table. Oh, the paparazzi’s going to be all over this!

It Couple

Some time later, Ilya’s working out at the Boston Raiders gym when his two most gossip-loving teammates (including IRL trailblazing trans hockey star Harrison Browne) show him the newspaper reports that his boy Hollander and Rose are dating. So thrown by it, he pulls a hamstring dismounting his exercise bike. Take it slow, bud, you gotta stretch.

Then we get another masterful Heated Rivalry montage, one filled with pap shots and social media posts buzzing about the hot new celebrity couple: Shane Hollander & Rose Landry! That moment where she’s wearing his jersey in the VIP box at the game, waving to the masses? It’s purely Swift-ian. That’s right, these two are basically the Taylor and Travis of Canada!

All The Things They Said

And here we come to the episode’s climax—in more ways than one. Shane and Ilya’s teams are playing one another in Montreal, typically their excuse for a little post-game sex. Except Shane’s going out to the club to meet Rose and her friend Miles, who’s, um, pretty handsy with him? Kind of surprised someone so afraid of being gay would be cool with this, but nevertheless, it’s hot, we’ll allow it!

Anyway, Ilya demands to go out, too, to blow off some steam, unaware (we think?) he chose to hit up the very same club as Shane. That’s when the show cues up what just might be the most brilliant, galaxy-brained needle-drop in the history of television: t.A.T.u.’s “All The Things She Said.” That’s right, the surprise 2002 gay anthem from the duo of Russian lesbians who apparently aren’t actually lesbians? Whatever, it’s still a bop!

As t.A.T.u.’s version bleeds into a dance mix (we’re told that male voice belongs to U.K.-based electronic artist Harrison) we’re treated to reverse shots of the guys staring blankly at each other while they grind on their respective gal pals (and, in Shane’s case, Miles, too). This begins to intercut with scenes of Shane & Rose having sex at home, while Ilya’s left to jerk it solo in the shower.

And, in our final moments, as that beat is thumping, we jump-cut back & forth as the two both look straight down the barrel of the camera. It’s probably safe to assume that it ends right at the moment when they both climax, but one thing we know for sure? They were thinking about each other!

Okay, we’ll say it: Best episode yet! How are we supposed to wait ’til next week? Don’t forget to watch our brand-new interview with Connor Storrie & Shane Hollander in the meantime:

New episodes of Heated Rivalry premiere every Friday on HBO Max (and stream simultaneously on Crave in Canada).

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