Heated Rivalry finale: The surprising moments you may have missed

Spoilers ahead for HBO Max’s first season finale Passionate rivalry:

It’s the end of the first season of Passionate rivalrythe out-of-nowhere Canadian romance that quickly rose to the top of HBO Max’s streaming series list. There’s no critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes for episode six yet, but the ultra-romantic and (for the most part) languid finale certainly won hearts on social media, with plenty of memorable moments between NHL lovebirds Shane and Ilya.

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After their comrade Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) comes out very publicly, Ilya decides that he will take up Shane’s offer to spend a few weeks at the latter’s isolated Canadian cabin (this cabin looks more like a mansion in the woods, but it’s nice to be a professional athlete). Once at their private resort, some initial awkwardness between the loving duo gives way to lovemaking, meal prep, barbecues, and plenty of heartfelt confessions, delivered perfectly by Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya).

Some of the most touching conversations include Ilya discussing his mother’s suicide – he found her body when he was 12 – and a wonderful moment where Shane expresses to Ilya that their relationship is no longer just about the thrill of the forbidden, or even just lust, but something much more. Then, Ilya, discussing his residency issues, admits that he might marry his best friend/occasional lover Svetlana in order to obtain a green card. This elicits a hurt response from Shane, who quietly begs his fiancée not to marry someone who isn’t him (Williams’ acting eye here is magnificent).

It’s Shane’s solution to Ilya’s problem – his desire to never return to Russia – that provides the impetus for what the entire season has been building to. Shane stayed up all night, working on a solution that could keep them close to each other. Shane proposed that Ilya abandon the Boston team that drafted him and join Ottawa, just two hours from Shane’s home in Montreal. Shane also wants to start a charity with Ilya, giving them a reason to work together off the ice; a prelude to their life together, which Shane admits is what he wants so much it scares him. Shane’s dedication to building a future for them together is catnip to Ilya, who begins to smother Shane with kisses, whispering words to him in Russian. These words: “I love you”.

A moment later, crying and shaking, Ilya finds the courage to say these words to Shane in English. Watching this tougher-than-nails Russian hockey beast quiver over his love for Shane is a TV moment for all ages. Shane, stunned, waits a moment to respond, which almost makes Ilya hesitate, until Shane responds in kind. “I love you so fucking much,” Shane said. The oceans parted and the skies wept.

A few hours later, Ilya watches the sunrise while Shane brings him coffee and a blanket; they soon kiss and sit in deep silence. This is a direct contrast to the previous episode, where the men watched the sun set over Tampa Bay, while barely scratching their pinkies.

There’s also a sunrise, toe touching, sex, cheeseburgers, and swimming before the episode’s biggest detour occurs – Shane’s father (Dylan Walsh) catches his son making out with Ilya when he stops by the cabin to pick up a phone charger. The men, now apparently a couple, go to Shane’s parents’ house for a coming-out discussion that is as painful (especially for Shane) as it is cathartic. The “chat” shows the guys reassuring each other by touching toes under the kitchen table, a callback to their affectionate press conference from earlier in the season. After a lovely moment between Shane and his mother (a charming Christina Chang), the boyfriends (not the “lovers!”) return to the cabin as the credits roll. Their intimacy, finally settling into something comfortable, is on display as they laugh, hold hands, admire each other, gently touch each other, and then in the final moment of the show, Shane playfully grabs Ilya’s cheek while making a crazy face himself. It was a rare display of levity for Shane.

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Some on X have speculated that the final plan of the series was more Williams and Storrie than Shane and Ilya. In an interview with EW, Williams and Passionate rivalry The series creator (the series is based on the books by author Rachel Reid) and writer Jacob Tierney explained that the exchange in the car was intentional and concerned the characters, not the actors.

“[Tierney] left this sweet exchange to show how Shane is able to break down his guarded facade. “I think Shane has a playfulness that’s stifled… In every scene in Season 1, there’s not a lot of room for super goofy acting,” Williams says. “There’s a tentativeness to Episode 6. Even though it’s quiet, you still wonder, ‘Can this work, when we’re left alone to our own devices?’

“It’s like a puppy learning to play,” adds Tierney.

One of the many things Passionate rivalry done well is to highlight thoughtful details like facial attire and feelings of love in Russian. Other notable examples include Shane’s blood pressure dropping when Ilya enters his hospital room, Shane’s era-appropriate boat shoes in the finale, and all of the precise Russian dialogue delivered brilliantly by Storrie.