'My Heart Was Jumping Out Of My Body': Fans Can't Stop Gushing About The End Of Heated Rivalry's Fifth Episode (And I'm Right There With Them)

Major, major, major spoilers for Heated Rivalry’s fifth episode are ahead! If you haven’t watched it yet, go stream it ASAP with an HBO Max subscription.

For those who have read Rachel Reid’s novel, Heated Rivalry, you likely knew that Episode 5 would be a very big deal in the book-to-screen adaptation that’s been airing on the 2025 TV schedule. Meanwhile, for those experiencing Shane and Ilya’s story for the first time, this episode likely shocked them. However, whether you went into this episode knowing what could happen or not, it’s worth freking out about. Fans proved that too, when they started posting about the incredible way Episode 5 ended.

In the episode titled “I’ll Believe in Anything,” we get to witness a major turn in Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya’s (Connor Storrie) relationship as they finally admit their feelings for each other. While they still feel like they cannot make their relationship public, this episode shows them accepting their love (Ilya even told Shane he loved him, but it was in Russian, so Shane didn’t understand it). Meanwhile, Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.) – who were the focus of Episode 3 – returned, and in a truly historic moment, Scott kissed Kip publicly after winning the show’s equivalent of the Stanley Cup.

The collision of all that led to one final moment between our main couple, where Ilya calls Shane to tell him he’ll meet him at the cottage, where they will be able to spend much-needed alone time together. So, in short, a lot happened, and because of Scott and Kip’s big and televised announcement, Ilya had the confidence to act on his feelings for Shane in a big way. Rightfully, fans are losing it over all this, and posting things like:

A common comment from fans is how this whole scene felt like a major moment of “cinema.” The way the show bounced back and forth between Scott and Kip’s kiss and Shane and Ilya watching it all on TV was magical. It clearly conveyed the gravity of everything going on, as it was both a historic instance in both relationships. It also aggressively moved the story forward for the next episode. To quote @harrietsdamian:

Literally, as I’m sitting here writing this, I’m getting misty-eyed thinking about this magical scene.

Really, this moment is so wonderful for so many reasons, and one of them is simply that it’s a magnificent and well-executed romantic scene. A lot of fans love how much care and consideration clearly go into the making of this series, because it shows how powerful this genre can be. For example, @hollanovvs posted the following reaction to Episode 5’s last scene:

Seriously, this scene had so many screaming and crying. It really was an intense and breathtaking moment, and @jerstonefilm pointed that out in a brilliant (and funny) way by comparing the end of Episode 5 to the end of Challengers:

The possibilities of what comes next are also propelling this major fan freakout. Up to this point, Shane and Ilya have only had brief moments together. A night here, an interaction there, and that’s it. What was proposed in this episode was a week or two of alone time at Shane’s private cottage. That is a very exciting idea, and it is very, very needed for these two boys who need to address their feelings for each other in a big way.

So, knowing that Ilya is going to the cottage is exhilarating. In fact, it’s so exciting that it’s worth celebrating like we just won a race, as @4hollanov posted:

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Gosh, I’m really not ready for what comes next, and I’ve read the book. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the cottage is a huge part of the original novel, and it changes Shane and Ilya’s relationship forever (whether that’s in a good or a bad way, you’ll have to wait to find out).

Now, overall, this scene really proved why Heated Rivalry is turning into one of the best LGBTQ+ shows on TV right now, and it’s getting me so excited for what’s next. Not only did we get to see Scott and Kip’s story come full circle as they made their relationship public, but we also got to see the beginnings of Shane and Ilya gaining the confidence and assurance to act on their own feelings.

So, with all that being said, get excited for what’s next, folks, because the Season 1 finale of Heated Rivalry will be released next Friday on HBO Max. And like Episode 5, I’m sure it’ll leave fans freaking out.