I’ve Been Hyperfixating On The Ginger Ale In Heated Rivalry And What It Says About Shane And Ilya

Spoilers for Episode 4 of Heated Rivalry are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the show with an HBO Max subscription.

Everyone, I can’t stop thinking about the ginger ale. To contextualize that, in Episode 4 of Heated Rivalry, when Shane (Hudson Williams) went over to Ilya’s (Connor Storrie) house, the Russian hockey player gave the Canadian hockey player a ginger ale and made him a tuna melt, and it meant so much! While that might seem like a minor thing to hyperfixate on, I promise it’s not. So, let’s discuss just how significant Ilya giving Shane a ginger ale was.

For those who have read Rachel Reid’s novels that inspired this book-to-screen adaptation, the tuna melt and ginger ale scene is iconic and very important in Shane and Ilya’s relationship. It’s the moment where Ilya asks Shane to stay for the first time, and it marks a major turning point in their story, as it seems like these two might want to take evolve situationship into a relationship.

Up to this point in Heated Rivalry’s run on the 2025 TV schedule, Shane and Ilya’s relationship has been purely physical. In this queer smutty hockey romance, the two athletes fall into a years-long situationship where they secretly meet up to have sex. However, in Episode 4, it starts to go further when Ilya asks Shane to stay and proves how much he cares about him.

He does this through the ginger ale. In the episode, when Ilya offers to make Shane a tuna melt, he also offers him a cold ginger ale and passes absolutely no judgment about it. Now, you’d think that wouldn’t mean much. However, it’s a very big deal because Shane isn’t a big drinker, so he likes to sip on this beverage instead.

In the world these two guys live in, drinking and partying are very normal, and Shane’s aversion to both is judged by some. During Episode 4, that’s clearly shown too, because after Ilya gives Shane a ginger ale, there are two scenes where he asks for the beverage and gets weird looks.

One comes during a lunch Shane has with his parents. He asks for the ginger ale, and is told they don’t have it. Then, his mom said he could have a glass of wine. Later on, when he’s at a bar, he asks for the drink again, and the bartender responds in a confused tone with “I mean I do…” After that, Shane quickly changes his mind and orders a beer instead.

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All three of these scenes pretty much happen back to back to back, and what it shows us is the intense care and acceptance Ilya has for Shane. And I know what you might be thinking, "But it’s just ginger ale," and sure, that’s true. However, Shane cares so much about what he eats and drinks, and gets judged for it. So, to have someone simply accept him, provide for him, and not make a big deal out of it is a big deal.

As someone who chooses not to drink alcohol, if a partner did something like this for me, I’d feel so cared for. It’s such a simple yet thoughtful gesture that shows how much attention they are paying.

So, yeah, I’m hyperfixating on that ginger ale, and I hope we get to see more kind moments like it as Heated Rivalry, which has been renewed for Season 2 already, continues to air on HBO Max.