The Crave original series Heated Rivalry has achieved a significant milestone in 2025’s television landscape, with its fifth episode, “I’ll Believe In Anything,” earning a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb. This score, based on over five thousand viewer ratings, makes it the highest-rated individual TV episode of the year on the platform and one of the highest-rated episodes of all time, surpassing acclaimed episodes from other major 2025 releases .
The penultimate episode of the show’s debut season, which follows the secret romantic relationship between rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), aired recently and has been widely praised by audiences. The news was confirmed by IMDb’s own news feed and entertainment outlets on December 20, 2025. Following this achievement, the series as a whole has risen to become the No. 5 most popular TV show on IMDb’s charts .
Episode Synopsis and Key Moments
Episode 5, “I’ll Believe In Anything,” delivered a climactic and emotional chapter in the series, weaving together several major character arcs. The episode featured Shane finally breaking up with his girlfriend after she realizes he is not interested in women, a pivotal step in his personal journey .
Concurrently, the narrative followed Ilya as he grappled with the death of his father. In a vulnerable moment following this loss, Ilya confessed his feelings for Shane—but did so in Russian, leaving Shane unaware of the declaration’s true meaning . The episode’s climax centered on a supporting character, Scott Hunter (played by François Arnaud), who publicly came out by kissing his boyfriend, Kip (Robbie G.K.), on the ice immediately after winning the Stanley Cup .
Actor Robbie G.K. discussed the impact of that public kiss in an interview, stating, “I knew it was going to be a very moving moment… When I first watched it, I was just giddy about it. I think this is the moment where all these storylines intersect” . This powerful moment directly influenced Ilya’s decision at the episode’s end to seek out Shane, setting the stage for the season finale .
Critical and Audience Reception
Beyond its IMDb rating, Heated Rivalry has received strong acclaim across review platforms. The first season holds a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 93% audience score, indicating broad approval from both professional reviewers and viewers .
The show’s success is part of a notable trend for its streaming home, Crave. The series, adapted from Rachel Reid’s 2019 novel, is directed by Jacob Tierney and began its first season on November 28, 2025 . The record-breaking performance of Episode 5 has generated significant social media buzz, with cast members including Hudson Williams and François Arnaud sharing their shocked reactions to the news on Instagram .
Context Within 2025 Television Landscape
The achievement places Heated Rivalry above other highly discussed shows from the year. Notably, Severance on Apple TV+, which released its second season in early 2025, has been a dominant force in viewership and cultural conversation. According to Nielsen data, Severance hit a new weekly high of 876 million minutes viewed around its Season 2 finale in March, breaking Apple TV+ records to become the platform’s most-watched series ever .
Luminate data further showed that Severance‘s second season saw a 218% increase in minutes watched compared to its first season’s initial run, a rare feat for a sophomore season . It consistently ranked at the top of various streaming charts throughout the year . Despite this overwhelming success in viewership, the specific metric of per-episode user ratings on IMDb has been claimed by Heated Rivalry‘s pivotal installment.
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Looking Ahead to the Season Finale
With Episode 5 setting a high bar, anticipation is now focused on the first season’s conclusion. The finale, titled “The Cottage,” is scheduled for release on December 26, 2025.
The official synopsis sets the scene: “Shane and Ilya get away from the spotlight for a rare moment of freedom. But when the outside world intrudes, they have to face some tough decisions that could change everything about their future and what it means to build a life together” . The show’s future beyond the first season is also secured, as the lead actors have already announced that a second season is in development .
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