The hit hockey romance series Heated Rivalry delivered its most emotionally brutal episode yet, and fans are still recovering. Episode 4, titled “Rose,” which dropped on December 12 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States, took the secret relationship between Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) to a breaking point. What started as years of casual hookups suddenly turned real, and both men reacted exactly the wrong way.
The episode has sparked massive conversation online, not just for its heartbreaking turning point, but for a single music choice that destroyed an entire generation of queer viewers. Here is everything that happened in Episode 4 and why it has everyone talking.
The Tuna Melt Scene That Changed Everything
For years, Shane and Ilya have maintained a strictly physical relationship. They meet up when their hockey schedules allow, hook up, and go their separate ways. But Episode 4 flipped that dynamic completely. When Shane visited Ilya in Boston, something felt different from the start.
After their usual passionate encounter, Ilya did something he had never done beforeโhe asked Shane to stay. The two fell asleep together, and when they woke up, Ilya made them tuna melts in his kitchen. They sat on the couch eating, talking, and existing in a space that felt dangerously close to domestic bliss.
The scene was intentionally ordinary, and that was exactly what made it so terrifying for Shane. When Ilya received a tense phone call from his brother about their father, Shane showed genuine concern. Ilya responded by pulling Shane closer, and they began kissing again. For the first time, Ilya whispered Shane’s actual name instead of the casual nicknames he usually used. Shane said Ilya’s name back.
Then reality hit. Shane suddenly pulled away, apologized, and said the words that broke everything: “I can’t do this.” Before Ilya could respond, Shane grabbed his things and bolted out the door.
The moment represented a massive shift in their relationship. For years, sex was how these two communicated. But the domestic afternoon forced them to confront feelings that went far beyond physical attraction, and Shane simply could not handle it.
Shane’s Escape Into a Public Relationship
After fleeing Ilya’s apartment, Shane threw himself into something completely different. He started a very public relationship with actress Rose Landry, played by Sophie Nรฉlisse. Rose represented safetyโshe was the image of what Shane’s life was supposed to look like. She was famous, beautiful, and most importantly, she was a woman.
The relationship gave Shane cover. He could be seen with Rose at events, photographed as hockey’s golden boy with a movie star on his arm. It was the perfect distraction from the feelings he was running from. But the distraction came at a cost. Shane was visibly miserable, snapping at his parents and struggling to maintain the facade.
The show made it clear that Shane’s relationship with Rose was not about her at all. It was about his desperate attempt to convince himself he was someone he was not.
Ilya’s Heartbreak at the Club
Meanwhile, Ilya was dealing with the aftermath in his own way. After a devastating loss to Shane’s team, Ilya went clubbing with teammates to forget. But fate had other plans. Shane showed up at the same club with Rose and her gay friend.
What followed was six minutes of pure agony set to music. The club scene, directed by showrunner Jacob Tierney, became instantly iconic. As Ilya stood at the bar, he spotted Rose’s friend and started scanning the crowd. Shane, on the dance floor with Rose, felt someone watching him. Their eyes met across the room, and time stopped.
The song playing was t.A.T.u.’s 2002 hit “All The Things She Said,” a track that holds massive cultural significance for queer viewers. The original Russian duo’s music video featured two teenage girls kissing in the rain while onlookers stared with disdain. For a generation of queer people, that song became an anthem of forbidden love and the pain of hiding who you are.
In response to seeing Shane with Rose, Ilya pulled a random woman onto the dance floor and began dancing with her in a way clearly designed to make Shane jealous. Shane responded by taking Rose home. The episode then cut between two devastating scenes: Shane having sex with Rose while clearly thinking about Ilya, and Ilya alone in his shower masturbating while thinking about Shane.
Neither man was with who they truly wanted. Both were utterly miserable.
Why the t.A.T.u. Needle Drop Hit So Hard
The music choice for the club scene was not accidental. According to Billboard, Tierney and music supervisor Scotty Taylor knew from early production that “All The Things She Said” had to close Episode 4. The song’s history as a queer anthem made it perfect for a scene about two men who cannot be together.
As the scene progressed, the original t.A.T.u. version transitioned into a dance remix by London artist Harrison, which swapped the feminine vocals for a masculine voice. The shift represented both Ilya’s bisexuality and Shane’s closeted reality. The lyrics felt like they were written for Shane and Ilya: “Being with you has opened my eyes” and “This is not enough.”
The response was immediate. t.A.T.u.’s original song saw a 103% increase in U.S. streams in the four days after the episode aired. Harrison’s cover jumped an astonishing 114,173% to over 685,000 streams. Fans flooded social media with reactions, many sharing how the song brought back their own memories of hiding their feelings.
One fan wrote on X: “Heated Rivalry using t.A.T.u. in that club scene was a war crime against queer people my age. I felt seventeen and terrified all over again.” Another posted: “The way they looked at each other across that club while ‘All The Things She Said’ playedโฆ I have never recovered and I never will.”
Tierney addressed the choice in interviews, acknowledging that t.A.T.u.’s legacy is complicated. Both members of the duo have made homophobic statements over the years, and neither is queer. But Tierney stood by his decision. “This was the only queer Russian pop song I can think of,” he told Billboard. “I know how much that song resonates with queer people and how impactful it was for a certain generation.”
The Frotting Scene That Educated Viewers
Earlier in Episode 4, before everything fell apart, Shane and Ilya shared a couch scene that introduced many viewers to a new term: frotting. The scene showed the two men engaging in mutual rubbing rather than penetrative sex, and the internet had a lot to say about it.
According to PinkNews, straight viewers took to social media in confusion, asking what they were watching. One viral post read: “It genuinely never occurred to me that some people who watched the couch scene in episode 4 wouldn’t know what frottage is. That thought never once crossed my mind.”
Another fan joked: “Don’t ever tell me Heated Rivalry isn’t realistic when they instinctively knew no one was getting penetrated right after eating those tuna melts.”
For gay viewers, particularly those who identify as “sides” (gay men who do not prefer anal penetration), the representation felt significant. One user wrote: “Frotting representation in tonight’s Heated Rivalryโฆ sides everywhere are feeling seen tonight.”
The Actors on Playing Heartbreak
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have become overnight sensations thanks to the show’s success, and they have been open about what it took to film Episode 4’s devastating moments.
In interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, both actors described carrying the emotional weight of the scenes long after cameras stopped rolling. “You don’t [shake it off],” Storrie said. “I feel heartbroken forever.” Williams added, “Then we don’t speak.”
Williams described the physical feeling of playing Shane after the breakup. “I remember the tuna melt scene and where that goes. I do remember that it was a disgusting feeling every time I’d leave, I just felt gross in my stomach. I just want to cry.”
The actors also addressed the fan debate about which character fell first. In the original Rachel Reid novels, Ilya is traditionally seen as the one who fell first. But Williams sees Shane differently. “I think I play Shane [as] he’s sort of in love right away and then never stops being in love. He makes other choices that might not look like that, but I think they’re all kind of driven through how much intense love he feels for Ilya.”
Storrie pointed to a different moment as key for Ilyaโa text exchange in an earlier episode where Shane earnestly answered Ilya’s question about how many times he could come in an hour. “That is just plain and simple the reason why Ilya likes Shane,” Storrie said. “Because that’s so the opposite of Ilya. He would never be straightforward and honest. He would never be vulnerable in that almost ignorant way.”
What Episode 4 Means Going Forward
Episode 4 represented the lowest point for Shane and Ilya’s relationship. Shane ran from real feelings and hid behind a public romance. Ilya reacted with jealousy and spite. Both ended up alone and miserable despite being surrounded by people.
But romance narratives require this kind of rock bottom before things can get better. As Williams put it, “There’s this sellable aspect [where] you’re more connected to it when there’s the yearning. But also it feels real. I don’t know too many stories where there’s not a push and pull.”
The show has already been renewed for a second season by Crave, with HBO Max continuing to license the series for U.S. streaming. Episode 5, which aired on December 19, began the slow process of bringing Shane and Ilya back toward each other, featuring a hospital scene that fans have called career-defining for both actors.
For viewers in the United States, new episodes drop every Friday on HBO Max. Canadian viewers can watch on Crave. The season finale is scheduled for December 26. As of now, no UK release date has been announced, leaving British fans searching for other ways to watch the show that has taken over queer internet spaces.
Heated Rivalry has proven that it is more than just a steamy romance. Episode 4 used music, silence, and devastating performances to create a television moment that will stick with viewers for a long time. Whether Shane and Ilya can find their way back to each other remains to be seen, but one thing is certainโthe yearning is far from over.
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