This post contains spoilers from Heated Rivalry episode 3, "Hunter," from this point forward.
After the breakout success of romantic hockey drama Heated Rivalry, all eyes were on the mysterious episode 3, whose title was hidden behind six asterisks. While fans had their theories about what the title would ultimately be, the episode's release on Dec. 5 revealed the title to be "Hunter," as the series takes a closer look at François Arnaud's character Scott Hunter.
The episode opens in February 2014 during the Sochi Olympics and we return to the scene with Scott and Carter catching up with Shane in a restaurant and talking about how Russia isn't safe for gay people. Rather than continuing with Shane's point of view, we take Scott Hunter's point of view with a flashback to four months ago with him training in New York City. Commentators doubt his performance, which gets into his head and causes him stress.
He enters a smoothie shop and smiles when he catches Kip (Robbie G.K.) sleeping behind the counter. The sparks between them are already flying and all Scott has done is order a smoothie and lightly flirt about Kip adding a banana to his blueberry smoothie. While Kip makes the smoothie, they steal glances at each other. Scott leaves him a huge tip, and everyone is gagged.
Scott and Kip's meet cute, initial sparks, and "first date"
After learning that the man who flirted with him at work was Scott Hunter the hockey player, Kip forces his friends to watch his game later at the bar. He's already down bad and keeping up with his stats, and even though he doesn't think Scott is gay, here he comes into the smoothie shop the next day and remembers his name. Now there are palpable, tangible sparks.
Kip's friends Maria and Elena both believe Scott has been flirting with im and he's not being crazy. When he changes his shift to Scott's next game day, like clockwork, he comes into the shop for a smoothie. Kip gives him the smoothie on the house this time and insists against a tip. Scott decides to stay in the shop to drink his smoothie rather than running out. When they break the silence, for some reason, they start talking about serial killers, but it's a decent ice breaker.
It gets briefly awkward when Kip says that hockey players look like hot lumberjacks when they stop shaving. He's mortified until Scott invites him to his game. Kip takes Elena with him to the boy aquarium and teases him about the weird first date. From the ice, Scott nods and smiles at Kip. He doesn't believe that it's for him until Scott circles back and waves.
Two days later in Boston, Ilya talks crap to Scott after losing a game and the next night in Montreal, Shane trash talks him, too. He tells Shane that he's starting to sound like Ilya and an argument and fight ensues on the ice between them. Kip stresses before his catering gig and, once there, he runs into Scott with a tray of food. From across the room, Scott winks at him. They catch up to clear the air and Scott asks him out to have dinner after the event.
Heated Rivalry episode 3 finds Skip's romance at a crossroads
The line for the Mexican restaurant is long, leading Scott to invite Kip back to his place to order in. While Kip takes in the views of the apartment, Scott takes off his shirt. They act on their connection and sparks and have sex in Scott's bedroom. Scott calls Kip "so beautiful," but their connection goes further than just the physical. Later, Scott catches Kip leaving, but he asks him to stay.
In the morning Scott wakes up to Kip making him a smoothie in the kitchen. Scott loves the gesture very much. Kip wonders if he should finally leave, but Scott wants him to stay and shares his personal feelings about the fact that he can't come out while still playing professional hockey. He wants Kip to be at his place when he gets back from practice and his game. Kip wants that, too. He basically moves in with Scott to hunker down in their love cocoon.
Kip tries to play it off to Maria when Scott comes into the smoothie shop, but she can see right through it. They venture out together for the first time to an art gallery to check out an artist's work that Kip loves. Scott's paranoid about people seeing them together. Referring to them as a "we" freaks Scott out and he leaves the gallery. Back at home, he apologizes to Kip.
Before heading off to an away game, Kip gives Scott a pair of socks that look like his smoothie as a gift. He wears his blue banana socks for his game. While watching the game, Elena forces Kip to admit that he's in love with Scott. He hasn't told his dad yet, and she worries about what the plan is for this relationship. When his dad calls, he still doesn't tell him the truth. Kip opens Scott's closet to see his surprise: A new tuxedo with a note on the button that reads, "For my man — S."
During the event, Kip's nervous to be in the same room as Scott, but Scott pries himself away from other people to chat with Kip and Elena. When they're alone, Kip tells Scott that Elena knows. She dances with Scott to talk with him about Kip and how he's miserable about keeping their love a secret. Kip invites Scott to the gay bar where his friends are throwing him a birthday party, but he says that he can't. They say I love you for the first time even though it's a bittersweet moment.
Kip decides to go home for the first time since they got together to give them some time apart. We see what Scott said during his speech, detailing the death of his parents in a car accident and how hockey gave him a family. When Kip returns home, he breaks down crying to his dad. Kip celebrates his full ride to grad school at his birthday party. Scott watches from outside the bar. Back at the Olympics, Scott puts different socks on top of the socks Kip gave him.