This post contains Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 4 from this point forward.
While last week's episode of Heated Rivalry took a brief break from Shane and Ilya's complicated situationship to focus on Scott and Kip's whirlwind romance, we're back to our regularly scheduled, chaotic programming in season 1 episode 4, which is titled "Rose." (We'll get to her very soon.) After their lukewarm parting in episode 2, Shane and Ilya reunite on the ice for another face-off.
Throughout 2014 and 2015, Shane and Ilya continue text messaging each other and hooking up when their schedules allow, while their careers and lives take different turns. Shane's celebrity rises with more endorsements and commercials, and his team wins the cup two years in a row. Ilya watches him hold up the trophy on TV and smiles. Down bad! When Shane wins his second cup, his team celebrates in the locker room, but he's texting Ilya.
In summer 2016, the texting and teasing continues following Montreal's back-to-back wins, heating up their rivalry more than ever. It's during this time that Ilya takes care of his sick father and mindlessly goes clubbing and Shane buys a fancy new house. By October 2016, Hayden pushes Shane to connect with one of his wife's friends and he begrudgingly agrees. (The date doesn't happen.)
Ilya watches a television special on Shane and his new house, which features a clip of Shane doing yoga (bet Ilya loves that!). In the car on the way to a party, Ilya texts and Svetlana brings up Jane. She assumes that since he's been texting "her" for years, their relationship was serious. Shane awkwardly tells Hayden he's meeting a friend during an away game, and he mentions Lily, too. Clearly, their friends are onto them. Shane arrives at Ilya's house, and it takes less for a minute for them to kiss.
Ilya makes Shane a tuna melt, and then...
In the bedroom, Shane and Ilya have sex and cuddle afterwards. When Shane suggests leaving, Ilya asks him to stay, basically begs him to stay until he relents. They fall asleep in bed together with Ilya holding Shane. When they wake up, Ilya makes them both tuna melts, and he even had ginger ale in his fridge for Shane. They watch hockey and talk while waiting for the food.
For a while, the conversation settles on where they like to play away games before Ilya casually brings up his friends with benefits situation with Svetlana. There's a very subtle jealousy in Shane's responses and slight yearning in his facial expressions. While they eat, Ilya asks Shane if he likes girls, and he awkwardly says that he does. Ilya tells him that he likes girls and him, but not "as a person." Clearly, he's playing it off, and Shane's trying to make sense of it.
Their conversation's interrupted by a phone call from Ilya's father, who's alone and confused. He angrily calls his brother to take care of their dad. When he returns to the couch, Shane asks Ilya how his father's doing, and he's surprised Shane understood parts of the phone call. Ilya pulls Shane in and rests his head on his chest. He strokes his hair and kisses the top of his head.
They have sex again, and in the heat of the moment, Ilya refers to him as "Shane" rather than "Hollander" as they have been accustomed to during their hookups. Shane calls him Ilya in return, and it's their deepest, most personal moment of intimate connection so far. Ilya looks to continue the moment with a kiss, and he's shocked when Shane freaks out, says he "can't do this," and leaves.
Shane and Rose become a tabloid powercouple
After basically breaking up with Ilya, Shane's in an awful mood during a lunch with his parents, who are asking about booking a trip to Wimbledon the following summer and meeting a Swedish princess. He apologizes for his mood, and later at home, his friend calls him and persuades him to join him out at a restaurant because the cast of a movie is in town and hanging out.
Shane initially orders a ginger ale at the bar before breaking his strict diet and ordering a beer. The bartender gives him drinks for free and tells him that Rose Landry is at the restaurant. He later meets Rose (Sophie Nélisse) when he happens to sit at her booth. They share fries and immediately hit it off when they start talking. Turns out he's still awkward when he flirts with girls.
Ilya learns from online tabloids that Shane and Rose have started dating, and he acts shocked in front of his teammates, but you can tell that he's devastated deep down. Rose attends Shane's games in his jersey, and they are quickly grabbing all kinds of headlines as a famous athlete and movie star (Canada's answer to Taylor and Travis). During their latest game against each other, Shane and Ilya don't interact off the ice.
After the game, Shane goes out to a club with Rose, and Ilya ends up at the same club with his teammates. "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u. (and a dance cover by Harrison) plays for the remainder of the episode as Shane and Ilya both spot each other dancing with girls. Ilya makes a big show of kissing and touching the woman he met at the club as Shane stands and stares in serious agony. Back at home, he and Rose have sex, but he thinks about Ilya. In his hotel shower, Ilya pleasures himself and thinks about Shane.