For those not familiar with the Game Changers book series, Episode 3 of Heated Rivalry might’ve been a little shocking. By this point, viewers have fallen in love with Ilya and Shane. And at the end of Episode 2, they were left on a tumultuous cliffhanger that shook the very foundation of their relationship. Then Scott and Kip walk in. And the anger that followed from fans felt unwarranted because there is no happy ending for Ilya and Shane without Scott and Kip.
Personally, I clocked that Scott was someone to keep an eye on from the very beginning of Heated Rivalry. There was something about the way that he looked at Shane and talked about the interactions between him and Ilya. I confused that recognition from Scott as being a future problem where Scott was going to out Shane and Ilya. But color me surprised when Episode 3 happened, and what I saw in Scott is something I see in myself.
MORE: Have you read our Episode 3 review for Heated Rivalry???
Scott is a gay man. Or a queer person. Whatever he may be, he’s part of the LGBTQ+ community. And just like I recognized Scott, Scott recognized Shane. And for Scott in particular, he caught someone else hiding just like he is. And he acts as a reminder to the viewer that LGBTQ+ people aren’t a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or rare unicorns. They are all around us, in every sport, every organization, and in every community. So why shouldn’t Heated Rivalry take a page out of our reality and give us another gay relationship?
In a lot of ways, we’re used to a certain formula when it comes to TV. And one of those basic formulas is not having more than one main love story at the core of what you’re trying to tell. You can have some side stories. But never something big enough to take away attention from the main couple for an entire episode. Heated Rivalry breaks the mold when it comes to this standard formula. And it gives us a storyline that is so essential to Ilya and Shane that they wouldn’t be who they are by the end of this series without them.
MORE: 9 LGBTQ+ Sports Books To Read If You Like ‘Heated Rivalry’
Scott right now is on a journey where he is battling between two choices. On one hand, he can honor the one place he has always called home, aka hockey. On the other hand, he can choose Kip. But he doesn’t realize, because there has never been someone like Scott in hockey, that he can have both. He can honor his love for hockey and be with Kip. One does not cancel out the other. And in a way, what happens with Scott and Kip is basically the queer elders who came before us who paved the way for the younger generation.
Still, before you take out your torches and glare at Crave about the continued focus that we will be seeing between Scott and Kip (because they’re not just going to go away), think about who made it possible for you to be here. Because tragedies and angst came before you. So did great triumphs. And right now, we are seeing a tender, emotional, and heartbreaking story about two men who want to live in the sun together. Four men, if you count Ilya and Shane, too. But the latter cannot step into the sun without the help of Scott and Kip, showing them that it’s possible to be out in the world of hockey.
That’s why Scott and Kip are essential. That’s why I urge people to give their love story a chance. And that’s why I need stories like Heated Rivalry where a love like either of theirs isn’t an anomaly. It’s the norm.
Episodes 1-3 of Heated Rivalry are now available to stream in the US on HBO Max.
What do you think of the Heated Rivalry couple of Scott and Kip? Let us know in the comments below!
Queerly Not Straight posts Saturdays on Fangirlish with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community. Posts are ONLY published on Fangirlish.
