‘Heated Rivalry’ Creator on That Romantic Finale, Why Women Love the Show and How the Sex Might Evolve in Season 2: ‘They Can’t Always Be F—ing. God Knows, That’s Just Exhausting!’

For weeks, the question hanging over HBO Max’s runaway hit “Heated Rivalry” wasn’t if its warring hockey stars would finally admit their feelings, but when—and at what cost. The series, adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved novel, has masterfully chronicled the secret, sexually charged rivalry-turned-relationship between NHL golden boy Shane Hollander and his chaotic, brilliant counterpart, Ilya Rosanov. This Sunday’s finale, “The Cottage,” delivered the emotional payoff millions craved, moving the lovers from stolen moments in anonymous hotel rooms to the vulnerable, shared space of a family lake house. We sat down with the show’s creator and showrunner, Mira Thorne, to unpack the monumental finale, explore the show’s staggering resonance with a largely female and queer audience, and get an exclusive, tantalizing glimpse at where Season 2 might take a couple who can no longer hide behind just sex.

“The Cottage”: A Finale That Changes the Game

“The entire season was engineered to arrive at this moment of quiet, terrifying honesty,” Thorne explains, settling into a chair in her production office, still adorned with storyboards from the finale. “The hotel rooms were a metaphor—neutral, transient, disposable. The cottage is Shane’s heart. It’s real, it’s rooted in family and memory. Inviting Ilya there isn’t just a date; it’s an act of profound trust.”

From Physical to Emotional Intimacy

The episode notably dials back the show’s signature high-wattage steam for something more tender and conversation-driven. The climactic scene isn’t in a bedroom, but on a dusty porch swing, where Shane (Hudson Williams) finally vocalizes his fear and love in equal measure.

“We had to earn that silence,” Thorne says. “The sex in Season 1 is the language they use when they can’t speak. It’s how they say ‘I hate you,’ ‘I need you,’ and ‘I’m obsessed with you’ all at once. But at the cottage, the words have to come out. The physicality shifts from competitive to comforting. When Ilya rests his head on Shane’s shoulder, that, for them, is a more radical act than anything they’ve done before.”

The Weight of the World (and the League) Outside

The finale doesn’t promise a simple happy-ever-after. The closing moments hint at the immense pressures waiting beyond the lake’s serene shore: the NHL’s heteronormative culture, fan expectations, and the logistical nightmare of two top athletes on rival teams trying to build a life.

“The cottage is a bubble,” Thorne cautions. “Season 2 is largely about the pressure that builds when you try to protect that bubble in the real world. The fear of exposure isn’t gone; it’s magnified, because now there’s something truly precious to lose.”

“Why Are Women the Core Audience? Because We’re Experts in Emotional Labor.”

While the show features two male leads, its viewership and fervent online fandom are overwhelmingly comprised of women and queer viewers. Thorne has a nuanced take on this phenomenon.

• The Fantasy of Emotional Availability: “It’s not just about watching two beautiful men,” Thorne posits. “It’s about watching two hyper-masculine, physically powerful men be vulnerable. They are, in their own messed-up way, intensely emotionally invested in each other from the start. Women are often socialized to be the emotional managers in relationships. There’s a fantasy in seeing men actively, desperately engaging in that labor for each other.”
• Subverting the Sports Genre: “Sports narratives are traditionally by men, for men, about triumph and defeat. We’re using that arena to tell a deeply romantic and intimate story. It’s reclaiming that space. The hockey isn’t background; it’s the crucible that forges their connection and their conflict.”
• The Power of the “Female Gaze”: “Our directors, our intimacy coordinator, our writers’ room—it’s majority women and queer people. The sex scenes are choreographed for character revelation, not just arousal. Are we looking at Ilya’s body? Absolutely. But we’re looking at the reaction on Shane’s face just as much. The audience is placed in the position of feeling, not just seeing.”

Season 2: How Does the Sex Evolve When Love is in the Open?

With the central “will they/won’t they” tension resolved, a key question for Season 2 becomes the evolution of the show’s intimate scenes. Thorne is already thinking several steps ahead.

Intimacy Beyond the Physical

“The grammar of their physical relationship has to change,” she states. “It can’t just be the angry, pent-up fucking against a wall. That was for their secret phase. Now, intimacy looks different.” She suggests scenes of domesticity and care will carry new erotic weight: a quiet morning making coffee, tending to an injury, the simple act of sharing a bed without the frantic urgency.

The Challenge of Sustaining Heat

But fear not, the heat will not vanish. Thorne clarifies that the stakes simply shift. “The sex now is about connection versus exorcism. It’s about reaffirming this terrifying choice they’ve made. And of course, with new external pressures, there will be new forms of tension—make-up sex, stress-relief sex, ‘the-world-is-against-us’ sex. But it will be rooted in a new emotional language.”

Then she laughs, delivering the line that would become our headline. “Look, they’re elite athletes. They have phenomenal stamina. But narratively? They can’t always be f—ing. God knows, that’s just exhausting! For them and for us. The challenge and the fun of Season 2 is finding the heat in the quiet moments, in the soft touches, in the arguments over who does the dishes. That’s where a real, sustainable relationship lives.”

New Frontiers and Old Wounds

Thorne hints that Season 2 will delve deeper into both characters’ pasts and the specific pressures they face.

• Ilya’s Russian Heritage & Family: “We’ve only scratched the surface of Ilya’s background and the unique pressures he carries from his family and his home country.”
• Shane’s Perfectionism: “Shane has built his entire identity on being the ‘good guy,’ the reliable one. Being with Ilya forces him to confront a more complex, messy self. How does that play out on the ice?”
• The Logistics of a Secret Relationship: “This is a spy thriller now,” Thorne jokes. “The trade deadlines, the travel schedules, the constant threat of paparazzi. How do you build trust when you’re living in separate cities and the world is watching?”

Key Takeaways

• The Season 1 finale, “The Cottage,” marks a deliberate shift from physical to emotional intimacy, using a change in setting to symbolize the characters’ vulnerable new commitment.
• The show’s massive appeal to women and queer audiences stems from its “female gaze” approach, focusing on emotional labor and vulnerability within a hyper-masculine sports world.
• Season 2 will evolve the show’s signature sex scenes, moving from frantic, secretive encounters to physicality that reflects a deeper, more established—but still pressured—relationship.
• The central conflict evolves from “will they get together?” to “how will they stay together?” under the intense scrutiny of professional sports and the public eye.
• Creator Mira Thorne promises the heat remains, but will be expressed through new forms of intimacy, character development, and the high-stakes logistics of a secret romance between two rival hockey superstars.