Exclusive Interview
‘Heated Rivalry’: François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. Reveal Season 2 Hopes for Scott & Kip
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers from Heated Rivalry Season 1 and minor spoilers from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.]
Whereas Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) take a while to fully launch, Heated Rivalry star Robbie G.K. likens Kip and Scott’s (François Arnaud) Season 1 romance to a rollercoaster. But now that they’ve “peaked at the top,” what would their future look like?
Season 1’s penultimate episode crests when Scott, fresh off winning the Stanley Cup, kisses Kip in front of the world. It’s the kick Shane and Ilya need to commit to their relationship in the Season 1 finale, which sees Scott and Kip happily back together. Swooon spoke with G.K. and Arnaud in a joint interview ahead of Heated Rivalry‘s renewal, but the actors already had some ideas about where they wanted to take their characters in Season 2.
“I think that there could be a world in which, after all this dies down, real life sets in, and things are difficult,” G.K. said. “I think that there’s a lot of bridges to cross where it’s, like, the reality. It’s one thing for Scott to have this one moment of, ‘You know what? I’m going to do this,’ but there’s so much more that I’m sure happens in his life, happens in Kip’s life, all these things that will essentially explode after this one particular moment.”
Arnaud chimed in, “I feel like for Kip, specifically, as much as he wanted [his relationship] to be lived out in the open, living adjacent to fame is not easy. Maybe he would struggle with that eventually, too. It’s not something that he’s prepared for his whole life, it’s not something that he’s lived with his whole life. Maybe they do go back to an art gallery and buy a piece or two.”
“Or look at a bar or something,” G.K. added.
Sabrina Lantos / HBO Max
For Season 2, creator Jacob Tierney is adapting The Long Game, author Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry sequel. Reid’s Game Changers series follows five couples with interconnected stories. Tierney follows suit in Season 1, interweaving Shane and Ilya’s book with Scott and Kip’s Game Changer. Whether Scott and Kip’s characters will return in Season 2 remains to be seen, but they do appear in more Game Changers books — The Long Game included.
“I think Jacob is incredibly smart and creative, and I think has a really great relationship with Rachel, and so is able to either follow the course of these books or not follow the course of these books and depart from there,” Arnaud said. “So who knows? I had a conversation with him a couple months ago about what the future would be, but I’m sure the reception of the show and of [Scott and Kip’s] relationship will have an influence on what happens. So, I don’t know how intensely I would be involved in Season 2 at all.”
Earlier in our conversation, the actor did point out that he’d noticed largely positive fan feedback since Scott and Kip’s bottle episode aired. “I think that people do respond to that story because that is, I think, a little more heart-on-its-sleeve,” he reflected. “He’s in the closet, but he’s not repressing that desire within himself. They’re both available for that connection and that meeting, whereas [Shane and Ilya] are… it’s a long journey.”
Scott and Kip’s book arc may not as drawn out as Shane and Ilya’s, but G.K. said that many things came to his mind when he thought about exploring his character further. Beyond playing the couple adjusting to their new reality, he noted, “I think one interesting scene would be to have a moment where the four of these characters, these two relationships, have a crossover to some degree,” he mused. “I think there’d be a lot going on in that conversation, even if a lot’s not said.”
Arnaud wants to see another dynamic develop further: Scott and Ilya’s. “I know that in the books, Scott and Ilya develop a friendship. I think that would be interesting to see. And I know, obviously, about the Kingfisher,” he added, referring to the gay bar that Kip frequents in Episode 3. In Reid’s books, Scott becomes one of its owners. The other main characters — including Ilya — go there often.
Arnaud is aware of Game Changers lore, though he made a “conscious decision” to not read the books before shooting Season 1. “I was just already so inspired and tuned into why I wanted to play this part and say these words, and I felt like it would be kind of confusing to add other elements that we’re not playing,” he said. “I also wanted to bring some of myself to it, without having to sort of espouse someone else’s vision.”
After wrapping Season 1, Arnaud did pick up Game Changer and Heated Rivalry. He has yet to read The Long Game — he pointed out that “everyone says it’s their favorite” — but that may change soon. “Now I guess that I’ve fully formed who Scott is, I feel like I can separate and enjoy it for what it is and not feel the pressure,” he said.
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Streaming Now, HBO Max
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA, HBO Max
