‘Heated Rivalry’: What Is the Plane Scene? Shane & Ilya’s Heartbreaking Moment, Explained
If Heated Rivalry Season 1 made you feel all the feelings, just you wait until Season 2. Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya’s (Connor Storrie) next chapter will be based on author Rachel Reid’s The Long Game, which continues their romance. Hollanov experiences plenty of highs as official (yet secret) boyfriends, but we have to warn you: They have some pretty devastating ones, too.
The plane scene is the peak of The Long Game‘s angst. Seriously, we fear just how difficult it’ll be to watch. It’s one thing reading it on the page twice — we get another character’s perspective of it in Reid’s Role Model — but seeing Storrie and Williams act it out… We already know we’ll need 5-10 business days to recover. A fair amount of fellow Heated Rivalry fans seem to be in agreement, considering how often we’ve seen the plane scene mentioned on social media.
If you haven’t read the book yet and found yourself wondering what exactly goes down ahead of Season 2, we’ve got you. We’re breaking down the plane scene below, so you can start emotionally preparing yourself now.
[Warning: The below contains spoilers for The Long Game by Rachel Reid.]
What is the plane scene in Heated Rivalry?
At the start of Chapter 24 — a little over halfway through the book — the Ottawa Centaurs (and readers) had no idea what was coming. The Centaurs are finally hitting their stride, and they’re high off a win when they get 0n a Tampa-bound plane. Ilya missed being in good spirits with his teammates.
Not long into the flight, the plane suddenly dips. It’s momentary, and Ilya starts thinking about how he hasn’t spoken to Shane much since their big argument — Ilya asked if Shane would choose him over hockey. Shane didn’t answer confidently, throwing the question back at Ilya. Ilya couldn’t believe he would ask him that, since he had already chosen him by playing for Ottawa.
On the plane, Ilya remarks that he misses Shane, but space is good for them. He resolves to really hash things out when they both return home. Ilya starts thinking about what needs to be said: First and foremost, he wants Shane to know that he really loves him. He also wants to open up about his mental health struggles and everything he’s been keeping bottled up.
A loud bang interrupts his musings. As the plane starts to drop, “I’ll never see Shane again,” and “We were going to have dogs and kids” are Ilya’s first thoughts. The pilot announces an emergency landing, and Ilya starts wondering what Shane will do if he dies. He’ll never get to have that big conversation with Shane and tell him how he really feels.
Crave
He opens Instagram and starts messaging his boyfriend, who’s in the middle of a hockey game. “You are the best thing in my life. I love you. Always. Maybe from the first time I saw you,” Ilya writes as he thinks back to their first meeting as teenagers. “I am only thinking about you right now. A million memories. Thank you for those. Whatever happens, I am with you. Safe in your heart. I believe it.”
Ilya prays and thinks about seeing his mom again. Right before he feels the plane touch down on the runway, he reflects on how much time he wasted not loving Shane properly.
When Shane’s game is over, he finds out about the emergency landing from J.J., and he realizes Ilya’s strange messages were actually his last words. He panics, even though Ilya sent a text confirming he’s OK. Thinking about the worst-case scenario, Shane starts to think — would he have even been allowed to spread Ilya’s ashes? What if he had died? No one would’ve known about their love.
Suddenly, keeping their relationship secret seems unimportant. She would’ve died, too, alone and in secret, if the plane situation had ended in tragedy. It’s a catalyst for what Shane does next: When they reunite in Ottawa, Shane gets down on one knee, and Ilya accepts his proposal.
At least there’s the consolation of Hollanov’s happiest moment in the aftermath of their most tragic one. We have a feeling we’re going to have to sue show creator Jacob Tierney, along with Storrie and Williams, for emotional damages once Season 2 comes out. Start placing your bets on just how traumatic it’ll be in the comments below!
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA, Crave & HBO Max
