Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Heated Rivalry Episode 6.

Heated Rivalry, adapted from author Rachel Reid‘s original story of forbidden love, has taken the world by storm. While most of the attention has been focused on the developing rivals-turned-lovers relationship between Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), the Crave Original series (airing on HBO Max in the U.S.) has also balanced the action both on and off the ice. By juxtaposing hockey scenes with antics off the ice, the show has displayed how the duality of public and private personas plays a part in Ilya and Shane’s romance — but for the Season 1 finale, series creator Jacob Tierney opts to drop the hockey from the narrative.

For the highly anticipated Episode 6, titled “The Cottage,” Heated Rivalry takes a major risk by spending zero screentime on the ice, but this leads to some crucial development for Shane and Ilya’s relationship, allowing them to actually spend time alone to talk about emotions, feelings, and what their future together could look like. It also culminates in one of the most honest and authentic coming-out scenes in queer storytelling.

Shane and Ilya’s Cottage Episode Is Crucial for Their Relationship in ‘Heated Rivalry’

After the episode uses Scott Hunter’s (François Arnaud) MVP speech to foreshadow the importance of coming out in public fashion, the season finale mostly revolves around Shane and Ilya. No longer is there a taboo secret relationship centered around sex, as the two test what a deeper emotional connection feels like over their previous situationship. In between moments of physical intimacy while on the phone and diving deep under the covers, Ilya and Shane learn more about one another.

Ilya divulges a dark secret about his mother’s death, which leads to a late-night light-bulb moment from Shane about starting a joint charity so they can spend more time in public together. Ilya reveals that while he could engage in a marriage of convenience with his friend Svetlana (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova) in order to become a U.S. citizen, he could just leave the Boston Raiders and play for Ottawa in order to be closer to Montreal. Oh, and the two exchange arguably the three most important words in any relationship — and Ilya actually says them in English this time!

Throughout the first five episodes, Heated Rivalry has been unafraid to play around with time jumps where Shane and Ilya may or may not have spent unseen time together in between. Yet, the finale mostly focusing on only one location allows for the longest single stretch of togetherness these two have had, resulting in essential time for them to figure out what their future could look like.

Shane’s Coming Out Scene Is ‘Heated Rivalry’s Most Important Moment

Image via Crave

Heated Rivalry could have easily kept the finale’s action limited to the cottage, leaving the season on a major cliffhanger when Shane’s father, David Hollander (Dylan Walsh), catches the boys making out. Certainly, it could have been the cause of months of anticipation about what might happen next. Instead, Heated Rivalry makes room for the series’ most important scene, in which Shane comes out to his parents. Not only is the moment handled with care, but it is also filled with heart, humor, and compassion. Having Ilya present with Shane also showcases how much their relationship has deepened — which comes as a surprise to Shane’s parents, who, up until now, have been successfully convinced that these two hate each other.

Later, when Yuna Hollander (Christina Chang) expresses her regret and support for her son, it makes for a welcome addition to what plays out in the book. As Shane and Ilya ultimately sit down for a meal with his parents and even kiss, once, after Shane briefly experiences a panic attack, it cements the strength of their relationship as one rooted in romance, but also support from loved ones. Television has depicted countless coming-out stories, but Heated Rivalry‘s might just be one of the most important.

‘Heated Rivalry’ Smartly Balances Hockey With Romance

Image via Crave

By intercutting between the action on the ice and intimacy between the sheets, Heated Rivalry has always been able to signal where Shane and Ilya are at any given point in their relationship. Each secret rendezvous meant they were still in fling mode, but the finale’s move off the ice represents the next step for the show’s main pair. Like the Skip-centric Episode 3, veering away from the expected plot emphasizes the importance of the narrative to the viewers, and in the lead-up to the finale, Heated Rivalry earned the ability to put sports to the side in service of the greater romantic story.

The finale’s choice to balance moments of physical intimacy with softer exchanges is an indication of the direction Heated Rivalry could potentially go in for Season 2. Maybe Ilya and Shane’s sex scenes will look different, but there are other book couples the series could introduce to keep the show as steamy as ever. Overall, five action-heavy (in more ways than one) episodes allowed the finale to revolve primarily around love and intimacy, culminating in Shane and Ilya driving off into the sunset with hope about what their future could look like.

Heated Rivalry Season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.