‘Heated Rivalry’: The 7 Best Unscripted Moments of Season 1, Ranked
The annotated Heated Rivalry Season 1 scripts are here, and thanks to creator Jacob Tierney, they’re full of surprises. Tierney’s I’ll Believe in Anything doesn’t just reveal new scenes, moments, and lines that aren’t in the show’s final cut — it also gives insight into the unscripted moments between Shane and Ilya, improvised by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.
Tierney explained that the actors couldn’t improvise much because they were learning so much dialogue, but a handful of small additions still made it into Season 1, including several fan-favorite moments. From Ilya mouthing “more” to Shane while he drinks from his water bottle in Episode 1 to that “gimme kiss” line in the finale, Swooon has ranked the best unscripted moments in the first chapter of Shane and Ilya’s romance.
Note: We’re giving an honorable mention to Shane kissing Ilya’s forehead after their mutual love confessions at the cottage.
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Streaming Now, HBO Max & Crave
7. Ilya's head on Shane's knee
Just to be clear: This choice by Storrie was inspired, and we feel bad putting it last, but there are simply too many other good ones. In Episode 6, Ilya isn’t having it when Shane accepts a phone call from Hayden (Callan Potter) during their alone time at the cottage. So, he gives Shane a (literally) hard time by going down on him during the call. Before that, though, he tries to tempt Shane by putting on the puppy dog eyes, pouting, and resting is head on Shane’s knee. In the annotated script, Tierney says Ilya putting his head on Shane’s thigh and pouting was all Storrie. It fits because the action is every bit the sassy Ilya we know and love. Thank you for your service, sir.
6. "More"
Another golden moment of Ilya being a nuisance (complimentary) wasn’t in the script. After Ilya goads Shane into a post-draft stationary bike race in Episode 1, they collapse on the hotel gym’s floor. They share Ilya’s water bottle, and the sexual tension is palpable as they watch each other drink. Even more so when Ilya’s dominant side comes out and he mouths for Shane to drink “more,” and Shane follows the instructions. That “more” bit was all Storrie, and we can’t imagine the scene without it. It’s not the absolute best unscripted moment of his in Season 1, but it’s such a smart, subtle way to preview Ilya and Shane’s dynamic.
5. "Better"
High-out-of-his-mind-on-painkillers Shane, you’ll always be famous. When Ilya visits concussed Shane in the hospital in Episode 5, it’s in the stage directions that he walks over to the bed and takes Shane’s hand. What isn’t in the script is Shane’s happy “better” once Ilya comes closer. This moment is so sweet, it gave us a cavity, and we have Williams to thank. In fact, Tierney noted that Williams’ performance did so much heavy lifting that he cut some dialogue. He let Williams take the wheel on this one, for the most part, and now we have one of the show’s most iconic, meme-able moments.
4. Staircase chase
With all the danger that comes with Shane and Ilya’s rivals-with-benefits arrangement, not to mention all the high-stakes pressure and difficulty in their lives, moments of levity are needed. One of the best ones is in Episode 2, when Shane and Ilya race each other up the stairs for their first hookup in Shane’s apartment. It perfectly highlights the pair’s competitiveness and playfulness. It’s easy to forget Shane and Ilya’s age, and their race reminds us of it. Williams and Storrie were just chasing each other unprompted, per Tierney.
3. Shane's reaction to his dad finding out about Ilya
Shane’s reaction after his dad (Dylan Walsh) walks in on him kissing Ilya was heightened from the script by Williams. In the annotated script, Tierney says that he envisioned Shane having a much smaller response as Ilya comforts him in the aftermath of their outing. Shane just dropped his head into Ilya’s shoulder — instead, Williams drops to crouch in front of Ilya. Tierney’s editor talked him into using Williams’ more emotional take, and it’s so aligned with Shane’s personality that, again, we can’t imagine the scene going any other way.
2. "I'm sorry"
In Episode 5, Ilya tears up after having his first truly honest conversation with Shane, opening up about his mother’s death and father’s dementia. He looks away as he gets emotional, and as Shane goes to pull him in for a hug, Ilya says, “I’m sorry.” Tierney reveals in the script that it was “less of a decision than something that just came out,” which makes the moment all the more moving. Storrie was feeling and conveying Ilya’s pain so acutely, and his apology drives home the fact that Ilya struggles to allow himself to be vulnerable.
1. "Gimme kiss"
Finally, Shane and Ilya are blissfully happy in Episode 6 after their love confession. Ilya horses around in the lake and splashes Shane, who pretends to be mad. Of course, he isn’t really, which is driven home when he melts immediately when Ilya demands a kiss. Ilya’s “gimme kiss” was improvised by Storrie, and it perfectly captures Shane and Ilya’s new casual intimacy and comfort with each other. How could anything else be in the top spot?
