Key Takeaways
- Episode Overview: In episode 5 of Heated Rivalry, Scott publicly kisses Kip after a significant victory.
- Character Development: François Arnaud discusses Scott’s emotional journey leading to this pivotal moment.
- Representation: Scott becomes the first openly gay player in the MHL, marking a historic moment.
- Future Implications: The kiss signifies a turning point for Scott and Kip’s relationship moving forward.
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Heated Rivalry episode 5!<em>Heated Rivalry</em> episode 5’s big coming out scene has been addressed by star François Arnaud, who’s unpacked the surprising moment. During the events of episode 5, Scott (Arnaud) kisses Kip (Robbie G.K.) in public after the New York Admirals win the International Prospect Cup for the first time in decades. This makes Scott the first openly gay MHL player.
Speaking with Vulture, Arnaud discussed Scott’s decision to publicly kiss Kip in Heated Rivalry episode 5, explaining what it means for his character and their future as a couple:
It’s a moment where everything comes to a culmination for him. He sees everybody else on his team sharing immense joy and pride with their loved ones, and he just has loneliness. He’s both galvanized by the win and exhausted. He wants to take that full breath. It’s all happening so fast in his head, and there’s tremendous fear that he decides to conquer. Life isn’t f*****g worth living if I can’t share it with that person.
He’s a lonely person. Hockey is his whole life, and living with this secret for this long makes you wall up. There’s so much fear of being exposed that keeping your circle as small as possible feels like the right thing to do. He’s very close to Carter, his teammate, and we talked about that with Kolton Stewart, who played Carter, wondering if he would have had any suspicions regarding Scott’s personal life. It doesn’t seem like Scott has had beards, but he’s created this image for himself as an all-American hero. He’s the captain of his team, so he feels he’s not just protecting himself but the image of the sport. That even came through in the way we decided that Scott would play hockey in the show.
More to come…
