Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for the Heated Rivalry finale.

Heated Rivalry has arguably become everyone’s new favorite streaming obsession, but Jacob Tierney isn’t really allowing himself to think too much about it, especially since the last few weeks have seen both him and the cast being pulled in a million different directions on the promotional circuit. When I sit down with the show’s creator, writer, and director via Zoom for a conversation about the finale days before the Season 1 finale drops, he immediately apologizes for the raspy state of his voice, assuring me that he normally doesn’t sound so close to Kathleen Turner.

But it also becomes very clear, in the wake of a meteoric rise to mainstream attention for the Crave Original series (which streams on HBO Max in the U.S.), that Tierney’s love for Heated Rivalry and its characters runs deep, fueling nearly every decision he made about this hockey romance adaptation from the very beginning. While the finale isn’t a beat-for-beat copy of Rachel Reid‘s bestselling novel, it still ends with the indelible image of Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) driving off into the sunset, hopeful about their future together. Below, Tierney speaks with Collider about “The Cottage,” the tricky process of finding the perfect house for the episode, why he wanted to end the season a bit differently from the book, the reason behind those new closing credits, the current status of Season 2, and more.

COLLIDER: How does it feel to have a show with one of the highest-rated episodes on IMDb ever? You and Breaking Bad are now tied in first place.

JACOB TIERNEY: And with the same number of votes. [Laughs] That’s crazy. If I’m being honest, it’s a lot. All of it’s a lot. I think I’m hitting a point where I’m just trying to be like, “This is all great, and I really shouldn’t dive too deeply into this, because it’s probably not good for my brain.” Obviously, that episode is very special to me, and to see the way that people have been reacting to it and to see the way that people have been so moved by it is beyond my expectations. I’m so, so happy about that. It’s so cool.

How long was the process of finding the right cottage for the finale?

TIERNEY: Long. It was tricky. Because it’s not just about the house. It’s about how far down the road it is. Can we get the trucks down there? Is there room for a base camp? Can we put people up around there? It’s a lot. Cottage country is tricky to shoot at. But then, when we saw this house, I loved it. I was like, “Can we make this work?”

The truth is, it was smaller than I had in mind, but as soon as I saw it, I was like, “Oh, this feels like a place Shane would build.” When I thought about it, it was like, he wouldn’t build a five-bedroom house. He’d build a small place for himself, and Hayden and Jackie could come up with the kids, and that’s it. It felt like the right size. It was a beautiful house, and God willing, we can go back there next year.

Jacob Tierney Explains Why the ‘Heated Rivalry’ Finale Ends Where It Does for Shane and Ilya

“There’s so much to deal with at another time…”

I feel like we could have an entirely separate conversation just about the adaptation process, and deciding which scenes to include, which to cut, what to condense, and what to combine. The ending of the finale, that last scene of Ilya and Shane, is literally them driving off into the sunset together, but I was curious about the decision to wrap the season there instead of where the book ends with the press conference, which is admittedly teed up in the episode.

TIERNEY: I don’t think the last four minutes of a TV show is the time to give you logistical information about the way a charity organization is going to work. I think books work differently than shows. When I think about the way that book ends, what I remember in my heart, without my brain or my notes, is, “They get to be happy.” And that was the thing I wanted to leave people with, that they just get to be happy. I don’t think that I needed more detail or explanation at that point. “And here’s what the charity’s going to look like.” Does that matter, ultimately? There’s so much to deal with at another time, and it just didn’t feel like the time for exposition.

Even just the decision to let that scene continue over the end credits was something that I found really moving, but also really interesting from a creative standpoint. When did you decide to just let the camera run on Hudson [Williams] and Connor [Storrie]? The sound drops out, and we’re just hearing the closing track, so was that just a matter of teeing them up and letting them do whatever they wanted in terms of ad-libbing any dialogue?

TIERNEY: I was playing the song in the studio. They were listening to the song. That was always the intention. That’s always what I wanted to do. I wanted to give us movie credits. I wanted everybody, all the actors, the crew, to see their names. I didn’t want you to be able to do the skip thing because I get it. I do the same thing too, especially if I’m binging a show. I’m like, “Go to the next episode. Go to the next episode.”

But I thought this is six one-hours it’s one story and I really wanted to make sure that I could put our credits up in a way that was engaging enough for an audience to keep watching. And I love that song. Also that way for anyone who maybe didn’t sit through them the first few times they get to read the names of people as they go by and take a look at who made the show that I hope they like.

Jacob Tierney Rewrote Shane and Yuna’s ‘Heated Rivalry’ Finale Moment More Than Once

“They needed to have a conversation, and Yuna’s such an important part of the story.”

Shane coming out to his parents with Ilya does take place in the book but after hearing you talk about almost letting your heart lead you in some of the adaptation decisions when it came to this show what did you really want to emphasize about that whole sequence — even if it wasn’t a line-for-line recreation? Specifically I’m thinking of the scene between Shane and his mother where he almost apologizes to her at first and says he tried not to be gay I’m tearing up now just saying it out loud!

TIERNEY: Like a lot of kids who think they have to be perfect for whatever reason I certainly felt that way at a certain point in my life. It’s hard to reconcile. You think you’re letting people down. It was really important to me that Shane and Yuna have a conversation period. They needed to have a conversation and Yuna’s such an important part of this story moving forward too.

I really wanted to make sure that we could understand both of them because I feel like I do. This kid loved hockey and she thought she was doing right by him every step of the way Like “Well if you love it this much you have to work as hard.” All of which is true You don’t get to be a number two draft pick in a major league sport by not working your butt off.I think there are so many ways that parents and children try to do things for each other while skipping over things that matter, and it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other and it doesn’t mean they’re not trying but it can lead to a lot of hurt. I just wanted to see Shane and Yuna have a moment.

I rewrote that scene twice while we were shooting it too because there was way more dialogue and then I was like “I hate everything.” I was just like “What are they talking about?” I knew it had to be there but it was not obvious initially what exactly should be said but then when I kind of reduced it down its bare bones truly your point I was like“When do we start crying? When does this start hitting me?” And it was when he said “I really tried.” I don’t have kids but that would hit me That would hit me really really hard.

Then they’re both such good actors They just took that made something beautiful out of it Christina Chang is such a good actor she’s been doing wonderful service in this show in these little moments I’ve read some unkind things about her character online and I think thatshe actually created such a complicated interesting woman who I’m so excited to write for into future of this show. She beyond rose to occasion in this scene.

Speaking of future which I’m sure everyone is asking you about now…

TIERNEY: The second season’s in space The third season’s underwater. [Laughs]

[Laughs] Well Season 2 would reasonably explore The Long Game. Where are you in terms of planning? Is it more broad strokes at this point?

TIERNEY: It’s broad strokes at this point I’ve had sense for while what I’ve wanted do should get opportunity do details be sorted out But yeah,The Long Game will be foundational document. Luckily we have whole universe explore with all these other books too So there’s going be some added texture as well.

Is there an ideal number seasons you have mind?

TIERNEY: kind do but don’t want say out loud don’t think romance can go indefinitely At certain point you’re doing disservice these characters by endlessly trafficking will-they-or-won’t-they think there’s expiration date But do think again because there’s universe here lots ways we can take things stories could explore would be really excited explore within this universe But what will say isHeated Rivalry, as show will always be focused around Shane and Ilya. That will be its core its heartbeat we’re not danger running out story near future.