If you tuned into episode 3 of Heated Rivalry expecting the same level of steaminess as the first two installments, you might have noticed a slight gear shift. While the episode introduced us to the adorable dynamic between Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, it turns out we missed quite a bit of the action. In fact, star François Arnaud says there was a massive amount of footage left on the cutting room floor.
Specifically, Arnaud, who plays the closeted hockey star Scott Hunter, revealed that he and his co-star Robbie G.K. filmed way more intimacy than what made it to the screen.
“There isn’t that much sex in our episode,” Arnaud pointed out in a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly. But that wasn’t for a lack of trying. “We shot a lot more than there is. I don’t know, maybe they’re saving it for later, but we shot a lot, like two days of sex scenes.”
Two whole days? That is definitely a lot of footage to leave out! However, the lack of constant smut doesn’t mean the episode lacked heart. The story takes a brief break from the main “sexcapades” of Shane and Ilya to focus on Scott’s meet-cute with Kip, a barista at a local juice shop.
Arnaud admits that this installment is a bit of a departure for the series. “It’s not as smutty as the first two,” he acknowledged. “I hope people are along for the ride. It’s a gear shift for the show. It’s a bit of a bubble [episode], but then I think it certainly has an influence on how the other episodes play out.”
Interestingly, Arnaud had some preconceptions before joining the cast. He confessed that he initially thought the show might just be “soft porn.” But, after getting into the work, he realized the series “turns it on its head.”
When it came to filming those now-missing sex scenes with Robbie G.K., the vibe was very specific. They weren’t just going for heat; they wanted authenticity. “We knew we wanted it to be sweet, sometimes clumsy, joyful, and easy, and not for an audience,” Arnaud explained, describing the process as “respectful but not precious.”
So, while we didn’t get to see every single moment of Scott and Kip’s “steamy relationship” just yet, there is always hope for the future. As Arnaud teased, maybe the showrunners are just keeping that footage in their back pocket for later in the season. We can certainly hope so!