When characters serve more than one purpose
When film characters serve more than one purpose
A peak into Kip's heart and mind
There is a point in a film or series when one thing clicks for me from the subtext and then everything shakes loose from that. (Well, mostly.) Strangely, Kip apologizing to his dad at the end of “Hunter” episode 3 started my whole subtext hyper-fixation with Heated Rivalry.
Despite what my family may say, I do not approach all films with the intent to unravel all of the layers of subtext within it. I might catch a couple of pieces of subtext during a watch, and share out, or not. But most films are not interesting enough for me to give it that much energy. Or, I just don’t watch that much film to begin with. Either way, nothing has caught my subtext attention, or the world’s, quite like Heated Rivalry.
(However, I have been warned on multiple occasions to keep mum about subtext because it ruins the experience. Oops.)
What’s so important about Kip apologizing and hugging his loving father? Inherently, it’s not very interesting at all beyond the fact that very few fathers are presented in film as loving parents to their queer male children. Usually, fathers are very disappointed or down-right abusive to their gay sons. On the flip side, the moms are more often presented as the loving and accepting parent.
This may or may not be true in real life. Film isn’t real life. Each character is crafted by a screenwriter, then a director, then an actor, and, lastly, an editor. So, if a dad in a film abuses his gay son, many hands have been a part of making that character abusive. Jacob Tierney, the screen writer and director of Heather Rivalry, did not disappoint in this department when he made Kip’s dad.
George Grady, Kip’s dad, played by Matt Gordon, represents what every queer person wants in a dad. Well, maybe, everyone in the world. He continually supports and cheers on Kip, proudly professing his love for Kip and demanding that love to be reciprocated. He’s not disappointed in Kip’s lack of a steady job and only provides encouragement and confidence in Kip when he applies for scholarships for graduate school. While we never get a coming-out story between those two considering the short time we see Kip on screen I imagine George would have enveloped Kip in a hug and said “Son, you are so brave to tell me. I love you no matter what. What do you want for dinner?” Nothing more was necessary to discuss and George’s unapologetic devotion to his son meant he probably already knew before Kip even said anything. (Kip’s dad isn’t named in the film series but he IS named in the book, “Game Changer”, by Rachel Reid.)
(I originally posted this on Substack and it's weird. I was taught to underline book titles but you can’t underline anything in Substack. Quotation marks it is.)
If you are a Heated Rivalry film loyalist, you may not know that the book, “Game Changer”, explores Scott’s and Kip’s story and jumpstarts the six, soon to be seven, book series dedicated to this universe that includes Ilya and Shane. Rachel Reid spent time creating a cozy family of four for Kip to include both of his parents, Margaret and George, and a supportive sister, Megan. Clearly there was not enough time in one episode to develop the believable romantic relationship between Kip and Scott AND forge that strong family bond. Or, was there?
Tierney gave Kip time to develop relationships with his friends and coworkers. So, why not his actual family beyond his dad and maybe limit screen time from one of his friends instead? About choosing to not include Kip’s mother as a character, Tierney has said “It wasn’t in the budget” or “I just didn’t have the time in the script.” (I don’t recall the actual interview he said this in. Please drop it in the comments if you remember.) I call this a lie, respectfully.
And, directors and show runners do lie in interviews all of the time. They lie for many reasons and, I’ve said before in other articles, that the lies aren’t meant to harm. They lie because it would take too long to describe the subtext in most interviews. Most people don’t think about subtext outright even if they can subconsciously feel there is more to a scene or character despite not fully understand why. Literal interpretations of subtext could take away from the popularity or digestibility of a film or series (this is here to honor my family because I don’t think it does). And, part of a filmmaker’s art is for others to interpret it on their own, which I do here a lot. Sometimes I’m sure incorrectly but that is why art captivates so many. We can all take something different away from the experience and no one’s experience or interpretation outweighs another.
George serves more than one purpose in this film and this multipurpose character is the reason why Kip’s mom isn’t included. Yes, George is Kip’s dad but he tells us more about Kip than what we see with our eyes and ears. This is where the magic of storytelling really gets interesting if you know what to look for. And, that apology at the end of the episode created the push in the domino effect that is my film subtext spidy-sense for this series.
In order to describe what I think George reveals to us about Kip, we need to look at another book and film series that most of us have heard of. And, if you’re my age, you might have spent most of your young adult life enjoying one book release after another and one movie release after another from this dominating franchise that is Harry Potter.
Despite the current narrative of ‘love the art, not the artist’ and a fair amount of critics who believe She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is in fact a terrible writer, the story resonated with kids all over the world creating a cultural phenomenon around books that had never been witnessed before. Although writers of children’s and youth books were common before this series, the importance of this genre was not taken as seriously until that point in when Harry Potter franchise took over the zeitgeist. Since then this genre has exploded into relevance. And, if anything good can come from this series is that publishers are now paying attention and our youth are afforded a similar range of stories adults are given exploring the same array of emotions and difficulties to overcome.
The story is based on a boy, Harry, who befriends in his first year at a magical boarding school, two unlikely friends, Hermione and Ron. Hermione’s bookishness, rule-following behavior, and slightly anxious tendencies annoy her friends but get them out of tough spots time and time again. While Ron’s goofy grin, intense loyalty, and relaxed nature balance the trio when tensions heighten. Most often these two characters are at odds with each other when faced with adversity. While they respect each other, they are more loyal to Harry in the beginning and it takes time before they begin to truly see themselves as friends too. But, whether Hermione and Ron are friends or not, Harry can’t conquer the evil in their world without them. They are with him until the very end credits in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Picture from: Elite Magazine
Hermione and Ron are integral to this story just as much as Harry is. But, they aren’t just his friends. They represent so much more to inform us of who Harry is at his core; Because authors and screenwriters use all elements of the story and film to tell us something about the main protagonist. What are these two characters to Harry besides his best friends? They represent his Heart and Mind.
What better way to show us what a character thinks and feels than by using the other characters around them? Books don’t always have reliable narrators and film doesn’t usually offer the platform for inner monologues. So these extra characters give us the information we can’t get otherwise about our main protagonist. What boggles me is how authors and filmmakers both can make incredibly believable supporting characters that have their own stories, feelings, ideas, goals, and interests and that somehow also reveal information about the main character. What an art form!!
More recently streaming platforms have lowered the bar in audience attention by narrating the story. They literally tell us what is happening and how the character feels about it almost like we’re reading their journal. I fear the chicken or the egg conundrum exists here. Are we not paying attention enough to film by looking at other screens so we need the filmmakers to spoon feed us? Or, do we need the filmmakers to spoon feed us because the stories so boring, we’re looking at other screens?
Whichever it is, Tierney does not spoon feed us. We have to watch the screen to understand everything the characters in Heated Rivalry experience and how the supporting characters reveal information about our main protagonists.
Heart and Mind characters have been used in film and written words for ages, way before we got all distracted or stories stopped being original. The author of Harry Potter created Hermione to show us how and what Harry thinks and Ron to show us how and what Harry’s heart feels.
(Do I capitalize those words: heart and mind? This whole ‘not being a writer’ thing but also being somewhat of a perfectionist frustrates me to no end. Apologies if I inconsistently capitalize or don’t those words.)
Most often in film male characters will represent the Mind because for so long we’ve associated analytical thinking with men. Conversely female characters in film more often represent the Heart because they are perceived to be more emotional and less able to think rationally. And since filmmakers have mostly been men, those stereotypes linger even today. Considering our current state of affairs, I think it’s best we dispel with those notions. When it comes to our leaders, men are incredibly emotional and irrational. Women, on the other hand, more often make policies that help us all and don’t start wars.
We could go into how many critics think Hermione is bossy, a know-it-all and rude. But, we all know a boy in that same role would be described as assertive, smart, and direct. Since Hermione is a ‘she’ and not a ‘he’ this girl is subject to both hatred in the book series and in the fandom. But, that is another article for a different writer and probably already written in a different time.
When I started to write this article and kicking around what characters I could use that represent Heart and Mind characters that most of us would recognize (thank you for that idea Tanya), I started to think about which scenes in the Harry Potter film series might show this dynamic the best without having to go into the Voldemort story. Which, to be fair, is why Harry Potter, the boy, exists in the first place. For those of us not familiar with this series though, diving into that part of Harry’s journey isn’t necessary to finding clues to the true Harry. My mind jumped to Hermione’s and Ron’s love interests in the film.
Hermione briefly dates a professional athlete whose name is Viktor, young enough to still be a student but talented enough to play on a team for the magical sport of Quidditch. He is broody, quiet, and aloof. He’s not known for his intellectual abilities (which is not to say that is a character flaw) yet knows his way around being used by people in powerful positions. They don’t seem like a match made in heaven but he is the first boy who sees her for someone who is not just the top-of-the-class, smarty pants that everyone else sees and who happens to be friends with Harry. They eventually go their separate ways but manage to stay in touch over the years.
Ron also briefly dates someone a little closer in age to him, Lavender. But, she’s insincere with her affections, attention-seeking, the jealous type, and smothering. Ron sees no way of extricating himself from this clearly one-sided infatuation and basically ignores her until she finally gives up on him. He really did her wrong by not outright admitting his lack of feelings towards her.
So, how do these two characters inform us more about Harry? We have to suspend the rational belief that Harry is actually Hermione or Ron because he is not. Hermione represents his mind; Ron his heart.
In the case of Hermione, Harry does not want to date this male athlete. He, for what we know, likes girls only. But, knowing that Hermione represents what he thinks, we know that Harry would not do well romantically with someone who embodies the same characteristics as Viktor. Viktor isn’t very interesting beyond his abilities in Quidditch and Hermione loses romantic interest in him because well, he’s basically an attractive meat sack of Quidditch. Harry would need to be with someone who is thoughtful, has conversations with him, and has more than just Quidditch in common with him. Though, we can assume Quidditch will play some role in her life. (If you’re a fan and are tracking who Harry DOES date, you’ll know that both of the girls are incredibly capable at Quidditch.)
Equally, Harry would not match well with the likes of someone as needy as Lavender which is the exact opposite of Viktor. Ron can’t handle her over-the-top gushings over him. At first, her attention makes him feel wanted and popular, both of which he struggles with being a child of seven at home and always overshadowed by Harry and Hermione at school. Over time though, her affections become overbearing and theatrically fake. Harry’s heart really can’t take her obsession or insincerity anymore. But, his heart does not have the courage to dump her outright knowing it would hurt her. Harry would need someone who can exist independently from him, show him an appropriate amount of affection (which he would return equally) and see him as Harry and not some hero of this magical world. (Again, if you’re tracking who Harry dates, they both have these qualities.)
The last film in which I dug into the subtext with my friend was Femme (2023) by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. Unlike, The Great Flood (2025) mentioned in another article about what water represents in film, I highly recommend Femme if you can get your hands on it if subtext piques your interest. Just make sure you read the summary before watching it if you have certain hesitations. What jumped out to me first and foremost in Femme was the use of the Heart and Mind characters too. The female flatmate represents the main protagonist’s mind and the male flatmate represents his heart. Have you noticed this pairing in any other film or book? Drop them in the comments if you do.
Let’s get back to Heated Rivalry and Kip. So, have you figured out who George is yet? We didn’t just get through four pages of Heart and Mind character analysis if he wasn’t one of those. Kip’s dad is Kip’s heart. And, I literally tear up every time I think about that apology at the end of the episode. We need to get through a couple of scenes to really stick this point though because it’s important to verify our theory with more evidence. And, while scenes with George are short and sparse I think we can get enough out of them to support this claim.
First and foremost, George is Kip’s number one fan. George pumps up Kip often, offering him support like any good dad should by remembering where his dry cleaning is for work, encouraging him to stay positive about his application status for grad school, and just hanging out with him watching hockey. Except he isn’t just Kip’s dad. He gives Kip the time and grace to figure out his future in his own time choosing his own path. As any good heart, I mean dad, should.
When Kip and Scott start dating, Scott asks Kip to keep their relationship a secret because gay sex can’t happen in hockey. Scott promises that one day when he retires, he will come out and he and Kip can be together like other ‘normal people’. In hiding their relationship, Kip keeps so much from his supportive and loving network. One night, in Scott’s very dark apartment, we see Kip on the phone with his dad. George admits that he misses his son because Kip hasn’t been around. It seems like Kip hasn’t been checking in with his heart as often as he should. But, his heart continues to reach out to Kip in order to get through everything that Kip is struggling with right now.
(Those two links above are articles already written in this blog that will help you understand other pieces of subtext in this show but are not necessary to understand this particular concept.)
At the end of their phone conversation his dad says “I love you.” When Kip doesn’t respond in kind but not unkindly, George pushes Kip to say in return “I love you”. Kip finally does say “I love you” to his dad and George jokes “I’m sorry that was such a struggle.” So, Kip’s heart is saying, “Hey, remember me? I’m here. But, you’re ignoring me. You’re struggling to remember to love your heart. You’re not being true to who you are by engaging in this secret relationship. Remember, to love yourself first no matter what and no matter what it costs you.” George doesn’t know about Scott but Kip’s heart does. Through his promise to Scott to keep their relationship a secret, Kip turns his back on the foundations of his life: being authentic to himself by being out and proud to include the family and friends who lovingly support him.
This conversation happens at a time in the episode where we can see Kip starting to question his choices around Scott. Peter Peter’s sorrowful composition, Young and Restless II, hangs over several shots of just Kip trying to figure out where he fits in all of this. What better way than to check in with your heart to see what you should do. And, your heart just said “I love you and you need to love yourself too.” We see Kip slowly come to the conclusion that their love affair has to end as it exists in its current state. And, Scott unknowingly kills their relationship by refusing to join Kip, even if pretending as a friend and not a lover, for his small birthday celebration at a gay bar surrounded by Kip’s friends. Kip didn’t trap Scott there intentionally but that moment of refusal reveals to Kip that their relationship will indefinitely remain closeted. And, in that moment Kip decides to choose his heart above all, no matter the cost.
We aren’t done yet with George and we’ll get back to that apology scene. That’ll be the last scene to dissect because that was the first domino for me. I want to finish where I began.
You might be wondering if Kip’s dad is his heart, who then is Kip’s mind? One person in Kip’s world pushes him to consider everything, doesn’t allow him to lamely answer hard questions, and even thinks for him when Kip sort of goes offline sitting with his mouth gaping open. Does that ring a bell?
Yup, Elena. Elena is Kip’s mind.
Once I realized what George represented for Kip, it took no time at all to figure out Elena. Because, rarely will a filmmaker create a Heart character without the equally important, informative, and sometimes antagonistic to the heart, Mind character. And, this next scene was the first one I thought of that Elena clicked in place for me as his mind. Though, I’d say the heart and mind characters share the same goal if for different reasons.
Has anyone counted the number of times Elena has to jab Kip in the ribs at the hockey game to jumpstart Kip to respond to Scott’s covert flirting? Whenever Scott interacts with Kip I can almost see a loading symbol rotating over Kip’s face. He doesn’t get it. It’s as if his thoughts scramble and he can’t put them together or formulate appropriate responses. He doesn’t get that Scott is flirting with him and Elena, his mind, has to think for him. This is Scott Hunter after all, famous hockey star, philanthropist and hot (we’ve seen that 6 pack under that skin-tight workout shirt). And, what are the chances that he’s gay?! There are no gay hockey players! Kip probably misreads all of the flirty signs because Scott is too perfect. Elena has to process that Scott looks up at them in the stands, waves, and expects some sort of recognition in return as he doesn’t skate away until Kip waves back. Because why else did Scott offer the tickets and why else did Kip take them?
Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/
Like good subtext students we have to verify our theory about this character too and make sure all of the scenes and interactions with this character fit nicely into that theory. Since Elena has so few scenes, we can basically look at them all.
There are two Kingfisher bar scenes with just Kip and Elena. The Kingfisher is not named in the film series that I can recall but it is named in the book series. This is not a bar in a club, this is the sort of sports bar with booths. So, they can have takeout (from another restaurant!) and talk about their lives.
The first scene Kip crushes on Scott but it takes Elena’s cunning to prompt Kip to adjust his work schedule so that the next home game Kip will be working when Scott would stop by the Straw + Berry to get another one of those smoothies. Kip just accepted defeat that he had a day off on the next possible opportunity to see Scott. Elena was not willing to allow Kip to miss out on this opportunity. But, he couldn’t figure it out. Honestly, he seems a little dense here. She looked up when the next home game was and encouraged him to switch shifts with a coworker to be present at the shop that next time Scott was sure to stop by. Oh, Kip. You just lose all logical thought when Scott flashes that smile at you.
Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/
The second bar scene with Elena begins Kip’s doubts about his relationship with Scott. She susses out quickly Kip is in love with Scott, that they are in a secret relationship, that Kip is lying to his dad (and has been lying to her for over 2 months) about said relationship and there is no plan for Scott to come out anytime soon which by default shoves Kip in the closet. The friend that she is points out all of the red flags in such a way that the wheels start turning in Kip’s mind and every gesture from Scott now seems tainted. Not that Scott’s gestures aren’t genuine but that no matter how in love Scott is with Kip and Kip with Scott, Scott isn’t coming out anytime soon and Kip knows he will be forever miserable hiding parts of himself.
If you haven’t read the Mirrors are for hiding article yet, I highly recommend you do. We talk about the ways Tierney uses mirrors to show characters hiding their true selves and Kip is rarely seen in front of a mirror. While Scott hangs out in front of a big mirror for a very long shot.
But, Heart and Mind characters don’t have to just talk to the person they’re representing. They are living, breathing human beings who can walk (um, dance) around with other characters in the story. Which brings us to the scene at the fundraiser where Elena feeds Scott some morsels of reality.
Is that the same as the ‘shovel-talk’? This term never showed up in my life growing up so I’m never really sure what that means.
At first we see Elena and Kip standing together at a high-top table. Kip seems incredibly nervous while downing his flute of champagne to calm his nerves (which also allows Kip to hide behind performative heterosexuality). It’s clear Elena is annoyed with Kip’s nervousness. I expect she thinks he should be more confident in himself. She is, after all, just that - confident. And, why be nervous?
If Elena is Kip’s mind he’s being awfully harsh on himself. Because, we consistently see Kip nervous in public with Scott. More like, we see Kip nervous about how Scott might react to having Kip around and the possibility of his (you choose who I’m talking about here) homosexuality showing. He never wants to be the person who accidentally outs Scott.
Queer people definitely don’t do that on purpose and go to great lengths to not out anyone accidentally either. Everyone has to tell their own story in their own time. Scott knows this but, for some insurance, actually asks Kip to keep his secret in exchange for the promise of being out later. ‘Later’ because he perceives that his whole livelihood depends on keeping this secret. Kip will always honor that unspoken expectation in queer communities but also promises to honor Scott’s request. Kip is understandably under a lot of pressure. He should be gentler with himself.
So, if Elena is annoyed about Kip’s behavior that means Kip is equally nervous about this evening and annoyed about his behavior too. This tension will come up later in the dance between Elena and Scott.
As Scott approaches, Kip loses his tongue again. Did anyone see that loading symbol on Kip’s forehead? No? Well, Elena does and takes the reins of the conversation when Kip can’t seem to think of anything to say to Scott. She essentially forces them to chat by calling out their inability to chat.
Can we wonder together about something? Why do we think Elena insists on introducing Kip as ‘Christopher’? By introducing him as ‘Christopher’ does Elena insist Scott not relegate Kip to some sort of minor character status in his life? I almost wrote ‘infantilize’ but that’s not the vibe really. Scott doesn’t infantilize Kip but he doesn’t always give Kip equal say in their relationship. Does she do that to remind Scott that Kip is just as important as Scott? Because that is basically what the dance is about. Let’s hold that thought about their dance.
It seems like Elena, Kip’s mind, is saying “Look, the established pattern here is that we are not equals and we need to correct that imbalance.” Maybe a plea from ‘Christopher’ who looks hot in a tux will be taken more seriously than one from Kip the smoothie barista. If ‘Christopher’ can play dress-up and look just as handsome as Scott can, then they are equals and should have the same input in how their relationship unfolds.
Stepping back into the dialogue, Elena offers to get them both that drink to allow them space to start talking because maybe, she thinks, they will start chatting once she leaves. And, ironically, she knows what Kip and Scott both want to drink even though she’s never met Scott because, well, Kip’s mind knows what his boyfriend likes to drink. So Elena knows what Scott likes to drink. And, by Elena leaving, we can assume that Kip puts aside those pesky thoughts he’s recently been having because he just wants to have a nice night out supporting his secret boyfriend in a part of Scott’s life that is important to him.
Once she leaves Kip and Scott do chat awkwardly which eventually smooths out until Elena interrupts them and asks Scott to dance before they both leave for their after-party celebration (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.). This is one of those scenes that beautifully contrast their desire to be together and the forces they think that keep them a secret. (Because there is no gay sex in hockey.) What we see is Kip’s unrealized desire to dance with Scott. What we get is a scene laden with subtext. The real Kip watches from the wall as his boyfriend dances with his beautiful best friend. He looks miserable! But, Kip’s mind, or Elena, finally locks in mustering up the courage to have this serious talk with Scott.
While we don’t yet understand the importance of this episode 3 scene in the context of how it will play out for Shane and Ilya, there is more subtext in this scene beyond the ‘Sunshine’ line. (Because, sometimes when I write, concepts become more clear and ideas crystalize.)
This ‘dance’ is Kip’s mind dancing around Scott’s inability to see Kip for who he really is. Scott loves Kip but the catch is Scott loves Kip for what Kip does for Scott too. Kip provides him with a loving relationship he has craved for years but has not allowed himself due to his career: Someone who cares for him, is easily accessible, smart, fun, attractive and understanding about Scott’s need for discretion.
Now, I don’t deny that Scott loves Kip with his whole heart. He absolutely does love Kip as fully as he can right now. But, is that enough for Kip? I would say, no. What does this look like for Kip in return?
Kip needs Scott to see what Scott should do for Kip. Scott should either come out to the world so Kip can lead a happy and healthy life or he should let Kip go. Elena, Kip’s mind, uses this dance metaphorically to get Scott to understand the reality of the imbalance between them. He can’t say it to Scott’s face outright because Scott wouldn’t see it. He would defend his stance and status as the one in the relationship who can demand this discretion. Also, from Scott’s perspective, Kip’s life has markedly improved by their relationship; a nice apartment away from his childhood home, lavish gifts, no worry about financial instability anymore, access to expensive food, etc. What more could Kip want? If Kip can bring Scott to understand Kip’s position by ‘dancing around’ the concept of Kip deserving more than these surface-level benefits, then Scott might be more willing to see Kip’s suffering. Scott has to come to this realization on his own with a little nudge from Kip’s mind.
Can we agree that if Scott takes Kip away from Kip’s dad’s home by offering his place to stay that Scott asks Kip to stop accessing his own heart? If Kip isn’t listening to his heart then he won’t see that this relationship hurts Kip more than Kip bargains for.
Back to the dance - did you notice how Scott does a fair bit of twirling and dipping Elena before they even start dancing? She even laughs at his cute antics. He’s taking control of their dance, showing her a good time. How does that compare to Skip? Kip and Scott do a fair bit of smiling and laughing when they fall madly in love with each other. Scott takes control of their relationship, showing Kip a good time, wooing Kip with his money, infatuation, and ease between them. This twirling fun all happens before Elena lays out how Kip feels. As they find their rhythm in the dance, this represents the time in which Kip and Scott fall into an easy rhythm in their day to day life. And, even though they are madly in love with each other, the toll of keeping their relationship a secret starts to wear on Kip. This easy pace in the dance is where Kip decide to be honest and where Elena digs in:
- Asking hard questions,
“So. What are your intentions with my Kip?’ She’s really trying to get to the bottom of what their relationship is because Kip has just now started to question whether he’s making a good choice or not.
- Telling hard truths to Scott,
“He’s crazy about you. He’s also miserable.” Scott looks so confused. How could Kip be miserable with this relationship? “Nobody wants to be kept a secret.” “He’s not!” “He is!” “Eyes on me handsome.”
Scott confesses that he loves Kip and he’s doing his best. As in whatever Scott offers Kip has to be good enough. The line “Eyes on me handsome” seems like a plea to Scott to not look away from this hard truth. “Pay attention to me because I need you to hear this.”
- And, demanding a better reality for them both.
Kip’s mind says “And, he’s so in love with you that he’ll put up with it. But, it’s killing him. I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m really not. And, you seem great. But, he’s great too. He deserves the best. He deserves sunshine. And, so do you.”
Until at the end when they actually stop dancing all together. He has to really look at and listen to what Elena says about Kip. Because he’s clearly been oblivious to Kip’s suffering or he realizes it and is unwilling to change. Which is worse? To be honest, he truly seems shocked by what she tells him which means he was oblivious to Kip’s distress.
What is telling of Kip’s characters is that he understands Scott’s position:“I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m really not.” One gay man can understand another gay man’s hesitation about coming out especially if Scott believes coming out in hockey would be the end of his career. Kip isn’t mad that Scott to come out and Kip doesn’t want Scott to do something Scott isn’t comfortable doing. But, Kip needs Scott to know that he deserves equal or greater status in Scott’s life than hockey: “He deserves the best. He deserves sunshine.” And, if Scott can’t come out, then Kip will probably leave. Kip really understands that might be their reality. But, Kip doesn’t want to leave. He wants Scott to come out too. The closet steals so much joy from lives and Kip wants Scott to step out of the closet for Scott’s own sake, not just Kip’: “And, so do you.” It is easy to understand why so many fans of this series love this particular episode. Kip’s endearing nature, his staunch confidence in his sexuality, and the supportive network he created are the envy of even the most well-adjusted person.
This last part where Elena demands a better reality for them both is not fully realized yet as it lays over a scene of Scott getting into a limo by himself and picking Kip up at the back entrance. The truth of what Elena lays out for Scott does not seem to hit Scott until he gets into that limo alone and sits in the discomfort of what he’s about to do. He’s about to pick up Kip separately instead of getting into the limo together for everyone to see. And Kip still worries he might accidentally out Scott. He looks left and right before entering the limo to make sure no one watches him climb in.
What’s even worse is later we see a flashback in which Scott in his speech can’t even hint to the party guests that there is more to Scott than hockey. “Hockey is everything” he says to those rich donors. And, while this really sells the story of why they should donate more to this organization to support youth in hockey that might not be able to afford it, it tells the TV audience and Kip that Kip isn’t even a blip on Scott’s radar of importance. Whatever hockey demands will always supersede what Kip needs and deserves. He knows his place.
This whole dance encapsulates their romantic relationship from the beginning of episode 3 through episode 5. At first it’s fun (Scott twirls Elena around and even dips her!). Then cracks start to show because of how trapped and invisible Kip feels in this relationship (once they find their rhythm the reality starts to set in). And, the relationship finally stops right after this fundraiser scene (Elena and Scott stop dancing) because Scott still doesn’t understand the imbalance. Or, he does but does not have the courage to change anything in their relationship. While the hockey game scene in episode 5 implies they are back together, I think because their dance ends at a stand-still and how the shots cut to them later getting into the limo separately, we can assume their relationship reaches a stalemate somewhere between the end of episode 3 and the end of episode 5. Though, we never really see how their dance ends, no longer are they growing together. They are stuck until Scott changes or acquiesces to Kip’s realistic expectations.
I’m still so thankful that Tierney let Kip leave Scott. Scott has some growing up to do.
So, if Elena introduced Kip as ‘Christopher’ did this help Scott finally ‘see’ Kip for what he is worth? Definitely not during the fundraiser because boy did we all feel that slap in the face when Scott says hockey is everything to him with his secret boyfriend standing right there in front of everyone. We also don’t get any sort of recognition of this in the scene after the fundraiser when Scott refuses to come to Kip’s birthday party at a gay bar. Scott really doesn’t seem to get it until ‘Christopher’ leaves him that night.
Or, maybe identifying himself as ‘Christopher’, Kip finally recognizes his own self-worth and musters up the courage to leave.
Authors take great care when naming characters. In this odd position where Reid created the story and characters while Tierney adds scenes and more meaning to these characters in the film, I think he correctly leaned into the importance of Elena in Kip’s life when he expanded her role. Elena’s name means ‘shining light’. She is the light by which Kip follows. She is foundational to his existence and she, his mind, finally stood up for him against Scott. What a great fit.
Tierney knows how to write a female character and Nadine Bhabha, who plays Elena, really came through! We are going to eventually tackle more of these powerful female characters later. Tierney uses them to further these character’s lives but also adds deeper layers to how we understand Shane and Ilya.
Picture from: https://heated-rivalry.com/heated-rivalry-season-one/
I debated on adding this shot above but eventually did add it because its Kip’s heart and mind flanking him at the most pivotable scene in this whole series.
At the end of episode 5 “I’ll Believe in Anything” Scott Hunter comes back on the scene to win the World Cup. He apparently invited Kip to this important game and gave him extra tickets to attend with anyone he chooses. We, the audience, aren’t privy to where Kip and Scott are in their relationship. But, I would guess they came to some new place of understanding and maybe even started seeing each other again with very specific expectations outlined by Kip for their future. Because he left for a very specific reason and we all hope he only re-enters into a relationship with Scott under very specific conditions. Also, why else would Kip be at that game if it wasn’t important to both Scott and Kip to be there. Additionally, would Scott know where to look in the audience if Kip wasn’t the recipient of his personal tickets?
As Scott’s team wins the Cup, Elena, his mind, consoles him. She knows that Kip might struggle with not being accepted on the ice to celebrate with Scott and the other families. But, can also acknowledge Kip’s pride in his boyfriend’s (?) accomplishment.
But, dad, his heart, is a different story because, George does’t know they’re in a relationship. He observes his son react emotionally to this win when he should just be joyful like other fans. He sees his son staring affectionately at Scott Hunter on the ice. Dad curiously thinks, “What is going on? My son is staring at this man as if they are something to each other even though I’m not aware of it. Wait a second! Why do we have such good seats?!” I have no idea about that last part but can you imagine what George thinks in the moment?
The audience knows that George has no idea that Scott and Kip were together or even are possibly together right now. His reaction as a dad is valid from our perspective if you didn’t know his true purpose in this show as Kip’s heart. Is Kip happy that someone significant to Kip on the ice just won? Because, the only people winning are men. George knows that Kip is gay but not that he is dating a hockey player. Could Kip be secretly dating a hockey player? Specifically Scott Hunter?
His reaction as a heart character is a little more complicated. I think his heart here is curious about why Kip is so emotional. His heart checks in with Kip to see if this is something to be happy or sad about. As a fully realized character, Kip can express both happiness that Scott won and sadness that he still sits in the stands as if just a fan. Seconds later though George smiles towards Kip as Scott beckons Kip onto the ice. That smile indicates that Kip’s heart IS happy because Kip can go onto the ice to celebrate with Scott at his side as his partner. Kip’s heart finally knows their relationship is going to be okay. In fact, more than okay as Kip stumbles down the path to get onto the ice which ends in a kiss with Scott for the whole world to see. Kip finally gets everything he deserves and so does Scott. No more confusion from the heart character. They finally get their sunshine!
When I started this article, I didn’t expect to tease more layers out of the dance scene. That really caught me by surprise. I knew that Kip’s mind needed to lay out the reality of the situation to Scott but I didn’t catch that the dance also represented their entire relationship we see on screen minus the kiss in episode 5. Additionally, Kip’s mind metaphorically ‘dances’ around Scott’s ego to get his point across. Three meanings in one: brilliant. Any additional subtext discovery is a welcome find even if it makes the article longer than I intended and a later release date than intended.
Notably, as mentioned before, we don’t see two female characters in Kip’s life that are present in the book: Kip’s mom and sister. Tierney knew he had to show us as many layers as possible of Kip in the limited amount of screen time we have with Kip by utilizing Heart and Mind characters. If Tierney leaned too heavily into his family, there wouldn’t be enough time to show us his friends and vice versa. So, Tierney showed us a fuller picture of Kip as a happy gay man in a supportive community by using one family member, dad, and one friend, Elena, as Heart and Mind characters. Which is why I, respectfully, accused Tierney of lying about why we don’t see Kip’s mom (or sister) in the show. They wouldn’t have given us much more information about Kip and Tierney needed every second of screen time in episode 3 to show us how amazing Kip is. This is one reason book to film adaptations are changed. Not, every reason though.
Let’s end at the beginning: that apology. Kip leaves Scott at their apartment after Scott won’t even consider attending Kip’s birthday party at the gay bar. He wanders around the city finally ending up back at his childhood home. George meets him at the door and proceeds to catch him up on the mail delivery which he knows Kip has been asking for. Kip doesn’t respond as he expected which stops George’s rambling and he quickly assess the situation. His son comes home after weeks of staying at ‘Elena’s place’ wearing a suit that isn’t Kip’s with the bowtie undone. Kip can’t even say anything. We know he’s probably on the brink of tears even if George doesn’t but he can tell something is very wrong. This dad is incredibly in tune with his son.
Dad: “Hey, my boy. Come here. What’s up?”
Without even saying anything to his dad, Kip falls into George’s welcoming arms. He begins to cry even before they make contact.
Dad: “Oh, hey!”
Kip: “I’m sorry.”
Dad: “For what? You have nothing to be sorry for silly.”
Excuse me? What?!
Now that we know that George represents Kip’s heart, here we have Kip realizing where he went wrong. He had been ignoring his heart. Remember he was physically living separately from his heart only checking in sporadically by phone. On the phone we hear George insist Kip call him more and remember that dad loves him and to remember to love dad in return (his heart is saying to love himself). Kip had been pushing his heart away because his love for Scott outshone the harm done to Kip until it didn’t. Until Elena, Kip’s mind, took Scott for a dance instead of the other way around. Kip had to connect with both his mind and heart to remember his true self. He let his mind finally in by telling Scott he needed more. Now he has to apologize to himself, his heart, his dad for not remembering his worth.
And, his heart forgives him just like that. Dad says to Kip that he didn’t need to apologize. Dad understood his absence and isn’t mad about it. No questions asked! We love George here. We love Kip here, too. Yes, we do.
So, yeah. That’s the scene where the subtext began to reveal itself, the apology. Layer after layer of subtext fell into place like pieces of a puzzle that is this show Heated Rivalry. And, while we didn’t end up at the cottage, we will eventually get there again.
If you had to pick for my next writing topic, would you like to read about what Alexei represents or Svetlana? They’re both new concepts and entirely different uses in film we haven’t discussed yet. Or, Rose Landry? The sky is the limit.