Heated Rivalry Star Unpacks the Episode 3 Moment That Cut Scott to the Core
Heated Rivalry’s third episode left hearts in pieces, and François Arnaud is pulling back the curtain. The actor behind New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter dissects the devastating twist and the fault lines between Scott and Kip.
Episode 3 of Heated Rivalry is the kind of TV gut punch that sneaks up on you. Francois Arnaud — yes, the Canadian actor from Midnight, Texas — talked through what his character, New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter, is actually thinking during that mess of a breakup with Kip. Spoiler: it hurts because it makes sense.
Scott and Kip: the good, the bad, the breakup
In the episode, Scott accidentally stumbles into a relationship with Kip (played by Robbie G.K.), a guy who works at a smoothie shop. Things move fast in the cute, rom-com way: they fall for each other, and then they move in together. And then, very quickly, the easy part is over.
Scott won’t come out. He’s the captain of a pro hockey team; that locker room is his family, and he’s deeply attached to it. He thinks he can keep his personal life sealed off, stay in love, and keep his career vibes intact. To him, that double life feels manageable — until it very clearly isn’t.
Arnaud says Scott honestly believes he’s emotionally available and that love should be enough for now. But he admits Scott gets selfish, wrapped up in his own feelings, not really clocking how much it’s grinding Kip down. It takes Kip’s best friend, Elena, spelling out just how miserable Kip is for it to land for Scott. By the time it does, the damage is already baked in.
The moment that breaks him
"He wants to be ready, but he understands he’s not ready. He has to let the person he loves go because he loves him — and he does."
That’s Arnaud on the scene that ends the relationship. It’s not a dramatic twist so much as a painfully honest one: Scott isn’t there yet, and pretending he is would only make it worse.
Why he can’t step out of the shadow — yet
Arnaud, who’s 40, lays out Scott’s mindset pretty cleanly: this is a guy who has poured most of his life into hockey, and it’s paid him back in real ways. But coming out, at least right now, feels like a line he just can’t cross. That choice doesn’t protect him; it eats him alive. He knows what he’s losing.
- They meet when Scott sparks a low-key romance with Kip at a smoothie shop.
- They fall hard and move in fast.
- Scott keeps his sexuality private, convinced he can split the difference between love and career.
- Elena (Kip’s best friend) forces Scott to see how much it’s hurting Kip.
- Scott ends it because he loves Kip, not because he doesn’t.
- The wedge between them is Scott’s secrecy and his devotion to his hockey family — a combination he isn’t ready to untangle.
Where to watch
Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.