Christina Chang has shared an inspirational message for parents of LGBTQIA+ children.
On 26 December, Heated Rivalry fans were finally treated to the highly anticipated season one finale.
Titled ‘The Cottage,’ the episode follows Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) as they travel to the former’s cottage for an intimate holiday away from the spotlight.
As you can imagine, the episode featured an array of heartwarming and emotional moments, including Ilya opening up about his late mother’s tragic suicide and the two lovebirds finally admitting their love for one another.
Unfortunately, the duo’s romantic getaway takes a dramatic turn the following afternoon when Shane’s dad, David (Dylan Walsh), catches them kissing.
After having a proper freakout, the couple drives to Shane’s parents’ house to come clean about their relationship and sexualities.
Despite facing some unavoidable awkwardness, Shane and Ilya were embraced by the former’s parents by the end of the episode, with the latter even scheduling time to come over for dinner.
Since its release, the finale has been praised by fans and critics alike, with many lauding Yuna and Shane’s heartwarming conversation.
During the exchange, Shane apologises to his mother for not coming out sooner, saying he tried but was unable to do it.
Fortunately, Yuna stopped Shane mid-speech to tell him he had nothing to apologise for, adding that she was sorry she made him feel like he couldn’t open up to her.
In a recent interview with Variety, Chang discussed the touching moment and the energy she wanted her character to convey.
“You do actually have a choice how to love somebody, and sometimes it’s a split-second decision that you can make,“ she explained to the news outlet.
“I wanted to make sure that when she steps outside, it’s not about her… It’s about a lot of things. You don’t know what she’s going to say. There is a moment of suspension… when I read the scene, I was emotional, and then ever since then, I have been emotional.“
In addition to dishing about the scene, Chang shared sage advice for parents who may experience a similar coming-out moment with their LGBTQIA+ children.
“Your love for your child and their well-being is the most paramount. Everyone has a different definition of protection, but loving and protecting them means seeing them for who they are and embracing that,“ she said.
“If your child has the courage to tell you this, just know that it likely wasn’t easy. So just love them for that, and work through it together.”
Towards the end of her interview, The Good Doctor star discussed her hopes for season two, which included spending more time with Williams and Storrie.
“Jacob expanded Yuna’s role just a tiny bit from the books. My hope is that we see this next chapter with them fleshed out, and we get to see her and Ilya form a relationship. I think it’s going to be lovely and fun to do,“ she added.
Chang isn’t the only one to praise Yuna and Shane’s moving exchange.
In a separate interview with the publication, Williams said the scene “ruined” him the most while he was reading the scripts.
“It was the scene that I was like, ‘If I don’t get to play Shane Hollander.‘ It’s also a scene that’s not in the book, but to me it is the quintessential wrap-up scene to that arc for him and his mom. Period.”
While we’re still a ways away from Heated Rivalry season two, we know that it will adapt Shane and Ilya’s second book, the sixth entry in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, The Long Game.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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