To play something to the hilt means to play it as much as possible or to the greatest degree possible, and Ethan was doing just that.
Context: Ethan was playing the protective lover to the fullest possible extent, he had to hand it to him.
Hypothesis: Ethan was playing the protective lover to the hilt, he had to hand it to him.

Given this context, is the hypothesis true (Yes/No/I don't know)?