Unless you’ve been living under a pop-culture rock for the last month, you’ve probably heard all about the internet’s newest obsession. Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series, Heated Rivalry was adapted for TV by showrunner Jacob Tierney for Canadian streaming service Crave. The plot follows two rival hockey players, Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov, who are practically in a decade-long situationship, to put it simply. And wow, it has us in a chokehold unlike anything that I’ve seen since Charli xcx dropped Brat.
From lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie reaching Beatlemania levels of fame in a matter of weeks, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urging residents to stay warm and read the book during the snowstorm, and Ottawa declaring January 29th as “Shane Hollander Day” (which, yes, happened as this was being written), a small Canadian production not even guaranteed U.S. streaming has now taken the world by storm. But…. Why?
Many would say it’s about the sex, and let’s be real, of course it is! I don’t think there should be any shame in admitting that the sex attracts a lot of people to the show, myself included. Sex sells; it’s certainly served its purpose here in drawing people in, and rightfully so. The electric chemistry, the tension, and the passion that Shane and Ilya brought to our screens are hard not to swoon (and maybe drool) over. The open and unashamed display and celebration of queer sexuality is new and refreshing. Plus, the secret, clandestine nature of their relationship and the classic rivals-to-lovers trope surely lend an extra touch of excitement to it.
While there has been an abundance of positive reception, many have been quick to reduce the show to just the sex, disregarding any other aspects of the show that address many important themes. Yes, the show has little hockey, but who cares? (My sincerest apologies to fans of the boy aquarium.) Countless shows from Game of Thrones to Bridgerton to Euphoria have featured similarly explicit scenes, but none have faced this sort of discourse or the labels of being “pornographic.” So, why is it that queer intimacy is viewed as vulgar, excessive, or obscene? The online narrative of sex cheapening the value of the show in this case is a whole other conversation of its own, but I digress.
What many are missing is the raw yearning that’s behind the sex; the romance of it all that makes the sex much more intriguing to watch. There’s something deeply touching about watching Shane and Ilya trying not to fall in love with each other and fail spectacularly as they connect in the most intimate way. The emotional vulnerability in the way they lay themselves bare in front of each other to love, for all that they are, is equally heartwarming and sexy. In a world that cages men, especially athletes, within rigid expectations, the way this show breaks through the barriers of toxic masculinity is truly a breath of fresh air. Not to mention how validating the show has been for queer audiences to watch as the characters deal with the fear of being their true selves and navigate their sexualities in an infamously conservative sports industry. (Shoutout to my good friends Scott and Kip!)
So, my two cents on why this show has such a grip on people is because, at the end of the day, we all have the human desire to know another person and be known. We all crave to be loved with tenderness and against all odds. Love is a risky proposition, even more so these days. For quite some time now, it’s been natural to wonder if real love is broken or buried in the fleeting nature of modern romance. But that’s exactly where this lovely little show about gay hockey players provides us respite. Heated Rivalry represents love, with all of its imperfections.
Shane and Ilya show us that real love is still possible. They yearn for each other so fiercely that it tugs at your heartstrings, fills you with longing. I lack the words to describe the feeling coursing through my veins when Ilya confesses his love to Shane in his monologue or when the club scene appeared on my screen to the melody of “All The Things She Said” by t.A.T.u., but it sounded a lot like heartbreak. Was I heartbroken for them, or for my own incessant desire to be loved? That we will leave unanswered. incessant desire to be loved? That we will leave unanswered.
And don’t even get me started on the cottage…seriously! There’s nothing I love more than watching people in love, and these two have gone above and beyond. The confession scene in episode 6 moved me so deeply that I had to take a lap around the room. The gentleness and the sheer adoration that was oozing out of my screen, sticky-sweet and seeping into my pores, was almost too much to bear.
So, to everyone who undermines the show due to the sex scenes, which is about a total of less than 30 minutes of a nearly 5-hour-long show, I urge you to look past the surface. And to those who are just as insane about this show as I am, please never let go of your whimsy! I will be at the cottage until Season 2 drags me out of it, so…join me? We’ll have so much fun. It’s so private. No one will know. We could have a week, or even two?