The show that has taken over the internet with its amazing unfiltered stars, has also taken over my mind. Let’s cut to the chase. Who watched this show and didn’t love it? The characters are the perfect amount of agitating and lovable. The chemistry between Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) and Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) bounces off the screen making it hard to look away. This show single-handedly pulled me out of the “fall semester finals depression”. I started my binge the day before I had back-to-back Bio and Chem finals, so believe me when I say, this show is magical.
I need to first address the Scott and Kip storyline. I know, I know, it’s controversial. The internet has seemed to question whether it is essential for your watch. My hot take: it is mandatory. For those that have yet to start their Heated Rivalry journey. Kip and Scott’s storyline is a reduced, distilled version of the Game Changers book, the first book of the entire series. Their story line, although perhaps less heated then Ilya and Shane’s is what makes the ending to our favorite boys’ story what it is. I mean, the climax of the story is when Scott brings Kip onto the ice after winning the Stanley Cup and kisses him for the entire world to see. The cut to Ilya and Shane both watching when this happens is just chef’s kiss. Especially with their last face to face interaction being when Ilya had denied Shane’s request to come to the cottage, only for Ilya to immediately call Shane saying “I’m coming to the cottage”. What I would do to rewatch this for the first time again… So yes, it is necessary to have Kip and Scott’s storyline in the show, and if you are skipping those episodes, learn patience.
Can we please talk about the hustle of this cast and crew? It is genuinely so impressive how they created this show that was more talked about than the Stranger Things Finale on a shoestring budget. Yes, they may have had to opt for a cute little soccer scene instead of having an entire hockey rink at the cottage. But did that ruin the tension? Absolutely not. I think that the casting directors deserve more than just a raise; they deserve some of what Ilya did to Shane. If they had not found Hudson and Connor the show would not have become the internet phenomenon that it is. The fan base is not just singularly in love with Heated Rivalry, they are obsessed with Connor and Hudson. Fans eat up their lack of any ounce of media training. How loveable they both are. What’s most important is how they were able to make hundreds of thousands of people fall in love with them in just a month. Really, going from nobody to everyone’s favorite boys. My last take: if you haven’t watched this show what are you doing? Even SNL made a joke about it.