When Sparks Turn to Flames

Why Heated Rivalry is More Than Just What it Seems to Be:

Thinking back to an age where you can be wild and free, and nothing mattered, no one was there to judge you, yet there was a voice saying don’t jump to conclusions. Whether that voice was a parent, teacher or in your head – not making assumptions or judging a book by its cover is a key aspect to life that can be taken with you in all your future endeavors. As we dive into the topic of Heated Rivalry, people may just assume it’s just about lust and physical attraction that come with pleasures, but it is so much more than that. Key themes about this show can be broken down into the topic of homophobia in professional hockey, fear of communication as well as unconditional love no matter the circumstance. Love brings out a different side of a person that can spark a flame and shine bright.

Homophobia in professional hockey can make it seem that you have to hold in your identity and the ability to express yourself. This can cause mental setbacks and holding in what needs to come out; literally and figuratively. There are so many biases and stereotypes that hockey players must uphold to; “standards” set by modern Americans that being gay isn’t okay and is an insult to use against teammates for fun or opponents. When players who do identify as gay, and keep that mindset of fear and anxiety constantly, it can mess up their playing and how much they want to continue the sport that is supposed to bring out the kid inside of them and yet society makes it impossible. 

The fear of communication throughout this show is shown early on with secret door numbers and fake names in phones to hide their true selves. Being afraid of not being accepted is a common fear, and in this series there are many deliberations and analyses about Shane and Ilya. They are shown in the “dark” for most of their scenes together because they can’t come out of the dark since they haven’t told anyone about their relationship. Russia won’t accept Ilya or his father, and for Shane, he has intense pressure to maintain a perfect, heternormative image as a professional hockey player. On the other hand, Ilya has intense, life-threatening stakes in Russia and deep-seated emotional trauma. While he is a confident and bisexual man, his fear stems from a combination of external and internal pressures. Being surrounded by people who don’t realize what is going on and finding that place in the dark for these two to meet, shows resilience yet a sense of sadness of not pursuing their love. 

Unconditional love no matter what the circumstance is. This is a developing concept throughout the show and looks different in every episode. There was always a secret way to sneak in ways to loving each other even in the darkest of days in their lives both mentally and physically. From the beginning to the end, there was so much growth mentally and physically where no matter the distance, it didn’t stop them from finding their way back to each other. In one of the last episodes, Ilya speaks of his love to Shane while he was in Russia, but this conversation was over the phone. Ilya was placed in a dark alley, speaking his own language where only they can understand what he is saying, but his emotions were too strong and grew for Shane where he couldn’t hold himself back anymore. The show highlights a shift from where they move from fearing emotional vulnerability to finding safety in it, serving as a template for a relationship that evolves from attraction and hidden into being deeply known. 

In a world full of hidden figures, be the person who wants to be seen as, the progress you have made matters more than you think!