I, like everyone else, decided to wrap up my 2025 by watching Heated Rivalry. For those of you who don’t know, Heated Rivalry is the enemies to lovers, gay romance everyone has been craving. There are several books; to be honest, I haven’t read any of them. The show has inspired me to start reading them, and I am currently reading the first book. I literally cannot say enough good things about this show; in fact, I have already watched it twice and will most likely watch it again before the second season comes out in 2027.
Heated Rivalry primarily follows the slow burn romance between two professional hockey players, Ilya Rozanov from Russia, and Shane Hollander from Canada. The two of them start as arch rivals, and slowly turn into a spicy romance. When I say this relationship is the definition of a slow burn, I mean it; the show takes place over almost a decade. We, as viewers, watch the characters change and grow individually and together. The show also briefly follows two other characters, Scott and Kip, but there is not nearly as much attention drawn to them. I thought it was so interesting how the two story lines are brought together at the end, and their relationships end up having overlap. Hint: episode five is very important to both of the romances!
Firstly, I would like to praise the fact that the producers went with lesser-known actors, instead of the more popular ones we constantly see in TV shows and movies. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have both made their big break through Heated Rivalry, and I hope to see both of them in more media. Williams and Storrie are both extremely talented actors, making the viewer really believe their enemies to lovers, a forbidden romance trope. Connor Storrie plays a Russian hockey player, and up until the show ended, I genuinely believed he was Russian. Turns out he is a Texas boy who has perfected Russian in order to play the role of Ilya Rozanov. These actors have the type of skill where at times you forget that it’s not real life, as they had very convincing chemistry.
Another thing I loved about Heated Rivalry was the LGBTQIA representation. In today’s media and movies, we are constantly seeing heterosexual relationships, so it was refreshing to see multiple LGBTQIA relationships. Seeing the relationship between two masculine hockey players falling in love and growing together was so wholesome to watch, and I was rooting for them the entire time. We also see the relationship between Scott Hunter, a professional hockey player, and Kip, a barista pursuing his master’s degree. I loved seeing how Scott and Kip’s love story ended up being essential to the success of the relationship between Shane and Ilya. No, I won’t elaborate because that would be a spoiler.
One thing in particular that I would like to point out is how Heated Rivalry addresses issues within the LGBTQIA community, such as it not being safe to be openly gay in Russia. During the show, the Russian hockey player, Ilya, deals with wanting to come out, but being afraid he would never be able to return to his home country. This is something real people have to deal with every day, and I really appreciated how Heated Rivalry brought attention to this, because for so many people today, coming out of the closet is not an option. Shane, the Canadian hockey player also struggles with the idea of coming out but for a different reason. Shane fears a homophobic reaction not only from his teammates, but from his family and fans as well. Hockey is one of the sports where it is very normalized to be a heterosexual man, and it was virtually unheard of for hockey players to be openly a part of the LGBTQIA community, and in some cases even dangerous.
I am so excited to see where this show goes, as it has the potential to run for many more seasons. I am looking forward to watching the Heated Rivalry obsession grow among fans. This is one of the first times I have ever watched something with absolutely nothing negative to say about it. From the storyline to the acting, everything was perfection. This show is truly a cinematic masterpiece, and I would be extremely disappointed if this show didn’t end up winning any awards. Not to mention, the soundtrack is amazing as well, and adds to much to the story. So, if you’re looking for a show to change your life, Heated Rivalry is the one for you!