Like the rest of the world, Heated Rivalry has consumed me. When I first started the show, my best friend recommended it to me, and I did not know how popular it had become. Going in, I expected to watch just another romance show, but I did not expect it to alter my brain chemistry. I can get really excited and passionate about TV shows and books, so when I like something, it becomes a part of me.
The actors Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya) have impeccable chemistry! It was exciting to see a production with a director and cast I hadn’t known before. The show’s soundtrack felt very intentional and carefully woven, moving seamlessly from scene to scene; I walked away with new songs added to my playlist.
This show displays intimacy and emotional depth. It does an incredible job of showing rather than telling. I’ve rewatched it multiple times, and it gets better every time. There are characters I hold very close to my heart, and now Ilya and Shane belong amongst them. It was so easy to connect with and love the characters in this show. There was something quietly healing in the last half of episode 6: seeing Shane’s parents’ reactions to him coming out, and Ilya’s acceptance into their family was so fulfilling.
In a list of differences between Shane and Ilya, the book’s writer, Rachel Reid, notes on her social media that Ilya is very perceptive and observant, while Shane doesn’t even notice his own feelings. I think that comes through very well in the show and helps the audience perceive the characters as written. For instance, in episode 6, in moments, Shane’s anxiety takes over, and Ilya grounds him.
Another example is that we can tell that Shane isn’t very sexually experienced because of his demeanour and apprehensiveness. In the same way, we understand that Ilya is more at ease with his sexuality because of how upfront he is with Shane and how he asks if this was Shane’s first time with a man. Every intimate scene here carried narrative weight.
An eminent element was that Ilya carries trauma and craves closeness and intimacy; this fact made seeing him with Shane’s family emotionally resonant.
Ilya has a strained relationship with his family. A prominent scene for me was when Shane and Ilya were on the terrace after Shane won an award. Ilya is visibly upset about his trip home, though Shane doesn’t understand why. This revealed the differences in their upbringings. All Shane has ever known is a happy and caring family, while Ilya has been lonely most of his life. This really connected with me. When they share vulnerabilities later on, the intimacy feels earned.
As the years pass, each scene shows how the distance between them has decreased. When Shane is finally in terms with his sexuality, he is more comfortable being affectionate.
This is particularly evident in episode 5, when Shane is injured and taken to the hospital. He asks the medic to let Ilya know he’s going to be okay, and it’s a major moment, as he risks being outed to spare Ilya the worry. Also, at the end of that episode, Shane asks Ilya to come to his cottage. Although he is not fully conscious, his willingness to show his emotions felt cathartic. This catalyzed the beginning of their relationship in the end as well.
While the smut is so done well in Heated Rivalry, I think it works so well because of the passion depicted. It’s romantic—we see the care and attention that is usually given to heterosexual media given here.
We learn about who they are through how they are intimate. This allows sex to become a language of their relationship, as said by Jacob Tierney, the show’s director. From Shane and Ilya’s first time to the last episode, physical intimacy serves as a lens for viewing their emotional growth. There are details in their mannerisms that subtly hint at which stage of life they were in.
As a cisgender woman, the removal of female subjectification allows a level of comfort while watching any Boys’ Love media. In “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, Laura Mulvey introduced that the media provides visual pleasure through the objectification of women. I believe that is why watching a romance unfold without the weight of a passive female gaze provides a safety net.
It has been many years since Laura Mulvey outlined this concept in feminist film theory, and it is interesting to see how the objectification of women has persisted and evolved over the years.
However, there has been growth as well. In an interview, director Joey Solloway conveyed their ideas about the female gaze and showed the camera’s shift in perspective. In Heated Rivalry, there are dynamic female supporting characters, Svetlana (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova), Elena (Nadine Bhabha), and Rose (Sophie Nélisse), who were portrayed remarkably well; they were empathetic, loving and magnetic women with emotional intelligence, and they were instrumental to the progression of the story.
This show has had a major cultural impact, bringing light to Canadian media and amazing new actors. It has inspired many people to come out, giving future generations scope as well.
The creators have also said that Shane has been written as a person on the autism spectrum, which brings awareness to how there are so many ways of being on the spectrum. It was really powerful that Shane was written as a character on the spectrum without it being said out loud in the show, and that he was the focal point of his character. Representations like this shape our biases and perceptions and help us grow as people.
I love consuming queer media, and over the past couple of years, there have been films and TV shows that tell romantic stories. However, I do believe that intimacy has not often been portrayed in this idealized way.
I am so excited for Season 2 and thrilled to see the cast’s new projects. This has also opened a space for more queer romance shows, hopefully, more lesbian representation! I came out truly compelled by these characters and a desire to understand them. I think that is one of the best parts of media like this, it allows us to form communities and simply enjoy human emotions.