Since the new Heated Rivalry season doesn’t come out until April 2027, this is the first December since the release of season one without Heated Rivalry. I was not fortunate to live where there are theaters playing Heated Rivalry this month so if you are in the same predicament as me, this is a guide to have a Heated Rivalry watch party at home instead.
1. Set the vibe and decor.
Rivalry is in the title for a reason. You can literally split your space with furniture or split it with lights where one side is red and the other is blue. You can also do blue and yellow as well. This is a watch party at home (or wherever you want to throw this party) so make it cozy! Lean into the cottage vibes with fairy lights and blankets, and maybe even get some hockey sticks and banners for photo ops and the hockey element. Bonus points if you and your guests have the jerseys or shirts from the show. It would be fun to see who is team Shane or team Ilya. Even if you or your guests don’t have themed shirts or merch, the colors from the show do just fine too!
2. A menu that’s on theme.
What is Heated Rivalry without the tuna melts?! The tuna melt is too iconic to not have it and how I would set up the night for food would be in courses. Starting off with the tuna melt as an appetizer, a batch of fries like the ones Shane and Rose shared as another appetizer or just to snack on throughout the night. The main course could be the spaghetti from the last episode that Shane’s mom made and you have to wash it all down with a ginger ale, of course. Lastly, for dessert, could be another iconic food item from the show: the blueberry banana smoothie. From Kip’s barista counter to your living room.
3. Some activities and fun.
You don’t have to make this night entirely interactive but it could be fun! Some cool ideas for arts & crafts projects could be creating friendship bracelets with beads that are the colors from the show or crafting your own bookmarks, as the series is based on several books. Another photo opportunity could be printing out favorite scenes or quotes from the show and posing with it in front of a themed backdrop. If you really want to commit to the decor and theme: cutouts of the characters. It would be fully cool to go to a party and stand next to Hudson Williams holding a tuna melt and wearing a jersey. And if you want to do a game while watching the show, keep everyone on their feet with some bingo! I’m sure there’s ones you can get online but you can also make one yourself. Pick your favorite lines or moments and take the competitiveness from the screen to your living room. And for anyone who comes in first, second, and third place, there could even be themed prizes!
Still have some ways to go until the release of the new season so might as well fill the time by rewatching Heated Rivalry a few more times to refresh our memories. Throw this watch party and the world’s favorite rivalry will be back on the ice (and screens) before you know it.