Heated Rivalry

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 8 weeks, then you must have at least heard about this little Canadian show called Heated Rivalry that has, quite literally, taken over the world. It seems crazy that less than two months ago, none of us knew about this show or these characters. I don't know about you, but I cannot go on social media right now without having my entire timeline flooded by Heated Rivalry posts (which I am not complaining about, if anything I would like to see even more).

But what is it about this one show that seems to have made everybody fall head over heels with these characters, their story, and, maybe most of all, these actors?

As someone who has rewatched the entire show four times now, I feel like I am in a good position to answer this question.

Let’s quickly recap the plot of Heated Rivalry (this contains spoilers of course).

Heated Rivalry is a beautiful, sexy, at times heartbreaking, raw love story between two rival hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. We meet both of them in their rookie season when they are 18 years old and, thoughout the 6 episodes, we follow them across 9 years of their life and their complicated relationship. What starts off as seemingly just a passionate, secret situationship, evolves over the years into so much more.

So what works so well for this story? Let's break it down.

The Characters

It sounds simple enough, but the two main characters are truly the heart and soul of it all. For those of you who don't know, Rachel Reid wrote the novel series Game Changers that the show is based on, and she created two incredibly complex, layered characters in Shane and Ilya.

First of, we have Shane Hollander. If there ever was a character that exuded golden retriever boyfriend energy better than anyone else, that character is Shane Hollander. Awkward, sweet, affectionate and funny without realising he is, Shane won me over so fast the first time I watched the show. From the moment he tried on a full suit before his first ever hook-up with Ilya, I knew I was going to love him. Throughout the 6 episodes, we see him go through an incredibly transformative time in his life: figuring out his sexuality, coming out to his parents (although maybe not in the way he would've liked to have done it), and becoming confident and content with who he is. It's beautiful to witness his growth and the self-discovery and purpose he finds in his journey.

Ilya Rozanov. The ying to Shane Hollander's yang. My God, what a character. Hard on the surface, direct and sarcastic, doing an amazing job at putting up a front of just being an asshole when under the surface, there is so much more to him. A lot of people in the Heated Rivalry fandom are in agreement that "Shane fell first, but Ilya fell harder", but I actually think that Ilya fell both first and harder. From the very beginning he is enamoured with Shane and goes out of his way to pursue something with him.

Ilya is Russian which, in the context of the story, adds such a deep layer to his character's sexuality. Being anything but straight in that part of the world is not only frowned upon, but completely unacceptable. He comes from a broken family too, a stark contrast to Shane's loving and supporting environment. His father is a strict and unforgiving man who is battling dementia, and his brother is just straight-up a horrible person who takes advantage of Ilya's fame and money.

The Actors

The creators of the show really hit the jackpot when they cast Hudson Williams and Connor Storie to play Shane and Ilya. Not only do the two of them have insane chemistry, to the point where you almost feel like you're intruding in their personal space when you watch them together on screen, but both of them have proven to be absolute sweethearts in real life.

Perhaps the most fun thing we have found out about the two of them from all of the press they've been doing for the show, is that they are the complete opposite of each of their characters. Hudson is incredibly confident, outspoken, not afraid to say anything that comes to his mind, and generally carries himself so differently to how Shane Hollander does. Connor, on the other hand, seems to be an absolute softie in real life, and watching him in interviews, it's genuinely crazy to me that this is the same person who portrays Ilya Rozanov.

The two of them have described each other as their best friend and soulmate, and have cited how grateful they are that doing the show brought them into each other's life.

Safe to say that we are also very grateful it was them who ended up as our beloved characters, because they don't just play Shane and Ilya, they are Shane and Ilya.

All The Tropes The Show Does Well

If you are a big fan of romance tropes like I am, then you know just how many of the most beloved ones the show does well. Of course, we have the classic enemies to lovers. I genuinely believe that there is nothing better than a well-crafted enemies to lovers story. Shane and Ilya play for rival teams, as well as rival nations, and they are both the top players in hockey, often going back and forth between who is considered 1st and 2nd best. They are pitted against each other in the rink, in press conferences, amongst their friends and families. It's always Rozanov versus Hollander. But little does everyone else know that they have never, not once, actually hated each other.

Then we also have the forbidden love trope. Not only are Shane and Ilya rivals in their sport, they are also professional athletes, and if you know the first thing about male sports, is that being out is not really an option. Even in today's world, very few male atheletes who are queer are out. As in, you can literally count the ones that are on one hand. The show is set almost twenty years ago, with the story starting in 2008, when things were even worse than they are today. Shane and Ilya have no choice than to keep their romance, and consequently their sexuality, a secret, even from the closest people in their life.

Last but not least, we have the grumpy/sunshine trope, or opposites attract as many call it. One of the things that makes their relationship so endearing is how different their personalities are. Shane is generally a cheerful, optimistic guy, whereas Ilya is cynical and brooding (on the surface). This makes their dynamic super fun, as we see them have witty banter all the time, but it also leads to incredible growth and emotional depth for both of them as their walls come down and they learn to love each other.

As they get closer and their relationship grows deeper, we see Ilya really open up to Shane in some of the most tear-jerking scenes of the show. His hard exterior really starts to melt away and we find out so much about his past hurts, such as his mother passing away at a very young age.

Episode 5

"I'm coming to the cottage."

If there is one thing I wish I could do, is go back in time and experience watching episode 5 for the first time again. Now, all the episodes of this show are great. I genuinely enjoy every single one of them. But episode 5 is, without a doubt, the stand-out of this season and one of the best singular episodes of a show I have seen in quite a long time.

There are a lot of "firsts" that happen in this episode: it's the first time that Shane admits that he things he is gay, it's the first time he tells Ilya that he likes him a lot more than just a casual hook-up, and it's the first time we see Ilya really open up to Shane.

As their relationship is taken to a deeper level, we get to, arguably, the best scene of season 1: the phone call scene.

I could honestly write entire articles about the phone call scene only. It is one of the most beautiful displays of intimacy that I have ever seen across television or film, and it is backed by an unbelievable performance from Connor Storie. He not only delivers a devastatingly vulnerable, heartbreaking monologue, pouring his absolute heart out, but he does so in a language that he is not native in.

After his father's funeral and a huge fight with his brother, Ilya calls Shane for comfort. As he confesses that it's difficult for him to express himself in English in such a difficult time, Shane tells him to say everythings that's on his mind to him in Russian. Even though he won't understand, he thinks it will make Ilya feel better. And my God, the next 5 minutes that follow are so electric and unguarded that you stop breathing whilst watching it.

This scene marks a massive turning point in their story and we can feel that through the screen. Ilya has carried an unbearable number of crosses throughout his life, and for the first time, he is finally able to set that weight down, unburden himself and allow true vulnerability with another person. It cannot be stated enough just how much Connor Storie brings to this scene. He understands Ilya completely, and through that understanding, so do we. This moment is so vital to Ilya’s character because he never once believed he would find a space safe enough to open himself like this, to bare his soul without being asked for anything in return, without even needing to be fully understood.

Just like Ilya, I feel like I left my heart in that tunnel in Moscow. This scene keeps replaying in my head over and over again and it always makes me tear up just thinking about it. What an incredible work of art from a writing, cinematic and acting point of view. Just a complete masterclass of how you can encapsulate someone's entire lifestory and character journey with one simple phone call.

I could go on forever about this show and the impact it's had on people. It's been a long time since I have witnessed such reception for a show on a global level, and it makes me incredibly happy as I do believe this story is deserving of all the love and support that it's receiving. They have already been greenlight for a second season (which will follow The Long Game book from the series) and we can probably expect that to come out at some point in 2027.

To wrap this up, I guess I am just very grateful that this show was made and that I can just go back and rewatch it anytime I want. I feel such deep affection for these characters and the journey they go on. I will leave you with my favourite quote from the show:

"But not like I love you. That's the worst fucking part of all of this is...that all I want is you. It's always you. I'm so in love with you, and I don't know what to do about it."