#heated-rivalry

#heated-rivalry

There's something very sweet about a public display of male friendship that feels uninhibited and real. The Heated Rivalry press circuit is a reminder of how endearing non-toxic bromances are. In 2026, young men are inundated with harmful messages about masculinity: they're supposed to "man up" and provide; be stoic, not open. Against that backdrop, the co-stars' bond makes a glorious statement: They're hunky, they're hilarious, they're besties - and they don't care who knows it.

I remember coming here when I was 13 to be on a radio show and how nervous I was,

"Remember what I said about the monologue!" emcee Mary Michael shouted into the microphone as professional hockey player Ilya Rozanov ( Connor Storrie) started to confess his affection to his Canadian rival and paramour, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). "I have no one now," Connor says in Russian over the phone; Shane can't understand but listens regardless. "Well, not no one. I have Svetlana. She loves me and I love her, but not like ... not like I love you," Ilya says. Inside Boyfriend Co-op, hands covered mouths and a few patrons looked up at the ceiling, either wishing away or summoning tears.

For those not aware: intimacy coordinators gained prominence in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, when assorted testimonies from actors (largely female) made public and unignorable the shocking fact that actors (largely male) and directors (largely male) will often (largely always) try to get away with more than has been contracted for once they are naked with A N Other person. An intimacy coordinator is there to help arrange scenes and advocate for actors. Think of them as somewhere between a bureaucrat and a contraceptive.

It's only been a few weeks since Heated Rivalry wrapped up its Season 1 finale, and I'm still not okay.

You have been a part of the most talked about project in the last two years. It's all I've talked about,

During a recent episode of Deuxmoi's Deux U podcast, the show's (anonymous, it must be said) host criticized the Crave-slash-HBO Max hit romantic drama, claiming that it's bereft of plot and features bad acting. Obviously, those are somewhat strong words to put forth considering that the show largely hinges on its two romantic leads, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams - and in an interview with Variety, the show's creator Jacob Tierney responded directly to the criticism.

The LGBTQ+ sports drama has taken the internet by storm since it first debuted in Canada at the end of November. Since then it's made its way to the US, Australia and beyond. The series, based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novel series follows the lives of two rival ice hockey players, Ilya Rozanov ( Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander ( Hudson Williams).

In keeping with Reid's books, Heated Rivalry does not hold back on the sex-not even a little. Some scenes are so unabashedly explicit that even Grindr has weighed in: The app recently posted screenshots from Episode 2, specifically a montage of Shane and Ilya sexting, paired with a caption that riffs on one of the show's now-iconic lines: "You were hard, weren't you? For how long? The whole episode?" An excellent question.

Tierney said "we did not expect this level of reaction to this show." He also said, "I thought by the end maybe we'd have a cult following." Discussing the show Letterkenny that he worked on previously the showrunner said he was used to "a slow burn," with that show taking four seasons to find its audience. "This has been the complete opposite," he remarked of Heated Rivalry.