When “Heated Rivalry” was released on HBO Max, it immediately became a viral sensation for intimate scenes that met the title’s promise. But the six-episode TV series, which follows a secret romance between two gay hockey players, offers much more than just steaminess — it provides a rare moment of representation for queer men in sports.
Based on the romance book series titled “Game Changers” by Rachel Reid, “Heated Rivalry” extends beyond its portrayal of intimacy, as its stars skillfully paint a sensitive and hopeful picture of queer love.
The show, filmed in less than forty days on a tight budget, is driven by outstanding performances from its starring actors, who play Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). Storrie portrays the tortured stoic, revealing layers of depth and soulfulness as his character develops. Meanwhile, Williams is the image of the high-strung professional sports player who brings down his walls for love. Each actor endows their character with a vibrant identity beyond their sexuality.
The central message of the show is perhaps best depicted at the beginning of the season finale, when fictional hockey player Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) — who plays for a different team in the Major League Hockey, a fictional stand-in for the National Hockey League, and very publicly came out as gay in the previous episode — is named Most Valuable Player at the MLH awards. In his acceptance speech, Hunter speaks to the power of love against a sports culture seeped in homophobia: “Fear is a powerful thing. But then, I found the one thing that is more powerful.”
What the show sometimes lacks in inventive dialogue — how many times can Shane call Ilya an asshole? — it makes up for in stellar, clever cinematography. In one standout shot in episode four, Ilya calls his father while dwarfed by lifeless modern art in his showroom-like mansion, an example of how the show follows its characters through settings that mirror their opulent yet sometimes lonely lives.
The engrossing plot also overcomes the rocky foundation of the script. In episode five, titled “I’ll Believe in Anything,” Storrie delivers an ’80s-movie-heartbreak-level three-minute monologue in Russian. In the episode’s final scene, Hunter embraces his longtime boyfriend on the ice after his team wins the championship while the band Wolf Parade’s jangly indie rock song “I’ll Believe in Anything,” which quickly became an internet hit after the episode aired, plays. The camera cuts between characters as viewers — including Shane and Ilya, whose emotions simply leap off the screen — around the world watch the couple kiss. These moments earned the episode a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb when it premiered, making it one of the platform’s highest-rated TV episodes.
“Heated Rivalry” is a novelty in a number of ways. It contains breakout performances from actors who, just before getting their starring roles in the show, worked in restaurants to make a living. Unlike in many acclaimed queer stories — such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “Call Me By Your Name” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” — the main characters seem to have a chance at a happily ever after. The show is a rare success for TV series that center queer characters — such shows often do not get renewed for second seasons. By contrast, the cast of “Heated Rivalry” is set to begin filming their second season in 2026.
By the end of the series, Shane and Ilya’s seemingly endless yearning pays off: The couple is officially dating, out to Shane’s parents, driving into the sunset and holding hands in true rom-com fashion. “Heated Rivalry” does not shy from difficulty, aptly portraying the triple threat of homophobia, toxic masculinity and fame.
But above all, the show offers a much-needed break from the despair of the modern world. Maybe this is the reason for its popularity — even more than its notorious “heated” intimate scenes.
