Heated Rivalry has become the internet’s new swoon-worthy obsession, and it’s not hard to see why. The Crave original debuted on HBO on Nov. 28, and it’s been on an uphill trajectory ever since, with the latest episode breaking through to the no. 2 spot on IMDb’s list of the top rated TV episodes, second only to Breaking Bad’s episode, “Ozymandias”.
Navigating an icy rivalry and fiery romance, two professional hockey players— played by breakout stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie— have captivated audiences all over with their conflicting yet passionate story of expectations and what it takes to break them. Being in the NHL, both quickly go from rookies to captains and enemies to something more.
The show, based on Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name, has been ranking in HBO’s Top 10 TV shows for the past week. The finale airs this Friday, Dec. 26, so now is the perfect time to binge it if you haven’t gotten around to it yet.
The hockey show’s rising popularity
Following an LGBTQ love story, Heated Rivalry has become championed by many people for its contribution to queer storytelling, especially now that it is in the limelight. Having a show that tackles issues of acceptance and cultural differences be center stage in pop culture is a huge win and part of what makes this show so special.
The show has been compared to steamy shows like Bridgerton and more emotional shows like Normal People and Young Royals, but what makes it stand out from the crowd of romance shows is its focus on a topic that is usually not talked about in movies and TV— queer men in professional sports.
Based on dynamics within the NHL, the show tackles how masculinity tends to be perceived in these athletic spaces and how complicated life can be for queer athletes. The NHL specifically still has yet to have any openly queer players, making it the last of the major North American leagues to not have broken through this barrier. Heated Rivalry challenges the status quo and illustrates what life could be like for queer athletes if this precedent changes, especially in the field of hockey.
It’s this fear of public response that keeps the two main athletes, Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) from not only being public about their relationship, but also from being honest with themselves and each other about their true feelings.
This bumpy road makes for a scary ride, but there’s no need to worry— they’ll get their happy ending. After all, this is a heartwarming romance novel being adapted, and while it carries serious themes surrounding the queer experience similar to other queer shows and movies— like mental health struggles and homophobia— it’s meant to bring joy and hope to audiences.
Jacob Tierney, the show’s creator, has spoken on this goal. “The reason I wanted to make the show is because it’s a love story and it ends happily. I don’t want to traffic in queer trauma. I want to traffic in queer joy.” This queer joy is palpable, with viewers making the show an undeniable breakout hit.
Breakout stars and overnight success
Let’s face it— seeing the same actors over and over again in everything can be a bit tiring. Luckily, Heated Rivalry is led by many new faces. With breakout stars Williams and Storrie leading the production, they’ve caught the attention of new fans and established celebrities alike.
Two weeks ago, they probably wouldn’t have been recognized, but this show has flipped their lives and careers completely upside-down. Both have skyrocketed on social media, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers in the short few weeks since the show debuted.
Their incredible performances are a large reason why— both have spoken about their breakout success and how they prepared to play their characters. Despite their characters being a duo, each character is incredibly fleshed out, which is what makes their chemistry even stronger.
Hudson Williams’ real life influences
For Williams, portraying Shane Hollander was deeply personal. Amidst Reid recently coming forward and clarifying to fans that Shane Hollander is autistic, many people, including Williams, have commented on this. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams discusses how he prepared to play Shane, saying he based his portrayal on his own father who is on the spectrum.
To pin down Shane’s mannerisms and understand the character on a personal level, he says he “took a huge page out of living [his] life with him.” This personal connection Williams’ has between his father and his character make his acting even stronger and more authentic, resonating with fans all over for the honest portrayal of neurodivergence.
Connor Storrie on his rigorous preparation
For Storrie, Ilya Rozanov couldn’t be further from his real life. The Texas-born actor shocked fans for just how different his bubbly personality is from the serious, fiery character on-screen.
His character may seem rough around the edges, but underneath the harsh exterior, he is loved by fans for his soft nature. The Russian character hides his sexuality largely due to homophobia in Russia. Incorporating this social-political barrier introduces themes that go beyond personal acceptance.
Ilya seems to have accepted his sexuality, but understands the dangers he will face at home if anyone finds out. With both his father and brother working for the police and Russia having laws indirectly targeting LGBTQ individuals, his nationality is a big part of how he views himself and his sexuality.
The show doesn’t shy away from multilinguism either, with Storrie having to learn and recite monologues of the Russian language in nearly every episode. Now famously talked about by critics, Storrie recites an emotional four-page monologue over the phone in episode five, “I’ll Believe in Anything”.
Considering this episode ranks no. 2 on IMDb’s highest rated episodes of all time, it’s safe to say Storrie blew everyone away with his ability to not only convey such big emotion, but to do it in a second language so brilliantly.
He has since said in The Hollywood Reporter that he “started doing three, four-hour Zoom sessions every single day” with dialect coach Kate Yablunovski in the week leading up to filming. His accent has been a huge highlight of his portrayal, with many fans not even realizing he actually grew up in the US.
Friendship beyond the show
Williams and Storrie have made rounds on social media for more than just their acting skills— they’re also best friends in real life. The pair has matching tattoos and undeniable best friend energy in every interview they’ve done for press. In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Storrie stated Williams is part of his “soul family”, and it’s safe to say Williams agrees. The two compliment each other’s personalities extremely well, and are the perfect pair for the internet to swoon over.
Despite the difficulty of online speculation, Williams has commented on their friendship, saying he refuses to stray away from expressing his love for his friend physically. According to the actor, they love to give each other “big, spooning hugs” and are very affectionate with each other.
In conversation with Deadline, Williams and Storrie opened up about fans speculating their real life sexuality, to which Williams stated “we’re best friends, and we love expressing that physically.” Their adorable real-life friendship has caught the attention of many fans online and definitely was a big help to their on-screen chemistry.
The finale
With only six episodes this season, a rewatch is more than possible before the finale drops this Friday. If you haven’t watched the series yet, it won’t be difficult to catch up. Each episode is a little under an hour in runtime, so you’ll have plenty of time to binge it before the final episode of the pop culture phenomenon.
The finale, titled “The Cottage” will air on HBO at 12:01 on Dec. 26, so if you have a long Christmas, you can stay up to watch it at midnight and experience the rollercoaster right away. It’s a much anticipated conclusion to the internet’s favorite steamy romance, and fans already can’t wait for season two, which Deadline has announced has been greenlit. Luckily, this isn’t the last we’ll see of everyone’s favorite hockey stars.
However, Tierney has told fans it will be quite a long wait for season two. While the exact timeline hasn’t been announced yet, he said it can be expected to release sometime in 2027.
With six books in Reid’s series, we’ll have to wait and see which book is next to be adapted. Shane and Ilya’s story continues on in the sixth book, The Long Game, which explores how they balance their relationship and hockey careers. It’s probable that season two will continue with the adaptation of this book, given their story is what made this show so popular to begin with. Still, it has yet to be officially announced which books and characters from the series will make the cut. If you want to get ahead of the game and can’t wait to have the show spoiled, you can check out book two (Heated Rivalry) and book six (The Long Game) to get all the details of Shane and Ilya’s story filled in.
If we’re lucky enough to get a third season, Williams and Storrie have announced that both have signed on to return for three seasons, as they revealed in their GQ Hype interview. Fingers are crossed that there will be a long future on screen for everyone’s favorite hockey couple.
