"Heated Rivalry" - The Ice Hockey Romance That's Heating Up the Wrong Way
The latest drama series from HBO Max, "Heated Rivalry", has been making waves with its steamy scenes and brooding romance between two gay ice hockey players. But beneath the surface, it's a show that's more concerned with titillating its audience than actually exploring the complexities of masculinity, homoeroticism, and identity in sports.
Creator Jacob Tierney's vision is clear: he wants to create a show that's all about sex, passion, and rivalry on the ice. And boy, does it deliver - in more ways than one. The chemistry between Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander is undeniable, but their tumultuous relationship feels more like a convenience plot device than an organic development.
The show's biggest problem lies in its lack of attention to detail when it comes to the world of professional ice hockey. With so little emphasis on the sport itself, "Heated Rivalry" ends up feeling more like a shallow exercise in "hate-to-love" romance than a genuine exploration of identity and community.
When we do get some insight into the characters' personal lives, it's often relegated to clichéd platitudes about being "secretly gay" and struggling with one's true self. It's a tired trope that feels more like a cheap stereotype than a nuanced commentary on the human experience.
The performances from Storrie and Williams are occasionally bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming season. But even their charisma can't save this show from its overall lack of depth and substance.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment is how "Heated Rivalry" reinforces existing stereotypes about gay men and the sports world. It's a show that seems content to exploit gay culture without truly understanding it, instead relying on titillating scenes and clichéd dialogue.
In short, while "Heated Rivalry" might provide some fleeting thrills for its audience, it's a show that ultimately fails to deliver in terms of substance and nuance. Will it leave you feeling satisfied? Probably not.
The latest drama series from HBO Max, "Heated Rivalry", has been making waves with its steamy scenes and brooding romance between two gay ice hockey players. But beneath the surface, it's a show that's more concerned with titillating its audience than actually exploring the complexities of masculinity, homoeroticism, and identity in sports.
Creator Jacob Tierney's vision is clear: he wants to create a show that's all about sex, passion, and rivalry on the ice. And boy, does it deliver - in more ways than one. The chemistry between Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander is undeniable, but their tumultuous relationship feels more like a convenience plot device than an organic development.
The show's biggest problem lies in its lack of attention to detail when it comes to the world of professional ice hockey. With so little emphasis on the sport itself, "Heated Rivalry" ends up feeling more like a shallow exercise in "hate-to-love" romance than a genuine exploration of identity and community.
When we do get some insight into the characters' personal lives, it's often relegated to clichéd platitudes about being "secretly gay" and struggling with one's true self. It's a tired trope that feels more like a cheap stereotype than a nuanced commentary on the human experience.
The performances from Storrie and Williams are occasionally bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming season. But even their charisma can't save this show from its overall lack of depth and substance.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment is how "Heated Rivalry" reinforces existing stereotypes about gay men and the sports world. It's a show that seems content to exploit gay culture without truly understanding it, instead relying on titillating scenes and clichéd dialogue.
In short, while "Heated Rivalry" might provide some fleeting thrills for its audience, it's a show that ultimately fails to deliver in terms of substance and nuance. Will it leave you feeling satisfied? Probably not.
. Ice hockey is such a cool sport but "Heated Rivalry" makes it feel like just another excuse for hot guys to hook up 
. And those brooding romances? So predictable 
. I mean, where's the depth? The character development? It feels like they're just checking off boxes instead of creating actual stories. And don't even get me started on the stereotypes 
. I want a show that explores the complexities of identity and community in sports, not just exploits them for cheap thrills 
. I'm all about the sizzling romance between those ice hockey players 
, but come on, let's not forget about the actual sport, ya know? 
️ It's like they're trying to pass off some bland drama as depth and substance 
. And don't even get me started on that whole "secretly gay" trope... 
it's so played out! The actors are pretty cool though, Connor Storrie is giving me all the feels 
. Maybe I'll stick around to see if they can redeem themselves in future seasons 
. But for now, it's a solid 2/10 
️
. I love ice hockey, and as a fan, it would've been awesome to see a drama series that really captured the spirit of the sport 
.
. But on another hand...I don't know, maybe I just expect too much from a TV show? Like, is it really asking too much to want some actual substance and nuance in our dramas? 
but like, can we talk about how they're also super problematic? I mean, the way they portray gay men in sports is just so tired and unrealistic. It's like, hello, being a gay athlete isn't that simple! The show needs to do more than just throw some swoony romance scenes together.
. The chemistry between the two leads is alright, but it's not enough to save this show from its lack of depth and substance 
. and omg the trope about gay men struggling w/ identity? so played out 
. i need more depth & nuance in my shows, u feel? 
Like, come on guys, you can't just slap some drama and romance on top of sports and call it a day 
The characters are all super 2D too 
Like, can't we do better than that? 
. The performances were meh too 
. And don't even get me started on the lack of attention to detail when it comes to ice hockey - it's like they didn't even care about getting the details right 
. The show's biggest problem is that it's all surface level, no real depth or substance 
. It feels like they just wanted to create a "guilty pleasure" for viewers and didn't bother putting in any effort 
.
the "heated rivalry" is literally just an excuse for some dude's ego to get bruised on the ice. and don't even get me started on the lack of actual hockey skills on display 
. Can we not expect more depth and substance from our entertainment? I'm calling BS on this one 
.
Like, how do these pro players deal with pressure, rivalries, and relationships outside the rink?