"Save for AMC's "Interview with the Vampire," and Showtime's "Fellow Travelers," for the last few years, the progression of queer television has been stifled by creators who aren't up to the challenge, forcing their protagonists into a sexless box that stifles the impact these shows could have on an industry that grows more conservative each year."
"Thankfully, Canadian production company Crave has swooped in to rectify this problem, shattering expectations and proving that queer television can indeed take risks, if the creators and actors behind these shows are up to the task. Based on Rachel Reid's best-selling romance novel of the same name, "Heated Rivalry" focuses on Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), a young Canadian hockey player whose rivalry on the ice with Russian player Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) dominates both of their careers."
"In addition to being two of the most successful athletes in their field, the rivalry quickly gives way to a frenetic friends-with-benefits situation, where gazes linger and desires threaten to change the foundations of their careers. What the first few episodes of the series lack in dynamic storytelling, the show makes up for with the scenes shared between the two leads."
Recent queer television has often favored quaint, safe representations of queer sexuality, limiting audacity and forcing protagonists into sexless roles, with few exceptions like AMC's Interview with the Vampire and Showtime's Fellow Travelers. Canadian network Crave produced Heated Rivalry, adapted from Rachel Reid's romance, which centers on Canadian player Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov whose on-ice rivalry morphs into a frenetic friends-with-benefits affair. Jacob Tierney directs with an early commitment to the romance. The series compensates for uneven plotting with compelling lead chemistry and intimate scenes that push queer storytelling toward greater risk-taking.
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