"Enter Heated Rivalry (Saturday 10 January, 9pm, Sky Atlantic), a Canadian queer romp so hot it threatens to scorch the ice it skates upon. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are star players from Montreal and Moscow respectively, mysteriously drawn to each other on the rink, in the full glare of the media. Well, not that mysteriously. The co-leads get down to business almost immediately, with a not-quite meet cute in a shower room."
"Every episode thereafter features charged glances, sweaty necks and muscular pumping. Even the camera feels as if it's in lust, gliding over 8%-fat sports star bodies and the glass walls of luxury flats. It's an audacious feat, making ice hockey sexy. Those padded uniforms usually make wearers resemble the Thing from The Fantastic Four. It helps that the actors are ravishing."
Heated Rivalry is a Canadian queer sports drama that centers on intense attraction between star players from Montreal and Moscow. The leads connect almost immediately in a frank, sexual meet-cute, and subsequent episodes emphasise physical chemistry with charged looks and explicit scenes. Camera work accentuates athletic bodies and luxurious settings, reframing traditionally bulky hockey uniforms as erotic. The show features ravishing actors whose performances and looks drive attention and viral clips. The narrative contrasts macho sporting culture with personal secrecy and national contexts that complicate queer identity, contributing to the show’s crossover success.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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