Like most people, I have been enamoured by Heated Rivalry since its first episode released on November 28th. The show centres two NHL hockey players, Russia’s Ilya Rozanov and Canada’s and Shane Hollander, who have been pitted against each other since their simultaneous debuts. We watch them come together and fall in love over the course of a decade.
One stand-out feature of this Crave show for me are the costume and soundtrack. The characters perfectly embody the trends of their time; Ilya’s very Slavic animal print silk shirt or Rose Landry’s Peter Pan collar blouse, for example, feel very 2016. These costume choices are very intentional and remind the watcher that this is not the modern day, and we cannot apply our more accepting views on being gay.
The soundtrack also wholly captures the emotions of the show. Two songs that have skyrocketed out of the show are ‘My Moon My Man’ by Feist, and ‘I’ll Believe in Anything’ by Wolf Parade. The former plays during a montage of Ilya and Shane’s intense training and exchanging sexually charged text messages. The latter plays at the end of episode five, as Scott Hunter pulls Kip Grady onto the ice to come out publicly as gay.
Ultimately, Heated Rivalry has created a more accepting culture in a sport that has historically been nothing of the sort.
The show has received some criticism for its sexually explicit scenes. Personally, I believe that the sexual aspects of the show serve to normalise this type of relationship, and the show wouldn’t function the same without them. In actuality, the show features plenty of emotional moments – such as Ilya’s relationship with his family in Russia, and Shane’s heart wrenchingly apologetic coming out to his mother.
Ultimately, Heated Rivalry has created a more accepting culture in a sport that has historically been nothing of the sort. The fans are identifying with it so deeply because it is raw, real, and a very common portrayal of the challenges many people in the LGBTQ+ community face.
