Heated Rivalry (Crave/HBO-Max)

[Anonymous]

The two leads are the moment! Very talented and beautiful, and everyone is obsessed with them. As someone said upthread, their chemistry is what makes and sells this show.

[Anonymous]

Yes everyone is obsessed with them. Even the Olympics. They’ll be torch bearers.

[Anonymous]

I think the chemistry comes from them being two theatre kids who had no fame or reputation to protect and who had the same sense of humor and goofiness - but also strong work ethics and desperate to please and make it. If you watch the behind the scenes clips (like this one) they are just two theatre kids goofing around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjnrj1FrRgc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

Not really. You missed the plot entirely. It is subtle and well acted. They are both in love but also so scared that they love each other. Everything they do is consensual, and Ilya seeks consent and reassures Shane often, which I found very attractive. Shane initiates hookups too, so their situationship is not driven by one party. E.g., “Feel like getting murdered in a dark alley in Mtrl in 2 weeks?”, the couch scene etc. Ilya had a whole day of domestic bliss planned for him at his Boston apt but then Shane freaked out when he called him by his first name after sex and then Ilya is practically begging him to stay. This scene showed that Ilya was down bad and ready to move the relationship to the next level, but it’s Shane who is pulling back. One is on the spectrum and the other carries a lot of baggage and trauma, so they are not great communicators, but they are definitely not using and abusing each other as you wrote. Neither had any interest in going public because of the stigma for gay players in the NHL and because Ilya’s family and country would disown him. Also, they were teenagers when they fell for each other and needed to grow up, mature but also solidify their name in hockey before they could move to the next level.

Their yearning, egos, lack of good communication - very reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. The young secret lovers from rival teams who fear the repercussions remind me of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a great love story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

Not really. You missed the plot entirely. It is subtle and well acted. They are both in love but also so scared that they love each other. Everything they do is consensual, and Ilya seeks consent and reassures Shane often, which I found very attractive. Shane initiates hookups too, so their situationship is not driven by one party. E.g., “Feel like getting murdered in a dark alley in Mtrl in 2 weeks?”, the couch scene etc. Ilya had a whole day of domestic bliss planned for him at his Boston apt but then Shane freaked out when he called him by his first name after sex and then Ilya is practically begging him to stay. This scene showed that Ilya was down bad and ready to move the relationship to the next level, but it’s Shane who is pulling back. One is on the spectrum and the other carries a lot of baggage and trauma, so they are not great communicators, but they are definitely not using and abusing each other as you wrote. Neither had any interest in going public because of the stigma for gay players in the NHL and because Ilya’s family and country would disown him. Also, they were teenagers when they fell for each other and needed to grow up, mature but also solidify their name in hockey before they could move to the next level.

Their yearning, egos, lack of good communication - very reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. The young secret lovers from rival teams who fear the repercussions remind me of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a great love story.

Thanks for your chat GPT summary but I didn't miss the plot. I am saying that if you substituted a woman into the plot in place of Shane, Ilya would be perceived very differently. No, people don't see two men as using and abusing each other but if you had the same plot and scenes with a woman, they would. And the Shane character isn't on the spectrum, the author has confirmed that! That was made up by people online but really just shows that most don't understand what autism is. Being a bit socially awkward isn't autism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

You see that Ilya is abusive and you’re right, his actions are immature and abusive.

But you’re completely missing the point that Shane is also abusive. He’s hiding Ilya from everybody. It would be like an ultra religious boy who’s dating an atheist and refusing to introduce her to her parents and keeps her hidden for years.

What’s beautiful as you watch them both grow through those 10 years to loving and supporting partners.

Ilya literally could not come out or his family could be killed. He could be killed. He could be deported back to his country and killed.

Shane couldn’t come out why?

Also, I think we are using the word abusive very liberally because it’s not literally abusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

Did not feel this way at all. Ilya explicitly asks for consent many times saying “is this ok?” Shane is much more in tune with his emotions and realizes that Ilya’s behavior has to do with his hard upbringing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

You see that Ilya is abusive and you’re right, his actions are immature and abusive.

But you’re completely missing the point that Shane is also abusive. He’s hiding Ilya from everybody. It would be like an ultra religious boy who’s dating an atheist and refusing to introduce her to her parents and keeps her hidden for years.

What’s beautiful as you watch them both grow through those 10 years to loving and supporting partners.

Ilya literally could not come out or his family could be killed. He could be killed. He could be deported back to his country and killed.

Shane couldn’t come out why?

Also, I think we are using the word abusive very liberally because it’s not literally abusive.

This is erotica. Hockey smut. You are reading too much into it. It is a fantasy novel and women like fantasies involving men roughing each other up and treating each other in a way that would be considered abusive if it was a man and a woman. Ilya would be considered just another loser of a F*boy and nasty player who treats women badly. Which is why there is so much man on man content now in TV and film. A big audience is straight women and they like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's completely the chemistry between the 2 leads.

The Scott Harper/smoothie guy story line in episode 3 stands in total contrast. Those 2 characters are good looking guys but to me their sex isn't hot at al. It's generic, kind of boring, you remember you're watching 2 gay men have sex.

Unlike the leads. I watch the leads have sex and my brain doesn't eve register:"these are gay men". As a previous poster on here said "it's 2 people giving and receiving pleasure and that is hot" with really strong chemistry, longing, tenderness. Their gender or orientation doesn't matter.

True, but they were a nice B story. A little older, two different worlds, but with some of the same issues. I liked them, too. (I especially loved the supportive female friends that Kip, Shane, and Ilya all had. Scott was alone -- kind of in a prison of his own making -- until he truly let Kip in.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

You see that Ilya is abusive and you’re right, his actions are immature and abusive.

But you’re completely missing the point that Shane is also abusive. He’s hiding Ilya from everybody. It would be like an ultra religious boy who’s dating an atheist and refusing to introduce her to her parents and keeps her hidden for years.

What’s beautiful as you watch them both grow through those 10 years to loving and supporting partners.

Ilya literally could not come out or his family could be killed. He could be killed. He could be deported back to his country and killed.

Shane couldn’t come out why?

Also, I think we are using the word abusive very liberally because it’s not literally abusive.

This is erotica. Hockey smut. You are reading too much into it. It is a fantasy novel and women like fantasies involving men roughing each other up and treating each other in a way that would be considered abusive if it was a man and a woman. Ilya would be considered just another loser of a F*boy and nasty player who treats women badly. Which is why there is so much man on man content now in TV and film. A big audience is straight women and they like it.

I am a different poster replying to you.
We’re not reading too much into it. Some of us are just good at analyzing text, plot, and context clues. Some of us studied Comp Lit and do it professionally. You refuse to open your mind to the fact that a story can have multiple layers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

You see that Ilya is abusive and you’re right, his actions are immature and abusive.

But you’re completely missing the point that Shane is also abusive. He’s hiding Ilya from everybody. It would be like an ultra religious boy who’s dating an atheist and refusing to introduce her to her parents and keeps her hidden for years.

What’s beautiful as you watch them both grow through those 10 years to loving and supporting partners.

Ilya literally could not come out or his family could be killed. He could be killed. He could be deported back to his country and killed.

Shane couldn’t come out why?

Also, I think we are using the word abusive very liberally because it’s not literally abusive.

This is erotica. Hockey smut. You are reading too much into it. It is a fantasy novel and women like fantasies involving men roughing each other up and treating each other in a way that would be considered abusive if it was a man and a woman. Ilya would be considered just another loser of a F*boy and nasty player who treats women badly. Which is why there is so much man on man content now in TV and film. A big audience is straight women and they like it.

I am a different poster replying to you.
We’re not reading too much into it. Some of us are just good at analyzing text, plot, and context clues. Some of us studied Comp Lit and do it professionally. You refuse to open your mind to the fact that a story can have multiple layers.

Swoosh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

Not really. You missed the plot entirely. It is subtle and well acted. They are both in love but also so scared that they love each other. Everything they do is consensual, and Ilya seeks consent and reassures Shane often, which I found very attractive. Shane initiates hookups too, so their situationship is not driven by one party. E.g., “Feel like getting murdered in a dark alley in Mtrl in 2 weeks?”, the couch scene etc. Ilya had a whole day of domestic bliss planned for him at his Boston apt but then Shane freaked out when he called him by his first name after sex and then Ilya is practically begging him to stay. This scene showed that Ilya was down bad and ready to move the relationship to the next level, but it’s Shane who is pulling back. One is on the spectrum and the other carries a lot of baggage and trauma, so they are not great communicators, but they are definitely not using and abusing each other as you wrote. Neither had any interest in going public because of the stigma for gay players in the NHL and because Ilya’s family and country would disown him. Also, they were teenagers when they fell for each other and needed to grow up, mature but also solidify their name in hockey before they could move to the next level.

Their yearning, egos, lack of good communication - very reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. The young secret lovers from rival teams who fear the repercussions remind me of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a great love story.

+1. I also think situationships like that happen all the time, we just never find out about them. This type of thing - being a celeb and in love with someone the general public would destroy you over - is likely what Taylor Swift and Matty Healy had going on for a decade. You fight it, you act all cool and cocky and I-have-all-this-power-over-you, but at the end of the day, it’s what Shane confessed to his mother: “I just can’t help it.” The heart wants what the heart wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

Not really. You missed the plot entirely. It is subtle and well acted. They are both in love but also so scared that they love each other. Everything they do is consensual, and Ilya seeks consent and reassures Shane often, which I found very attractive. Shane initiates hookups too, so their situationship is not driven by one party. E.g., “Feel like getting murdered in a dark alley in Mtrl in 2 weeks?”, the couch scene etc. Ilya had a whole day of domestic bliss planned for him at his Boston apt but then Shane freaked out when he called him by his first name after sex and then Ilya is practically begging him to stay. This scene showed that Ilya was down bad and ready to move the relationship to the next level, but it’s Shane who is pulling back. One is on the spectrum and the other carries a lot of baggage and trauma, so they are not great communicators, but they are definitely not using and abusing each other as you wrote. Neither had any interest in going public because of the stigma for gay players in the NHL and because Ilya’s family and country would disown him. Also, they were teenagers when they fell for each other and needed to grow up, mature but also solidify their name in hockey before they could move to the next level.

Their yearning, egos, lack of good communication - very reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. The young secret lovers from rival teams who fear the repercussions remind me of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a great love story.

Thanks for your chat GPT summary but I didn't miss the plot. I am saying that if you substituted a woman into the plot in place of Shane, Ilya would be perceived very differently. No, people don't see two men as using and abusing each other but if you had the same plot and scenes with a woman, they would. And the Shane character isn't on the spectrum, the author has confirmed that! That was made up by people online but really just shows that most don't understand what autism is. Being a bit socially awkward isn't autism.

NP but yes, you did. The first PP nailed it. And there are lots of movies about friends with benefits and casual sex. And in reality, too. Or are you new here?

The point is the love that grew and the fear of being open about it. It's about sex. But also about love and longing.

Too bad you didn't understand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would accept this show if it was hetero.

They would feel the woman was being used and abused by the Ilya character. He just wants her for sex when they are in town - and sleeps with lots of other women as well. Ghosts her by text then expects her to just be there and go down on him at his beck and call. And this goes on for years? He would he an absolutely hated character if Shane's character was a woman.

You see that Ilya is abusive and you’re right, his actions are immature and abusive.

But you’re completely missing the point that Shane is also abusive. He’s hiding Ilya from everybody. It would be like an ultra religious boy who’s dating an atheist and refusing to introduce her to her parents and keeps her hidden for years.

What’s beautiful as you watch them both grow through those 10 years to loving and supporting partners.

Ilya literally could not come out or his family could be killed. He could be killed. He could be deported back to his country and killed.

Shane couldn’t come out why?

Also, I think we are using the word abusive very liberally because it’s not literally abusive.

I don’t see it that way at all. There’s nothing wrong with two single people who are in a consensual relationship that is mostly physical. Yes, it is tragic and distressing when one or both partners catch feelings and can’t take it to the next level (btdt), typically because of external pressures and sometimes because of pride and ego, but the other party can always say no and move on with their life. No one is forcing you to stay if that’s not what you want.

I don’t blame Shane for keeping their relationship secret. He was young, extremely competitive and focused on his hockey career, on the spectrum so struggles with attention and being in the public eye, and also wants to protect Ilya. It is why he tells him at the cottage that he would’ve probably come out to his parents sooner, but kept it private because of his concern for Rozanov.

[Anonymous]

Author: "It's hockey smut"
Director: "its sexy, horny, fun"
Lead actors get matching tattoos: "Sex sells"

DCUM: "This is a very deep, nuanced literary work of art that requires a contextual text analysis to breakdown the layers and is beyond the understanding of the casual viewer"