“Heated Rivalry” Review
You’ve seen it. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard about it. It’s television’s newest sensation and your teenage sister’s newest obsession: it’s “Heated Rivalry.” With a whopping 9/10 on IMDB, the reviews speak for themselves. But what makes it so good?
“Heated Rivalry” is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Its gutsiness is unheard of and, arguably, could not have come at a better time. Although the show is Canadian, I see it as a jab at increased censorship in American media, resulting from both state and federal proposals aiming to regulate what media can be consumed and by whom. Additionally, the show contains a rare non-fetishized glimpse into gay sex. Rather than softening its edges to appeal to the broadest possible audience (I’m looking at you, Love, Victor), the show leans into what so many before it have shied away from: intimacy, passion and love. By the end of the season, viewers find themselves craving just three little words from either main character. By the time Shane and Ilya say their first “I love you,” they’ve shown it countless times already, but just a verbal acknowledgement of the years they’ve spent together is enough to the send the viewer into a tizzy.
Part of what makes “Heated Rivalry” so compelling is its refusal to treat queerness as a punchline or a lesson. The gay sex depicted in the show is allowed to be impulsive and tender. This is how straight sex has been treated in media for years, but gay sex in the same context has been the recipient of taboo labels for far too long. It has been said a million times, but I’ll say it again: representation matters. Well into the 21st century (and most certainly before that), queer media has oscillated between hyper sexualization and near total desexualization with almost nothing in between. “Heated Rivalry” positions itself smack-dab in the middle. The intimacy is essential and is precisely what makes this series so special.
The show’s success can also lend itself to the younger generation’s push for authenticity. You can tell when a piece of media is made “safely,” with no risks, no consequences and no controversy. Creators of popular shows and films are constantly apologizing for crossing an invisible line. Screenwriters and directors are told they’ve gone “too far” when capturing something real and raw. Jacob Tierney’s “Heated Rivalry” does no such thing. No apologies, no boundaries. Unapologetic queer love has always been around, but now it’s finally in the mainstream media. Against an ever-growing culture of media censorship, “Heated Rivalry” feels refreshingly honest.
This administration is obsessed with finding reasons to clutch its pearls. “Heated Rivalry” grabs ahold of that necklace and rips it to bits, leaving the pieces to be picked up by those still pretending queer love doesn’t exist in its purest form.