By: Noël Sertel (they/she)
Warning: This blog post contains spoilers Heated Rivalry Season 1 and Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.
If you’re a fan of queer, contemporary romance novels like myself, there’s a chance you’ve heard this one before: a bisexual or questioning man falls in love with another man, only to realize *gasp* “He was gay all along!” Finding the right label, or no label at all, for someone’s sexual identity is a unique and incredibly personal experience. The scenario described above may be the journey of some (Shane Hollander, for instance), but for others, bisexuality isn’t a phase but a final destination.
When I first began reading Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, I braced myself for the usual bi-antagonist themes. I was instead met with a refreshing tale of queer love. Both MCs are established as strong hockey players early on, but their careers are only the tip of the iceberg for the complex characters. In Jacob Tierney’s TV adaptation, Shane’s biracial identity as an East Asian-Candian is more explicitly spoken about than it is in the novel. Hudson Williams, who plays Shane, also shared how he drew inspiration from his father, who is neurodivergent, when preparing for the role.
Shane’s coming out story, both to himself, Ilya, and his family, is a central part of their love story. On the other hand, Ilya Rozonav (Connor Storrie), Shane’s queer situationship turned Happily Ever After (HEA, for those in the know) is open about liking men and women early on. Ilya’s struggle is not with his sexuality, but rather existing as an immigrant from an anti-LGBTQ+ country. During Shane’s coming out scene as being gay and having real feelings for him, Ilya states that he could never go back home to Russia if he was out. This conversation serves as a painful reminder of ongoing violence against LGBTQ+ folks and immigrants within the United States and beyond. Bisexual+ folks even face scrutiny even within the LGBTQ+ community, especially men and masculine folks. As explored in the sequel to Heated Rivalry, The Long Game, bisexual folks also deal with higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to heterosexuals, lesbians, and gay men in part due in large part to bi-antagonism and bierasure.
One of the most beautiful parts of their relationship is Shane’s unquestioning acceptance of Ilya’s bisexuality. In the pivotal “The Cottage” episode, Shane and Ilya brainstorm ways to expedite his citizenship, to which Ilya suggests he could marry a friend of his, Svetlana (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova). Shane asks Ilya if he would like to marry a woman one day, Ilya says that while he’s often around beautiful women, he’s always thinking about a “hockey player with beautiful freckles” and that it’s a “terrible problem.” Shane asks him if he wants the problem to go away and locking eyes with Shane, Ilya says, “I don’t ever want that problem to ever go away.”
Later when they’re discussing their relationship with Shane’s parents, Shane’s dad, David (Dylan Walsh), says that he’s surprised because Ilya has a reputation as a ladies man. When Ilya confirms it’s true and Shane shares that Ilya “likes both.” When I initially read the scene in Reid’s book, I braced myself for the inevitable backlash many bi+ folks face when coming out. Stereotypes like bi+ folks can never be happy in a monogamous relationship, or that they won’t be able to settle down with a person of the same gender. In the book and TV show, perhaps anticipating himself, Ilya says, “It’s true I’ve been with many women, but I have only been in love with one person.” To which Shane replies, “Same here.” The lines vary slightly from book to screen, but declaration of love nonetheless resonated with my tender, bisexual heart for the same reason I’m sure it does many others: we love our partner(s) because of who they are and not their identity. Ilya isn’t saying he loves Shane because he’s a man, saying he loves Shane because he’s Shane.
The popularity of Heated Rivalry sheds light on the importance and demand for diverse and joyous queer stories. Before the first season even finished its initial release, season 2 was announced. Episode 5 (“I’ll Believe Anything) also briefly held a 10/10 rating on IMDB. With the decrease in LGBTQ+ representation on TV and streaming, this is not only a win for fans, but the wider queer community. Heated Rivalry not only features queer characters, but is written and directed by a gay man, Jacob Tierneym, and stars bisexual actor François Arnaud as Scott Hunter, the original “Game Changer.”
Ilya and Shane’s love story is not just about hot sex, but authentic and complex portrayal of a queer love and joy. Although if you’re looking for hot sex, you won’t be disappointed, but as Hudson Williams put it on The Shift Podcast, “come for the hot sex and stay for the warm love.”
Author’s note: Ilya defines his sexuality as “bisexual” in the short story, My Dinner with Hayden and later Game Changers books.