So have you seen the Canadian-made streaming series Heated Rivalry yet? It's currently taking the world by storm with its winning romance story about pro hockey players in love with each other. But the true sensation is the abundance of hot and pretty darn explicit gay male sex scenes in this mainstream-targeted series. I just watched all six episodes last week and LOVED IT!
(The show is carried in Canada on Crave TV, in the USA and internationally on HBO Max, in New Zealand on Neon, and in Spain on Movistar Plus+).
The main story follows two rival players on different teams in a fictionalized NHL setting, Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov, whose on-ice animosity conceals a passionate, secret romance. A sub-plot also involves an older closeted player Scott Hunter and his romance with Christopher "Kip" Grady, a smoothie shop barista.
The series does a great job of depicting the pressures of homophobic "alpha male" hockey culture and internalized homophobia, with all the standard fears about career derailment, financial loss, parental and family rejection, social exclusion and punishment, etc. The series does an equally great job of juxtaposing the competing human needs for love, intimacy, connection and an authentic life. And the story will continue in the series' just-announced second season.
Although the series was created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney, a leading light of Canadian film and TV production, it is in fact based on a series of gay male romance novels written by Canadian author Rachel Reid.
Wait . . . what? A woman writing gay male romance smut? WTF?
And this brings us to tomorrow's Part 2 of this post -- the cultural phenomenon of "M/M fanfiction" and why literally thousands of women are so involved in (and so good at) writing gay male romance focusing not only on hot sex but also deep emotions.
Oh, and P.S. -- this series has done wonders for the Ginger Ale market.
9 comments:
I have not heard about this series over here in Germany. The third answer from "the Onion" had me lol :)
@ Duni -- Germany's Leon Draisaitl is one of the best players on our Edmonton Oilers. He is fantastic!
Dont think its in the UK yet, far too advanced for us lot!
It is good to see this storyline finally! I wasn’t aware of the series.
...a quick question, are Canadians really born with skates on?
I get embarrassed watching sex scenes whatever the sexes!
@ Tom -- Yes, yes we are. That's one stereotype which is true.
I remember those ads Drink Canada Dry, to which NY friends would say I'm trying, I'm trying!
Something to watch on a cold winter afternoon.
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