HBO’s new series fierce rivalry ‘ has set social media on fire, with fans openly clamoring for the lead role and critics debating the show’s credibility.
Original work by Rachel Reid game changer In the novel version, the series tells the story of two elite rival hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Story), whose on-ice tension turns into a sexual, quasi-romantic relationship.
The hockey drama wastes no time diving into the rivals’ intense lust for each other. Some viewers were surprised to see the usual slow burn trope quickly flare up.
“15 minutes into the heated rivalry, I’m just wondering why they’re moving so fast,” one viewer wrote on X.
Fifteen minutes into the intense competition, I just –
Why are we moving so fast? pic.twitter.com/5hcfE6sIyB— Ellie 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 (@youareloooved) November 30, 2025
The intense chemistry between the two fictional athletes also touched many viewers.
“I sat through the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry,” 1 posted.
I sat through the first two episodes of Hot Rivalry. pic.twitter.com/CfPctuEUaP
— ≧∀≦ (@laeswrld) November 28, 2025
Beyond the genders, the cat-and-mouse dynamic of their athletic rivalry, the awkward budding situations, and the internal conflicts each man faces will intrigue many viewers.
“The more Ilya feels, the less he speaks. My traumatized Slav king: (” written by a TikTok user.
“Good. I’m obsessed with ‘Heat Rivalry.’ Not because of the giant bouncy bubble butt, but as a true aspiration, because I’m not into good romance,” another wrote.
Not everyone is praising the show. Some critics have argued that LGBTQ roles should be played by LGBTQ actors, noting that neither Storey nor Williams have publicly discussed their sexuality.
“If they are [Storrie and Williams] Both are actually straight, but again, [us] Fuck you idiot,” one user bluntly said. I wrote.
If they’re both really straight, this is just stupid again. We consume anything that has muscle, which is actually very stupid. https://t.co/dZ41aSKtyX
— Nour (@nournoornur) December 2, 2025
Series director Jacob Tierney, who is gay, quickly denied speculation about the actor’s sexuality.
Mr. Tierney also intervened during questioning. extra About queer actors playing queer roles created for the story.
“I don’t see any reason to get involved in something like that,” he told LGBTQ magazine. “They came into this world like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we’re here to make this story feel authentic and as authentic as possible.'” And they hit it out of the park. ”
Regardless of the discourse fierce rivalry It was a hit: Ranked same as HBO Max 2nd most watched series In the US on November 29th.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
