From Queer-Baiting to Neurodivergence: ‘Heated Rivalry’s Creator Tackles Fan Theories and Controversy

Rachel Reid didn’t intend for anybody to put in writing a dissertation about her sexy little homosexual hockey collection.

Then once more, the Nova Scotia creator behind the Recreation Changers collection might by no means have anticipated the extent of fanfare that’s accompanied the tv adaptation of her books: Heated Rivalry.

The present, commissioned by Canada’s Crave and distributed by HBO Max within the US, debuted in late November and shortly grew to become a large hit. It’s the primary Crave unique collection of all time, and it additionally climbed to no 1 on HBO Max. A second season has already been greenlit.

If you happen to’re not watching it but, you realize somebody who’s. (Full disclosure: I threw a Heated Rivalry–themed vacation social gathering final week, which simply meant enjoying it on mute in my residence for the vibes.) From Reddit to BookTok, the present and its supply materials have additionally sparked a variety of discourse, starting from hypothesis about lead character Shane’s neurodivergence, commentaries about race in hockey, and accusations that Reid favors mischievous Russian Ilya over Shane.

“I did not anticipate this ebook to be analyzed like The Nice Gatsby after I wrote it. It’s actually only a hockey romance,” Reid, now a New York Instances bestselling creator, tells me over Zoom, laughing. Nonetheless, she’s flattered on the time folks have spent theorizing. “I am impressed with a few of the issues that folks have actually dug into. I really feel like a few of them make me sound lots smarter than I’m.”

The present additionally sparked criticism from I Love LA star Jordan Firstman, who informed Vulture that the intimacy depicted on the present is “not how homosexual folks fuck.” He went on to say that lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie ought to out themselves if they’re homosexual. The actors, who Williams described as “finest buddies,” have been posting flirty movies with one another, and even have matching “intercourse sells” tattoos, however neither has disclosed his sexual orientation. “A homosexual man would say it,” Firstman informed Vulture. “I don’t respect you since you care an excessive amount of about your profession and what’s going to occur if folks assume you’re homosexual.”

The feedback prompted fellow Heated Rivalry actor François Arnaud to clap again on Instagram, commenting “Ought to the intercourse that closeted hockey gamers have appear to be the intercourse that sceney LA homosexual guys have?” (Firstman has since apologized and the spat appears to have blown over.)

Right here’s what Reid needed to say about all of the discourse surrounding everybody’s favourite hockey smut and why so many ladies are obsessive about the style.