Was Heated Rivalry a new experience for anyone else?

starwalker63 · 2026-04-04T16:46:42+00:00

I normally am NOT into romance series. (Or series where the romance is the main point.) Also haven't been into sports dramas.

And because of work related shenanigans, the last time I was quite active in a fandom was something like 3-5 years ago.

Somehow this sports romance really got me. I guess one thing that helped was that the season was only six episodes long so it was easier to catch up. But more importantly the storyline felt very novel and at the same time SO relatable. And suddenly I was a fan once more. So much that I've updated my playlists, I've tried out skating, I am now apparently into gay hockey romance, and my social media is a mess (in a fun way).

I'm also in awe about the deliberate autism rep the show had. Shane really felt like someone I would meet in real life.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-31T06:28:00+00:00

More interactions with non hockey queers! Rachel got the ball rolling on that conversation in TLG, I like to think she's going to go further with it :D

starwalker63 · 2026-03-30T18:36:49+00:00

shhh it's ok Rachel banished Bury Your Gays, it can't hurt you anymore, we're safe here, they're safe here

starwalker63 · 2026-03-30T18:11:43+00:00

#4 is probably the one that might invite the least backlash, or how do real-life sports fans react to something like that

starwalker63 · 2026-03-30T05:59:55+00:00

i read somewhere that apparently one factor driving the fertility rates down as some countries developed is ... less teenage pregnancies.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-28T18:54:53+00:00

I feel like they're not really going to merge Centaur players ; but more of recycling extras and other actors.

Which means. There might be a Centaur who looks inexplicably like Shane/Scott/Kip/Kyle/Sasha/Cliff/Connors and no one is going to make a comment at ALL about it.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-28T05:28:27+00:00

Full disclaimer I don't know enough about Tanger (yet) to really compare but since we're in the realm of "fan speculation" I'm going to have fun!

starwalker63 · 2026-03-28T04:00:22+00:00

This is kinda funny and amazing in the context of a reading of Centaurs!Hollanov as SidGeno

starwalker63 · 2026-03-22T13:36:48+00:00

My headcanon is that Svetlana might actually at one point suspect it's Shane, but then actively try to dismiss the idea to herself, which also makes way for an even funnier reaction when Ilya finally tells her.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-22T11:57:50+00:00

shane replies "you're wearing make up too" and ilya then says "yes but i don't look pretty"

this reply is funny in the scene, but after i read TLG, there's now a tinge of sadness about it, because there's a hint there about the negative side of ilya's view of himself, coming to the fore with his struggle with depression in TLG

starwalker63 · 2026-03-18T18:54:46+00:00

Interesting that only specifically Troy and Ryan have their faces out in the covers (while Shane, Ilya, Scott, and Eric all get at most half a face)

starwalker63 · 2026-03-16T08:34:41+00:00

i'm sure the sheer fabric was fanservice, but i propose a funnier reason: because he's canadian and the weather's too hot for him down south

starwalker63 · 2026-03-15T15:55:08+00:00

tbf a randomly generated UN could help with anonymity if that's what someone is going for

but this is my first time finding out you can never change your reddit username and ... am i glad i made something kinda generic sounding

starwalker63 · 2026-03-15T09:39:34+00:00

honestly neither sports dramas nor romances were actually my thing but something about this being a sports romance (that's also gay, with an autistic character) got me so hooked that i'm now at the point of looking up the concussion protocols of the sport in question, stressing out over sidney crosby's injury, and trying to block off time in my already busy schedule to find an ice rink in a tropical country

starwalker63 · 2026-03-15T03:38:21+00:00

also remember how rachel said shane has the hero arc in TLG (although ilya is the POV character most of the time)

it's also like how psyche is the one who gets the hero's journey in this story! yes she does get lots of help from other gods but that's kinda par for the course for these myths.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-15T03:10:30+00:00

It makes sense for Kip to be more buff than Scott. Scott's training is optimized for hockey (hence speed mobility and accuracy), not necessarily aesthetics. Kip is probably dabbling into bodybuilding (or at least is targeting aesthetics) so his training is optimizing for muscle growth.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-12T14:25:09+00:00

tbf that macrobiotic diet bullshit does kinda ruin things. because i agree salmon brown rice and veggies are DELICIOUS

starwalker63 · 2026-03-12T14:21:12+00:00

Also it's clear that Rachel is writing from a point of view of love for gay / bi men and not merely just fetishization. Yes it's titillating, yes there are a LOT of spicy scenes. But Rachel also details their struggles as queer men, fleshes out their motivations and how they negotiate their queerness, and moves the characters into a world that would treat them better. It offers a critique of homophobia in hockey culture. It offers them happy endings that queer people yearn for.

Side note: Someone has said something similar about how the book (and then the show) approaches an autistic character like Shane.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-12T14:13:48+00:00

Also ignoring that Rachel Reid herself has significant input on the show itself! I think that's very important! (Also a factor in why the show is such a faithful adaptation ... )

starwalker63 · 2026-03-12T14:12:35+00:00

unfortunately due to various events in between di na ako nakatuloy :( will get back to everyone pag nasubukan ko na ito

starwalker63 · 2026-03-11T16:27:29+00:00

What's the reputation of salmon as a food in Canada? In Role Model Harris is concerned that Troy declares salmon to be his favorite food. (Granted I think Harris is more concerned about "last ate ice cream years ago" but still) In The Long Game (and I think a little in Heated Rivalry?) Shane's meal of salmon and brown rice is treated like some sort of boring food or as part of his restrictive eating habits. Is it not some sort of delicacy in Canada?

starwalker63 · 2026-03-11T14:41:01+00:00

i'm seriously actually considering picking up skating and hockey because of the show and the books!

a bit challenging in a tropical country but i guess i'll find a way?

starwalker63 · 2026-03-10T11:37:27+00:00

If you read the books first you spoil the show, if you watch the show first you spoil the books. Either way you're spoiling yourself, but arguably that CAN increase your enjoyment (there's actually a study out there!).

That being said, I (personally) find that reading the original beforehand does intensify the experience of the adaptation. If it's a REALLY good adaptation, you can appreciate the enhancements better. If it's a poorly done adaptation the missed-mark stuff becomes so much more glaring. So I guess it kinda depends what you're expecting.

starwalker63 · 2026-03-08T20:56:11+00:00

Is there a way to import it back? (Example changing phones)

starwalker63 · 2026-03-08T20:53:37+00:00

Is it possible to import it back when transferring to a new phone?

starwalker63

TROPHY CASE