HBOโs Heated Rivalry, about the relationship between two pro hockey players, earned a reputation as a must-watch sexy romantic drama, but itโs the furthest thing from mere horny smut. At its core, Heated Rivalry is a thoughtful meditation on loneliness and the innate desire for intimacy between two people so weighed down with other peopleโs expectations that theyโre controlled by fear. Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) is an earnest, slightly awkward, but hyper-competent workhorse. Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) is a cocky, deliberately unbothered Russian bad boy. They start the series as bitter hockey rivals on different teams in the same division, and that tension culminates in an intense romantic relationship that evolves over many years.

