My HudCon Timeline
I canāt believe itās finally here! I had been waiting because I hadnāt solidified my opinion enough to do an entire overhaul from my last one but, in talking with mutuals and browsing the hudcon tumblr community, something finally clicked for me. So, here we are :)
Earlier this year whenever we discussed the timeline, there was often a line drawn where one day Hudcon were platonic with crushes and the next they were in a fully committed romantic relationship. However, we always seemed to struggle to pinpoint when exactly that time was because Hudcon were so enamored from the start. Therefore, what really helped me form this timeline was to instead think of it as a slow build up, like stages of progress instead of an on/off switch.
February 2025 ā April 2025: Attraction at First Sight
Connor and Hudson started talking around February 2025 daily as they both prepared for the roles they were very likely going to get. It was obvious from the beginning they were very compatible and started building an emotional bond right away through their conversations over the phone.
With the amount of thirsting both Hudson and Connor have done over each other, I donāt think thereās any question of physical attraction from the first moment they saw each other over zoom in February. Plus, with the additional context of the first chemistry read where they stared at each other for 5 seconds in silence and Hudson felt like Connor could pin him down and fuck him, I think we can all agree the attraction was also sexual.
April 2025 ā June 2025: Physical Intimacy
Within the first month of filming, I think Connor and Hudson started a casual physical relationship, which continued (although feelings certainly grew) throughout the rest of filming. Connor and Hudson met in person for the first time around 3 weeks before filming started to prepare more intensely. They were around each other most of the day, and still would hang out and work in each otherās apartments until late at night and sleep over. Operating under the assumption they were both single during this time, I would be surprised if they didnāt explore their attraction with each other on some level. They both have made many indications they were confident in their sexuality and quite comfortable in expressing attraction to each other and touching each other intimately off-camera (see ā the behind the scenes photos Christina posted from May). Yes, they were there to do a job, but they were not working all day and they clearly spent almost all their time together ā but that sexual tension didnāt explode at all?
I speculated in my last timeline that the sex scenes would help take the edge off, but knowing what we know now about how precise their approach was to those scenes they were, Iām not sure how much those scenes would help. We just have to look at Connorās eyes in Vegasā¦ they were certainly not unaffected. We also see them be a little hesitant in the behind the scenes early on in HR, like before the locker rooms scenes. This indicates either those were before they decided to be casual or they had started but were trying to hide it from the team.
June 2025 ā September 2025: Exclusive/Subconsciously Committed
Jacobās reaction to Hudson and Connor during the Crave interviews throughout filming came across to me as someone who is watching two people fall in love very delicately and hesitantly. It makes me think that Hudson, Connor, and everyone else who knew, may have been wondering if whatever it was between them would last past wrap. This encapsulates my thoughts well on what we see from them when filming wraps. Iāve speculated that they were likely very aware that their mutual attraction was also mutual feelings and had talked about it but were perhaps waiting for something to happen in order to fully take the next step. I think thatās what this Summer was for them: slowly falling more in love even over a long distance, and realizing they were ready to be committed.
Hudson and Connor were messing around but bonding very heavily during filming, and obviously felt a deep connection even then. However, there was still a casualness to their interactions which spoke less of a long-term partner and more of someone you fully trust who you are also very connected to in mind and body. So it makes sense to me when Connor and Hudson split after filming, they do so with a mutual understanding that there is something between them worth exploring and they do.
September 2025 ā December 2025: Fully Committed
We all know about the infamous post by Connor from his September visit to Vancouver. The pictures are mostly of him and Hudson doing things (which are included in Hudsonās idea of a perfect day in Vancouver mind you) and the caption is the song My Heart Goesā¦
I hope we can all see why I think they solidified something on that trip. I think they were already interacting with intention to date eventually (see previous section), but this trip is when they decided to make it official. This trip indicated a lasting long-distance commitment to each other over the entire Summer, and is the first time we really see Hudson making a big effort to blend Connor into his friend group.
December 2025: In It for the Long Haul
I mentioned in my first timeline post there was a shift we can see in Hudson and Connorās behavior with each other on camera from November to December. I still think this is true, but I think the reason is a little different. Early Heated Rivalry press shows them being a little hesitant and unsure when they were interacting vs. later in December (e.g. Quinn, Teen Vogue, Cosmo, Buzzfeed etc.). I think the reason for this is two fold:
Hudson and Connor were dating by then, but the show started picking up quite a bit of traction and they were being asked to do more and more press. I think around this time there was a decision which had to be made: either we are in this for the long haul and will approach our careers/public relations with that in mind, or we cut it off now and keep it professional. Obviously, we know which one I think they chose.
Hudson and Connor were getting more media training, and they were ironing out how they want to interact on camera and how much they want to show. I think this hesitancy was us witnessing that exploration. They are continuing to do this even this year with separate Golden Globe red carpet appearances and Hudsonās Wonderland interview, to Hudsonās SNL appearance with Connor and the Oscars and Met Gala After Parties.
2026: The Rollercoaster
We are not even halfway through 2026 and already Hudson and Connor have asked for privacy, shown up as a couple in many places, and now potentially may be re-evaluating their approach yet again. 2026 is a big question mark for now, but I ā for one ā am excited to see what happens and to come back here and update this!
