TLDR: Heated Rivalry isn't just a monumental *gay* show, it's a monumental *romance* show.
Something that I haven't really seen anyone talking about in regards to Heated Rivalry is the way that it is a groundbreaking show not just because it is a *gay* romance, but because is is a romance at all.
Despite the romance genre thriving in both books and movies, romance has not historically been a tv genre. While romantic storylines are dime-a-dozen, the genre of romance never really worked for traditional network tv because (1) romance storylines inherently require serialization because they are centred on character growth, ie. internal rather than external conflict and (2) because romance stories are not meant to be continuous (most romance book series follow multiple couples—it's rare for a couple's story to stretch over multiple books) which is a problem when network tv was all about longevity.
Of course, this changes somewhat with streaming, where limited series' thrive and storylines no longer need to stretch over 5-10 seasons. But even then, the only romance show that has truly lived in the public conscious in recent years is Bridgerton, a show that while certainly a romance (and adapted from a books series much like Heated Rivalry) embodies the tv industry's concerns about romance as a genre. Bridgerton does not allow its romance storylines to breathe on their own—season 3 was particularly at fault for this, where side characters and plotlines were added in a way that completely distracted from the supposedly central romance. This is not to say that Bridgerton is necessarily a bad show, its creators just clearly does do not believe that romance is a genre that can captivate audience for a significant about of time, at least not without exciting side plots.
But Heated Rivalry is different. Jacob Tierney and everyone who worked on the show clearly know the romance can stand alone (sex does, in fact, sell) and the construction of the show is rooted in this understanding. With the exception of episode 3, the entire show is solely focused on Shane and Ilya. There are side characters, but they are only there to exist within the single love story being told. Even episode 3 exacerbates this point, because a lesser show would have interwoven Scott and Kip's story throughout Shane and Ilya's instead of letting it breathe on its own. Many people were jarred by episode 3's departure from the main story, but this choice allows for the audience's focus to remain on the main plot—Shane and Ilya—for the majority of the show, exactly the way that romance books do.
Romance, like many things that are consumed by women, is a severely underestimated genre, and Heated Rivalry is refreshing evidence that romance can thrive on tv—as long as it is treated with the respect and care it deserves. Sex sells, but as any fan of romance books knows, Heated Rivalry is selling a lot more than really well filmed smut.
Nickname: Jess, Punkin
Star sign: Libra
Height: ~5′7″/ 174cm
Last film I watched: Booksmart (2019)
Favorite Musician(s): Billy Joel, Bleachers (or anything involving Jack Antonoff), Hippo Campus, Fleetwood Mac, The Head and the Heart, The Wombats, The Smiths. (There are too many to list entirely)
Song Stuck in My Head: Way it Goes // Hippo Campus
Other Blogs: @afterthestxrm TECHNICALLY, but I haven’t used it in over 2 years.
Do I get Asks: Not often.
Blogs Following: I follow 277 blogs
What am I Wearing: Nike shorts and a University of North Texas Alumni tshirt.
Dream Job: Owning a small publishing company and a bookshop.
Dream Trip: Hungary to visit my penpal
Play Any Instruments?: I took piano for a year in high school and was so bad at it I gave up all aspirations of playing anything.
Languages: English, and a LITTLE American Sign Language (pretty good at finger spelling)
Favorite Food: hot cheetos, my guilty pleasure always
Favorite Song: Cool Out (feat. Natalie Prass) // Matthew E. White
Random Fact: I have an autographed copy of The Wombats’ Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life and it is my prized possession.
a doodle of the paramilitary organization leaders in fusionfall... didn’t include the secret government agency from johnny test because aren’t they like, straight-up a military organization
i want to be a good little student and have actual researched sources to cite in my hadestown presentation tomorrow but i can find jack shit in the way of articles or reviews that talk about anything even remotely related to what i’m exploring
I want to rip my hair out at the fact that people are wasting their energy trying to find somebody to blame rather than trying to find a way to fix this crisis!
