Heated Rivalry Director Jacob Tierney Reassures Fans About Season Two
Director and creator Jacob Tierney has provided firm reassurances to fans of the hit ice hockey romance series Heated Rivalry that the show's approach will remain unchanged for its highly anticipated second season. This comes amid concerns that the runaway success of the first series might alter the show's distinctive look, sound, or feel.
Phenomenal Success and Audience Growth
The Canadian show has become a cultural phenomenon since its initial release on Crave in the United States and Canada last year. After landing in the United Kingdom on HBO in January, the series has continued to expand its audience dramatically, with viewership increasing by over 100 per cent since the final episode of season one aired in December.
Based on the popular Game Changers book series by Canadian author Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry follows the complex relationship between rival Major League Hockey players Shane Hollander, portrayed by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie. What begins as a secret fling evolves into a years-long affair as both characters struggle to navigate their genuine feelings for one another.
Soundtrack Philosophy and Financial Constraints
Appearing on the Good Vibrations podcast, Tierney directly addressed fan anxiety about potential changes to the show's acclaimed soundtrack. "Here's the thing, I can reassure everyone – I really don't have a lot more money for season two," Tierney stated emphatically. "It's not gonna change philosophically – imagine it just opens with 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by The Rolling Stones or some billion-dollar song… we will not be able to afford anything like that."
Tierney elaborated that part of the creative joy in selecting music for Heated Rivalry involves choosing songs that feel like discoveries or rediscoveries for the audience. "If a song comes with too much of its own collective memory, then it's doing too much of the work, I think, and I still want the show to do the work and the song to accentuate it," he explained.
The first season's soundtrack generated significant buzz, particularly a club scene featuring the 2002 hit "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u. along with a recent cover by British producer Harrison. Several other tracks, including songs by Canadian indie-pop artist Feist and Montreal-formed band Wolf Parade, have since gone viral on TikTok.
Approach to Intimate Scenes and Character Development
In the same interview, Tierney discussed the overwhelmingly positive reception to the sex scenes between Shane and Ilya. He suggested this response might stem partly from audience fatigue with the prolific depiction of sexual violence in film and television over the past decade. "That's what we want less of – stop starting your story with the rape and murder of a young woman," Tierney remarked. "It's endless, sexual violence on television is endless."
Unlike many previous depictions of same-sex relationships onscreen, neither character in Heated Rivalry approaches intimacy from a place of trauma. Instead, sex serves as a crucial mechanism for Shane and Ilya to learn more about each other and develop their communication. "That's how they know each other. They learn about each other through sex," Tierney affirmed. "That's how they get to know each other, particularly in the first few years of their relationship. That was the idea, to make sure the sex was the storytelling, that was the character development, because that's when they're being honest."
Tierney contrasted this vulnerability during intimate moments with the characters' defensive posturing in verbal exchanges. "When they talk, they're kind of blustering – there's a lot of obfuscation and a lot of showmanship and nonsense… when they're having sex they can be vulnerable, they can be kind of sweet… all the stuff you want to be when you're being real with another person."
Looking Ahead to Season Two
The director confirmed he has already begun writing for the second season and has started compiling a whole new playlist to inspire the creative process. The dedicated Heated Rivalry episode of Good Vibrations, scheduled for release on Friday 13 February, will also feature a conversation with original score composer Peter Peter about his first television soundtrack experience and the process of creating music for specific scenes.
With these reassurances from the creative team, fans can anticipate that the second season of Heated Rivalry will maintain the authentic storytelling, carefully curated soundtrack, and character-driven intimacy that made the first season such a remarkable success.
