Based on insights from FlixPatrol, “Heated Rivalry,” crafted by Jacob Tierney of “Letterkenny” and “Shoresy” fame and adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved queer romance novels, has clinched the number one spot on HBO’s TV charts. For those tracking its meteoric rise, this isn’t a shocker. The series and its stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, are seemingly ubiquitous, captivating audiences worldwide with their joyous and unapologetically queer storytelling.

For the uninitiated, “Heated Rivalry” centers on the story of Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), two young hockey stars embroiled in a longstanding team rivalry. Shane, representing the Montreal Metros, and Ilya, from the Boston Raiders, find themselves drawn to each other despite their competitive history. What begins as secret trysts evolves into a complicated romance, skillfully woven across six outstanding episodes that have earned the series a swift renewal for a second season.

While Shane and Ilya navigate their love amidst the pressures of professional hockey, they pretend their connection is merely casual. Ilya, who identifies as bisexual, maintains a close bond with his confidante Svetlana Sergeevna Vetrova (played by Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova), while Shane publicly dates actress Rose Landry, portrayed by “Yellowjackets” star Sophie Nélisse. Yet, the pull between Shane and Ilya proves irresistible, leading them to trust Svetlana and Rose with their secret, further entwining their lives.

In a climactic scene at Shane’s secluded country retreat, the titular “cottage,” Shane and Ilya are caught in a romantic moment by Shane’s father, David (Dylan Walsh). As they confront Shane’s parents, David and Yuna (Christina Chang), the initial shock gives way to acceptance and support, with Yuna moved to tears only by the realization of how long Shane kept his secret. Their acceptance underscores the series’ message: Shane and Ilya’s love is profound and unwavering.

Discussing Shane and Ilya does mean we also have to discuss Christopher “Kip” Grady and Scott Hunter, a barista and New York-based hockey star played respectively by Robbie G.K. and François Arnaud. In the first season’s third episode, “Hunter,” we watch their romance also blossom in secret, even as Kip basically moves into Scott’s beautiful Manhattan apartment. Still, Scott is unwilling to go public at first, leaving Kip brokenhearted … and then, in the season’s penultimate episode “I’ll Believe in Anything,” Scott’s team, the New York Admirals, win a huge championship. Overwhelmed with joy and love, Scott brings Kip onto the ice and kisses his boyfriend in front of the entire world; in the season finale “The Cottage,” we see Scott give a speech about how little he regrets this display of public adoration. This is precisely what makes “Heated Rivalry” so special — it’s hot, but also incredibly heartfelt.

In the aftermath of Scott’s grand romantic gesture, Shane and Ilya decide to spend two weeks at Shane’s secluded country home (that titular cottage) but are suddenly interrupted, during a passionate embrace, by Shane’s father David (Dylan Walsh). Shane and Ilya immediately go to see David and Shane’s mom Yuna (Christina Chang) to explain, and though Shane’s parents are understandably surprised, they’re completely supportive of their son; in fact, Yuna cries only because Shane kept a secret from her for so many years. Not only that, but David and Yuna can see something important: Shane and Ilya are deeply and completely in love with each other.

A lesser show would put all its focus on the steamy sex scenes, and while “Heated Rivalry” definitely does feature quite a lot of those, “I’ll Believe in Anything” might just be the first season’s best episode and doesn’t have any sex in it at all. Rather, the emotional core of “Heated Rivalry,” guided by Jacob Tierney’s extraordinarily capable hand as showrunner, is what kept people tuning in for those initial six weeks. Scott and Kip’s romance is sexy and feels real, and the same is true of Shane and Ilya’s forbidden romance. “Heated Rivalry” is a really beautifully made, written, and performed show that also happens to be a pretty direct and frank showcase of queer intimacy, and frankly, the world needs way more stories like this. It shouldn’t surprise anybody who’s watched “Heated Rivalry” that it emerged as one of 2025’s very best shows despite premiering just as the year came to a close — and if you somehow haven’t watched it, it’s streaming on HBO Max now.