Heated Rivalry S01E6 (spoilers within)

[Finn]

I don't have much to say and am one of the last queens on Moopy to watch, but here's an S1E6 thread for any other STRAGGLERS.

I loved this episode and how, after time jumps and different locations agogo, it was so leisurely and lovely and drama-free (and romantic and funny!) until the last 15 mins or so.

I didn't especially buy Dad Hollander just running off without saying anything, and then not even a phone call attempt from Shane, but the scenes with the parents after were great so I was happy to suspend a bit of disbelief to get there. Ilya being added to that family made them 150% more entertaining so I'm looking forward to more of that in s2.

It's a 5 star series for me. Doing its own thing, really fucking well.

And the cottage is a dream house, but you'd need so much windolene. And would always have a glare on your TV

 

[Finn]

Oh and is it pretty much just the Russia thing stopping them from coming out publicly now? Because Scott and Kip have made it less of a taboo thing in the Heated Rivalry world of pro hockey, and they seem pretty chill otherwise

But on the flip side, the show went to great lengths to conveniently kill off Ilya's dad and say that Ilya didn't really want to go back to Russia anyway, so the Russia element doesn't feel as high stakes as it could?

So is it more some internalised homophobia, perhaps? Or just the need to string something else out for a second series? (Are the books clearer on this?)

 

[Joseph]

I really enjoyed the fact that it’s a gay series that didn’t end in a gay bashing, someone dying of AIDS, or a melodramatic cheating storyline.

I think the Dad just running off was a bit weird BUT the author says Shane is on the spectrum so maybe Dad is too and just didn’t know what else to do.

From what I have read about the Russia thing, if he did come out and he somehow got booted from the team/playing hockey professionally, he would be forced to go back to his country. I think that’s why going to play for Canada and getting an easier citizenship there is a focus so he’s not forced to go back and potentially face deadly consequences.

 

[Finn]

GOOD POINTS ALL ROUND

 

[Sardonicus]

I really enjoyed the fact that it’s a gay series that didn’t end in a gay bashing, someone dying of AIDS, or a melodramatic cheating storyline.

EXACTLY THIS. It ended happily & the whole episode was built around quiet moments & them getting to know each other rather than pushing the other away etc - so it was a payoff for how things had built up for the first 5 episodes without resorting to melodrama. You might have expected that him being outed to his parents would be the DRAMATIC TURN into TRAGIC REJECTION, instead it played out as quiet acceptance.

The dad running off didn't seem too bizarre to me because he's not just been confronted with his son being gay - he's just seen him being a loving couple with the man supposedly his hated rival for years - I get that he'd be so weirded out he just noped out of there.

It's actually a bit sad that a gay show has subverted our expectations by NOT veering into all the well worn tropes of homophobia, rejection, HIV, etc. It's hit a nerve partly because its told a relatively simple tale with a happy ending. It shows how ingrained the old BURY YOUR GAYS/PUNISH YOUR GAYS tropes are that we're all so astonished that it didn't happen for once.

 

[Sardonicus]

I was AGOG to realise later that the dad was played by Sean from Nip Tuck! A GRATUITOUS NUDE SCENES favourite along with Julian McMahon from back in the day.

 

[Finn]

Holy shit

Though I mostly think I didn’t recognise him because I’ve not thought about or seen him since 2006.

Agree wholeheartedly with your previous points. And that makes a lot of sense re the dad legging it. Arguably more than the “oh he’s gay” element

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

Can I just add that I love how they beefed up the women's parts in the series? They're really just footnotes in the book. In the show they have more of a presence, especially Yuna.

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

Oh and is it pretty much just the Russia thing stopping them from coming out publicly now? Because Scott and Kip have made it less of a taboo thing in the Heated Rivalry world of pro hockey, and they seem pretty chill otherwise

In The Long Game it's more Shane who's worried about being outed and how it would affect their careers since they are competing players (which kind of makes sense).

 

[Joseph]

I was AGOG to realise later that the dad was played by Sean from Nip Tuck! A GRATUITOUS NUDE SCENES favourite along with Julian McMahon from back in the day.

The ORIGINAL Heated Rivalry

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

The ORIGINAL Heated Rivalry

You mean this, right?