Heated Rivalry Season 1 is behind us, but we can’t stop thinking about it. And when I say we, I’m counting myself. I’d read the books. I covered this show from the beginning, long before most people had jumped on the bandwagon. My review was one of the first ones on Rotten Tomatoes. And yet, I’m still thinking about the little things. So, I figured, why not go back to the beginning: Heated Rivalry Episode 1 ‘Rookies.’
I already wrote very long reviews of every episode, and you can find my review of ‘Rookies’ here. This isn’t that. This is just me, rewatching with a critical eye and taking notes, once again. Except this time I’m focused on the little things. The ones that, if you’ve watched as many times as I have, you might have already noticed. The ones perhaps you missed. And the ones I think are worth talking about.
So, without further ado, here are my random thoughts about Heated Rivalry Episode 1.
- In Shane and Ilya’s first meeting, Ilya keeps trying to light the cigarette, but the lighter doesn’t actually work until Shane gets close. A metaphor, perhaps?
- If you pay attention to that first scene, it’s easy to clock that they’re both interested, even if it looks very different for the two of them. Shane is very earnest and eager. Ilya can’t control that little smile.
- Commentary on Shane during the first few minutes: “he might not be the most sociable.” Ouch.
- Commentary on Ilya: “Not exactly liked in his opponents’ rooms.”
- Episode 1 does more to establish Shane’s cultural identity than the books do, if I’m being honest. From aggressive allyship that feels fake, to Yuna later pointing out he can be the kind of role model that doesn’t exist, to the Tiger and Serena comparisons, there’s a good baseline for the pressure on Shane.
- Ilya’s dad calling him lazy makes me see red, because if we know one thing about Ilya is that he isn’t lazy. And yet he smiles and takes it. Not just that, he almost seems a bit embarrassed he’s being defended, because it’s easier (and probably over quicker) if he just accepts whatever his father has to say.
- Also, his peripheral awareness of Shane is A+, from the beginning.
- The kind of freaks who would compete on a stationary bike deserve each other.
- My read of this scene with the water is that it’s Shane feeling desire, truly, for the first time, and being floored by it.
- And Ilya kinda clocks it, so he’s a little shit to draw Shane out.
- The way he whispers “more” and then Shane drinks more water? Perfect early encapsulation of their dynamics.
- And obviously, the hand touches are totally intentional; Ilya knows what he’s doing. He’s already decided that he wants Shane, and he’s already clocked that he can’t go after Shane directly. But he’s interested enough to try a different approach.
- I think I missed the slur from Alexei the first time I watched this episode.
- The best part of their rivalry is that it feels like a real one, but each of them thinks the other one has the upper hand.
- How did these two boys laugh through that commercial together, go to the hotel, have sex, and then spend years thinking they didn’t like each other?
- “It was my idea.” Ilya’s entire plan was: Arrange a commercial together, jerk off in the showers in front of him, ?????, marriage and kids, and a dog.
- The shower scene is actually uncomfortable to watch for anyone who has second-hand embarrassment like me, because what do you mean you were being this obvious? Ilya starts casually, Shane has no casual bone in his body, so he’s very Shane about it, and when Ilya clocks how obvious he’s being, he’s like “oh, is that what we’re doing?” and then there’s no going back.
- “Not here,” says a LOT, Shane. A LOT.
- Shane gets dressed, sits there without putting on his shoes, just so that when Ilya walks out, he can still be there and pretend he’s putting on his shoes to have an excuse to talk to Ilya. It’s kinda adorable.
- “We can forget that happened.” But can you?
- The little look back after Ilya says, “I might knock,” is so loud.
- How can you not love Shane? He put on a suit to have sex.
- Please tell me Yuna and Ilya had a conversation about that elevator meeting 10 years later.
- What strikes me about this first meeting is how obvious it is that they both really want it. It’s not just one of them being eager and the other going along with it.
- Also, Ilya Rozanov consent king. These two men cannot have a serious conversation about their feelings to save their lives, but they do talk about sex!
- The funny thing about these early encounters is how much they’re still baiting each other.
- “I want to see you.” But also, Ilya is never shy about his desire for Shane. He never pretends this is something Shane wants more than him. He’s unashamed, and I think that makes Shane feel more secure.
- Shane folding his clothes is actually so adorable. Earlier, when he went to the gym for that stationary bike race, he made the bed even though it wasn’t even that messy.
- The sex scenes work very well to set the stage for their emotional connection, because in this physical intimacy, they understand each other really well right away. And yet, they also ask questions. Check in with each other.
- The relieved laughter after sex says a lot.
- Shane’s anxiety comes back 0.2 seconds after they’re done having sex, of course. But perhaps that’s part of why it works. He knows Ilya has as much to lose as he does.
- Shane took off all his clothes, but not his socks. Why is that fact so endearing?
- “Is lie. Liar told you that” is near the top of my favorite Ilya quotes, what can I say?
- What’s YouTube? David, it’s like 2009. What are we doing?
- SHANE, WHY ARE YOU SMILING WHEN YOUR MOTHER SAYS FUCK ILYA ROZANOV?
- Shane Hollander would have jumped in to help anyone in Ilya’s place in that press conference, but there’s no doubt that part of the reason why he can in that moment, even as someone who sometimes misses obvious behavioral clues, is because he knows Ilya better than people expect him to.
- The feet are so loud. Guys, remember, you don’t like each other.
- Part of me thinks Ilya isn’t that upset Shane broke his record. He wants to beat Shane, yes. But he cares less about the record and more about what the competition brings out in Shane.
- I think Scott did hear, but in that “I heard you, but I don’t get it, and the truth is so absurd I cannot even process it” kinda way. Even though, considering he’s gay too, it shouldn’t have been that absurd. Heteronormativity doing the heavy lifting for Shane and Ilya.
- Look, when Ilya says “get on your knees,” he’s just trying something. It’s just that it works.
- “Do you know what else makes you gay? Sucking my dick.”
- Yet Shane’s coming out of the closet in Episode 5.
- Again, “not here” is loud, Shane.
- It hasn’t even been that long, and not as many meetings, but Ilya can already clearly identify when Shane is in his head. And though he still doesn’t have a handle on how to get him out of spirals, he is at least very good at recognizing the spirals.
- Deep down, though, he just really wanted to have Shane’s number.
- I can picture him having saved a bunch of gifs and memes he actually wanted to share with Shane, and probably won’t feel comfortable sending for years.
- I like that they focus on how upset Ilya actually was that next time didn’t happen.
- Aw, Hayden and Shane are finally getting to hang out. Thank you, weather?
- He tries to distract himself with Svetlana, and at this point, he’s probably telling himself it’s working. We know it’s not, though.
- Poor other dude nominated for Rookie of the Year. Just like the other guy drafted with them. A footnote in history.
- Mr. Hunter, lol.
- You’re protesting too much, Shane. Play it casual. Play it casual.
- He is “your boy.”
- “All you do is beat me.” Not really, but I can see how it feels like that to Shane. And how that makes Ilya more attractive, if possible.
- Shane has a hard time with the concept that not everything is about him. But then again, two men who have never communicated in any meaningful way outside of sex trying to communicate was always going to go badly.
- Ilya isn’t much better, but he did try to explain with his “I go home in 3 days” thing. It’s just that for Shane, that would be a good thing. He cannot comprehend a world where it’s not.
- It’s Ilya who reaches out first (he almost always does at this point, which is probably another conversation), who starts the kiss, but Shane isn’t exactly saying no at the end here. He only reacts badly when he notices where they are, but at first, he was completely lost in the kiss.
- Basically, they both make each other a little crazy. They should have been caught before.
- This early on in their ‘relationship’ their summers were probably easier because they could tell themselves that they didn’t miss the other person, just the sex.
- Yeah, right.
- Also, lighting, makeup, and cinematography are top-notch this episode. It really does feel like they’re younger than they are and like this was filmed a while ago.
- Acting-wise, I remember watching this and being struck by how good both characters felt, which is also a credit ot the actors as well as the writing. I’ve known Shane and Ilya for a few years, so I had expectations. There’s often nothing worse than having expectations. But both Connor and Hudson exceeded those. Connor played the cocky bits of a man who wants to be soft but doesn’t know how so well, and Hudson played the subdued parts of a man who doesn’t want anyone to actually see him to perfection, as well. These were not easy characters to nail. Ilya is so expressive, but has to say more than what he’s actually saying. Shane is so reserved, but he has to say so much without saying it. All of that comes through.
Agree? Disagree? What else did you catch in Heated Rivalry Episode 1 ‘Rookies’ that we might have missed? Share with us in the comments below!
All episodes of Heated Rivalry Season 1 are now available to stream in the US on HBO Max.
