Heated Rivalry

My gosh, where do I begin? Only two episodes have been released so far but this is one of the most faithful adaptions I've ever watched. It gives such a unique feel to the story while always staying true to its source material. Rachel Reid wrote an absolutely brilliant book and everyone apart of this project turned it into something visually stunning. Hudson and Connor are nothing short of incredible. They bring Shane and Ilya to life in a way that's almost indescribable but I would spend hours trying. I'm completely blown away from the first two episodes that I don't even need to watch the rest to know what kind of show is being brought to the table. God knows I will be watching and rewatching but nonetheless it's an incredible piece of media. You can tell everyone who's worked on this on screen and behind the scenes wanted to tell a story about love but also wanted to spread the love that goes beyond what we see on the screen. Perfect adaptions are few and far between these days but this one struck gold and I'm willing to bet on that.

I was a big fan of the series by the incredible Rachel Reid prior to seeing this series so I recognise I may come into this with a bias.

My review to date (episode 5) This has been the VERY best book-to-series adaption I have ever seen. The script remains faithful to the book, adding only when additional context is needed. Every shot is well thought out capturing the magic of both couples, as was found in the books. The leads (Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams) have so much raw chemistry I could sit and watch them all day. Every episode gets better, keeping me emotionally invested, and hooked until the last seconds. Waiting a week for every new episode to drop is such a challenge. Honestly, a phenomenal show, with great representation of the LGBTQ+ community in a positive way. As a straight female in her 30's this has been my favourite show of the year. Long may it continue into season 2!

Not much to say, this is a perfectly directed adaptation of an incredible book. Jacob Tierney, as a gay man, really knows how to bring the heat of the book to screen, there's no director better than him for that as of now.

This show is a huge step forward for society. Gay men in sports are underrepresented and I hope this traces a path towards the end of homophobia in sports.

This is shaping up to be the most faithful book to screen adaptations I've ever seen. Not only do the actors embody the characters perfectly, but they also clearly convey the characters internal monologues despite there being no voice over narration. The cinematography is on another level. The moodiness of the lighting and camera angles, the editing choices from quick jump cuts to long uncut scenes, and the integration of on-screen text messages- it all works together to craft a visually stunning narrative.

Book fans will also be incredibly happy with the adaptation, as it sticks so closely to the source material. The additions that have been made so far in the first couple of episodes have all been incredibly intentional and have served to expand or highlight certain aspects (such as conversations about Shane's ethnicity and cultural identity) which only add more depth to the characters and the overall story.

So unexpected. I guess we never expected to see these themes portrayed so perfectly. The acting is on a masterclass level, accurately portraying what so many of us have felt at some point, in some way, during our journeys coming out, or coming to self-realization. Dealing with society, with sex, with love, with self acceptance, with anger, with fear, with hope and joy. With all of it! It's so perfectly portrayed, seriously... what a gift for anyone learning to live authentically. Just think of the young people today, being able to see this love story, portrayed so honestly on screen.

So perfectly written. It's going to change so many lives. So many hearts. I know it will and it should. That's what the arts can do, and have done throughout time. Love, love, love, this series. These characters. This tale as old as time...