Gay and hot

[This story references plot points from the entire first season of Heated Rivalry, including the finale.]

Much has been written, including by my THR colleague Seth Abramovitch, about the phenomenal numbers of women devouring Canadian streamer Crave and HBO’s sizzling gay hockey series, Heated Rivalry.

“Can I fuck you?” asks Scott Hunter (François Arnaud), captain of the New York Admirals. But most of us can relate to varying degrees.

The closet is a place of fear and loneliness, in which surging hormones collide with the terror of stigmatization, of rejection by family, friends, colleagues. Born April 4, 1985 on a farm in Arlington, Texas, Hall's first brush with fame came as a contestant on the ninth season of "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-2016), during which he reached the semi-final rounds in 2010 before being voted out of the competition.

Later in the episode, as the relationship accelerates, Kip makes the same request of Scott with a smile; the hockey star lights up as he responds with the exact same affirmative and they dive onto the bed.

I’m thrilled that the ladies are getting a kick out of Jacob Tierney’s addictive series based on the novels by Rachel Reid, I really am.

Known as "Asia's World City," Hong Kong offers a myriad of experiences from bustling nightlife to tranquil beaches, all welcoming to LGBTQ+ travelers.

The heart of Hong Kong's gay nightlife is in the Central and Causeway Bay districts on Hong Kong Island and the Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon.

So if women want to experience the sexual and emotional frisson of a show about gay hockey players rattling the closet doors while fucking like bunnies, I say “All are welcome” — to quote fabulous gay icon Tangina from Poltergeist.

But so much attention to female fandom — “wine moms,” as Tierney affectionately calls them — risks overshadowing what a bountiful gift Heated Rivalry is to the gays.

Tierney deftly amplifies that suspense by stoking their reputations as fierce competitors on the ice and even in private. These beaches are known for attracting a predominantly gay crowd, especially on weekends​.

Cultural and recreational activities also abound. Since sex is the language through which Shane and Ilya get to know each other, the series forgoes the usual “will they or won’t they?” coyness to build tension around more delicate questions: Will their relationship progress to the next level or will it hit a wall?

It’s a scene familiar from the emotional climaxes of innumerable movies and TV shows as obstacles crumble and exultant love reigns, though it’s seldom afforded to queer couples. Their clandestine encounters, evolving over years in secrecy whenever they find themselves in the same city as their fame continues to rise, grow more physically urgent but also more anxiety-inducing.

And Kip’s closest pal Elena (Nadine Bhabha) is like a glam guardian angel, looking out for his emotional safety — and even Scott’s — with the protectiveness of a devoted big sister.

In those relationships as much as the slow-burn romances, Heated Rivalry is speaking directly to women.

For those of us who go back far enough to recall a time of minimal cultural representation and legislative rights, the memory will always be raw.

Heated Rivalry captures that limbo state with compassion and tenderness.

“Absolutely,” replies his new boyfriend, smoothie barista and grad student Kip (Robbie G.K.), with gusto. Duh. But what sneaks up on you is the sweetness with which Heated Rivalry captures a transitional time in gay men’s lives, a time that can be terrifying or freeing, isolating or joyfully communal — or sometimes all those things at once.

The principal narrative thread follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), star player of the Montreal Metros; and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), a Russian hockey rink dynamo recruited to lead the Boston Raiders.

One video, a "Wizard of Oz" (1939) parody titled "The Wizard of Ahhhs" (2013) which featured the vocal group Pentatonix, generated over 4 million viewers, which attracted the attention of manager Scooter Braun, whose clients included pop star Justin Bieber.

Episode three perhaps encapsulates that appeal in a few simple words.

In a glorious moment of what can only be described as Bottom Pride, Shane confesses, “The thing is, I kinda prefer being the hole rather than the peg.”

Kip has not one but two bosom buddies. When lust makes way for deeper feelings, things get more complicated than just coordinating hotel rendezvous.

The hyper-masculine world of professional sports is its own thing, and for countless athletes past and present, a uniquely intimidating arena in which to navigate coming out — or staying in hiding.

The high-powered representation led to an array of top-shelf assignments, including choreography duties on the single "Blow" for Beyonce, a commercial for MTV and serving as a judge on "RuPaul's Drag Race" (Logo, 2009- ).