If Heated Rivalry feels unapologetically heated from the jump, that’s because it almost wasn’t allowed to be.
According to François Arnaud, one of the breakout stars of the now-beloved series, fans nearly had to sit through four full episodes of longing looks and unresolved tension before seeing Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) kiss — and that’s if the show had gone the way a U.S. streamer wanted. Thankfully, it didn’t.
RELATED: Get Ready Because Heated Rivalry Delivers More Gay Sex Than Hockey — And We’re Not Complaining
Arnaud recently stopped by CBS Mornings, where he dropped what might be the most validating behind-the-scenes revelation fans have heard yet: Heated Rivalry exists in its current form because creator Jacob Tierney chose authenticity over notes.
“I don’t think this show could have been made in the U.S,” Arnaud told hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson.
He didn’t mince words either.
“It was set up at a big streamer before, and they had so many notes and so many thoughts on what that show could be that Jacob decided to leave them and get it made in Canada.”
And then came the kicker — the note that sent fans collectively screaming into the void.
so HR was initially picked up by a large studio who wanted to make a bunch of changes (no kiss till ep5??) and Jacob decided to give up the big budget so he could stay faithful to his vision and to the book?
oh Jacob I was so unfamiliar w your game come get even more flowers pic.twitter.com/FmkKO0CIRk— Alicent Hightower (@DaeronTargtower) January 13, 2026
Among those demands?
“No kissing until episode five.”
Let that sink in.
A Kiss Too Far (For American Streamers)
For fans who inhaled Heated Rivalry precisely because it didn’t drip-feed intimacy, the idea of waiting until episode five feels… cruel. Almost unrecognizable.
Because Heated Rivalry never pretended to be coy.
U DON’T FUCKING UNDERSTAND I’M OBSESSED WITH FOREHEAD KISSES I DIDN’T EXPECT ONE THIS EARLY SO WHEN IT HAPPENED I HAD TO RUN SEVERAL LAPS AROUND THE ROOM LIKE A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL.IF THERE AREN’T ANY HOLLANOV FOREHEAD KISS GIRLIES IMDEAD #heatedrivalry
pic.twitter.com/opD8JsU7Jy— lulu ♡ (@hollanovlesbian) November 28, 2025
From the opening episodes, the show made it clear that this was a story about desire, connection, vulnerability, and yes — sex — all happening at once, not in neatly separated narrative boxes.
this kiss is fighting for the spot of best kiss so far pic.twitter.com/fB7HiBlsDO
— iz | hollanov, huh? 🏒 (@itsacdworld) December 23, 2025
Series creator Jacob Tierney has been refreshingly open about that approach. Speaking to Teen Vogue, he confirmed what viewers already knew in their bones: this show wasn’t built around restraint.
Each episode, Tierney revealed, includes three sex scenes. Not implications. Not strategic cutaways. Scenes.
And he made sure everyone involved understood exactly what they were signing up for.
“Show them everything,” Tierney told his casting team, making it clear that if anyone felt uncomfortable with the show’s explicit, sex-positive nature, they didn’t need to audition.
This wasn’t shock for shock’s sake. It was intention.
“Let It Be Horny”: A Radical Creative Choice
Tierney has been equally candid about why Heated Rivalry feels so different from other queer stories on screen.
“Sex is not supposed to be trauma here, and that was something I really wanted to avoid. I want it to be beautiful.”
That energy is baked (no bun, we mean pun intended) into every episode. Sex isn’t treated like a punishment, a lesson, or some prize you only unlock after enough emotional damage. It’s just there — messy, hot, human, and part of the story.
It’s simply part of their lives.
And Tierney knows that’s exactly where Hollywood tends to get squeamish.
“It’s this very limiting, puritanical way of looking at sex scenes of, you either pan away and ‘I don’t wanna watch this,’ or you omit people’s sex lives entirely as though that’s not a part of who they are.”
Instead, Tierney leaned all the way in.
“We were very aware we’re making a horny show. Let it be horny. Enjoy! That’s part of the fun of this, right? That’s also part of the reaction we’re seeing here, is that this show is different because of that.”
Straight Into the Deep End
Most productions gently ease actors into intimacy. A hand-hold here. A longing glance there.
Heated Rivalry skipped all of that.
On their very first day of filming, the cast jumped straight into the now-iconic Las Vegas hotel hookup — vodka, tension, nerves, and all.
“This is a good hotel. Very nice vodka. It’s hard to find in America.” pic.twitter.com/vmA1iQLtJi
— Heated Rivalry (line by line) (@HeatedRivalryL) January 6, 2026
No warm-up. No slow burn rehearsal week.
Just trust, chemistry, and a creative team that knew exactly what kind of story they were telling.
Had the show been produced by a U.S. streamer, it’s hard not to wonder how much of that immediacy would have been lost — how long it would have taken for viewers to feel truly hooked.
Smaller Budget, Bigger Impact
Ironically, the decision to partner with Canadian streamer Crave meant working with a much smaller budget.
But according to Arnaud, that limitation came with an enormous upside.
Partnering with Crave allowed Tierney to make the show he originally envisioned — “sexy scenes and all.”
And the gamble paid off despite having no major movie stars, a niche sports-romance premise, and explicit content many platforms still shy away from.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie react to François Arnaud and Robbie G.K shooting their hockey kissing scene for ‘Heated Rivalry’. pic.twitter.com/egHQeSR7wk
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) December 23, 2025
Heated Rivalry became a breakout sensation and has already been renewed for a second season.
HBO Max will once again distribute the series internationally, sourcing it from Crave — proof that sometimes the boldest creative risks are also the smartest.
As Arnaud put it:
“I think that’s what people are responding to and I think in a way it’s a huge lesson for Hollywood people.”
“This is like a niche show, no movie stars and it’s a [big] sensation.”
And honestly? That lesson feels pretty heated.