Posted in: HBO, Max, TV | Tagged: Heated Rivalry
Series creator Jacob Tierney on how sex “functions differently” during Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie-starring Heated Rivalry Season 2.
Published Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:37:07 -0600 by Ray Flook
|
Last updated Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:42:37 -0600
|
Article Summary
Heated Rivalry Season 2 draws inspiration from Rachel Reid’s sequel novel The Long Game.
Jacob Tierney reveals sex “functions differently” for Shane and Ilya in the new season.
Focus shifts to what comes after love’s first blush, exploring mature relationship challenges.
Intimacy—both sexual and emotional—remains central amid new obstacles for the couple.
Here’s the thing. Like a whole lot of sites, we were late to the game when it came to Crave and HBO Max’s Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie-starring hockey drama Heated Rivalry, but we’re trying to make up for lost time without coming across like we’re trying too hard. But with early rumblings about the second season already happening, and the big press push for Storrie’s Saturday Night Live hosting gig next weekend (with musical guest Mumford & Sons), it seems like now is as good a time as any to start stepping up our coverage. That brings us to what series creator, writer, and director Jacob Tierney had to share recently about the second season, which is looking to author Rachel Reid’s The Long Game for inspiration.
Image: HBO Max
Released in 2022, the story spotlights Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov (played by Williams and Storrie in the series, respectively) ten years later, their relationship still a secret to the league and those close to them. Shane fears what going public would do to them personally and professionally, but (according to Reid’s website), “Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist.” Speaking with Variety, Tierney was asked how the series will handle the sex scenes between Shane and Ilya in the second season, given where the couple is by the end of the finale, and whether viewers can expect more nonsexual, intimate moments.
“You know, Rachel [Reid] talks a lot about the promise that I made to her to take her characters seriously. She takes them very seriously in ‘The Long Game,’ and that doesn’t mean there’s no sex. There’s quite a bit of sex in ‘The Long Game.’ But I think it functions differently in the second book, and that’s just what I want to do. The journey of this show, no matter how long it goes on for, will always be centered around the relationship between Shane and Ilya. Sex will always be a big part of it, like it is with any romantic relationship,” Tierney explained. “But it’s really about continuing that progress of what happens after that first blush of love, what happens after you decide you’re in love, and how do you sustain it? That’s a very adult question: ‘We love each other, and now what? Does that mean everything’s easy?’ No, it does not. There’s loads of challenges that get thrown Shane and Ilya’s way. Beyond what’s in the books, I really don’t have an agenda besides that I love this couple, and I love these characters, and I want to just hang out with them more and watch them grow more and watch them become better for each other.”
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!