Directed/Written By:
Jacob Tierney
Original Air Date:
November 28, 2025
Run Time:
44 minutes
Based On:
Heated Rivalry - Chapter 9-11
by Rachel Reid
Season 1 - Episode 2

Olympians

Shane and Ilya keep their secret fling alive while their growing connection is tested by personal and professional pressures.

VISUAL PARALLELS

Heated Rivalry tells its stories through visual parallels and transformation. This page documents the before-and-afters, the callbacks, the moments that mirror each other across episodes to tell Shane and Ilya's story.

S01E02
Timestamp: 13:19
S01E06
Timestamp: 30:39
From feeling the need to run away from vulnerability, to accepting Shane's forehead kisses fully after saying "I love you".
S01E02
Timestamp: 29:10
S01E04
Timestamp: 03:14
Shane & Ilya winning their Stanley cups, secretly proud of each other (and Shane's teary eyes after Ilya shouting "for you, mama").

HIDDEN DETAILS & EASTER EGGS

Heated Rivalry is the kind of show where you catch something new every single rewatch. This is some of the "WAIT DID YOU SEE THAT" moment, Easter eggs, and small details in this episode:

Small Detail
Timestamp: 39:06

Shane's Reaction to Las Vegas Vodka

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2
February 27, 2026

Shane grimaces after drinking his first sip of vodka at Las Vegas hotel room.

Small Detail
Timestamp: 07:30

Ilya's 'Oh My God'

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2
February 27, 2026

Ilya mouths "oh my god" when Shane pushes him into a wall at his apartment's stairwell.

Small Detail
Timestamp: 04:28

Louder Sound Mix In Locker Room

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2
February 27, 2026

As a way to show Shane's autism and what he experiences, Jacob mentioned in an interview (if you know which one, please let me know!) that he increases the sound mix volume when the camera is focused on Shane in the locker room.

TV SHOW vs BOOK DIFFERENCES

Jacob Tierney's adaptation is incredibly faithful to Rachel Reid's books - but faithful doesn't mean identical, and there are some changes that made reading the book alongside watching the show that much more interesting.

Added in Show

"We Didn't Even Kiss"

In the book, that is just an inner thought of Shane's. Jacob transformed it into a whole sequence: Shane typing out the text, slowly deleting it, and finally just saying "fuck". The perfect angsty ending to episode 2.

Changed from Book

Shane's Nicknames

Ilya love giving Shane nicknames. Other than "businessman", Ilya also calls Shane "Mr Lots-of-Sex" in the book, but interestingly, "Mr Real Estate" and "Mr Landlord" are show additions.

CAST LIST
  • Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander
  • Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov
  • François Arnaud as Scott Hunter
  • Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova (Ilya's close friend and occasional sexual partner)
  • Callan Potter as Hayden Pike (Shane's teammate and best friend)
  • Kamilla Kowal as Jackie Pike (Hayden's wife)
  • Franco Lo Presti as Cliff Marleau (Ilya's teammate)
  • Yaroslav Poverlo as Polkovnik Grigori Rozanov (Ilya's father)
  • Benjamin Roy as JJ Dagenais (Shane's teammate)
  • Kolton Stewart as Carter Vaughn (Scott's teammate and best friend)
  • Kaden Connors as Sasha (Ilya's former sexual partner and the son of Ilya's former coach)
MUSIC/NEEDLE DROPS
  • Wet Leg - Mangetout (Texting Montage)
  • Peter Peter - Heartbeat II (Sexting before a game)
  • Peter Peter - It's You (First time having penetrative sex)
  • Philippe B - Chelsea mon amour (Shane texts Ilya in Sochi cafe)
  • Lovett - Lost Time (Conversation in Sochi cafe)
  • PIZZA & Dose - Ночи Напролёт (Conversation in Sochi cafe)
  • Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition (Olympic figure skating)
  • Edward Elgar - Pomp & Circumstance (“I did not answer boring text”)
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 1 (Ilya prepares for Gala)
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2 (Ilya attends Gala with his father)
  • Peter Peter - Shiver From the Past (Ilya & Sasha)
  • Peter Peter - Spring (Shane watches Ilya win the cup)
  • Peter Peter - I Want to Win (“Let’s fucking fuck San Francisco”)
  • Peter Peter - Let's Make a Deal (Bathroom scene)
  • Peter Peter - Inferno (Las Vegas hotel hookup)
  • Peter Peter - Fire Escape (“We Didn't Even Kiss”)

List provided by u/SoftSeagulls. Click here for the complete list of song & needle drop in Season 1.