Television
Heated Rivalry - Season 1
How did I find it? I had read the books (see post on that here) on recommendation with the intent to also be able to watch the show.
What is it? Show following the lives of fictional hockey players as they come to terms with their queer identities and fall in love.
Why do I like it? This is an impeccable film adaptation of a book. That is the thing that most impressed me as both a fan of the book series as well as someone that has worked in film and television. I have so much respect for Jacob Tierney, the writers and producers, all of the department heads, the crew, and the cast for how they managed to bring this story from page to screen. Is it a direct translation? No. But the changes and adjustments that were made didn't take away from the story as well as helped more effectively translate some of this to the screen. Can I identify any of the changes as I watch? No, but that's because I read all six books in a row and also as a costumer I have to actively not get too locked into a show or I only see it how I watch monitors on set. But I think that it's important in a GOOD adaptation that changes not be too jarring to fans of the book, but also aid those that haven't read it in following the story without the internal monologues we often are privy to on a page. There are so many moving parts to getting a show from an idea to a script to shooting on set through editing and post, and onto our screens, and I really feel like they hit it out of the park with this one! Another thing that I love about this is that while it is a romance book turned into a romance show the sex isn't just for the sake of there being sex on the screen (which is more than you can say for a lot of film and television out there, in my opinion). The intimacy on the screen is a visual cue to where they are in their relationship. Yes, it starts out hot and heavy, their relationship is incredibly physically based at that point. As their feelings grow the sex scenes become more intimate both on camera and how they are also not all for our consumption. As the show goes on we have more fade to black moments. Truly the visual storytelling of this show is top tier. I've seen all the breakdowns all over social media, and not just from the type of people that love to dig into this stuff. This show made the parallels, the lighting, the blocking, and so many other details clear enough in their execution that even casual viewers have picked up on it. It's honestly been so refreshing, as well as faith restoring that media literacy is not quite as dead as we might be lead to believe. I need to shout out to the various departments that did a phenomenal job helping us travel through time. The timeline of this show, particularly in a season following this book in particular, covers a LOT of ground. The fact that the costumes, props, graphics, hair, makeup, and so much else all change and evolve as that time passes accurately and also so subtly that it doesn't jump out even with time jumps is amazing.
I'm a big fan of the books and the show, and I am so excited to see where the next season takes us. (begging for a Zamboni, it's truly my favorite part of hockey after the fighting.)

















