‘Heated Rivalry’ Special: What the New Episode Could Be About & More
What To Know
- Bell Media mentioned the possibility of a standalone episode of Heated Rivalry.
- The potential episode would drop between Seasons 1 and 2.
- Fans are hoping that author Rachel Reid’s bonus story, “My Dinner With Hayden,” becomes a Heated Rivalry special.
It’s been weeks since a new episode of Heated Rivalry aired, and the withdrawal is real. Seriously, fans are missing Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) so much that they’ve taken to pointing out the smallest of details during their Season 1 rewatches. (One even noted that Ilya’s pulse is racing during one of the cottage scenes. His pulse.)
We digress, but it does go to show just how desperate fans are for more Heated Rivalry content. Season 2 is still a ways out, we’re sorry to report, but Shane and Ilya’s return might come sooner than anticipated.
In a new interview, an executive at Bell Media — aka the company in charge of Crave, which makes Heated Rivalry — talked about the possibility of a standalone episode or special. We’re breaking down all of the latest updates below.
Will there be a new Heated Rivalry episode before Season 2?
Justin Stockman, the VP of content development and programming at Bell Media, says a standalone episode “has come up.”
The decision hasn’t been made yet, but Stockman explained to The Star, “We’re going to see what’s feasible. If [creator Jacob Tierney] can find a way to make the source material work in a way that gets us something sooner or something special, I’m sure he will.”
When would the new Heated Rivalry special episode come out?
Short answer: No sooner than late 2026. The standalone episode would arrive between seasons, and Season 2 is currently predicted to drop in 2027. Storrie and Tierney have both said that Season 2 filming will likely begin in summer 2026.
“I would love to have this back for the holidays next year, but that likely is not going to happen,” Stockman said. “We can’t rush the process. We won’t be able to repeat the magic if we push him.”
What would a Heated Rivalry special episode be about?
First, there’s a possibility of a Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.) standalone. Arnaud has mentioned multiple times that producers expressed interest in a “spinoff” about the couple, but nothing has been confirmed.
Fans have been dropping more theories ever since Stockman’s interview was published. Some wonder if standalone episodes could be how Tierney handles the other books in author Rachel Reid’s interconnected Game Changers series, particularly Tough Guy and Common Goal. Those two are most separated from Shane and Ilya’s Heated Rivalry and The Long Game. (Swooon has a full rundown on every book, in case you’re unfamiliar.)
When Swooon caught up with Tierney after the Season 1 finale, he said, “Whatever this show does, it will always be centered around [Shane and Ilya]. This is the thing that is going to anchor the show, no matter how long the future is and no matter how many seasons we actually get. Which is not to say that we can’t do other things within this universe, absolutely. And I’m very excited to explore a lot of those options, but Heated Rivalry will always be based on Shane and Ilya’s relationship as a center.”
Others hope that the potential standalone episode would delve into Heated Rivalry‘s epilogue, which didn’t make it into Season 1. It takes place a little over a year after Shane and Ilya spend time together at the cottage and commit to their relationship. Shane and Ilya — who has joined Ottawa’s team to be closer to his boyfriend — announce that they’re starting a charity together at a press conference. Hayden, Shane’s best friend, also finds out about them.
Which leads us to another popular fan request. Many have called for Reid’s bonus Heated Rivalry story, My Dinner With Hayden, to get the standalone episode treatment. More on that below.
What is My Dinner With Hayden?
If you have a copy of Heated Rivalry, you’ll find this short story at the end of the book. (Or on Reid’s website.) It’s a scrapped version of the epilogue that sees Ilya and Shane invite Hayden and his wife, Jackie, over for dinner. Remember, Hayden just found out that his bestie is in love with Ilya, whom Hayden absolutely cannot stand.
Ilya, the rage-baiter that he is, riles Hayden up, even insinuating that Hayden is jealous that he’s dating Shane. The awkwardness subsides slightly when Shane and Ilya explain how their relationship started about a decade ago. And once Hayden and Jackie go home, Shane and Ilya share a steamy moment.
So, Tierney has quite a bit of material to work with, should he have enough bandwidth to create a standalone episode while working on Season 2. What would you want to see in a Heated Rivalry special? Tell us in the comments!
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Streaming Now, Crave and HBO Max
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA, HBO Max
