As Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie's stars continue to rise following the breakout success of hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, fans are still focused on the in-the-works second season. While creator Jacob Tierney has confirmed that we still have a fair amount of waiting to do until new episodes arrive, that hasn't stopped us from thirsting for any and all new details.
What we know for sure about Heated Rivalry season 2, beyond that Shane and Ilya's love story will continue to blossom after coming out to Shane's parents, is that Rachel Reid's book The Long Game will provide the season's inspiration. Additional characters from the author's Game Changers series could get the spotlight, but for the most part, we're sticking with Shane and Ilya.
Knowing that The Long Game will be adapted for season 2 brings the exciting prospect of seeing some iconic scenes brought to life, like Ilya's Halloween party, a certain moment with Hayden's children, and yes, even the trophy room scene. But there's an aspect of Shane's storyline in the book that worries me about how it will be translated to the screen.
Trigger warning: This article mentions eating disorders.
In Heated Rivalry season 1, Shane offhandedly mentions that he's maintaining a macrobiotic diet, but doesn't really elaborate on why or what that means. He mostly abstains from alcohol and avoids foods with low nutritional value. Obviously, we know that he's committed to being the best athlete he can be for his team on the ice, and that commitment takes a big leap forward in The Long Game as he's even more strict about his diet and the food he puts in his body.
Shane doesn't eat food he deems unhealthy, opting instead for smoothies and raw foods. It's a major point of contention in his relationship with Ilya, who eats whatever he wants and pushes back against his boyfriend's limiting diet. Shane, too, criticizes the food that Ilya eats. For as much as the couple argues about Shane's high-performance diet, you would think that it's explored more carefully, but it's not.
The Long Game's biggest flaw, or at least one of them, is not devoting a key moment to unpacking Shane's disordered eating. But when you read between the lines, that's really what he's going through. There's no conversation that acknowledges his struggle in an outward way. By the end of the book, he's decided to welcome new foods into his diet and allow less time to thinking about what he eats.
Because a lot of The Long Game finds both Shane and Ilya privately dealing with the stress, pressure, and guilt — and various other emotions — that come along with keeping their relationship a secret, they're both left lacking. It's clear that in the absence of controlling his own story, Shane's looking for control. The one thing he can control is what he eats and how well he plays hockey.
Now, I'm not worried about how Tierney would go about tackling Shane's disordered eating in Heated Rivalry season 2, but I am worried about how this flaw in The Long Game's storytelling should be handled. Should it be up to Tierney to land the plane and give attention to this sensitive subject when the book didn't? Should this whole aspect of Shane's storyline be decreased, as an effort to avoid falling into the same traps? These are real questions to consider in the writing process.
What I don't want is to see Shane's diet to be used the same way it is in the book, as a source of bickering between Shane and Ilya without going anywhere. If Shane's heightened issues with food are presented at all, in any form, in season 2, the show has a service to its audience to handle the storyline with care, as it always has with everything Shane has gone through so far.
But before Heated Rivalry season 2 gets into production and later premieres, they have to examine what Shane battles in The Long Game with a sharper eye. We don't particularly need the series to follow the same beats as Heartstopper does with Charlie's eating disorder, but if Shane's story in season 2 includes his rigid high-performance diet, it should be approached delicately, rather than flippantly and without a real resolution.
If you or someone you know have concerns about an eating disorder and need to reach out for resources, call the ANAD Helpline at (888)-375-7767 or online at ANAD.org. You can also reach out to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders at (866) 662-1235.