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Heated Rivalry: The Support Group


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Ladle Ghoulash
8 hours ago, InTheCloset said:

Lying Kandi Burruss GIF

gurl we all wanted his cookie so bad

I want his cookie and am happy to view him as trade ♥️

We have forgotten our public MANNERS
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phantasmas
On 2/15/2026 at 9:38 AM, LadyxGaGa said:

what support do people need from the show is it that devastating?? wait no spoilers im on episode 2

the show is not devastating but you may feel devastation for some of the characters especially if you are queer and have gone thru similar life experiences or mental health struggles that they have 

the only thing i will spoil is that all the books did end on a good note so the next seasons should follow suit :nick:

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LadyxGaGa
14 minutes ago, phantasmas said:

the show is not devastating but you may feel devastation for some of the characters especially if you are queer and have gone thru similar life experiences or mental health struggles that they have 

the only thing i will spoil is that all the books did end on a good note so the next seasons should follow suit :nick:

girl i just finished and holy cow i cried after ep 3 5 and the finale like ong yall were not kidding this show is so good!!!

 

 

all the women are so supportive and it’s rly nice!!! 

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Horny Chicken
On 2/15/2026 at 7:06 PM, Flippy said:

Connor is my babes :flutter:

What is it about Connor that makes me feel all positive inside? Many gays I see in the media set off alarm bells in my head. There is something very genuine about him. 
 

Edited by Horny Chicken
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hELXIG

I thought the show was.. okay. But the final two episodes I really liked. I just don't understand the hype but I guess it's just not for me :shrug:

I'll be myself until they fūcking close the coffin.
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Bronco

If y'all enjoyed the show you should really try the books. They're cute and such easy reads. Rachel is never going to be the best writer, but she writes in a way that is so enjoyable to read. 

As for the show - I didn't realise how much I needed it.

I've been out for like 15 years. I've played sport for 10 years, up until 2023 I was playing for a gay team. Started with a new team this season which isn't a gay team/in the gay league and it was really only watching this show that made me realise I'd kind of subconsciously/defensively closeted myself while playing sports with the straights. 

The show gave me a bit of a reality check and helped me start dropping the guards. 

 

Also - Connor & Hudson are the first 2 actors in a while where I'm like actively interested in seeing their future works. Feels like ages since we've had actors genuinely interested in the craft and not the game (looking at you Timmy Chalet)

The gays know how to party
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Gorehound

Am I literally the only person on this planet who thought this series was extremely mid? :awkney:

Edited by Gorehound
I'm fine, Ta
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Bronco
Just now, Gorehound said:

Am I literally the only person on this planet who thought this series was extremely mid? :awkney:

You've literally reacted to someone with the same opinion as you in this thread. 

So obviously not.

The gays know how to party
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Horny Chicken
3 hours ago, Bronco said:

Also - Connor & Hudson are the first 2 actors in a while where I'm like actively interested in seeing their future works. Feels like ages since we've had actors genuinely interested in the craft and not the game (looking at you Timmy Chalet)

I do not want to see good roles given to Timmy anymore. He obviously isn’t interested in the art of it. :/

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Bronco
Just now, Horny Chicken said:

I do not want to see good roles given to Timmy anymore. He obviously isn’t interested in the art of it. :/

Yeah his only focus is awards chasing, it's so blatant. 
And like....the academy voters hate award chasers so he's never going to get one lol

The gays know how to party
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Gorehound
11 minutes ago, Bronco said:

You've literally reacted to someone with the same opinion as you in this thread. 

So obviously not.

Ye I saw that post after I wrote this one lol

I'm fine, Ta
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Gorehound

I'm glad so many people like this show, and it's great to see queer content get such good praise, but I personally don't see the appeal of this show.

The actors are excellent I've gotta admit, but I've seen gay romance done so much better than this. The sex scenes are meek and unconvincing, considering the books are basically pure smut. You never really feel the raw intensity of their relationship and encounters. The plot is boring, the overall aesthetic is bland and the camera work and editing is amateur. Not to mention the whole thing just looks cheap (tho I understand they had literally no budget for this show, and it did start to get a bit better in the later episodes).

When compared to the likes of Challengers, God's Own Country, All Of Us Strangers, Moonlight, Queer, Beach Rats etc, this show really lacks any real artistic vision, originality or real emotional depth.

Edited by Gorehound
I'm fine, Ta
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Bronco
16 minutes ago, Gorehound said:

When compared to the likes of Challengers, God's Own Country, All Of Us Strangers, Moonlight, Queer, Beach Rats etc, this show really lacks any real artistic vision, originality or real emotional depth.

See this I just don't agree with. 
For starters, numerous films you've mentioned don't have happy endings which is considered the defining staple of the romance genre so there not in the same contest. And the majority of these films focus entirely on exploiting queer trauma. 

To say something that actively triumphs and sings the praises of queer happiness lacks originality and artistic vision while comparing it to films which trade queer trauma for heterosexual support is just not sensible. It's not a fair contest, it's like comparing which film depicts space travel better between Star Wars and Bridget Jones. 

And it is original, trust me as an actual gay sports player there's very little like this in tv/film media. Certainly nothing where the focus is explicitly on 2 gay/bi men finding happiness together within sport. Like of the only comparable story setting from your examples, and speaking as a gay sports lover - Challengers does nothing for queer men in sport, its 2 bi men competing for a woman with no commentary on the issues queer men face within sport. Heated Rivalry (and even more so next season) explicitly creates a world where queer men can have the high-level sports career and the happiness of romantic relationships. And myself and plenty of other queen men who gave up sports in highschool etc because the closet was killing us would have killed for a show like this to give us hope and something to live for. But instead, we had nothing to even vaguely suggest we could exist in a sports setting and be happy except for the story of Justin Fashanu being driven to suicide and Gareth Thomas waiting till his career was nearly over and he was being forced out. 

As for real emotional depth - I'm not sure what you consider real emotional depth, but a person choosing to abandon their home nation and abusive family to pursue real happiness certainly counts for me. 

The gays know how to party
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Gorehound
15 minutes ago, Bronco said:

See this I just don't agree with. 
For starters, numerous films you've mentioned don't have happy endings which is considered the defining staple of the romance genre so there not in the same contest. And the majority of these films focus entirely on exploiting queer trauma. 

To say something that actively triumphs and sings the praises of queer happiness lacks originality and artistic vision while comparing it to films which trade queer trauma for heterosexual support is just not sensible. It's not a fair contest, it's like comparing which film depicts space travel better between Star Wars and Bridget Jones. 

And it is original, trust me as an actual gay sports player there's very little like this in tv/film media. Certainly nothing where the focus is explicitly on 2 gay/bi men finding happiness together within sport. Like of the only comparable story setting from your examples, and speaking as a gay sports lover - Challengers does nothing for queer men in sport, its 2 bi men competing for a woman with no commentary on the issues queer men face within sport. Heated Rivalry (and even more so next season) explicitly creates a world where queer men can have the high-level sports career and the happiness of romantic relationships. And myself and plenty of other queen men who gave up sports in highschool etc because the closet was killing us would have killed for a show like this to give us hope and something to live for. But instead, we had nothing to even vaguely suggest we could exist in a sports setting and be happy except for the story of Justin Fashanu being driven to suicide and Gareth Thomas waiting till his career was nearly over and he was being forced out. 

As for real emotional depth - I'm not sure what you consider real emotional depth, but a person choosing to abandon their home nation and abusive family to pursue real happiness certainly counts for me. 

Ye you make excellent sense man, and I appreciate the shows value, but my issues were more on aesthetics and visual language in the film making. The story and message is there, but I don’t think they did it justice compared to more artistic depictions of gay romance (tragic and exploitative or not). It was all depicted very simply and on the nose, rather than heightened in an original or creative way. If these characters are feeling this way, then make me really feel it. 

Edited by Gorehound
I'm fine, Ta
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Bronco
2 minutes ago, Gorehound said:

Ye you make excellent sense man, and I appreciate the shows value, but my issues were more on aesthetics and visual language in the film making. The story and message is there, but I don’t think they did it justice compared to more artistic depictions of gay romance (tragic and exploitative or not). It was all depicted very simply and on the nose, rather than heightened in an original or creative way. If these characters are feeling this way, then make me really feel it. 

I mean I think we just have different ideas of justice for gay romance if your examples are older men preying on younger men in toxic relationships, men failing to find happiness and ending up in abusive lifes, death through overdose and a straight woman exploiting queer men for her own personal pleasure. 

The gays know how to party
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