In the past month or so, Heated Rivalry became a major global sensation. What you probably don’t know is that the show has enjoyed extraordinary success even in Russia—despite the fact that it is not officially available on any Russian streaming platform. On Kinopoisk, the Russian equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes, Heated Rivalry has a rating of 8.6; Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, listed as the two most popular series on the platform, both have ratings of 8.3. In other words, a self-selected group of Russian viewers think Heated Rivalry is the best show they’ve ever watched. It’s an unexpected turn, especially for a country widely known for its homophobia.
I know Ilya Rozanov, the smoldering hockey player Connor Storrie plays on the surprise hit romance Heated Rivalry. In fact, I know quite a few people like him. I might even say that I have been him.
Here is a new piece I’ve written for Vanity Fair – about Heated Rivalry, homophobia and what it means to be gay in Putin’s Russia today.