Via Designecologist, Rotten Tomatoes
Come to the Cottage
Anyone who has been online in the past couple of months might have heard of the new show and the insane phenomenon, Heated Rivalry. A Crave TV show broadcast by HBO Max that focuses on the romantic relationship between two secretly gay hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
This show, based on a book by Canadian author Rachel Reid, has become the hot topic of the internet since the first episode was released in November. People became enamoured with the raw love story of these two characters, and a fandom quickly formed around the show and everything it represents.
Via BuzzingPop
Heated Rivalry already had a pre-existing fandom led by the fans of the book and #booktok, a book-centric TikTok community. However, when the show came out, many new people found themselves joining the fan community, myself included. This meant that we all needed a larger space to discuss our feelings about the show and let out some of the most burning thoughts, questions, and admiration towards this new obsession.
That is how any fandom is created, really.
The Internet Through Fandom-Colored Glasses
As soon as my “For You” pages across all social media platforms (I’m talking TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and even Tumblr) picked up on my new interest in this show, my algorithm became all about Heated Rivalry. And let me tell you, it’s been a long time since I had this much fun on the internet. Probably not, since I was obsessing over Harry Potter and Draco’s fan-made relationship through fanfiction on Tumblr.
Between the mindblowing TikTok edits, shared inside jokes and memes, beautiful fan art, fanfiction, and passionate discussions unfolding on Twitter, it’s hard not to get swept up in the collective excitement. There’s something genuinely joyful about being surrounded by people who care about the same characters and moments as much as I do, where every new post feels like an invitation to join in rather than just scroll past.
Since the “For You” algorithms keep suggesting the same type of content that you most engage with, in these past few weeks, I barely see anything that is not Heated Rivalry-related on my platforms. This made me realize that I don’t really miss the old content that much, and I am much happier diving deeper into the fandom experience rather than aimlessly scrolling through meaningless posts about nothing in particular.
Experiencing the internet through fandom-colored glasses is so much better than the mundane content we consume every day. Instead of watching random audios, memes, and trends float by, you actually care about what you see. There’s a story, characters, and a shared language behind every single post. Suddenly, you’re not just scrolling. You’re participating, theorizing, and screaming with strangers who are just as emotionally invested as you are.
You might even benefit from a fandom in ways you never expected. While the entertainment online steps up a notch once your algorithm picks up on your new obsession, fandoms also bring value outside of the digital space. It could be as small as finding new music you enjoy while scrolling through fan edits of the show, to forming actual friendships within the fandom community. A club in Canada even hosted a Heated Rivalry party, playing the best edits made for the show while excited fans rocked the dance floor. The possibilities are endless!
There are obviously negative fandom experiences out there as well. Whether or not you enjoy being part of a fandom depends on the media, the other members of the fandom, and the content being spread across the community. The Stranger Things fandom, for example, admits that being a fan of the show has been disappointing through the release of the fifth and last season. If you dive into the Stranger Things fandom right now, you will find complaints about the finale, discussions about the plot holes, and even a detailed conspiracy theory about an alternative ending that was later disproved. While conspiring and deep-diving into research about the show is fun, it’s also exhausting to constantly look for ways to fight the disappointment. Being part of a fandom that is constantly disrespected by the source material is unenjoyable and affects the connections between fans.
Via SThingsMeme
Not all fandoms are perfect, but the good ones prove a simple point: the internet is more enjoyable when you’re connected to something bigger than yourself. Trends hit harder, discussions are richer, and scrolling feels less empty when there’s a piece of media anchoring it all. So, if you have a film, show, or book you cherish, join its fandom. It genuinely makes the internet better. And if you decide to join either the Heated Rivalry or Harry Potter fandoms, I will be more than happy to send you some of the best fan edits and art out there to get your obsession started.
