“Heated Rivalry” Gives Us The Healing We Need

Major SPOILER ALERT WARNING … do not read this if you intend to finish watching “Heated Rivalry” and do not want to know how the story unfolds in advance …

The season finale of "Heated Rivalry" aired Thursday night at midnight ET. Since then, I've been following the fan reactions all weekend. We are experiencing a rare cultural watershed moment, especially for the LGBTQ+ community and I am right there with my brothers and sisters.

Here's why …

Right now, the LGBTQ+ community is under fire. Our rights, our safety, our basic inclusion are all at risk. In this environment, a story about adult men finding themselves, finding each other, and coming to terms with how that impacts their lives feels like a lifeline. The show is a respite. In a world that feels filled with hate, here's a story of love that breaks through it all. They each have their barriers, but over the years (and it takes years), they over come them.

It's also ultimately a happy story. So much literature, film, and television centered on LGBTQ+ characters are filled with trauma, heartbreak, disease, and disaster. The message is generally the same: life as a queer person isn't going to end well. These characters are the opposite. They find each other. They navigate their lives. They find themselves in the process. They find happiness. What a concept … no trauma, no death, no disease, no disaster. Just people learning to be together, happy. The way that their relationship evolved from (before!) rookie season to the end and the intimacy/caring that developed is just so inspiring. Gay or straight.

And then we have the parents.

The scene with Shane and his mom has been described by so many fans as healing. Even the writer understood it as essential to the story arc. He knew this moment needed to be there because it mirrors something so many of us have lived through, whether it played out exactly like that or not.

Shane tried so hard to make it work. Boy, can I relate to that.

Shane apologized for being who he is. Boy, can I relate to that.

Shane apologized for his parents finding out this way. Boy, can I relate to that.

And Shane's mom saying how proud she is of him? That's what I needed to hear. That's what so many of us needed to hear when we came out. Some folks got that in their lives. Sadly, many did not.

That's why that moment was so healing for so many.

So yes, "Heated Rivalry" is good storytelling. Excellent acting. Good television. But it's more than that. It's become a cultural moment that reminds us the world isn't as ugly and hateful as it feels right now. It comes at a time when we desperately need that for each other. It's a hug of love, hope, and inclusion for us all, and a moment of healing.

I know I need it as we look to start a new year. Perhaps that is also the magic of all of this … the timing.

What's your experience? JIM