Let Shane Hollander's Dad Do Cameos In Peace!
The Long Game is everywhere for those with the eyes to see it.
For the second time, the Heated Rivalry universe has been rocked by a slip-up on Cameo. And just like the fictional Hayden Pike’s accidental outing, actor Dylan Walsh should be celebrated rather than punished for presumably stumbling into an exciting fandom moment. But sadly, it sounds like Walsh has been reprimanded and forced to shut down his Cameo account — which is a shame, since the demand for his videos is probably at an all-time high after he gave Heated Rivalry fans a meta The Long Game moment before Season 2 has even adapted that book.
But first, let’s back up a bit for some context. On Aug 6, a Heated Rivalry fan posted the birthday Cameo she received from Walsh on her TikTok. The clip wound up going viral because Walsh let it slip that he was about to start filming 12 new episodes of the series, a notable uptick from Season 1’s six-episode count. “Getting ready to go back up to Canada and shoot some more episodes, I think we’re doing 12 this time,” Walsh said.
The statement bolstered speculation that Season 3 was already unofficially being filmed, despite not yet being announced by Crave or HBO Max. That’s because showrunner Jacob Tierney stated in February that he doesn’t want to increase the six-episode structure for each new season: “I don’t need to do 10,” Tierney told The Los Angeles Times. “I would always rather tighten the belt than get loosey-goosey. I would rather be like, ‘Let’s see how much story we can pack into these episodes.’”
After the apparent leak, Walsh’s Cameo account went on pause, with Entertainment Weekly reporting that a message on his account read: “Stepping away because a video went viral that got me in trouble.”
But really, Walsh should not have been reprimanded for his video. For one, it’s already widely assumed that Heated Rivalry will get a third season — the show is wildly popular, and author Rachel Reid has announced she’s writing a third Shane and Ilya-focused book, which was a pretty strong indication that the TV adaptation will continue. So, Walsh’s revelation about a possible Season 3 isn’t some huge shocking spoiler at all.
On top of that, Walsh is presumably missing out on his biggest Cameo demand ever right now following the viral video. And the best reason to celebrate Walsh’s slip-up of them all is that he’s inadvertently leaning into a major plot point in the upcoming second season. In The Long Game, the book that’s being adapted for Heated Rivalry Season 2, Shane’s teammate Hayden Pike accidentally outs Shane and Ilya’s romance to the world after recording video on the fictional, Cameo-inspired app FanMail that shows the lovers kissing in the background.
Hayden actor Callan Potter and Cameo even posted a funny video recreating this scene when Season 1 of Heated Rivalry was airing. And now, Walsh has given us a real-life version of this iconic The Long Game moment, making the excitement around Season 2 even higher. And that’s something that should be celebrated!
