A New Empire for the Heated Rivalry Mastermind
If you’re still reeling from the “rivals-to-lovers” chemistry of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, you aren’t alone. Heated Rivalry became a global juggernaut upon its late 2025 release, cementing showrunner Jacob Tierney as one of the most exciting voices in television.
But while fans are patiently (or impatiently) “enjoying the yearn” for Season 2—which Tierney recently confirmed isn’t hitting screens until April 2027—the creator is taking a massive detour. Netflix has officially greenlit a straight-to-series order for Alexander, a sprawling historical epic that swaps the locker room for the royal courts of Macedonia.
The Golden Mean: Adapting a Canadian Masterpiece
Tierney isn’t just making a “swords and sandals” show; he’s adapting Annabel Lyon’s critically acclaimed novel, The Golden Mean. Unlike the 2004 Oliver Stone film or recent docudramas, this series will center on the intellectual and emotional collision between a teenage Alexander and his tutor, the philosopher Aristotle.
The show begins as the Athenian empire crumbles, bringing the world’s greatest mind to the Macedonian palace to tutor a “volatile” young prince. According to Netflix’s official logline, the series will explore a world of “palace intrigue, forbidden love, and ruthless ambitions.”
Why Jacob Tierney? The Connection Between Hockey and History
At first glance, a gay hockey romance and an Ancient Greek epic seem worlds apart. However, Tierney has a unique knack for exploring the “Golden Mean”—that delicate balance between two extremes. In Heated Rivalry, it was the tension between public persona and private intimacy. In Alexander, it’s the struggle between Aristotle’s logic and Alexander’s unquenchable fire.
Tierney has described the series as a “dream project” he has wanted to tell for years. Teaming up with Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan (Aggregate Films), Tierney plans to bring a “raw, modern energy” to the 4th century BC. For fans of Tierney’s previous work on Letterkenny and Shoresy, expect the dialogue to be as sharp as a Macedonian sarissa.
Will the Show Explore Alexander’s Sexuality?
Given Tierney’s track record for nuanced queer storytelling, the question of Alexander’s sexuality is at the forefront of fan discussion. History—and Lyon’s novel—suggests that Alexander’s bond with his childhood friend Hephaestion was the emotional core of his life.
With the success of Heated Rivalry proving that audiences are hungry for authentic, high-stakes romance, it’s a safe bet that Alexander will not shy away from the intimate complexities of the ancient world. Tierney’s version of history is likely to feel “epic and incredibly intimate” all at once.
The Road to 2027
While we wait for casting news on who will play the young conqueror and his mentor, this announcement helps ease the sting of the long wait for Heated Rivalry Season 2. Tierney is currently writing the next chapter of Shane and Ilya’s story, which begins filming this August, but Alexander represents a bold new frontier for the creator.
A Conqueror in the Making
Whether he’s directing on the ice or in the palace, Jacob Tierney has proven he knows how to capture the “volatile” hearts of his characters. Alexander promises to be a high-stakes drama that could redefine how we view historical epics on streaming.
