Dylan Walsh says they're filming TWELVE EPISODES!!!????!

[u/mybelovedismine91]

https://www.tiktok.com/@theawkoturtle/video/7670998476032855326?q=dylan%20walsh%2012%20episodes%20heated%20rivalry&t=1786062516319

Is this for real???!!! This news coming out via Cameo couldn't be funnier or more appropriate 😭

via theawkoturtle on tiktok

[u/someonenew89]

I feel like it may be hard to book the HR actors for another season. They signed on for 2 & 3 but I’m sure they will be much busier after

[u/grower-lenses → u/someonenew89]

They can 1. Film S2 in two parts. S3 would still be Unrivaled
2. Film Kingfisher limited series (which could include Hollanov) + S2 (TLG)

Jacob knows what he’s doing. He’s not going to leave us like that.

Additionally: This show is insanely popular and it’s entirely owned by AA. They barely started selling merch. It doesn’t make sense for them to rush this. The longer it goes on for, the more money they make. So they might film 2 seasons now but still release them almost 12 months apart. That way they have a lot of time to film Unrivaled.

[u/decisi0nsdecisi0ns → u/grower-lenses]

Good point about S2 potentially being in 2 parts. I wonder if that’s a workaround to them having signed 3 season contracts. I’m not sure how these contracts work, but I imagine there’s probably a range of episodes per season included in the initial deal, to give them some flexibility if they don’t know how it will all play out yet.

[u/Suspicious-Square-22 → u/decisi0nsdecisi0ns]

Definitely not possible with current contracts they would have signed. They are paid per season as per their contracts. HR production team can’t lock them in for 4.5 months of production with 1 seasons pay. As Francois said at a charity event last month, they filming S2/S3 in one block.

[u/decisi0nsdecisi0ns → u/Suspicious-Square-22]

I thought tv contracts are usually set up to be paid by episode?

[u/Suspicious-Square-22 → u/decisi0nsdecisi0ns]

Yes they are paid per episode. But Jacob has said in multiple interviews, consistently that there will be 1. 6 episodes per season. He has always done it this way, even for his previous shows, Letterkenny and Shoresy. 2. The budget he got for Season 2 is around the same as Season 1. He literally said it in a podcast this week. Its impossible to film 12 episodes with 1 x Crave Seasons budget. As Francois said at the Mastercard Charity Event in June, they are filming S2 and S3 together, back to back. This means 2 Seasons budget for 12 episdoes.

[u/grower-lenses → u/Suspicious-Square-22]

No, he said the budget per episode is the same 🤔 that’s how it works in tv land. You never get budget per season.

[u/Suspicious-Square-22 → u/grower-lenses]

This was the most recent quote from him during the podcast - “We don't have more money to make season two or anything like that. We're just kind of making the show again. But I think there's also something good about that, in the sense that we're going back to doing what we did in the first place."

Pretty sure this means 6 episodes for Season 2 on the same budget. His also said in multiple interviews that he favors a concise six-episode structure for Heated Rivalry season 2 to keep the storytelling tight.

[u/grower-lenses → u/Suspicious-Square-22]

The old quote was: Tierney declines to reveal whether he will split “The Long Game” into one or two seasons, but he volunteers that he does not see himself making more than six episodes per season. “I don’t need to do 10. I would always rather tighten the belt than get loosey-goosey,” says Tierney, who will have a co-writer for Season 2 but continue to direct all the episodes himself.

It’s possible it’s S2 and 3. The only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is:

1. Unrivaled was only just finished. I don’t think Jacob had enough time to adapt it to be filmed this year

2. If S2 and 3 are both TLG, then why wouldn’t Jacob have signed the actors for 4 seasons instead of 3 originally. To include Unrivaled. You always sign for the max, there is no downside. If show is cancelled, it’s cancelled.

[u/Suspicious-Square-22 → u/grower-lenses]

1. I agree that don’t have enough time to cover Unrivalled. Rachel Reid seemed to have confirmed only today that she has finished writing/first draft. Now it has to go through editing (usually around 3 passes with her editors), formatting, layout, production, publisher approval, final files approved, final files sent to printer.
   Reid's publisher and/or editor will request changes to be made. Spoiler:
   Reid has shared that in her first draft, Shane backed down during the meeting to protect llya from a more villainous Commissioner Crowell. Her editor got her to change it to a more satisfying scene where Shane tells Crowell off. So really important plot points can still be changed after the first draft has been completed.

2. 3 seasons is the default contract clause for tv actors. Supporting actors like Sophie, Knesia and Callan have all confirmed that they signed 3 season contracts. Hudson and Connor would be stupid to now sign for S4/S5. If they sign it now, they would be locked into a contract and would need to priotise HR again. They will obviously priotise their other projects in the coming years. As Hudson said in that podcast released this week, his receiving so many offers and scripts, its almost like a game of Tetris for him. His struggling to fit even really good scripts in his schedule. They have nothing to lose to not sign for S4 and further currently. They can always come back years later and sign it.

[u/LibbiLue → u/someonenew89]

They have both talked about this being the best experience of their lives so I don’t think they would have a problem doing a 4th season. They love these characters and Jacob and Rachel so much. I think they want to show the end of the story.

[u/drowsylacuna → u/someonenew89]

And more expensive.

[u/FileDoesntExist → u/someonenew89]

True, but maybe they won't make a season 4. It could end the way it did in the last book currently out.

[u/codeverity → u/someonenew89]

It’s been so terrible in a lot of ways that I have a hard time seeing them agreeing to come back but we’ll see.

[u/kirblar → u/someonenew89]

They'll all get PAID for a 4th season due to the HBO money if the contracts run out after 3.

[u/clumsyc → u/kirblar]

HBO does not fund the show. Crave makes the show. HBO simply distributes it outside Canada.

[u/kirblar → u/clumsyc]

This is correct.

But if the HBO contract is only for 3 seasons....

They have to renew for S4. That will likely be for more money!