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One thing that is clear is that Heated Rivalry did not just come out of nowhere and change everything overnight. Jacob Tierney was already part of a cult-favorite Canadian horror series that had a major influence on a generation before he went on to become the mastermind behind the latest queer hockey show.
Tierney was among the characters who played Eric in the series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", which might be the most memorable kids' horror series ever.
Read below to find out more about Jacob Tierney's appearance in the popular Canadian horror series.
Before Heated Rivalry, Jacob Tierney was already scaring kids in the best way possible
Long before Heated Rivalry took over the internet, Jacob Tierney was sitting around a campfire on Are You Afraid of the Dark? Here, he played Eric, one of the original members of the Midnight Society.
If you were one of the people who watched scary stories on TV growing up, then you are definitely aware of the fact that this show was a big deal and the influence it had on you while you were sitting with it and watching it in the dark.
The main characters were a bunch of kids who told the scary stories, and Eric was a part of that first group, which, in this way, already places Tierney in a kind of a different stratum of Canadian television history.
Eric may not have been the loudest one in the group, but just the fact that he was a part of the gang was more than enough for him. He shared two spooky anecdotes in the first season, one of which was The Tale of the Dark Music, and even now, a lot of the fans still refer to that particular episode as one of the scariest that the show has ever made.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? was a horror show for kids that made a big buzz and became a stepping stone for scary content that kids could watch if they were curious yet cautious. Most of the filming was done in Canada, and the show managed to turn quite ordinary woods, schools, and libraries into places for scary stories. The presentation of The Midnight Society was such that the viewers themselves felt that they were being given access to some secret.
Actually, Tierney, as one of the very first members, not only indicates that she was there from the very beginning when the mood was being set, but also that she was instrumental in making it. That is not just a small credit. It is the stuff of legacy.
How that early horror role connects to Heated Rivalry in a surprising way
At first glance, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Heated Rivalry seem to belong to different worlds totally. One is a series about kids narrating scary stories being told around a campfire, while Heated Rivalry is a steamy queer hockey romance made for adults.
However, when you slow down, the connection makes sense. Both projects understand emotion. Both trust the audience. Also, neither of the two is scared to be uncomfortable with themselves for a while.
In Are You Afraid of the Dark?, we have stories that deal with loneliness, jealousy, guilt, and growing up. However, Heated Rivalry sure is different, but also somehow carries forward similar kinds of themes. Instead of spooky scares, it focuses on tension, secrecy, and longing instead of fear.
However, the core of the shows remains the same. People are messy. Feelings are complicated, and stories are better if you let emotions shine the most. Tierney's path also shows patience.
Heated Rivalry feels huge now, but it sits on decades of learning how audiences react. From kids nervously watching horror to adults obsessing over romance, the lesson stays steady. If viewers care about the people, they will stay.
In retrospect, the role of Jacob Tierney on Are You Afraid of the Dark? seems to be an ideal point from which to start. Before the success of Heated Rivalry, he figured out the way of storytelling that leaves a lasting impression, even if it causes fear. His first encounter with the horror genre was a significant factor in the development of his artistic voice in a very subtle way.
It is an argument that the creative success of any kind cannot be attributed to mere chance. Occasionally, it all begins with a torch, a campfire, and an awesome story.
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