Like most intense Heated Rivalry fans, I’ve been keeping up to date with what Hudson Williams has been up to in terms of his career. As bummed as I was to learn that we wouldn’t be seeing him as Shane Hollander during the 2026 TV Schedule, I was thrilled when he was announced as part of the cast for the new streaming show, Yaga. Williams’ involvement is definitely what led me to the show, but it’s actually an entirely different actor that is going to get me to keep tuning in week after week.
Don’t get me wrong, Williams' portrayal of the nerdy Logan Casey was endearing and fun to watch, and that's in great part because it’s so different than his uptight portrayal of hockey phenom Shane Hollande. And I’m definitely excited to see him explore the other character he’s set to play. However, it was Noah Reid’s performance as Charlie Rapp that won me over. Honestly, it shouldn’t be that surprising, considering I’ve been a fan of Reid’s work since his heartwarming portrayal of Patrick in one of the best sitcoms of all time, Schitt’s Creek.
Unlike Reid’s Schitt’s Creek character, who is beloved for helping create an iconic “couples goal” TV relationship, his character in Yaga takes on a much different tone. While still charming — after all, Reid is in the face of the character — Charlie Rapp is a tad mysterious and a bit of a walking red flag.
In the first episode, Charlie arrives in the small coastal town to put his private detective skills to the test and help the local detective, Sergeant Carson (Clark Backo), investigate the sudden disappearance of Henry Park (Williams), the young heir to a commercial fishery. While Carson is wary of Charlie from the start, every other woman, regardless of age, in the town seems to fawn over Charlie.
Reid delivers the flirtatious banter superbly, and he definitely had me blushing once or twice. However, it’s the darker side of his performance that really captivated my attention.
After having to shoot a chicken that Carson accidentally ran over, Charlie starts to hallucinate and be haunted by the dead chicken. As if that’s not weird enough, the first episode ends when someone burns a rooster right outside his hotel room door. The hallucinations don’t stop, though, as he continues to see the dead bird in the subsequent episode.
Now, I have no idea what this means for Charlie since I’m not familiar with the play that Yaga is adapted from. Yet I do know that this storyline is giving Reid amazing material to bring a stellar performance to life.
After two episodes, I’m definitely tuning in for Reid now, but that can all change since we still haven’t met Henry Park yet. If there’s one thing Williams knows how to do, it’s steal a show, so I’m sure his portrayal of Henry is going to do just that. Then again, maybe by the end of the eight episodes, I’ll hate both Reid and Williams' characters and will be fully on the side of the mysterious woman like Sergeant Carson and university professor Dr. Katherine Hargrove (Carrie-Anne Moss).
The first two episodes of Yaga are streaming in the US on AMC+ and in Canada on Crave, with the next episode dropping on Friday, October 30th. Meanwhile, fans can get their Williams and Reid fixes in by streaming both Heated Rivalry and Schitt’s Creek with an HBO Max subscription.
