Wrestling and Television have gone together in one form or another since the 1950's. Wrestling has aired on Network TV at various times, its been a main stay on cable, numerous companies local promotions have found there onto local channels. On top of that numerous shows have done wrestling plot of some kind. Baywatch had the stars of WCW battle it out of the fate of Youth Center, Family Matters had Urkel and Carl have to fill in as wrestlers when one of Urkel's wrecks a main event for example. And of course wrestlers have appeared on so many project playing themselves, or playing a different fictional wrestler or just playing some tough guy. More rare though are series set in world of pro wrestling. The most well known is likely GLOW which streamed on Netflix.
2021 has seen premium cable network Starz debuted Heels. The series had actually been in development since 2017 being written by Michael Waldron. If you know that name its likely due to his work on Rick and Morty or his work in the MCU with both Loki and the upcoming Dr. Strange sequel. Finally in August of 2021 Heels made it's debut for it eight episode first season. So was Heels a five star (six in The Tokyo Dome) classic? Or was did it suck worse than a Randy Orton vs. The Fiend match?
 |
Heels is the story of the Duffy Wrestling League or DWL a small independent wrestling company in Georgia. The DWL was started by Tom "The King" Spade. At one time the DWL was a popular thriving promotion. Today its in the hands of Tom's oldest son Jack played by Stephen Amell, who is promoter, booker, lead heel and world champion. Under Jack's direction the DWL is seeing a bit of turn around but still struggles. The biggest reason for upswing though is the new top face Jack's younger brother Ace played Alexander Ludwig. The first episode is built around a big title match between Jack and Ace. Jack has the old school mindset of the fans pay to watch the face chase the title while Ace and Jack's business partner Willie Day (Mary McCormack) think having a title change is the right move. Things get more complicated when Wild Bill Hancock (Chris Bauer) arrives at the show. Wild Bill is a former DWL wrestler who left to go the the big leagues now working as talent scout who is in town to sign Ace.
 |
| Jack and Ace before there match |
After many harsh words Ace agrees to lose but taunts his brother. Telling him he (Ace) will go up the big leagues while Jack will be stuck in Duffy until he kills himself just like dad. In the ring Jack loses it during the intro he dumps Ace on his head and locks in a submission hold. Knowing Ace is about to suffer a very real injury the referee calls the match off just minutes into it. A humiliated Ace breaks down in the ring and it costs him everything. His tough guy image is lost, his chance to go to the big leagues is lost and his support from the fans is lost. The first episode gets a lot done in a about a hour. We get to know DWL the main conflict between The Spades and just how flawed both men are. We also meet the side characters such as Jack's wife Staci (Allison Luff), Ace valet and lover Crystal (Kelli Berglund). It also has to educate non wrestling fans on wrestling.
Something like this can be hard as wrestling fans will naturally check the show out and you don't want an episode to drag for them. But you also don't want non wrestling fans going "what are they talking about?" I think the show overall does a very good job of this. They explain a few insider terms Kayfab, heel, face, and selling while ignoring many others. For example Jack is never called booker instead the term writer is used to describe his creation of the shows. We also get explanations of a top rope elbow to make it clear wrestlers are supposed to be working together and protecting each other in the ring. But don't hammer it home with "No you land this way" or "if you do this it looks like it really is doing damage."
There are many other things going in the DWL besides Jack and Ace's issues. Allen Maldonado plays Rooster Robbins a talented wrestler who is growing frustrated with his position on the card. There home venue "The Dome" is in need of repairs. And Charlie Gully played Mike O'Malley is the owner of Florida Wrestling Dystopia. Gully has been he inherited and earned by his successful sporting goods stores. Gully is willing to spend that money to "take over the south." He's targeting Georgia for expansion and knows a great way to take out Jack is to take his talent. Jack is very Bill Watts like he's a strict boss who wants you to do it the way he told you to. Gully comes across like a more together Herb Abrams the rich fan is having fun.
Both Jack and Ace face issues outside of the ring. Jack has a wife young son and while the DWL already takes up so much of time its in the red forcing him to work a regular job. Meanwhile his wife Staci has a growing sense of dissatisfaction with just being a house wife. Ace well frankly if Heels gets more seasons I won't be shocked if they do a story Ace has Bi-polar disorder or something like it. When things go well for Ace go well. And there are times we see he can be a sweet guy. He's also the guy that when he get's called our for taking gum a store deeply insults the clerk, he also snaps will yell at Crystal he's not her boyfriend but than get mad when she hangs out with another man another wrestlers Bobby Pins.
 |
| Ace and Crystal relationship had ups and downs |
Things only get worse for Ace when his return to the ring goes poorly. Fans taunt him as a crybaby and even throw packs of tissues at him. We later learn this was done by Jack who has decided the story will be better with Ace turning heel even though Ace had told him "I never want to be booed again." Meanwhile his relationship both personally and professionally with Crystal falls apart. The two have been sleeping together but after Ace's "I'm not your boyfriend," comment she starts hanging out with Bobby Pins (Trey Tucker). Bobby is a new comer to wrestler but a decent guy who everyone seems to like. Crystal is helping Bobby figure things in the business mainly helping him pick a gimmick and the kind of look he should have. Just so happens Ace and Bobby wind up in a feud. Ace responds by dumping Crystal as his valet. And after some encouragement Crystal cuts a semi shoot promo on Ace. He winds up snapping and breaking Bobby's leg for real. This is clearly Ace's lowest point. He's lost the fans, the girl and now worse his guilt gets to him right away.
And this is why I do think it might be that Ace has some type of issue mentally. Once he sees just how much damage he's done he does feel bad. He than tries to make up for it. He apologizes to Bobby and eventually is able to make peace with Crystal. Meanwhile Jack and Willie get a major chance to turn The Duffy Wrestling League around when they are offered a chance to run an event at Georgia state fair. The fair can give them a chance to see 10,000 tickets (Someone had All In on the mind.) Which it does seem the writers didn't really know how successful they wanted Jack to be. On the one hand we hear the DWL is struggling yet we also packed houses. At one point we hear they had to hold a show in a parking lot yet again they seem to believe they can sell 10,000 tickets just fine. I just think they needed to be more consistent. Or at they very least give us a reason more than just wrestling at the state fair for why they think they can do huge ticket sales.
Willie meanwhile has problems of her own. Wild Bill loses his job by being Ric Flair. And I am serious about that Wild Bill is fired after walking around a plane wearing only his robe and a title belt. Willie winds up letting him stay at her place with her husband and daughter. When Bill makes makes an insensitive remark where the audience learns they were once lovers and Willie had an abortion she kicks him out. Wild Bill sees the state fair show as a chance to launch his comeback. The problem is Willie is pissed at him and Jack resents him for never helping out his father and along with his comments to Willie. Finally Bill finally has a heart to heart with Willie. Viewers gets more insight into there backstory. Years ago Willie had been working as Wild Bill's valet while dating him. Seeing more promise in Tom Spade she started to work with him and ended the romantic relationship. This is one of better scenes in the series as its two people having carried years of hurt yet still feel a connection. I don't get the feeling Willie still love Bill but she does care for him. And for Bill she is the one person he feels like he can drop his persona around.
Charlie Gully meanwhile picks up his efforts. Knowing Rooster is unhappy he gets him to jump to FWD. After he defaces The Dome with FWD flyers Ace drives down to Florida to confront him. But here we see what a mater of manipulation Gully is. He plays on Ace's desires to be a face again as well as he recement towards Jack. Ace is on the verge of jumping. However he winds up calling Crystal wanting her to join him. Crystal though tells Jack. Back at home things are hitting the fan for Jack. His son young son was Ace's biggest fan so his heel turn affects him. On top of that the son Tommy is traumatized at seeing Ace hurt Bobby Pin and a seeing his father and uncle getting in a fight. Meanwhile Staci wants a family night to celebrate some good news she got. When Jack leaves to get Ace it comes across more as he is picking the DWL over his family than trying to stop his brother. The final straw comes when Staci learns it was Jack was behind the tissue packs being thrown at Ace. Staci know has to ask is her husband a bad person in real life?
 |
| Jack Spade's heel person wasn't fully an act |
Jack arrives at the FDW show just before Ace is supposed to debut and attacks Gully. Seeing the other wrestlers about to attack his brother Ace jumps in and Spade brothers make a get away together. But when Jack gets home he finds that Staci has taken Tommy and left him. And with all that and more going on its time for The State Fair show.
The plan is for Ace to win the match and turn face again in the process. For the most part things go well. Big Jim a popular wrestler comes out of retirement. The undercard goes well. And at first the main event goes well. Its a 3 way ladder match for the DWL title, Jack vs. Ace vs. Wild Bill. Fans are into it and respond to Ace as the hero once more. However Gully is out for blood after Jack's attack. Gully and his crew are in the crowd and manage to get a Jack chant going. Rooster makes it clear the way to mess with Jack is to mess with Jack's ability to control the crowd. Meanwhile Wild Bill has been using pills to ready for the match. And one of the effects of the pills causes him to shit himself during the match. Bill not wanting to be humiliated takes himself out of the match. This leaves it to Jack and Ace to finish the match. Just as they climb up the ladder Gully and his crew start to toss Kleenex packets at Ace. Infuriated Ace asks Jack if this is his doing. Jack tells him it's not but does confess to being behind the first time with the tissues.
Needless to say Ace doesn't take it well. He snaps again and just worries about beating crap out of Jack. The rest of the roster has no idea what to do. Jack can't tell them what to do and Jack also can't get the match back on track with Ace attacking him. Finally Crystal who is ringside working as Bill valet gets her chance to shine. Getting in the ring she challenges Ace seeing her snaps him back to realty and he works with her. The crowd quickly gets behind her. Jack is able to recover enough to even to a few more sports. In the end Crystal climbs the ladder and pulls down the belt. As she celebrates the Spade brothers exchange a look with it painfully clear Jack's previous actions might of pushed his brother away for good. In the closing shot Ace rolls out of the ring and walks away.
All and all Heels is an excellent TV show. There are so many things the show does well. The story is excellent and I had to skip over a number of things in my summery. Even non wrestling fans will be able to follow and get hooked. With only eight episodes there isn't really much filler. Each episode has a reason for being there. One thing I hate about TV shows are side plots that feel tacked on or out of no where. We don't really get that here. Crystal wanting to be a wrestler and not just a valet it set up early on and we often seen her takes steps to try and reach that goal. When she goes off script when Ace tries to replace her for example you see its her lashing out for his actions but also her fear of winding up like another valet we had seen a few shows earlier. Staci reaching her limit is a progression. Episode one Jack spends money they don't have to spend on fog machines for the show, episode two Jack ignores things at home that later leads to a house fire.
 |
| Staci Spade wife of Jack |
We also get some really nice set up for stuff that could evolve in for later seasons. As mentioned earlier I think Ace might have some type of condition such as bi-polar disorder. Bobbi Pins a side character who is the rookie wrestler seems like he might also be the person that gets eaten alive by the wrestling business. Another big point in Heels favor is the characters are great. Jack and Ace can both be assholes but we also see there good sides enough you want to cheer for them. And it's crushing to see them blow it. Hell Wild Bill is a character that you start thinking you are supposed to hate yet when he shows a softer side with both Willie and Crystal its fantastic. The side characters are also a lot of fun. Some of my fave moments come when we see the DWL locker room just messing around. Former NFL player James Harrison plays Apocalypse a veteran wrestler and he really shines here. I swear I could watch a web series of just bonus skits of the wrestlers talking about random things.
 |
| Apocalypses and Diego Cottonmouth |
