by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Wrestling like WWE or AEW is not something I usually watch. I have several friends who are incredibly invested, but it’s just not something that I ever got into. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand the spectacle and the appeal. It provides so much entertainment for so many. The wrestlers themselves make for great television, and the charisma they all emulate is off the charts. Whether they’re a hero (face) or a villain (heel), people will root for their favorite wrestlers at all costs.
Heels is a show I’m really rooting for to have success.
Season One of Heels premiered on Starz back in 2021, and it’s been on my radar for quite a while. I finished Season One quickly before Season Two’s premiere, and I found the show instantly compelling. The story of the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL) in the small town in Georgia’s homegrown entertainment platform resonated with me in a lot of ways. It’s incredible, as it ranges from internal family drama between the two stars of the wrestling league, brothers Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig), to the day-to-day issues with the wrestling league against their rival Florida Wrestling Dystopia, led by Charlie Gully (Mike O’Malley). The first season ends on an incredible note, after a successful state fair wrestling event that crowned a brand new champion at a steep cost.
Season Two of Heels fixes a couple of problems that I had with Season One. The first is it cuts a lot of the unnecessary, gratuitous violence and sex. It’s not like Season One has a huge problem where it felt wrong or exploitative, but the sex in particular feels unnecessary. The violence, though, is trickier to legislate. Wrestling, by its very nature, is a violent sport. However, if the focus remains on the wrestling matches, and not the violence that comes from people fighting outside the ring, Heels flourishes. It’s not weighed down by actual fistfights that seem out of place.
The second problem is with the family drama. Whether it’s Jack and Ace bickering, or Jack and his wife Staci (Allison Luff), Season One is filled with constant fighting between the Spade family. It reaches a boiling point in the finale, and there was no possible way to sustain this level of fighting before it got old and tired. Season Two attempts to expand on the relationship between Jack and his deceased father, Tom Spade (David James Elliott), and how it drives Jack to treat Ace the way that he does. I appreciate how Season Two doesn’t try to retread the fighting between Ace and Jack, and attempts to have them work together more.
With the family drama in the rearview mirror, Season Two’s story revolves around the fallout of Jack’s action in Season One against Gully at a wrestling event in Florida. A big theme of Season Two is the consequence of being surrounded by violence all the time. Jack is put in a near no-win situation where he has to risk everything he built to make the DWL successful by placating Gully with his cross-promotion. The violence also takes a toll on his family, with his son Thomas (Roxton Garcia) using violence to express his anger at the situation with his family. This is briefly addressed in Season Two, but I’m looking for more in the next season. For Ace, violence is his way of coping with the future he could have had as a football player. He is at a crossroads this season, and Ludwig does a fantastic job of conveying Ace’s vulnerability and longing for redemption.
Certain characters take a more prominent position this season, but Crystal Tyler (Kelli Berglund) is the MVP of the series so far. Her ascent to superstardom in the wrestling world is miraculous and groundbreaking. The DWL never had a women’s league before, but Crystal changed that after her appearance at the state fair match in Season One. She is one of the main attractions of the cross-promotional event, and the battle for her wrestling talent heats up as her popularity grows. Berglund is outstanding. She doesn’t mess around and stands up for herself a lot more this season. I applaud Heels for seeing the talent they have in Berglund and continuing to expand her story.
The other character that has a little more spotlight this season is Wild Bill Hancock (Chris Bauer). In early Season One episodes, I thought he was a joke. He is a wrestler far past his prime, and is laying low because of a viral video surfacing that jeopardized his career. Although he is eager to be in the spotlight, he helps the DWL book the state fair event that catapults the wrestling league to success. Season Two’s Wild Bill, although he still makes crude jokes, is painted in a whole new light. He’s been humbled, and instead of running away from it, he takes the opportunity to become a mentor to everyone at the DWL. We even get more backstory about his relationship with Tom before Jack took over. I really appreciate Bauer’s vulnerability in those episodes, and how we see how his image in the wrestling ring is nothing like the caring and endearing person he can be. I’m nervous for him moving forward because of what happens in the Season Two finale, but I hope they continue to stay the course and give Bauer more chances to shine as Wild Bill.
The business of wrestling takes a huge step forward this season as well. The cross-promotional event is a huge move for both DWL and Florida Dystopian Wrestling, with writing a compelling story being of top priority. Gully knows how he wants it to end, but Jack is ultimately the person who is talented enough to come up with a great story. They need each other, but Jack still has to abide by how Gully wants it to go, or risk losing the DWL. This season also has a company looking to form a wrestling super company as a way to boost a streaming service and attract new subscribers. Both wrestling leagues jockey for an advantage, with DWL attempting to sell the people and Florida Dystopian Wrestling selling the spectacle. Both are strong selling points and are on display during their cross-promotional match.
Season Two’s finale is some of the finest television so far in 2023. It starts with a flashback of Jack and his dad talking about a complicated wrestling move. The moment is decisive between the two, as Jack learns that he has limitations and that he should stick to what he’s good at. The cross-promotional event occurs and the stakes are high. The conflict between Gully and Jack reaches a point of potential resolution if everyone plays ball the way they’re supposed to. The matches are all fantastic, but it culminates in a final match that will change the course of the show moving forward. I haven’t been shocked by a season finale in a long time, but this one shook me to my core. Although I don’t understand how it happens, I’ll be very curious about the fallout of what happens in future seasons.
Heels is one of the best shows on TV that absolutely no one knows about. Like a wrestling promotion, it offers a fantastic story with tons of compelling drama, amazing characters that you want to root for (or in some cases, against), and it gives the audience a chance to immerse themselves in a new world. Each performer gives their career best, and it really shows how much they care about the end product. If you are truly looking for buried treasure, Heels is it.
Rating: Loved It
Heels is currently streaming on Starz
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