Review: 'Heels' finds success both in and out of the ring
Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 10:41 AM Central
Last updated Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 4:08 PM Central
by John Couture
Growing up in the 1980s, I was a kid during the prime expansion era of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Later rebranded as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), I still remember such cultural stepstones as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, The British Bulldogs, and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
Sure, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant were the megastars of this cultural phenomenon on the cusp of exploding into the mainstream, but I always enjoyed the underdog and the villains, or heels. There's just something about this rag-tag group of athletes, nay entertainers, that stuck in my 10-year-old mind in such a way that I can still recall their biggest and most daring moves and high-flying antics.
While the WWE would always toe a fine line between its rastlin' roots and the mainstream, they always had an eye on the bigger picture. They knew that while violence was often a selling point of the lesser circuits, they took a gamble on kids and it's one that has certainly paid off over the last 30 years and counting.
After numerous action figures, animated cartoon series and pop music records, it's safe to say that the WWE is a cultural icon that now ranks as one of the most influential sports/entertainment companies out there. And yet, there is a seedier side of professional wrestling and that's where Heels comes in.
"Heels" is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and Ace Space (Alexander Ludwig), war over their late father's legacy. In the ring, someone must play the good guy (Ludwig) and someone must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.
Starz has been known to bring powerful dramas to the screen and Heels is no different. You might come through the turnstile for the wrestling action, but the complex family drama will keep you coming back. Like a flying elbow from the top rope, the emotional depth of this show will come out of nowhere.
Much like fellow sports drama Friday Night Lights, the action off the field is just as intense and impressive as the moves in the ring. I know I totally mangled that analogy, but I think you get the point. Despite being a prestige show on Starz, when I heard they were doing a wrestling show following a small town Georgia circuit, I was more than skeptical that it would deliver on the drama.
Boy, was I wrong.
The cast is top-notch and it starts at the top with Stephen Amell as one half of the feuding brothers narrative that runs its course over the season, and then some. Given the story's placement deep in the Bible belt of the South, it's no surprise that there's plenty of biblical allusions and themes running throughout.
Alexander Ludwig plays Ace, the younger brother with aspirations that exceed the limits of small-town Duffy, Georgia. He brings a youthful exuberance to the role, but also a naiveté that allows his older brother to manipulate him for the supposed betterment of the wrestling narrative.
See, that's one thing that Heels definitely puts right up on front street: the action is scripted, for the most part. During its heyday, there was a big tussle over the idea that wrestling isn't real if it's scripted to follow a certain outcome. Of course, that doesn't mean that it's not entertainment and that the athletes performing their roles aren't really feeling the blows.
In fact, Heels does go into some of the unscripted nature and what happens when you go "off script." That's where the real drama unfolds because while the outcome might be agreed upon when you step into the ring, that doesn't mean that it will stay that way.
Given the series' title, the show focuses on Ace's "heelturn" from hero to heel and how he has to come to grips with the impact of being the "bad guy" on his psyche. Most wrestlers cherish the role, but it's clear that Ace is made to be the hero and it will be fun to see how the series addresses this moving forward.
With so much unresolved drama at the end of the quick eight-episode first season, it was a no-brainer that the series would pick up a second season. There's been no time-table released yet for its debut, but I know that fans will be chomping at the bit to take it all in.
Until then, this DVD will allow them to revisit the show over and over again. While the release is a bit on the paltry side when it comes to extras, you have to figure that season two's offerings will be much more robust. Sadly, Covid interfered with season one's shooting schedule, so as you can imagine they were more concerned with getting the season finished than recording content for the eventual home entertainment release.
That's forgivable. Heels: Season One is now available on DVD.
