“And that’s how you build angle.”
This line, delivered by Jack Spade (Stephen Amell, Arrow), is the perfect way to describe the premiere episode of the STARZ drama, Heels. The episode, entitled “Kayfabe,” sets us in motion for what this series is going to be, both in and out of the ring of the DWL (Duffy Wrestling League). And let’s just say, this is one hot angle.
Heels is not dissimilar to the cult television adaptation of Friday Night Lights which ran concurrently on NBC and DirecTV from 2006-2011. Like FNL, Heels focuses on the drama found in the locker rooms, homes, and playing fields of local heroes who are the focal form of entertainment for a small, somewhat rural town. And like the former football series, Heels does a remarkable job of making both the personal and the in-ring drama equally compelling.
Wrestling fans will in no way be insulted or turned off by the wrestling in the premiere. In fact, one can easily put the in-ring action of Heels on the same level as that of Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. The art and sport of pro wrestling is given its due respect, and the moves performed by the actors and the stunt people (headed up by longtime wrestler and stuntman Luke Hawx) gives Heels the authenticity and credibility you need to make this series successful. There’s very little about the wrestling world of Heels that feels out of place, minus a few trivial things, like using footage from TNA and saying it’s a part of an indie promotion or the fact that they run the Duffy Wrestling League like a territory when those really don’t exist anymore.
This should come as no surprise as series star Stephen Amell is not only a massive wrestling fan, but has competed in the ring on national television and pay-per-view before (and acquitted himself quite nicely), and that series writer/creator Michael Waldron (who penned Loki) grew up a fan himself. Amell’s prior in-ring experience really makes the Jake Spade character that much more tangible. He is the classic brooding, burdened patriarch of the Spade family – complete with a neglected wife and child, a strained relationship with his brother Ace (Alexander Ludwig, The Hunger Games), and the weight of the world on his shoulders. It’s such a predictable and tired character, yet Amell’s legitimacy in the wrestling world, his real-life love of it, and the intensity he imbues into the role break Jack Spade out of being a one-dimensional character.
Ludwig’s Ace is a character that we just get to see the tip of the iceberg of in the premiere. Like Jack, Ace is cut from a cloth we’ve seen many a time before – the arrogant, self-destructive little brother, hellbent on acceptance from the one person that he won’t receive it from, his brother. The rest of the cast, in particular Kelli Berglund (Now Apocalypse), does a really nice job of giving very lived-in performances. Their job is to bolster the story and the drama between the Spade brothers while also fleshing out the world of this small, Southern independent promotion.
The payoff of the Heels premiere is what really makes this premiere so good. Throughout the episode Jack is struggling on how to book the big title match between himself and Ace. If he books himself to win he believes he can keep the audience coming back and this way he keep the DWL alive and support his family. However, if he books himself to lose, then not only does he believe the audience will go away, but he also doesn’t trust his brother will do the right thing as top dog in the company. Things are only complicated when former DWL headliner and now talent scout for (we assume WWE) Wild Bill (Chris Bauer of True Blood fame and a diehard wrestling fan himself) says he’s come back to take a long look at the youngest Spade and recruit him. Jack wrestles (no pun intended) with the finish throughout the episode and Amell sells this internal conflict really well with his facials alone. However, the finish of the match leaves both the audience in the crowd and at home wondering “what just happened.” And that’s how you keep the people coming back, you give them something that they weren’t expecting.
Heels works because it respects and honors pro wrestling but never loses sight of what this show is really about – family, following dreams, and the burden that can come with both. Wonderfully acted, written, and filmed, Heels is primed to be a great series for STARZ for both die-hard wrestling fans and those who’d never watch it, even if you paid them.
Heels airs Sundays on STARZ at 9.pm. and streams on the STARZ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFfSSXavYc
