First Impression: Starz’ Heels Looks Promising

When I heard Stephen Amell bring up the concept of Heels on an episode of Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, I was immediately drawn to the idea of an episodic television drama about pro wrestling. Moreover, Amell, who has worked two matches in two different companies, is the perfect guy to be the face of the show, striking me as someone with the drive and attention to detail to not let a show like this fall short of expectations.

A two-and-a-half minute trailer for the show dropped on Monday morning and it looks like the show has the goods to attract wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike to Starz’ subscription service.

Heels depicts Amell and fellow Canadian Alexander Ludwig as Jack Spade and Ace Spade (I know) as two brothers, both in character and out of character with a bit of an axe to grind with one another. Their father, who has since passed on, founded the wrestling promotion they compete for in rural Georgia, and it appears it will be up to the brothers to decide who gains the controlling stick of the DWL (Duffy Wrestling League) both on camera and perhaps off. Their relationship behind the scenes seems contentious at best, but both appear to be men of integrity forged by the protective nature of the pro wrestling business.

It’s due time the entertainment world explored the juxtaposition between wrestlers when the red light is on and off, and the long-term nature of episodic television is the perfect medium for which that story needs to be told. The setting is going to benefit the story tremendously, as while my first impression was limited to 150 seconds, it seems the powers that be have succeeded in creating a vibrant world for the story to exist in.

The in-ring component to the show appears to be extremely faithful to what we see in the ring on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me even a bit if full matches were filmed for the show and are loaded onto an external hard drive in a filing cabinet somewhere. If this is indeed the case, we likely have Amell’s own time in the ring to thank. In just two matches, Amell has shared the ring with Cody Rhodes, Christopher Daniels, Wade Barrett and PAC. That’s good company to be in, and one can only imagine how much a complete novice can learn, even in such a limited amount of time, working with such seasoned pros.

Singer Alison Luff plays Jack Spade’s wife, Staci, and she looks like she could be the third Bella twin. Chris Bauer plays a character known as Wild Bill Hancock, who seems to be a mentor of sorts to the Spade brothers. Other than that, I am very excited to see what kind of filler characters the show comes up with to color in the world that’s been created. We do know that one character will be looking to make the transition from valet to wrestler, and James Harrison, yes, Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison, will be playing a character known as “Apocalypse.”

As for the story itself, I know the “feuding brothers” angle has been done to death in both television and film (The Godfather, Lion King, One Tree Hill, etc.), but this story has potential. Amell’s character seems to find himself between a rock and a hard place: push/put over his brother Ace who has superstar potential and national appeal, or push himself because he’ll be sticking around for the long haul? This type of conflict should hit home for not only wrestling fans, but new viewers as they learn more about the inner workings of local professional wrestling shows. I’m excited to see the tropes the show opts to explore. The fact that Vince McMahon doesn’t think sibling rivalry storylines are viable makes the whole thing even more amusing and appealing, and I can only hope the show sticks around for a few seasons because my first impressions of Heels have been nothing but positive.

Heels is set to premiere on Starz on August 15, 2021.