I, of course, watched Heels because of Stephen Amell. I loved him as Oliver Queen in Arrow. It took me a while to check out his new show despite wanting to support him. I’m not a wrestling fan, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the show. But I’m not a fan of American football, and I love All American.
Heels season one drew me in with its compelling stories about its layered characters. It was a show about family and believing in your dreams, more than a show about wrestling. It didn’t hurt that Crystal Tyler (Kelli Berglund) saved the DWL and became the first woman champ in the season one finale. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love strong female characters.
Heels season two gave Crystal a great story. She was finally a wrestler, and she had to navigate that. We get to see her in the ring a lot more, and it’s a lot of fun to watch her. It’s only a small piece of the season, but Willie Day (Mary McCormack) watching Crystal brings up a lot of old stuff. I really didn’t like Willie in this season. I liked her in season one, but she’s a mess in season two. It does make me interested to see where she goes in season three (assuming we get a third season).
The biggest part of season two is revealing Tom Spade’s (David James Elliott) secrets. He died with a lot of them. Some of those secrets Willie and Wild Bill (Chris Bauer) hold, and others are just Tom’s. There are a lot of flashbacks, and while I wasn’t in love with this part of the season, it was a necessary part of the storytelling. I feel like all secrets have been revealed, and season three will deal with that fallout.
If season one was about Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) rebuilding the DWL after his father died, season two is all about the obstacles still in their way. The secrets heighten the drama, and it would be a mistake not to renew Heels for season three because it opens the door for many more stories. Stories I want to see.
The biggest surprise for me watching Heels, especially in season two, was how much I appreciated what goes into a wrestling promo. There are a lot of twists during the wrestling matches, too—good, edge-of-your-seat kind of twists. I can see why people are really into this. I don’t know if I could get into the real thing because I’m invested in these characters —like watching Crystal become a female wrestler and seeing Jack living his dream. But if you are a wrestling fan, you will enjoy these matches. They are some sweet moves, as well as the great twists I mentioned.
While I didn’t like Willie this season, Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) had a good journey this season. He was a bit of a jerk last season, and his character has an evolution in season two. It was nice to see. And it ties in nicely with how the season ended.
The season ends on a shocking note. It was so stunning that it took me a bit to recover before I could even write my season two review. It’s 100 times more cataclysmic than last season’s ending. There’s a lot to delve into here for season three. I hope Starz decides to renew Heels because there’s a lot of compelling storytelling, and it feels fresh from what else is on TV right now.
The entire series of Heels is now streaming on Starz.
