Heels follows two brothers who wrestle each other in the ring while fighting over their father’s promotion back home. Jack plays the villain, the heel, while Ace plays the hero, the face. The show asks whether either brother can live up to the character he puts on in the ring once the bell rings and the mask comes off.
The series ran for two seasons on STARZ, premiering August 15, 2021, with a second season following July 28, 2023. It was cancelled in September 2023.
Jack and Ace
Stephen Amell plays Jack Spade, the heel who carries the show’s villainy. Alexander Ludwig plays Ace Spade, the face, the brother who takes the hits for the crowd. Their rivalry drives every episode, and the show earns its premise by making both sides feel real rather than simple.
The Cast Around Them
Alison Luff plays Staci Spade, the women in the family who holds the promotion together. Mary McCormack plays Willie Day, Jack’s business partner. Kelli Berglund plays Crystal Tyler, Allen Maldonado plays Rooster Robbins, Chris Bauer plays Wild Bill Hancock, James Harrison Jr. plays Apocalypse, and Derek M. Puma plays the bar DJ.
The supporting cast fills out the small-town Georgia setting with warmth and friction alike. Nobody here is a side figure waiting to get knocked down.
What Works
The writing understands that wrestling is performance first and sport second. The show respects that craft without mocking it, and it treats the men in the ring as performers who also have to pay their bills and face their neighbors afterward.
What Doesn’t Work
Some episodes lean on family drama so hard that the wrestling itself gets pushed to the background. The show is at its best when it stays in the ring, and at its weakest when it drifts into soap opera territory.
Where It Lands
Heels is a solid drama with a specific niche appeal. It doesn’t try to be a big event series, and it doesn’t need to be. The performances hold the show together, especially Amell and Ludwig, who sell the tension between brothers who share a ring and a name but nothing else.
Key Facts
- Network: STARZ
- Creator: Michael Waldron
- First season premiere: August 15, 2021
- Second season premiere: July 28, 2023
- Cancelled: September 2023
- Score: 7.3/10
Heels isn’t a perfect show, but it knows exactly what it wants to be and mostly delivers on it. The final score is 7.3 of 10.
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