Heels Review: Kayfabe (Season 1 Episode 1)

Like any great wrestling rivalry, Heels Season 1 Episode 1, “Kayfabe,” plays up the history and sets up long term storytelling to make us instantly invested in the Spade brothers.

You don’t need to be a lifelong wrestling fan, like a certain reviewer, to appreciate Heels. Just in case, the show’s opening title card lets you know, good guys are faces and bad guys are heels.

However, the series establishes almost immediately that brothers Jack and Ace Spade are playing characters completely opposite from their real personalities.

The opening match on the card needs to be great. It sets the mood for the night, gets the crowd involved, and makes the audience feel like they’re going to get something special. That’s exactly what “Kayfabe” does for Heels.

The episode introduces the Duffy Wrestling League or DWL, its wrestlers, the town of Duffy, and the entire Spade family.

Following the death of their father Tom “King” Spade, Jack takes over running things and works as the heel champion opposite his younger brother Ace, the lead babyface.

While small-town indie wrestling is the setting, the compelling family drama is the reason to stick around.

The business is hanging on by a thread, and Jack is doing everything he can to keep it going. Meanwhile, Ace is only concerned with winning the title, then moving onto bigger and better things.

“Kayfabe” revolves around the build-up to their championship match, with Jack figuring out who should win. A visit from his father’s old rival, Wild Bill doesn’t help, as he offers Ace a spot in the big time.

The show’s focus is Jack and Ace, with captivating, authentic performances from Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig.

Amell is particularly good as steady hand Jack. He’s got the weight of the business, the town’s expectations, taking care of his family, and wanting to protect Ace from himself on his shoulders.

He’s seemingly doing everything he can to keep it all together until the big match comes and he messes everything up in the worst possible way. It’s only when Ace pushes him too far right before their match that he finally cracks.

Amell subtly shows the warning signs throughout the episode, as he searches for a finish that will satisfy the story, but Ace’s selfishness and nonchalance about leaving are what causes all his resentment to boil over in the ring.

It’s an unexpected finish we didn’t necessarily want, but it will make us tune in for the next episode, which is what Jack was looking for.

For his part, Ludwig’s Ace is somewhat one-note as the immature little brother. We see a quick glimpse of who the character can grow into, but it appears we’ll have to stick around for more of those moments.

However, if the point in these early episodes is for us to dislike Ace, even though he’s the face in the ring, Ludwig has done his job.

Moving forward we really need to spend more time with the women of the DWL, especially Kelli Berglund as Crystal, Ace’s valet/girlfriend, and Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack’s supportive, yet realistic wife.

Crystal is a valet who clearly wants to be a wrestler and has some in ring knowledge. She sees Ace as her ticket out, but she’s so much smarter than him, she has to know he’s not a good bet.

As a matter of fact, we’re more interested in seeing her evolution from small-town girlfriend with a bad boyfriend to aspiring wrestler who knows her own worth. We’re going to pop hard when she finally dumps Ace.

We can’t wait to get more time with Staci. The way she’s holding the family together financially while Jack chases his dream of expanding the business, is a side of the story we’re already fascinated with.

The quiet scenes between Amell and Luff are the episode’s best. They’re the real heart and soul of Heels.

TV vet and fan favorite Mary McCormack is awesome as Jack’s business partner Willie. As usual, she elevates and steals every scene, leaving us to wonder who Willie is and how she landed in this world?

We’ve seen a lot of people comparing Heels to Friday Night Lights, and while that is the best description for someone new to wrestling, we feel it’s more of a royal period drama where two brothers fight over the crown, while the rest of the court is forced to take sides and decide what’s best for the kingdom.

The characters are even named King, Jack, and Ace to make it easier for us to follow.

What did you think of this episode of Heels? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Heels airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.

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