Heels Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Discord
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Heels Season 2 Episode 3, “Discord,” sees Jack step back from wrestling while he searches for Ace, leaving Willie in charge.
“Discord” does well alternating between storylines while not diminishing another in any way. We’re given adequate time on each front for much-needed confrontations, job advancements, and character growth.
It’s hard for a series to jump between different POVs and execute it effortlessly without being left with the feeling that you wanted more from a particular instance.
Brothers Re-Kindling
On Ace’s self-reflection trip, he realized he doesn’t have good personable skills that allow him to make new friends easily outside of a sports element. He’s come to the realization that he’s not his actions have not been indicative of the man he wants to be.
Family is messy, and brothers, no matter how much they love each other, will always, at one point, rub each other the wrong way. Ace and Jack may have had a bond growing up with abusive parents, but they’re two different people deep down, and those different facets go head-to-head when they disagree.
Despite his character flaws, Jack dropping everything to ensure Ace’s safety is honorable and much needed. If the DWL is going to continue growing, the team behind it is going to need Ace in their ranks.
It’ll be interesting moving forward to see how the interactions between Jack and Ace alter with the two living under the same roof once again.
Women in Charge
Willie takes on a more hands-on approach while Jack is gone, writing scripts, calling the shots, and fulfilling a void she’s dreamed of for years. It’s fantastic for Willie to be thrown in this different capacity because she’s long dreamed of being a wrestler.
While she’s able to make the first moves towards the DWL opening a women’s league and having her ideas heard, her newfound position doesn’t come without its issues. Despite being one of the leading workers behind the scenes who ensure the show goes on as anticipated, she is still forced to deal with the misogynistic ways of her co-workers.
Rather than simply listening to Willie when she tells them to train, the group continues with their day, not obeying what she has to say until she’s forced to put her foot down and demand respect.
Willie’s fight to be respected by her peers in a leadership role is indicative of the everyday battles that women deal with in real-life in the workforce. Heels also takes the perfect opportunity amidst Willie’s struggle to highlight the ongoing abuse that’s so regularly hidden in sports.
I can’t wait to see where the series goes with the DWL women’s league and highlight the women’s forces within wrestling because it’s long overdue.
Cross Promotion Ultimatum
Jack might’ve thought he’d get off easy with Gully but is sorely surprised when he and his crew do as he once did and make themselves home in the DWL.
Gully: Tell me a story about a man that can punch people without consequence. That story is not this story.
Gully hits all the punches in his speech to Jack, especially with the line about the consequences of punching someone. It’s a full-circle moment from his recent experience with Staci and Thomas, and it’s almost noticeable in his eyes.
Staci says the same thing to him, urging him to get ahold of whatever is troubling him, but his stubbornness doesn’t allow him to get it through his head as quickly as he should.
Now, his competitors are saying the exact same thing and giving him an ultimatum: join the ranks with Dystopia and execute the cross-promotion, or get sued for every dollar he makes for the rest of his life.
It’s not much of a decision considering the ultimatum. Still, it’s evident at the moment Jack is contemplating every calculation of his next move and what trajectory it will take him down. No matter his feelings, Gully’s impromptu appearance is the perfect karma for Jack and the barbaric choices he’s been making recently.
As much as I dislike Gully’s character, it’s satisfying to see someone go against Jack and put him in his place.
Stray Thoughts:
- “Discord” really shines a spotlight on the atrocious and abusive behavior Ace and Jack were subjected to as children by their mother.
- Ace’s nightmare featuring a dead Tom Spade is genuinely terrifying and not something that I was expecting.
- Deb speaking down on women and complaining about women’s fragility is one of the least enjoyable moments of the episode by far.
- It’s nice change of pace for the audience to see Rooster outside of wrestling to remind us why he fights so hard for everything he deserves.
What did you think of this episode of Heels? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Heels airs Fridays at 10/9c on Starz.
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Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.