Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig weren't sure if they were coming back. Luckily for Heels, fans have fallen in love with the off-screen drama of the small town of Duffy and the in-ring action of their characters, Jack and Ace, respectively. Despite the writers' and actors' ongoing strike that continues to plague the entertainment industry, Heels was able to wrap post-production to get season two out to an audience just in time!
As explained in the first season of Heels, A "heel" in the square ring is a villain, whereas a "face" is a hero. The continuing saga of the underdog DWL is the tale of the Heels – the dark horse heroes, ''heels'', of small-town wrestling. With many surprised fans crying out for more revealing data, we'll look at season two's premiere and what to expect further down the line for the Spades.
The Ten-Bell Salute
Season two of Heels starts as a prequel, taking viewers back to a point before season one and filling in the backstory of the DWL and how it became rejuvenated after the suicide of King Spade (the incredibly convincing David James Elliot). This necessary retread to pre-season one was a brilliant insight into character motivation and something fans didn't know they needed to see.
After the display match and the 10-bell salute to the dead semi-famous wrestler, the two brothers (Jack and Ace) find that their love for the sport, the audience, and the adrenaline thrills justify restarting the DWL.
Meanwhile, Jack and Ace have just allowed Chrystal to receive the heavyweight belt for the DWL. Charlie Gully, the true 'heel' of the DWL and rival wrestling promoter, watched the final match and believes that by allowing a valet (the wrestler equivalent of a side-kick) to win the title, the DWL has sealed its own death warrant. Now, league owners and promoters Ace and Jack Spade will struggle through season two to stand up to Charlie while simultaneously poaching his fan base for the DWL.
All Women Wrestling?
Season two's titillating teaser announces that Ace, possibly against the wishes of his brother Jack and the other wrestlers of the DWL, will allow a women's league of wrestlers to form under the DWL with the supervision of now-champion Chrystal. The valet-turned-wrestling queen has believed for a long time that there is a desire and viewer demand for more women wrestlers, and this is merely following the trend displayed by real-world wrestling leagues such as AEW Dynamite, Friday Night SmackDown, Impact Wrestling, and so on.
Indeed, the trailer demonstrates the future recruitment and training of many new female faces – will the gambit work? Starz is betting on it! As much of the wrestler fan base is testosterone-driven masculinity, this attempt by Ace to be more inclusive in the DWL could spell either future doom or further success for the Duffy Wrestling League.
Confrontation With Charlie's FWD
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Mike O'Malley portrays an incredibly despicable Charlie Gully, the owner and impresario of Florida Wrestling Dystopia (FWD). This new wrestling league is more interested in promotion and violent spectacle than telling a compelling story, and thus Jack and Ace find themselves in direct conflict with Charlie. Why? Jack was betting that the story, a classic interpretation of good versus evil, would win out against over-the-top blood, guts, and needless gore.
Building toward the finale of season one, it had become painfully obvious that Charlie's FWD was vapid and superficial, containing none of the heart, acting, or pageantry of the DWL. Charlie took it upon himself to visit the DWL and offer a merger of their wrestling leagues, with the alternative being dissolution of the DWL due to prolonged legal cases, among other and less legal methods. Without giving away any season one spoilers, it was revealed that Charlie lost – and lost big time – leading to his ultimate humiliation.
Charlie's unexpected failure and the exodus of long-time fans from the FWD to the new DWL fueled a scorching fire within the twisted wrestling manager, and in the opening scenes of season two, Charlie all but declared war on the DWL.
A full-on battle royale Wrestlemania-style series of bouts between Charlie's exotic cast of FWD wrestlers versus Jack and Ace's stable of DWL players would be the penultimate action apex that fans have been clamoring for.
What is known for certain? Starz has an unexpected hit on their hands with Heels, the wrestling show for people who don't like wrestling shows. And, as demonstrated by the exceptional first season, Heels will continue to deliver incredible acting and amazing action, leading to a satisfying conclusion that fans will never see coming and never forget.
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