Heels: Depicting the world of independent wrestling

When Starz announced they were producing a show based on a fictional wrestling league starring Stephen Amell there was a little skepticism that came with that announcement.

All of that can be put to rest. After three episodes the series has solidified its voice and proven the diverse cast can hang with the best of the best. Starring Amell as Jack Spade and Alexander Ludwig as Ace Spade who are brothers trying to hold onto their fathers legacy.

Both are fantastic and I will admit Amell has been very hit and miss with me in the past. This is a career changer for him and I am so happy to see him going all out with it. Every moment you can feel his passion, his energy and it is the highlight of the show.

Rounded out by Alan Maldonado, James Harrison, Alison Luff and Kelli Bergulund each character has their own personality with a solid reason for their motives. It's a well written show that is not afraid of showing the flaws within the core characters and how they overcome them. It's one of the best shows currently on TV and a welcome surprise. It could very well have been a misfire but it shows these men struggling to make ends meet with the wrestling league and what their future may bring them.

Within three episodes we have learned Jack is a passionate man sometimes putting the league ahead of his family needs. Episode 3 starts with a shocking opening where we see their father out for a run before he shockingly takes a gun and kills himself and Ace having found him. It's tragic and it gives Ace a reason for his sadness and also his ambition. It gives us pause when we see him spiraling out of control in between events. It's a show fully immersed in the world it is trying to bring to life. From everything to the scripting of wrestling, aging stars and the Nostalgia of how the world of wrestling has changed, Heels really digs in deep and nails it all.

Almost everyone who has watched professional wrestling for a period of time in their lives knows the outcomes are scripted and the characters are designed to be either Face or Hell. Or as the rest of the world knows them, good vs evil. By the end of episode 3 we see Ace fully make that Heel turn but there are sure to be ramifications in his personal life because of it. That's one aspect to look forward to in future episodes. The creation of how Ace will have to separate the character from himself and his time outside of the ring. Ludwig is about to take over in the next few episodes as that feeling of dread overcomes you when you see how hard this has been on him.

Such a brilliant show. I haven't been really invested in professional wrestling for years because of the monopoly on the industry that has occurred between the early 2000s and now. However the landscape of Professional Wrestling seems to be changing with the emergence of AEW and now this show spotlighting and highlighting the ins and outs of running an independent league. I grew up in the attitude era and the era of original ECW wrestling when they had to warn you not to try the moves at home because they knew every kid was trying them out. It was the shift to more PG friendly and less about character driven stories that took me out. Seeing well choreographed fight sequences in this show and CM Punk being back on top of the world this is a good time for wrestling. He recently showed up on AEW and he makes a guest appearance on this series. It's definitely a great time to be a wrestling fan and it's really nice to see Amell proving to the haters that the faults in his previous undertakings are not directly on him.

I hope the rest of the season is as intriguing as the first three episodes have been because it's been a wild ride thus far and all the actors are crushing it and in convincing fashion.