As a long-time fan of Stephen Amell and his iconic portrayal of Oliver Queen in Arrow, I was thrilled to discover Heels on Netflix. This underrated sports drama is a testament to Amell’s versatility as an actor, showcasing his ability to play an unmasked antihero with just as much credible pathos. The series centers around the rivalry between two wrestling brothers, Jack and Ace Spade, played by Amell and Alexander Ludwig respectively.
Supporters of Stephen Amell’s portrayal of Oliver Queen in the popular superhero series “Arrow” can now stream his latest project, titled “Heels”, on Netflix. This captivating sequel series aired on Starz network from 2021 to 2023. In this underrated sports drama, Amell plays out a wrestling rivalry between two brothers, with one character embodying a hero and the other taking on the role of a villain (known in the industry as a “heel”). The narrative subtly explores the blurred boundaries between fiction and reality.
The core emotional pull of the show centers around the brothers’ endeavor to honor their deceased father by upholding his legacy, amidst the intense brawls and demanding stunts. With a gripping blend of action and emotion, Heels demonstrates that Amell can convincingly portray an unmasked antihero with as much heartfelt depth as he brought to Arrow for almost a decade.
Heels Is About a Rivalry Between Wrestling Brothers
Hailing from writer Michael Waldron and airing on Starz, the sports drama known as Heels broadcasted 16 episodes between 2021 and 2023. Sadly, it was cut short before reaching its full potential. The narrative revolves around the fictitious wrestling rivalry between Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and his sibling Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig). They compete for the Duffy Wrestling League in a small town in Georgia, performing staged matches that pit them against one another. In this setting, Jack adopts the role of the evil villain, while Ace takes on the hero persona.
“The show’s brilliance is partly due to its manipulation of audience perceptions, by blending truth and fiction through heightened portrayals of sibling rivalry.” In this rephrased version, Jack and Ace are convincingly acting out their fictional feud within the wrestling ring, but in reality, their genuine rivalry stems from their shared history with their late father, King Spade (David James Elliot), and their efforts to uphold his wrestling legacy.
Simultaneously, as Jack and Ace gain popularity and extend their wrestling matches beyond their hometown in Georgia, they encounter unscrupulous promoters in Florida, temperamental wrestlers, selfish business associates, ambitious talent scouts, worried relatives, and so on.
Stephen Amell’s Preparation & Performance
From watching Heels, it’s clear that Stephen Amell has a genuine passion for wrestling. Having been an avid fan since childhood, he even attended the WWF’s WrestleMania VI in 1990 and participated in a match for the WWE in 2015. Given this background, it comes as no surprise that Amell poured his heart into his portrayal of Jack Spade in Heels.
In the chilling opening days of October 2020, as I prepared for a pulse-pounding stunt sequence during filming, fate took an unexpected turn. Just like any other day on set, I found myself propelled into the air, only to land hard and shatter my back. As I shared in a candid interview with ABC, this harrowing experience was an unforgettable part of bringing my character to life.
On the initial day of shooting wrestling content, I overestimated my abilities, resulting in a coast-to-coast overshoot. This mishap led to a compression fracture. Fortunately and surprisingly, this injury, though it sounded quite alarming, did not necessitate surgery. Instead, it miraculously healed by itself.
After the injury occurred, showrunner Michael Waldron promised the actor a flexible schedule to aid in his recovery process. Despite experiencing discomfort, Amell didn’t stay away for long, thanks to his passion for wrestling that expedited his return to work. In the same interview, Amell shared his previous experience with wrestling.
If someone believes that I would trade a life filled with hair, makeup, chauffeurs, and meals prepared for me, for the nomadic lifestyle of professional wrestling, they must be mistaken or misinformed.
Apart from a convincing performance by Amell, the series Heels stands out for its genuine wrestling matches, with real-life wrestlers like CM Punk, PJ Hawx, Doc Gallows, and others in the cast. Regrettably, despite positive reviews, Heels was terminated after Season 2.
Why Was Heels Canceled?
The show “Heels,” rated 8.0 on IMDb and boasting a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (from both critics and audiences), provided top-notch, engaging entertainment to its viewers. However, according to Yahoo! reports, the production costs were high, potentially leading to its cancellation due to low viewership compared to its expenses and minimal returns. Additionally, Variety noted that Starz also canceled “Blindspotting” and “Run the World,” suggesting a possible change in content direction for the network, which might imply that the finale of “Heels” could be part of this shift.
Luckily, Netflix now acquires rights for TV shows produced by other networks and broadcasts them on their platform, where they frequently gain greater popularity than they did on their original network. For instance, although you can no longer stream Heels on Starz, it’s accessible to numerous Netflix members, which may ensure the sports drama receives its proper recognition following its untimely cancellation.
For Amell enthusiasts, you can keep track of his projects post-Heels in three upcoming series: “Suits: LA”, the crime drama “Little Lorraine”, and “86” by Cliff Dorfman. Notably, Dorfman is also known for writing the 2011 MMA drama “Warrior”, which bears resemblances to Heels, as it features rival brother characters striving to uphold their father’s teachings, similar to the protagonists in this new series.
Heels is available to stream on Netflix.
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2024-09-22 18:31