TMC
08-14-2021, 05:39 AM
https://tvline.com/2021/08/09/heels-review-stephen-amell-wrestling-drama-starz/
"Much like NBC’s beloved Friday Night Lights, which captivated football fans and non-fans alike, wrestling knowledge isn’t a prerequisite to understand or even enjoy Heels (https://www.primetimer.com/shows/heels)," says Keisha Hatchett. "The show is a compelling family drama about two brothers just trying to keep the family business — the Duffy Wrestling League — afloat while navigating a strained relationship in the wake of their father’s death. Because of its wrestling setting, industry terms are sprinkled throughout but quickly explained, and the audience is never left in the dark about what any of those strange phrases (i.e., kayfabe) mean." Hatchett adds: "Heels is a beautifully shot and well-written love letter to independent wrestling, elevated by an ultra-talented acting ensemble."
Comparisons between Heels and Friday Night Lights are inescapable (https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/review-starzs-wrestling-drama-heels-is-phenomenal.php): "The musical scores are very similar, they both ooze an alt-country vibe, and they’re both about dusty, dead-end Southern town where a sport is the main attraction," says Dustin Rowles. "Here it’s wrestling, but as with FNL and football, knowledge and/or interest in wrestling are unnecessary. I have less than no interest in the sport, and yet this wrestling drama is my favorite new show since Ted Lasso and should be the show that pushes Starz into the next level of the streaming wars...There’s a much harder edge here than in Friday Night Lights (and considerably more nudity) and the characters are more dysfunctional and face more adult challenges, but it possesses the same heart. At its root, it’s also an underdog story, not about a sports team but an entire league, a small business trying to survive against long odds. The wrestling itself serves an important function, too, because the storylines in the ring are informed by and inform the storylines outside of the ring, which allows Heels to build in a couple of layers of drama."
Heels is a heartfelt love letter to pro wrestling (https://www.avclub.com/heels-is-solid-drama-and-a-heartfelt-love-letter-to-pr-1847418533): "When you first dive into Starz’s latest drama, the small town indie wrestling drama Heels starring Stephen Amell, you’re probably going to get some Friday Night Lights vibes," says Kyle Fowle. "The show takes a lot of cues from that Jason Katims smash hit. There’s the lived-in feel of Duffy, Georgia, where Amell’s Jack Spade runs the Duffy Wrestling League; the entertaining ensemble of wrestlers, all trying to find their spot in the DWL while hoping for things bigger and better outside of their hometown; the web of secrets and various relationship threads that are amplified by living somewhere where everyone knows who you are; even the score is clearly inspired by Explosions In The Sky. Heels isn’t nearly as assured as the show it shares a wavelength with, but across the four episodes screened for review, it certainly builds itself into a compelling portrait of small town wrestling and relationships...The premiere is a little shaky because, like so many pilots these days, it spends too much time trying to convey every little bit of information about these characters and this town rather than just letting the plot and action do the talking. It’s a rather plodding first hour, though not without its moments."
"Much like NBC’s beloved Friday Night Lights, which captivated football fans and non-fans alike, wrestling knowledge isn’t a prerequisite to understand or even enjoy Heels (https://www.primetimer.com/shows/heels)," says Keisha Hatchett. "The show is a compelling family drama about two brothers just trying to keep the family business — the Duffy Wrestling League — afloat while navigating a strained relationship in the wake of their father’s death. Because of its wrestling setting, industry terms are sprinkled throughout but quickly explained, and the audience is never left in the dark about what any of those strange phrases (i.e., kayfabe) mean." Hatchett adds: "Heels is a beautifully shot and well-written love letter to independent wrestling, elevated by an ultra-talented acting ensemble."
Comparisons between Heels and Friday Night Lights are inescapable (https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/review-starzs-wrestling-drama-heels-is-phenomenal.php): "The musical scores are very similar, they both ooze an alt-country vibe, and they’re both about dusty, dead-end Southern town where a sport is the main attraction," says Dustin Rowles. "Here it’s wrestling, but as with FNL and football, knowledge and/or interest in wrestling are unnecessary. I have less than no interest in the sport, and yet this wrestling drama is my favorite new show since Ted Lasso and should be the show that pushes Starz into the next level of the streaming wars...There’s a much harder edge here than in Friday Night Lights (and considerably more nudity) and the characters are more dysfunctional and face more adult challenges, but it possesses the same heart. At its root, it’s also an underdog story, not about a sports team but an entire league, a small business trying to survive against long odds. The wrestling itself serves an important function, too, because the storylines in the ring are informed by and inform the storylines outside of the ring, which allows Heels to build in a couple of layers of drama."
Heels is a heartfelt love letter to pro wrestling (https://www.avclub.com/heels-is-solid-drama-and-a-heartfelt-love-letter-to-pr-1847418533): "When you first dive into Starz’s latest drama, the small town indie wrestling drama Heels starring Stephen Amell, you’re probably going to get some Friday Night Lights vibes," says Kyle Fowle. "The show takes a lot of cues from that Jason Katims smash hit. There’s the lived-in feel of Duffy, Georgia, where Amell’s Jack Spade runs the Duffy Wrestling League; the entertaining ensemble of wrestlers, all trying to find their spot in the DWL while hoping for things bigger and better outside of their hometown; the web of secrets and various relationship threads that are amplified by living somewhere where everyone knows who you are; even the score is clearly inspired by Explosions In The Sky. Heels isn’t nearly as assured as the show it shares a wavelength with, but across the four episodes screened for review, it certainly builds itself into a compelling portrait of small town wrestling and relationships...The premiere is a little shaky because, like so many pilots these days, it spends too much time trying to convey every little bit of information about these characters and this town rather than just letting the plot and action do the talking. It’s a rather plodding first hour, though not without its moments."