Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Heels episode 1.
Heels episode 1 tackles an ongoing conflict in AEW by asking when is the right time for the good guy to win. The premiere installment of the Starz drama opens with the villainous Jack Space (Stephen Amell) in the ring. Having emerged victorious in his match, Jack grabs the microphone to berate his hometown crowd. But, before long, Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) runs out and puts a stop to the parade of insults. Ace, the resident hero of Duffy Wrestling League, challenges Jack to a championship match. The villain reluctantly accepts, setting the stage for a showdown between two brothers.
It’s the sort of classic wrestling moment that would be familiar to viewers, even if they don’t regularly follow the genre. But in Heels, episode 1, titled “Kayfabe”, writer Michael Waldron and director Peter Segal waste no time in making clear that the Spades also have their issues outside of the squared circle. Their father, the proprietor of Duffy Wrestling, recently took his own life and that traumatic event accentuates long-standing differences between Jack and Ace. The mutual animosity, which builds throughout “Kayfabe”, complicates the upcoming wrestling match. It also makes Jack wonder if Ace should even win.
Midway through the episode, Ace confronts Jack about his hesitancy. As the person in charge of writing the storylines in Duffy Wrestling, Jack thinks it’s better if Ace experiences a setback on his way to winning the title as it creates more anticipation for his eventual victory. Ace thinks that’s nonsense, essentially arguing that the fans have waited long enough for him to reach the top. It’s a small scene that manages to encapsulate an ongoing debate in AEW regarding the feud between Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page.
Since the earliest days of the company, Page has been positioned as one of AEW's top good guys among its wrestler roster. He lost to Chris Jericho in a match to crown the inaugural AEW World Champion, though he’s remained in featured storylines and he’s worked frequently with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Their rivalry, summarized in a Twitter thread by writer Chris Brosnahan, has included the sort of character drama and personal conflict that would fit right into a prestige cable drama. With live crowds returning to arenas, and with Page continuing his ascent, many viewers have anticipated that Page would dethrone the evil Omega to become the AEW World Champion. He’d finally win the title that has eluded him, serving as a fitting finish for the wrestler’s tumultuous journey.
However, on the July 28th episode of AEW Dynamite, Page came up short. Along with his friends in The Dark Order, he lost a five-on-five elimination bout against Omega, The Bucks, and the rest of Omega’s supporters in The Elite. Per the stipulation of the match, Page could no longer challenge Omega for the AEW World Championship. Given reporters suggesting that Page will not be involved in the championship hunt for the foreseeable future, and with rumors that CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have signed with AEW, it’s hard not to think of that scene in the premiere of Heels. It’s hard not to question whether AEW is making the right call by once again delaying Page’s victory.
Fans are split. Some argue that Page’s moment will be worth the wait, whenever it comes, and stress that Page has more demons to overcome before becoming champion. Others point out that by shifting Omega’s focus to other challengers, including Christian Cage, AEW is failing to strike while the iron’s hot. The ending of Heels’ debut episode, for its part, seems to advocate against waiting. It shows that the crowd is upset, jeering and throwing things at both Jack and Ace after being denied Ace’s triumphant outcome that they paid to see. It’s a heightened, fairly melodramatic cliffhanger. And, of course, it’s different because Jack let his ego get in the way of what should have been a great match. Still, in its own way, it serves as a cautionary tale against needlessly complicating the good guy’s long-awaited win.
Heels releases new episodes Sundays on Starz.