Summary
- Ace’s desire for personal growth and life outside Duffy was dashed when he quickly returned home after a betrayal by his brother. His journey seemed wasted.
- Ace’s time away from Duffy meant little for his character’s development as he ended up back in the same place he started. He lacked true vulnerability.
- Ace’s short-lived journey to personal empowerment was a missed opportunity. Heels brought him home too soon, leaving viewers wanting more from his character.
Season 2 of Starz’s wrestling drama Heels gives Ace a taste of life outside Duffy, but his speech about his personal journey and growth was wasted after his return home. After a long-awaited return, Heels opens by giving viewers the background into the Spade family, their journey with Duffy Wrestling League, and reconciling with their past. On the heels of a predetermined wrestling match turned real brawl, the Spade brothers Jack and Ace must come to terms with what it means to be a Spade in the town of Duffy.
In the Heels season 2 premiere, “Ten-Bell Salute”, Ace hastily packs his bags and leaves Duffy after learning of his brother’s ultimate betrayal in setting up the crowd to boo Ace upon his return to the wrestling ring. After many hardships between the first three episodes of Heels season 2, Jack finally catches up with Ace and tries to get him to come home. In a passionate speech about why he left and shouldn’t return, it seems as though Ace’s departure from Duffy may be permanent. Ace’s time on the lam comes to a close after a nightmare reminds him of what he’s really looking for.
Ace Wanted To Grow But Instead Ran Home Quickly
Coined the underdog in the classic brother-against-brother narrative, Ace has something to prove and is searching for personal growth outside of Duffy. Any hope viewers may have for Ace’s life outside the Spade’s hometown is squashed by the end of season 2, episode 3, “Discord” when he returns to Jack’s home seeking refuge, thus cutting his journey short and landing in the exact place he was when he left. For all his brooding, lamenting, brawling, tears, and pain, both physical and mental, Ace’s time away from Duffy proves to mean little for the character’s development.
Ace’s time on the lam began in uncertainty and upset as the trip begins with a stop at a camping store where a naive Ace tries to get the right equipment to rough it in the woods. His childlike ignorance about raincoats and hiking boots solidifies him as someone needing care and protection—the kind most easily given by family. Ace’s story thus far builds to his eventual return to Duffy and his family despite his passionate monologue of introspective fulfillment. Instead of paving a stronger foundation for Ace to return with, Heels gave him a shallow sense of vulnerability in coming home when things got tough on the road.
Heels Brought Ace Home Too Soon
Ace’s short-lived journey to personal empowerment was a missed opportunity for Ace to come into his own without the Spade and DWL family. Heels sent Ace out on his own and kept him there for only two episodes before he was worn down and brought back to Duffy, leaving much to be desired about Ace’s character and personal journey outside the DWL. His passion when speaking to Jack at the Dover motel was completely undermined by his return to not only Duffy but to the safe harbor of Jack’s home. Given more time to discover what it means to be more than a Spade in Duffy, Ace’s character can still be developed in a potential Heels season 3 story beyond what viewers already know about the wrestler.