Wrap those knuckles and powder those palms: Starz's knockout Southern wrestling drama Heels returns for its long-anticipated Season 2 on Friday, July 28. Created by Emmy-winning writer Michael Waldron, who's penned Marvel's Loki and Doctor Strange 2, Heels stars When Calls the Heart alum Stephen Amell and former Vikings leading man Alexander Ludwig as a pair of rival brothers trying to make it big in the world of professional wrestling from their small Georgia town.
The gripping family drama, which also stars TV great Mary McCormack (The West Wing), premiered in 2021 to critical and audience acclaim. And round two of the hit series is expected to deliver a one-two punch of juicy family drama and pro wrestling panache. If you're new to the series, have no fear. We've compiled everything you need to know to get caught up on the beloved sports drama, from a rundown of Season 1 to the plot and cast of Season 2. We've even thrown in some key wrestling vocab terms so you can enter the ring with Hulk Hogan levels of hype. Happy grappling!
What Is Heels About?
(Starz via Instagram)
Set in a tight-knit Georgia community, Heels follows brothers and wrestling rivals Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) as they vie for control of their late father's wrestling company, the Duffy Wresting League. In the ring, as in life, you're either the good guy (the "face," in wrestling terms) or the bad guy (the "heel"). As Jack and Ace go head-to-head in scripted matches designed to catapult them to national recognition, they find it difficult to leave their staged rivalry on the mat.
What Happened in Heels Season 1?
The Duffy family in Heels. (Starz via Twitter)
Heels debuted its eight-episode first season in August 2021 to critical acclaim. The series was nominated for multiple Critics' Choice Super Awards (the body's annual awards show for genre fare like action and sci-fi flicks), including Best Action Series and Best Acting nods for Ludwig and series regular Mary McCormack.
Season 1 ended with the Spade brothers going off-script during their biggest-ever match at the Georgia State Fair, with the younger Ace pummeling his older brother for humiliating him in a previous set. Aspiring wrestler Crystal (Cherry's Kelli Berglund) saved the match from going completely off-the-ropes, winning the championship belt for herself. In the end, Ace decides to leave the Duffy Wresting League — for now, at least.
The entire first season of Heels is now available to stream on Starz for your bingeing pleasure.
Heels Season 2 Plot and Episode Count
(Starz via Instagram)
While Starz has not yet released an official synopsis or trailer for Heels' eight-episode Season 2, the series will likely pick up in the aftermath of Jack's smackdown defeat. Will Ace forgive him for sabotaging his career, and will his wife Staci (New Amsterdam's Alison Luff) trust in his renewed efforts to prioritize their young family? With Ace out and wealthy rival Charlie Gully (Mike O'Malley) still at-large, the Duffy Wresting League is in jeopardy. It's up to Jack, his indomitable business partner Willie (Mary McCormack) and rising star Crystal to save the league.
In a new teaser for Heels Season 2, cast members are asked to describe the upcoming installment in two words. The consensus? This season is all about that dish that's best "served cold." Check it out below:
The Cast of Heels Season 2
(Starz via Twitter)
Series leads Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig will reprise their roles as Jack and Ace Space in Heels' second season. Mary McCormack is also returning as the Duffy League manager Willie Day, and Snowpiercer's Mike O'Malley will continue to chew up the scenery as rival wrestling promoter Charlie Gully. Here's a rundown of all the key cast members entering the ring again:
- True Blood's Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock, the Duffy League's flamboyant, and slightly disgraced, star. (He defecated on himself in his State Fair match last season...)
- Alison Luff as Jack's wife Staci Spade.
- Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler, the Duffy Wrestling League's rising female star.
- The Wonder Years' Allen Maldonado as Rooster Robbins, who defected to Gully's Florida Wrestling Dystopia.
Heels Season 2 Premiere Date
(Starz via Twitter)
Heels Season 2 premieres Friday, July 28 at 10 p.m. ET on Starz, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly thereafter. If you don't subscribe to Starz proper, you can add the channel to your Hulu subscription with a premium tier for $8.99/month. The Starz add-on is also available to Prime Video subscribers for the same price: $8.99/month.
Oh, and any of these subscriptions will also give you access to Starz's Outlander Seasons 1-6, as well as the upcoming Season 7. Just saying...
Heels Season 2 premieres Friday, July 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
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