‘Heels’ Recap: ‘Discord’

8/12/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Stephen Amell as Jack Spade in Episode 203 of ‘Heels’ – ‘Discord’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Heels’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Over the course of the past couple of weeks, the STARZ series, Heels, has provided us with quite the exploration/discussion, regarding what comes next in the days following the achievement of our lifelong dreams, and understandably so. After all, everyone in the DWL reached the top, and that is a big moment in our lives, one that doesn’t seem quite so powerful in that exact moment… but in retrospect it will be seen as a turning point, especially after the dust settles from everything that happens in the hours following that achievement. Because the arrival of our dream really does bring forth a lot of introspection and a lot of surprises, and that all comes at us in a fast and furious fashion because… we simply haven’t been paying attention to our needs or the issues that have needed resolution.

For the dream was the focus, and the other stuff was handled accordingly and went the wayside, and it is quickly becoming apparent that this show is pondering so deeply upon what comes next, so, the dreamers watching, are ready and prepared when the big day comes. And there is plenty more for this show to explore regarding that. For this week’s episode, ‘Discord’, spoke deeply to some of the genuinely joyous and sobering surprises we encounter as we settle into the reality that we’ve made it. One of which… is the sheer fact that sometimes reaching the top opens up new opportunities in the most unexpected ways imaginable. As evidenced by Willie Day’s journey in this tale. Because Jack needed to see his brother, so he hit the road with his mom’s phone, since she put a tracker on Ace’s phone, to find his brother and have a long overdue heart to heart with him, and that meant… Willie was in charge.

Which ignited something powerful within Willie. Because it allowed for her to finally be part of the sport and the league she loved on an intimate level and having that in front of her… really let her turn her creative juices loose. Which brought forth some amazing scripts and she was able to fully unlock her leadership skills at last and really guide this league toward something special. And… she even found a way to pivot when the going got tough. Because her initial plans for the league were blown up by stupid men doing stupid things, as stupid men are wont to do. Prompting her to ponder upon the creation of a women’s league. So that Crystal could continue to wrestle without concern, and it would offer wrestling opportunities to other women that wanted what Crystal and Willie wanted in life and well… this was just a magnificent storyline. One that truly showcased how the sky is the limit when we reach the top, and it let Willie grow and it finally put her on the path she’s always wanted.

However, there was mention of some sobering lessons in this tale, and that took place between Jack and Ace. For we also came to learn that Ace was okay and saved by a couple of kind women that stumbled upon his campsite and him, and they also nursed him back to health before Ace crossed a bit of a line. But that behavior, and Jack’s quest to meet him brought forth the blunt lesson in question. In that, if we ever want to find true happiness with success in our lives… then we must deal with the tough stuff. The darkness within, the pain we carry, the things we’ve done. Because none of that stuff goes away when we reach the top. It sits there and it festers and well, Jack came to understand this and that prompted him… to do something we’ve never seen before when he was finally face to face with Ace.

Mike O’Malley as Charlie Gully in Episode 203 of ‘Heels’ – ‘Discord’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

In that… he put his ego aside, and the anger he tended to carry… and was honest with his brother. Honest about what their father’s death did to him, and how deeply it hurt him and made him a bitter individual. And how he turned that bitterness into the machismo that he often dumped upon his brother and others. Which was a powerful admission to hear Jack speak, and it spoke to the central lesson here because clearly… Jack committed to self-work and was working hard to be a better person and be a better brother and husband. and that led to one of the most powerful moments we’ve ever seen between these brothers. Wherein Jack Spade apologized to Ace Spade and then… took the time to listen. So that Ace could finally be heard, and finally open up about what respect meant to him, and how quite possibly he had none of his own, and that too led to a stunning revelation.

In that, Ace was ready to stay out in the world and find his own way and find the respect he needed, and for the first time ever, Jack obliged. In fact, he even handed him a wad of cash and expressed his love for his brother before heading back toward Duffy. But what mattered more here, is that at long last… Jack and Ace, dealt with their pain. They faced the trauma head on together and made big steps toward healing as a family, and that’s huge. Because that’s needed to happen for some time, but more so because… now they can embrace their futures free from pain and really enjoy what life has to offer, and what is amazing is that the pleasant surprises regarding this sequence didn’t end there. Because eventually, Ace realized he needed to find respect by finishing what he started in Duffy, and not running, so he came home after all and was welcomed into Jack’s home. One that was whole again since Staci found grace for Jack and opted to give this family every chance to thrive. But alas, those wondrous moments were indeed slightly sullied by one last sour lesson.

In that, sometimes… when we do whatever it takes to achieve our dream… those actions can come back to haunt. For Jack’s return to the Duffy Dome was met with an ugly surprise. In that, Charlie Gully was hanging out in the shadows, and he wanted to make nice with Jack and talk about cross promotion between Dystopia and the DWL. A move that Jack balked at and that is when consequences came into play. Because being socked in the mouth and embarrassed on his own turf, and being further embarrassed at the fair, and being ripped on by Wild Bill on Diego’s podcast, prompted him to deliver a lawsuit against Jack. One that would destroy the DWL in court and Jack’s life. Unless of course… he played nice and let the cross promotion happen. Giving rise to the hard reality that Jack went a little too far in his quest to thrust the Duffy Wrestling League into the spotlight.

But that aside, this really was quite the powerful and magnificent episode. One that really did offer up a quality examination of how much our lives change when dreams come true and how much work awaits when they do as well. And it was equally as incredible to see Willie, and Jack and Ace, who have struggled a bit over the course of this series… find peace and happiness and see that spread to others, and it could not have come at a better time. For Charlie Gully has come calling and knows that Jack is going to take that deal, and let’s be honest… we know he will too. Because the Duffy Wrestling League is finally what everyone wanted it to be, what he wanted it to be, and he won’t let go of that. But now that Jack has peace and clarity, he can handle Charlie’s machinations and potentially see how to best him again, and it will be interesting to see how Jack navigates Gully’s latest attempts to control everything and everyone as season two continues along. Until next time.

To learn more about what season two means to Actors Stephen Amell, Alexander Ludwig, Allen Maldonaldo, Robby Reyes and Trey Trucker, check out interview with them, here.

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