‘Heels’ Recap: ‘Swerve’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Heels’.
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One particular rule of fiction that fans and participants alike have to abide by in order to keep their sanity; is to learn to separate reality from fiction. Because stories are easy to get lost within and when that happens… disaster strikes. Because stories operate under different rules than the everyday world and abiding by fake rules in reality creates all kinds of conflicts, and that is precisely why we hear about how actors and writers do their best to clear their heads when their day of work is done… so they stay grounded in reality and the world they truly reside in, and this is also why we hear horror stories about fans who lose themselves within the stories they adore; to keep temptation at bay. But despite there being knowledge of this rule and despite knowing that blurring the lines between fantasy and reality is bad for us… people still do it regardless.

Simply because, fiction has a strong draw and it can remove us from the harsh realities of the world and give us a sense of solace we never knew was possible and really, this particular aspect of the human condition is of note today, because it served as the focal theme of last night’s episode of Heels. For ‘Swerve’ saw several characters blur the line between fiction and reality and pay a hefty price for it and what brought this exploration about… was quite the unexpected yet welcome twist within the story. For while the group was preparing for a big-time cage match between Ace Space and Bobby Pin, a supremely important phone call arrived. One from the Georgia State Fair and they were calling because they’d heard about the Duffy Wrestling League and were interesting in learning more about it in the hopes of potentially signing them up for said fair.

Which of course, was a huge break. Because that would put the DWL on a massive stage, one that would introduce them to a bevy of new fans and give them incredible recognition and press and well, that motivated Jack to pull out all the stops to woo them. Even going so far as to bribe Thomas with a pet gerbil, against Staci’s wishes, to keep him eager to speak about the league at an important dinner with the State Fair Board… all because Staci was working and well… that plan worked. For Thomas offered up a wonderfully honest and earnest assessment of how wrestling works and how it enchants an audience and well, the board was so impressed… that they decided they needed to really experience this kind of show firsthand. Which in turn, motivated Jack to pep talk the team to putting on one hell of a show to impress these folks and land the contract of a lifetime.

But alas, while Jack was assembling ideas and wooing big wigs and planning for the future, the lines between fantasy and reality were beginning to blur behind the scenes. Because Ace was still reeling over the fact that Bobby and Crystal had become close friends, the kind that could be mistaken for lovers and since he couldn’t reconcile that… he decided that he couldn’t work with Crystal anymore because of the pain it would bring him and that motivated him to bring in a new valet, under the guise that it would be better for the story and help grow his image as a Heel. A possibility that enticed Jack through and through, to the point where he supported a storyline where infidelity was revealed between Bobby Pin and Crystal and that in turn would allow for one engrossing storyline to take place. Only… all this decision did was create more pain and strife and it set the stage for some ugly moments.

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Because Crystal was in fact, devastated to see Tricia suddenly take her place as Ace’s valet and of course, this move likely meant the end of her time in the Duffy Wrestling League, despite finally proving to Jack that she could memorize lines and act with the best of them. And that left her vulnerable enough for Will Bill Hancock to swoop in and use her concerns as an opportunity to spice up the show and really give it some surprise gravitas. Which is why he encouraged Crystal to seize the moment and go off script and really give the fans one hell of a show. Which is advice that Crystal took to heart and that’s when the story truly showed us the problems that come about when you merge fantasy and reality. For when showtime came… she took that pain and that anguish and turned it into a performance for the ages.
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One where Ace got to hear her genuine thoughts on being cast aside for Tricia and where she pressed every single button that Ace had in order to really sell the moment, and this blurred line between fantasy and reality did lead to outright disaster. In part, because Jack let loose on Crystal when he had the chance, but also because… it motivated Ace to forget that he was putting on a show. Which is why he beat the ever living hell out of Bobby Pin, out of the belief that everything Crystal said was true and that she and Bobby did indeed have an affair, and he was so eager to sell the Heel side of it and exact revenge, that he outright snapped Bobby’s leg in the ring and to complicate matters further, the shock of that moment motivated Wild Bill to do something bold and foolish as well. Wherein he greeted the crowd and took the mike and challenged Jack and Ace for the belt, all in the hopes of getting back in the spotlight. 

But what matters the most here, is that Ace and Crystal’s inability to put aside personal feelings and separate themselves from their characters, brought about serious and lasting damage. For now, the DWL is down a wrestler and worse yet… there are no guarantees that Bobby Pin will ever wrestle again, considering how bad that break was. Plus, to top it off… they scared the hell out of Thomas who is now struggling with the claims that wrestling is all for show and he is worried about the stability of his family since he did catch Jack teaching Ace a physical lesson at the hospital. However, there was some light to be found in this dark turn of events. In that, the folks from the Georgia State Fair, loved everything they saw at the show… and they want to book the Duffy Wrestling League for the big event, giving Jack his dream at last.

Which in turn, serves as a fine reminder that sometimes, dreams come to life in the strangest manner imaginable and sometimes arrive without an ounce of pomp and circumstance. But they do indeed come true none the less and now it will be up to Jack to put the pieces of this league back together, all because two of his employees couldn’t handle themselves, to prepare it for its biggest moment, and all of these elements made… for one brilliant and powerful tale. One that really did a fine job of hammering its point home in a compelling and powerful manner, since everything that happened here was downright riveting and engaging and well, now that this incredible chapter has come to a close, it is safe to say that we are all dying to see what comes next. Because at long last, the league is going to get the recognition it deserves, provided of course… everyone can figure out the fact that it’s a show and not real life and that might be easier said than done… since this means the world to everyone involved. Until next time.

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Wrestling Night at the Duffy Dome. Where heroes are born and enemies are made.