‘Heels’ Rewatch: A Measure of Control

9/27/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

How ‘Cheap Heat’ Explores the Folly of Trying to Exert Too Much Control

‘At what point do you think it’s gonna be okay to call Willie a bitch? What’s wrong with you!?’

‘That’s what you wanted, right? I’m a heel now.’

-Jack Spade and Ace Spade

Stephen Amell as Jack Spade in Episode 103 of ‘Heels’ – ‘Cheap Heat’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ/Netflix.)

It is definitely safe to say that we all love the idea of having complete and utter control in our lives. Simply because, we learn pretty early on that life can be chaos and can throw curveballs our way when it comes to our plans and our desires. So having control would save us the heartache and the struggle of dealing with such matters. Which is why we try to put together a solid plan for our career path, for our relationships and everything else that matters deeply to us. So, we can exert that all-important control and enjoy the grand payoff for our efforts. Wherein we find the gig we want, and enjoy a love for the ages, and so on, and so on.

But what’s interesting about this particular want, is that is tends to go awry for a great deal of people. Because what we also come to learn, or don’t, depending upon the situation… is that the control we exert over people, paths and everything in between, only goes so far. And if we aren’t willing and able to adapt when we lose it, to regain some measure of it… things will fall apart. Not to mention, if we try to control things too tightly, serious disaster can come into play. If anything, that darker side of what happens when we try to exert too much control over others is top of mind today, simply because the next episode of Heels dives into it with gusto. A feat that ‘Cheap Heat’ accomplishes, by taking us back to the Duffy Dome for a very important night in the DWL.

For on this night, Ace Spade was to make his triumphant return to the ring. Wherein he would redeem himself as the true Face of the Duffy Wrestling League and put on a show for the ages. But deep down, Jack wasn’t good with that. He firmly believed that Ace was a Heel in waiting and well, he exerted all kinds of hyper control to get what he wanted for his dream and for the league. So, he put together quite the plan to humiliate Ace through and through. First, by hiring someone to distribute packets of tissues to the audience. So that they could throw them at Ace and mock him and piss him off, and then the next phase would come into play. One that involved the arrival of wrestling ringer, Ricky Rabies. Which would put butts in the seats and fire into the belly of Ace. Who would think he was being overshadowed.

Alexander Ludwig and Trey Tucker as Ace Spade and Bobby Pin in Episode 103 of ‘Heels’ – ‘Cheap Heat’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ/Netflix.)

All of which worked like a charm, and indeed brought forth what Jack wanted, a true turn to a Heel and well, that’s when that examination came into play. Because this episode informed us that two key things will happen when we try to exert this much control. First, we will alienate good people around us. Because Rooster’s fury only grew as this episode went along. Because he knew he was the best in the league, and he knew that he was being pushed aside and overshadowed by Ace’s storyline and that wounded him. Because he wanted to show his worth, wanted his shot at a belt after all these years, and Jack’s desire to hold to the story and keep Ace in line, began to push Rooster away and sow discontent in his very soul, and that’s bad news and proof positive of the folly of control.

Of course, this also had grave impact upon Ace as well. Because it genuinely messed with his already fragile mind. After all, here is a man that cried in the ring, in front of his hometown, and people he’s grown up with, and found himself mocked even further and had his star diminished. All so Jack could have what we wanted for sales, and the end result… was that Jack unleashed an actual monster. Because he unlocked the worst parts of Ace to get the Heel he wanted in the ring, and that led to real abuse from Ace toward Crystal and Willie, and an understanding from Jack that he pushed too hard and too far and undoubtedly will suffer from it. All of which, spoke deeply to the damage we cause when we try to hold onto everything far too tight, and to properly hammer home this lesson, the show had one other lovely surprise up its sleeve.

In that, it also explored briefly, WHY we are sometimes so desperate to exert control, and it relates to in some instances, fully understanding how little control we actually have in life. Since this all related to the fact that Jack was struggling to reconcile his father’s passing, and the reasons for that passing, and that really hammered home that we cling to control tightly when we feel we it, slipping away around us. All of which added incredible depth and incredible humanity to a flawless episode. One that is even better the second time around when you also know what lie ahead. Specifically, when it comes to Crystal and Staci. But that aside, this was a powerful character study about something painfully relatable, presented to us through characters that resemble all of us in some form or fashion, and stumble just as we do and that makes this a poignant episode for certain, one that truly reminds us of the sheer brilliance of this series. Until next time.

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