Heels Review: 10 Ups & 1 Down For Episode 1: 'Kayfabe'
6. It Works For Wrestling Fans And Non-Wrestling Fans
Initially, some long-time wrestling fans may find Heels to be a little too 'on the nose' in terms of how it breaks down and showcases some of the inner workings of the industry, yet by doing that, Heels makes itself easily accessible to those who may not be familiar with the grappling game.
Early on in Kayfabe, certain characters and lines of dialogue are clearly there to educate non-wrestling fans about some of the key terms of the business. We get the green rookie who has to be taught how to actually work, there's the attempt to maintain kayfabe when out in public by the DWL's stars, and there's diatribes about how to draw houses (paying customers); all just some of the examples of how Heels gently explains the wrestling world to those who've never explored it.
This is a show that is very much centred in the world of pro wrestling, but it's not solely a pro wrestling show. Heels absolutely shines with its wrestling elements, yet it works equally well - at least based on what is seen in Kayfabe - as a character piece that deals with family dynamics, and makes its characters as people away from the squared circle feels just as important, if not more so, than the characters as wrestlers.