Starz’s Heels season two episode three is titled “Discord,” but a more appropriate title would be “Redemption.” Jack sees the light and realizes he’s his own worst enemy, while Ace has a creepy nightmare visit from his dead dad that sets him back on the path to Duffy.
We kick off episode three with a brief flashback to a young Jack getting a whipping from his mom for snatching a piece of cake. Apparently, the incident left a lasting impression and was just one example of the abuse he suffered at her hands.
Flash-forward to current events, and Jack (Stephen Amell) pays a brief visit to his mom’s house to grab her phone and to announce that he’s concluded that if he and Ace kill each other, it’ll be all her fault.
And speaking of Ace (Alexander Ludwig), it’s a good thing he doesn’t roll around while he’s sleeping. He spent the night on a ledge, and his situation looks bleak. Fortunately, two women just happen to be climbing right where he fell and help him out. Ace reacts by misreading the situation and hitting on his rescuers. They turn him down as he’s not their preferred gender, something oblivious Ace didn’t pick up on.
Ace takes out his frustration by going full-blown rock star on his hotel room, trashing it. A pretty dumb move since the damage will cost him money that he doesn’t have.
Diego Cottonmouth (Robby Ramos) launches a podcast with Wild Bill (Chris Bauer), and their wide-ranging first episode covers the events at the fair. Bill claims he was poisoned and that’s why he pooped his pants. He also offers a colorful description of his subsequent encounter with Charlie Gully after losing control of his rectum.
“It was as if fate herself proclaimed here is a man you’d like to eat sh*t presenting his mouth as a fortuitous receptacle. Boom!” says Bill.
Back at the DWL, Debbie (Marcia DeBonis) does a happy dance when she learns that Jack’s out of town and left Willie (Mary McCormack) in charge. Willie doesn’t have time to celebrate; she’s got to come up with a script for the next show. Willie and Crystal (Kelli Berglund) bounce ideas off each other and come up with Crystal needing to get the crowd on her side. She wasn’t given the opportunity, she took it.
Dad (Scott Hunter) will play the bad guy in this story, and Crystal suggests she should kick his butt.
The guys, including Bill, join them in the office and celebrate Willie being in charge. Everyone’s talking and joking around, but Willie wants to get down to business. Unfortunately, the script has to wait as Eddie (Joel Murray) and Annie Earl (Eliza Coyle) arrive with a huge surprise. They’ve purchased a big screen for the arena so the DWL can show backstage videos or whatever.
Meanwhile, Jack’s out trying to find Ace while Rooster (Allen Maldonado) rings up Gully after listening to Diego and Wild Bill’s podcast. Willie and Bill collaborate on the script, bouncing ideas off each other as they figure out the DWL and Crystal’s next move.
Jack tracks Ace down at the motel using their mom’s find my phone app. Ace had no idea that existed or that his mom was tracking him. Jack reminds him he’s on the family plan. Ace isn’t receptive to anything Jack wants to talk about, responding with expletives indicating he wants nothing to do with his brother or the DWL.
Jack apologizes for his actions and how they’ve affected his brother and his wife. Ace makes him work hard before agreeing to listen, and Jack comes clean. He admits he’d been relying on Ace’s talent and persona and reacted badly to Jack being poached by Gully. Jack confesses he was gutted that his brother would leave for greener pastures, and in response, he humiliated Ace. He deliberately pushed Ace’s buttons, lying to himself that it was for his own good.
Jack also reluctantly admits that their father’s suicide messed him up. He pushed aside his feelings because he couldn’t deal with them.
“I am truly sorry for the way that I treated you. Please come home,” says Jack, adding, “Give me a chance to be a great brother to you.”
Ace doesn’t think he deserves a great big brother and claims he isn’t a good guy. Jack believes he’s wrong, but Ace is adamant that he set everything bad that happened in motion, mainly because he’s a selfish prick who can’t make new friends and doesn’t know what to do with his life now that sports are in his past.
Ace isn’t willing to return home. Instead, he’s heading west. He admits the only thing keeping him going is that what comes after death might be worse.
Jack apologizes again, and Ace forgives him. They shake, and Jack hands Ace some cash before taking off. They part on good terms.
Back at the DWL, practice is interrupted to watch a shocking video of an NFL linebacker assaulting his wife. The reporter notes that this is part of a disturbing trend of athletes engaging in domestic violence. Even the President’s spokesperson is condemning the wave of violence.
This changes everything. Now isn’t the right time to have Crystal in the ring being hit by men.
Crystal and Bobby (Trey Tucker) have a private chat and he confesses he’s confused about their relationship. They kiss, and this time there’s no misinterpreting Crystal’s feelings.
Jack makes it back, and Willie suggests they need a women’s division now. Having Crystal in the ring taking on the guys isn’t sustainable for business. Jack’s not in the mood to discuss Crystal; he’s rethinking everything.
Willie rushes off, justifiably upset that she’s not being heard.
Jack hears someone in the ring and discovers Gully (Mike O’Malley), Rooster, and Gully’s cousin, Paul, have shown up uninvited and unwelcome. Gully proposes a cross-promotion with his guys taking on the DWL. Jack immediately turns it down without considering the offer, but Gully encourages him to reconsider. When Jack won’t, Gully introduces him to his attorney. Jack’s being sued for $3 million for assault and battery.
However, if Jack helps Gully restore his honor in the ring with a cross-promotion, then he’ll drop the lawsuit. Jack should have thought of the consequences of punching Gully before he hit him.
Back at the motel, Ace has a nightmare in which Crystal, Bobby, and his dead dad (complete with a goofy-looking torn-up, bloody face from the bullet) torture him and demand that he not give up on wrestling.
The episode ends with Jack apologizing to Staci that he hasn’t been the best husband and that his family has been playing second fiddle to the DWL. She apologizes for keeping their son away from him. They’ve missed each other, and Jack’s happy they’re back together at home.
Morning arrives, and the family breakfast’s interrupted by Ace knocking at the door. He’s back, and their mom doesn’t want him home, so he asks to stay at Jack’s. Jack and Staci immediately agree. Awww, one big happy, dysfunctional family again.
- Heels Season 2 Episode 2 “The Journey is the Obstacle” Recap
- Heels Season 2 Episode 4 “Heavy Heads” Recap
- Heels Season 2 Episode 5 “Who the Hell is The Condamned?” Recap
- Heels Season 2 Episode 6 “Appearances” Recap
- Heels Season 2 Episode 7 “The Things That Matter” Recap
- Heels Season 2 Episode 8 “High Flying” Recap
