Arrow was a remarkable series, hailed for compelling characters, strong plotting, and cinematic action sequences - but there is another well-received Stephen Amell-fronted show worth exploring for those missing it. DC's Arrow hit small screens on The CW in 2012 with Amell at its fore as billionaire playboy Oliver Queen and his vigilante counterpart Green Arrow. Amell's undercover crime-fighting pursuits as Green Arrow landed favorably with viewers, instigating the series' renewal through eight seasons. Although some seasons were regarded better than others, Arrow scored an average series rating of 86% with critics and 63% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not to mention, Arrow's success also set into motion a small TV superhero empire, Arrow came to a natural end in 2020, albeit not without leaving a void behind for some of its most avid ers. Fortunately, about a year after Arrow concluded for good, Amell would star in another great series that has proven to have similarly crowd-pleasing attributes that every Arrow fan can ire.
Arrow: All 8 Seasons, Ranked From Worst To Best
What's the best season of Arrow and are all of them really worth watching? Here's every season of the Arrowverse-birthing show, ranked.
Heels Is Now Streaming On Netflix - What The Show Is About
Heels Is A Drama About Pro Wrestling
Off the back of Arrow, Amell led the cast of the Starz TV show Heels, a sports drama rooted in professional wrestling. Now streaming on Netflix, Heels follows the professional and personal lives of brothers Jack (Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) as contesting of Georgia's Duffy Wrestling League. In the ring, Jack functions as the villain, also known as a "heel" in professional wrestling, while Ace assumes the role of the hero or "face" he's set against. Although their roles are byproducts of the scripted matches they play out, Jack and Ace's rivalry quickly grows much more personal.
Accompanied by its well-cast lineup and family drama, Heels' story has been considered a great representation of the wrestling world, at least according to its viewers.
With their late father's wrestling promotion on the line and the eyes of the nation watching, Jack and Ace foster a contention with one another that spans Heels' two seasons. Along the way, Heels establishes a compelling cast of characters played by actors such as Chris Bauer, Mary McCormack, Allen Maldonado, and Alison Luff, as well as real-life wrestlers like PJ Hawx and Doc Gallows. Accompanied by its well-cast lineup and family drama, Heels' story has been considered a great representation of the wrestling world, at least according to its viewers.
Why Heels' Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So High
Heels Has A 94% Approval Rating With Critics And Audiences
Critics and general audiences rate Heels even higher than Arrow and bestowed it with an incredible 94% approval score. From a critical perspective, Heels' strengths lie in its cast performances and story. Per RT top critic Aramide Tinubu of Guardian, Heels expresses a "deep commitment to complex characters and showmanship in wrestling," and according to AV Club's Kyle Fowle, the series gets increasingly compelling as "[it] peels back layer after layer to give us something more substantial." These sentiments held with the majority of critics across Heels seasons 1 and 2 and have been endorsed by general audiences as well.
Critics and audiences also praised the series' ability to up the ante in its second season. General audience , especially, cite season 2's impressive script and gripping plot development as qualities that set the second season apart from the first. Nevertheless, the overall consensus of both critics and viewers maintains that Heels seasons 1 and 2 collectively make for one of the most enjoyable series to come out of Starz. Unfortunately, despite its impressive reception, Heels was canceled after season 2, but even its untimely demise can't negate the fact that the series is well worth watching.
Heels Is A Worthy Follow-Up To Arrow For Stephen Amell (Even If It Was Canceled Too Soon)
Heels Is Another Great Stephen Amell Performance
Particularly for Arrow fans, Heels is worth a watch, not only for its highly commended strengths but for Amell's performance. Arguably, Heels showcases Amell in one of the best dramatic performances of his career. With compelling drama and great fight scenes as added bonuses, Arrow fans will find that the only downfall of Heels is its short lifespan. As the series didn't grow a large enough audience to allow for its continuation, Heels was terminated with only two seasons to its name. That said, Heels' future is now looking more optimistic than ever before.
Heelz was cancelled for low viewership along with Starz series Run the World and Blindspotting.
Now that Netflix has acquired the rights to stream Heels, the series has the chance to impress a much wider audience. Netflix is no stranger to bringing shows back from the brink and offering them longevity, as evident in series such as You, Lucifer, and Manifest. Heels' future is in no way guaranteed, but its potential to blow up and continue past season 2 is, at the very least, encouraging, forging yet another reason why Arrow fans might want to invest their time in checking out Amell's follow-up series.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
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Arrow is a television series that debuted in 2012, featuring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who returns to Starling City after being stranded for five years. Transformed by his experience, Queen becomes a vigilante archer, aiming to purge his city of crime and corruption.
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Heels is a sports-drama series that tells the story of the men and women in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig), war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the hero (Ludwig) and someone the heel (Amell). Sometimes, however, it can be hard to disconnect from a character - leading to real-world consequences.
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