Staci Spade

Staci Spade is a main character on the Starz original wrestling drama Heels. She is portrayed by Alison Luff.

Entering the world of independent wrestling isn't easy, and Staci learns that first-hand after marrying Jack and becoming the reluctant young matriarch of Duffy Wrestling League. Having married into the world of independent wrestling, she must contend with the emotional stakes her in-laws have invested in their wrestling goals and the demands it puts on her family.

Biography[]

Spade family matriarch[]

After another night at the DWL, Staci prepares for church with Thomas and asks if Jack will be joining them after missing the previous week. The subject then shifts to the four expensive fog machines Jack purchased without consulting Staci, who could've possibly purchased the same machines for less, as they're supposed to be saving and making the most of the money they have. When Staci suggests the possibility of her getting a job, Jack turns her down, as his mother never had to have a job when he was growing up. Jack then reveals to Staci that he hasn't finished the script for the match between himself and Ace. He asks who should win. Stacie simply replies "Us."

The Spades attend church as a family, where Staci performs with the church band.

Staci, Thomas, and Melanie are in attendance for Jack's match with Ace. Staci joins Jack backstage to wish him good luck and discuss Ace's opportunity to be go pro, with Wild Bill Hancock in town to scout him. However, when the match starts, Jack screws Ace over and nearly breaks his arm.^[1]

Pushing Jack to take a break[]

Staci asks Thomas to help her write a song, but he asks if it can wait until later. Staci then goes to investigate a noise she hears in the attic. A squirrel lunges at her and she falls off the ladder, telling Thomas that they need to get rid of them, not keep them as pets.

Staci suggests that Jack take a break from wrestling after this week to recharge and spend time with Thomas. However, he can't due to Gully attempting to initiate a war. Staci reveals that she went over to Carol's just to check on Ace and he wouldn't even come out of the room, but Jack doesn't want to talk about it. So, Staci asks why Jack even did what he did to Ace and tells him to apologize to his brother since he ruined Ace's chance at the big leagues. Upset at Jack for refusing to acknowledge his misdeed, Staci decides to sleep on the couch.

After visiting Melanie in the hospital following the birth of her baby girl, Staci watches the video of Ace crying in the ring after Jack nearly broke his arm. She then heads into the attic with a BB gun to kill the squirrels before joining Thomas in the yard to mow the grass while he kicks the ball around.^[2]

Staci meets up with a few of her friends for dinner. As she gets ready to cover the bill, the waiter tells her that it is on the house. He recalls serving Staci on her anniversary and says that it's an honor to serve her again. He then asks if the ladies are going to see the match and if Jack is going to screw someone else over. However, the ladies were unaware of the match, but are now insisting on seeing it. And after the match, Staci says goodbye to her friends in the parking lot of the Dome, though she is sad to see them go and later tells Jack that she wants to go on vacation to Machu Picchu.^[3]

Getting a job[]

Due to the squirrels that were in the attic, some of the house's wiring has been chewed through, which starts a fire in Thomas' room, forcing them to move in with Carol for the time being. And with no type of emergency cushion, Staci is contemplating getting a job, but Jack asks that she hold off.

The Spades eat dinner as a family, which ends abruptly when Carol goes on a tangent about Tom being in hell for killing himself. Staci apologizes to Carol for what happened the other night at dinner. She's presumably under a lot of stress with Tom's death anniversary coming up, but Carol would prefer not to talk about it, though Staci wants to know how she feels, as she and Carol have never really talked much despite Staci and Jack having been married for nine years.

Staci calls Jack and asks about his day. She then tells him that she got a part-time job at the grocery store. Staci thinks back to Carol, and she doesn't want sewing costumes for the DWL to be the only thing she is good at. Staci also wants to go back to school eventually, but in the meantime, she needs something to occupy her time.^[4]

Staci is off to a good start on her first day at work. It's going well until she runs into Wild Bill, who has broken a jar of pickles. Bill suspects that money must be tight with Jack forcing Staci to work, but she informs him that she's working because she chose to. Staci clearly isn't interested in talking with him, but Bill continues. Staci suspects that Bill wants to stick it to Jack because he reminds Bill of Tom, but Staci argues that Jack is breathing new life into the DWL while also building a family life that Bill will never have.^[5]

Baby Shelby's christening[]

Staci rehearses a new song, which she performs at Shelby's baptism, which Jack claimed he would be in attendance for but was late as usual. Later, Jack apologizes for missing her song. Staci tells Jack that she is tired of being ignored. Between the squirrels in the attic, Shelby's christening, and the gerbil she asked Jack not to get for Thomas that he got anyway, she's starting to feel like she's being ignored. Staci just wants part of their life proceeding towards something unified. She feels as though she needs something more in life. When they're doing stuff as a family, she knows who she is, but lately, she feels like she's just observing. While she appreciates all he does to support the family, she thinks she's made out to be more than just a spectator. Moving on to Thomas, Staci explains that he and Jack need to spend more time together. They need more than just an exhausted and depleted Jack.^[6]

Leaving Jack[]

Stacie learns from Eddie and Annie Earl that Mickey Holloway wants her to sing the national anthem at the Georgia State Rodeo Championship after watching Annie's recording of Staci singing at the baptism. However, Staci would get some bad news not long after, that Thomas had gotten into a fight at school, which she partially blames Jack and wrestling for, as Thomas is struggling to differentiate real from fake.

Staci heads into the bathroom, and while grabbing a towel, she accidentally knocks a packet of tissues onto the ground, similar to the same tissues that were thrown into the ring at Ace by the crows. Suspecting that Jack may have been at the source of this, Staci heads to the Piggly Wiggly and ask Howard to check for any bulk purchases of Kleenex packets, which he confirms did come from the DWL account and was picked up by Jack. And so, Staci takes Thomas, and the two of them stay with Courtney.^[7]

Georgia State Rodeo Championship[]

Staci settles in with Courtney, contemplating what she's going to do with her life. She is admittedly sad and worried that she doesn't know how to get her life back on track, and she isn't sure if talking is going to make anything better, but she at least decides to hear Jack out. She calls his actions deceptive and unkind, like screwing Ace out of his big shot, buying the Kleenex to provoke the crowd, and beating up Gully. Not only were his actions cruel, they were manipulative, especially towards Ace, but Jack claims he's only looking out for his brother's best interest. Staci tells Jack that the true story of whom he and Ace could become can't start without honesty, but Jack fears he'll lose Ace if he tells him about the Kleenex. Staci adds that the reason she isn't home right now is that Jack thinks the success of the DWL is more important than him being a good guy, which she's not attracted to. She's never felt more far away from him and fears that he will lose her if he doesn't get himself together. He wishes her luck on her performance, and she tells him to go make the fair great, maybe write a story where he turns face, because a face is who she married. And also talk to Ace. And only then they can have a talk about what their future looks like.

Annie introduces Staci to Mickey Holloway, who she thanks for inviting her to perform. She heads out into the pit and sings the national anthem in front of the entire rodeo.^[8]