I’ve been pretty critical of WWE’s flagship weekly television product over the past month, but I’m also one that gives credit when its due. Last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW was fantastic. With WWE Super Show-Down behind us, it felt like the company was finally ready to start moving storylines forward rather than stay in a holding pattern of barely seeing any progression from week to week.
While this particular episode had a ton of added star power in the form of Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus, and Lita, that isn’t why the episode was such an easy watch over three hours. The reason why it never felt like a drag is that every single segment throughout the show had a purpose. There was never any filler as a story was being progressed throughout. From top stars like The Shield to those lower on the card like The Ascension, I found myself invested in everyone’s story as I watched.
I had written yesterday that the current product was breeding apathy, but last night’s show proved the opposite is still possible when WWE is firing on all cylinders. I went from not looking forward to RAW to being interested in a number of current stories. How will Bobby Lashley move forward as a heel? Will Dean Ambrose stick by his brothers? Can Kurt Angle possibly wear a disguise properly when his neck is so gigantic and distinctive? I don’t know any of the answers to those questions except to the last one (the answer is no), and that’s why I’m excited to tune in next week.
This sense of mystery and constant progression is why soap operas have proven so popular over decades, and it’s why RAW used to be must-see television. Clearly WWE can book themselves into corners at times (the glutton of pay-per-view events this month is why the television felt so stagnant recently), but if they continue to build upon these interesting angles then I’ll be more than excited to keep watching.
If there’s any complaint to be had it was almost that the episode was too pack full of big moments. Certainly spacing those out (while still having meaningful segments) between separate episodes would be ideal, but it’s hard to fault an episode for kickstarting too many fascinating storylines. Especially after the past couple weeks have been rough at times.
WWE has both the roster and the know-all to put on a great product each week, and it’s nice to see the potential being fulfilled. Hopefully RAW will continue to run with the new momentum they have, and continue making sure every segment is building to a logical endpoint.
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