SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
A few updates to go over before we get down to the analysis:
Before last week’s Smackdown taping, Sol Ruca defeated Candice LeRae in a Twitter-exclusive match to become the new WWE Women’s Speed Champion. While the Speed Championships exist almost entirely out-of-canon with main roster programming due to the restrictive deal allowing championship belts to only be displayed on social media, this title change may signal a rumored main roster call-up for Ruca, a mainstay on NXT since 2022.
The Hall Of Fame Class Of 2025 has been finalized. In addition to headlining inductee Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Lex Luger, Michelle McCool and the 1st ever WWE match (Hart vs Austin) will be inducted. Notably, DDP will be inducting Lex Luger as opposed to Luger’s wishes for Sting. While the optics are unclear, rumors indicate complications arose in Sting’s involvement due to his current ties to AEW.
The finalized cards for WrestleMania 41 were released last Friday for both Night 1 & 2, containing 13 matches in total. Interestingly, this perfectly matches the structure of WrestleMania 40, but last year had an impromptu match added onto Night 2 thanks to Damian Priest’s MITB cash-in. With a certain Viper wanting a spot on the card this year, could we be in store for a surprise?
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther confirmed he recently signed a new deal with the promotion, one that includes a tour bus. The Austrian Oak has been a mainstay on Raw in the last two years, elevating the WHC to new heights and quickly becoming one of the most effective heels in all of WWE. Congrats to Gunther, and we look forward to seeing him for years to come.
We’re no longer on the road to WrestleMania folks, we’re in the driveway. In under a week, the biggest event of the year will commence. So why on Earth doesn’t it feel like a bigger deal? WWE has been on a massive hot streak for the past few years, and crowds have been molten-hot. And yet, even die-hard fans are greeting this year’s event with a polite nod rather than the insane hype of WrestleMania 40.
Why is that? Despite the internet’s pessimism, the builds haven’t been bad. Feuds have been built up with logical storytelling, and in-ring work is the best it’s ever been. Could it be the glut of new content (LFG, Evolve, Saturday Night’s Main Event)? Perhaps, but crowds haven’t begun to dip in excitement week-to-week.
In my opinion, this year’s WrestleMania build has forgotten one crucial element: escalation. The reason so many feuds this year feel a bit…. Blah, is that there hasn’t been a clear sense of increasing stakes over the past few months. This week’s Jey-Gunther segment could have easily happened two weeks ago, or three weeks ago. The first-ever Priest-McIntyre segment could have happened this month rather than January, and they’d still arrive at the same place.
Even the most story-driven feuds like Reigns-Rollins-Punk feel like they haven’t built up the most intriguing character dynamics. Instead of spending months on a mystery favor, why not explore the fallout? Punk’s manipulation, Reigns’ anguish over losing the Wiseman, Rollins’ cruelty towards Heyman? We had only one week to explore all of that.
Long-term stories are great, but there’s a difference between long-term and drawn-out. The best stories of the Triple H era succeeded not just because they played out over long periods of time, but because they continued adding to the emotional dynamics, introducing new story beats, and every segment felt necessary and earned. Much of this year doesn’t have those qualities, and it’s beginning to show.
What exactly am I talking about? Let’s review:
THE PEOPLE LOVE CODY RHODES
Latest Developments:
Several months ago, Cody Rhodes turned down an offer to ally himself with The Rock. Later, John Cena won a title shot for Rhodes’ WWE Championship at WrestleMania by winning the Elimination Chamber. Following the match, Cena shockingly turned heel and joined The Rock.
Over the next weeks, Cena angrily berated the fans for hating him throughout the years while he bled for them every day. He vowed to deny the fans at every opportunity, refusing to change his patented attire or mannerisms, and instead claimed he would win the WWE Championship because no one else deserved it after all his sacrifices.
Last week, Rhodes addressed the audience, talking about what the title meant to him. He claimed that he embodied the best of professional wrestling, chastising Cena for presenting himself inauthentically. He told Cena the fans chose him, and that once their match was over he would show Cena respect. But he would never let the title leave his grasp.
Analysis:
As phenomenal as both wrestlers have been on the mic, this feud has suffered from a roundabout build that has denied the fans the big explosive moments they’ve craved. I understand the want to do something more nuanced, but for a marquee feud supposedly paying off a career-long babyface’s heel turn, sometimes the right answer is to go for the big predictable moments.
Many claimed Cena’s heel turn would be based around insecurity, forsaking his values to win one last time. Or rather, it would be personal in nature, perhaps highlighting the jealousy between Rhodes and Cena. Instead, they went for a more meta approach, interweaving Cena’s complex relationship with the fans. And it works, don’t get me wrong. During his limited promo time, Cena sells hatred and antipathy better than anyone, trading his trademark charm for haughty disgust superbly. But it all falls a bit flat because it doesn’t pack the explosiveness of twenty years of anticipation.
Heel Cena is just a slightly more hostile version of face Cena, except instead of cutting promos on his opponents, he’s doing it on his fans. Combined with Cena’s dates being extremely limited, and Rhodes is left to cut endless promos about the importance of WWE and how moral character happens above all. And even for Rhodes, it’s starting to feel a little caricatured.
The ideas are interesting, the promos are well-executed and the molten-hot crowds elevate every segment. But, you’d be hard pressed to find any WWE fan that could comfortably say the Cena heel turn has lived up to expectations. They’d certainly say it was good or even great, but we all thought it’d be way more fun seeing Cena play someone more openly evil.
The run is still young, and there’s plenty of time to let this play out. But I have to be honest, my hype level going into WrestleMania feels like it should be higher.
Grade: B
DREW MCINTYRE vs. DAMIAN PRIEST
Latest Developments:
Drew McIntyre recently developed a rivalry against Damian Priest following Priest eliminating him from both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber, and pointing out the logical flaws in his quests for revenge over the last year. McIntyre began targeting Priest as the man who benefited most from his downfall and personal vendettas over the past year.
Over the past few weeks, McIntyre and Priest continued attacking each other at every opportunity, and eventually began to interfere in each other’s matches. Two weeks ago, yet another violent altercation happened when McIntyre was ambushed by Priest after running his mouth, and thrown into a car windshield
Last week, an eyepatch-wearing McIntyre severely beat down Priest, who had to be stretchered out. McIntyre got on the mic, challenging Priest to a Street Fight at WrestleMania, before ripping off his eyepatch and revealing he had been cleared.
The injured Priest returned, as a violent brawl broke out to end the segment.
Analysis:
This promo felt like the climax of a blood feud that never really shifted into another gear. McIntyre’s promo felt like certain lines were meant to hit much harder than they did. Ripping off the eyepatch should have felt like a big moment, but previous weeks didn’t ever center on the eye injury as career-ending or impactful to the story in any way.
For a classic “all we do is brawl” feud, the repeated beatdowns have begun to lose meaning since both wrestlers seemingly pop up after severe injuries. It’s beginning to lose meaning seeing these two fight since they’ve done so with no mention of consequence (in comparison to Flair vs. Stratton, or Rhodes vs. Owens earlier this year), and thus the Street Fight match stipulation doesn’t add much.
On the positive side, both wrestlers have sold their pure hatred for each other. Given the feud’s beginnings as a throwaway midcard match to get them both on the card, the visceral emotion behind each promo feels juiced beyond a typical WrestleMania filler.
However, WrestleMania fillers have offered WWE programming a chance to liven up weekly TV. A world title feud will largely play out the same way each time, in order to induce a big-fight feel. Filler feuds have the chance to get a little silly, or bloody, or otherwise play with tone. This one has just blended into the background, leaving little impression at the end of the day.
Grade: C-
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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SANTOS ESCOBAR vs. ANDRADE
Latest Developments:
Over the past few months, Santos Escobar began showing dissatisfaction against Los Garzas because of their losing streak, while Andrade voiced his support for the team.
Following several weeks of vignettes, Rey Fenix made his long-awaited WWE debut (complete with awful Def Rebel theme) in a high-flying athletic showcase of a match.
Escobar lectured Angel & Berto about how they need to be more like Fenix. Berto balked, setting up a match with Fenix that he lost last week. The fuming Escobar continued rebuking Berto for not getting the job done, while Andrade continued to remind Berto & Angel that they were world-class wrestlers and did not need Escobar. Meanwhile, Escobar began scouting Fenix.
Analysis:
I was negative on this feud over the past few weeks, but now that WWE’s taken the time to root the story in established character dynamics, it’s starting to grab me. Escobar, a supremely underrated worker on the mic, nailed the dichotomy between sweet-talking Fenix and sternly rebuking his own guys. The dynamic could have been sold much better if Escobar himself wasn’t on a long losing streak, but it’s still workable. Fenix sold the “rookie draft pick” presentation perfectly, and it’ll be interesting to see if this leads to a heel turn or if he’ll choose to fight Escobar in the end. Either way, Fenix feels guaranteed to have a superhero-esque moment where he fights off a team of enemies, which is exactly what his “generational athlete”-style presentation needs to get over in WWE.
However, it structurally feels like the players were plucked from other feuds with no rhyme or reason. Los Garzas felt integrated into a genuinely well-connected tag scene, and were establishing a concrete identity and building relationships. Removing them now to restart the LDF story felt like their momentum got cut off. Ditto with Andrade, whose loner playboy character always felt like an odd fit for the supportive babyface, especially after a year of barely any promo time.
Triple H is never beating the “Latino wrestlers only beef with other Latinos”, is he? There’s potential in this feud’s framework, but it feels insulated in a bubble of Latinos simply because that’s the precedent WWE set. I’m still looking forward to see where this goes, but it really has to nail the landing in order for anyone besides Fenix to come out better than they began.
Grade: B-
RANDY ORTON CALLS HIS SHOT
Latest Developments:
After witnessing Cody Rhodes team with longtime enemy Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens turned heel and called out Rhodes for being a hypocrite. During a lengthy feud with Rhodes, mutual friend Randy Orton found himself the victim of a brutal beatdown from Owens, writing him off television.
At Elimination Chamber, Orton made his return and violently beat down Owens as revenge, with a WrestleMania match later being made official. However,two weeks ago, Owens revealed he needed neck surgery, and the match would be cancelled. A frustrated Orton RKO’ed General Manager Nick Aldis and left.
Last week, Aldis tried to admonish Orton, but Orton stated he had been a WWE wrestler for too long to miss WrestleMania and ordered Aldis to get him a match…. even if he had to return to the ring himself. Over the next few days, Orton continued campaigning for a match at WrestleMania.
Analysis:
With Kevin Owens officially out, credit to WWE for mining some genuine intrigue out of Orton suddenly needing a WrestleMania match. Last week’s segment was short, impactful, pivoted the concept of a heel veteran Orton onto a new feud, and maintained some intrigue for WrestleMania. With longer matches becoming the norm in wrestling, a quick Orton squash would do wonders to liven up a PPV.
But the key to last week’s segment was Nick Aldis. I doubt many WWE fans have followed Aldis’ in-ring career, but they’ve built up his poise as a GM effectively enough that fans want to see him in the ring. The pop Orton got for hinting at Aldis’ return was volcanic, and a GM unleashed and forced to become violent would be a fresh twist on the GM concept and launch Aldis into the stratosphere as an on-air talent.
Both wrestlers feel primed for a character change going into WrestleMania, and there’s genuine tension between Orton’s righteous anger and Aldis’ calm and resolved demeanor. It’s so cool seeing the Viper be the emotional one in the face of unyielding strength, after years of the opposite.
Also, kudos to finally paying off a comedy beat last year where Orton paid Aldis off in advance for attacking him. I like little moments like that, a little wink and a nod for the long-term fans.
Grade: A+
TIFFANY STRATTON CAN’T ESCAPE CHARLOTTE FLAIR
Latest Developments:
Following her return from injury, Charlotte Flair won the women’s Royal Rumble and called out WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. After some back-and-forth, the two were confirmed for a title match at WrestleMania. Over the next few weeks, the two constantly brawled throughout the ring.
Flair returned to the ring for a tune-up match against B-Fab, where she cockily brutalized her more than necessary. Flair egotistically kept steamrolling Stratton, including a particular worked-shoot feud that went off-script when referencing Flair’s divorce and Stratton’s real-life partner Ludwig Kaiser.
Last week, Stratton got into a scuffle with NXT highlight Roxanne Perez, and the two set up a match for the night. Following Stratton’s win, Flair emerged and beat her up despite Aldis warning her she would be fired. Post-match, a video emerged on social media of the event’s parking lot where Flair jumped Stratton a second time.
Analysis:
If nothing else, they’ve done a great job making Flair look unhinged. And it’s a low bar, but this is definitely the most interesting she’s been as a heel. For a feud that always felt cobbled together, they’ve at least gotten to a destination with Flair where I view her as a genuine threat. Stratton’s stock hasn’t exactly been elevated in the process (if anything she feels more out of her depth on the main roster than ever), but there’s definitely more eyes on this match than most others.
This week’s segment felt really underwhelming given that we’re only a week or so out from WrestleMania. A simple tune-up match for the challenger and a post-match beat down feels a step backward from previous interactions. The parking lot beat down was an improvement, but that needed to be shown on TV. Keep in mind, Stratton and Flair were running these same exact segments in February.
This feud has not only suffered from derailed promos, but also from a build that began at the Royal Rumble. It’s become clear that WWE didn’t know how to effectively pace this program. Whether that’s due to changed plans, I don’t know. But Stratton has largely been running in place, and even if the final match fires on all cylinders, Flair’s stock doesn’t feel particularly high and it’s hard to see Stratton being elevated by a great in-ring showing like Rhea Ripley was at WrestleMania 39.
Grade: C+
THE STREET PROFITS GOT BENCHED
Latest Developments:
Following months of anarchy and intertwined in the Smackdown tag team division, Nick Aldis straightened things out by granting The Street Profits their long-awaited title shot against then-champs DIY, who had retained their titles against MCMG multiple times with the help of Pretty Deadly.
The following week, after a hard-fought battle, The Street Profits reclaimed the WWE Tag Team Championships. The Profits’ celebratory speech was interrupted by Pretty Deadly, who called their shot for the titles next (which they won in a hard fought contender’s match). Backstage, Pretty Deadly refused DIY’s offer to help them cheat, mirroring Pretty Deadly’s original toxic relationship with DIY treating them poorly while dangling a title shot over them. MCMG watched from the sidelines, laughing at DIY’s comeuppance.
Pretty Deadly lost their title match, allowing DIY and MCMG to fight it out last week to be the next #1 contender. Despite DIY’s violent offense, MCMG won and became the new #1 contenders, causing DIY’s downward spiral to sink even further.
Analysis:
With all the complaints I’ve made about bad pacing or ineffective use of segments, the Smackdown tag team scene has been a notable exception. For the past few months, the division has been a masterclass in multi-team interconnected feuds, with six different teams all building unique histories with each other, advancing feuds and anchoring the midcard. This division felt primed to be 2025’s answer to the old Smackdown Six.
With The Street Profits dethroning DIY and suddenly having targets on their backs, the writing was on the wall for a huge multi-man match at WrestleMania…. Which is why it’s such a strange decision to seemingly be zeroing in on Street Profits vs. MCMG one week out from the event. It’s looking increasingly likely that we’ll get a straight tag match on the go-home edition of Smackdown, with the tag titles left off the actual PPV.. And that feels like such a disservice to the most interesting, well thought-out part of Smackdown in 2025.
Especially this year, where there’s a notable lack of stipulations or multi-man matches, a classic clusterf*ck-style match would have been such a fun break in the action. Instead, the division feels noticeably cooled off with Pretty Deadly being built up as babyfaces only to lose a title shot in their home country on TV, Los Garzas being dragged out of the division for a heatless Escobar program, and MCMG still feeling relatively bland character-wise being pushed as the WrestleMania 41 challengers.
For potential, I’d rate this an A. But for an underwhelming Mania showing, it gets knocked to a C-.
Grade: C-
OH YEAH, WE HAVE WOMEN’S TAG TITLES
Latest Developments:
On Raw, Bayley earned a title shot for Lyra Valkyria’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but lost. Despite the two being unable to get on the same page, they maintained respect for each other
In order to determine a WrestleMania contender for the Women’s Tag Titles, Nick Aldis set a gauntlet match: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark, B-Fab & Michin, The Secret Hervice, Maxxine Dupri & Natalya, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter, and Bayley & Valkyria.
Following a hard-fought battle, Bayley & Valkyria came out victorious, challenging the Judgement Day (Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez) for the Women’s Tag titles at WrestleMania.
Analysis:
On one hand, I appreciate the attempt (however brief) to at least setup each team rather than cobbling together random singles stars in years past. Beyond established teams like Chance & Carter, even the makeshift teams have been in alliances together over the past few months or were set up in vignettes a few weeks ago (see: backstage clips of Natalya training Maxxine). It’s a little touch, but makes the product feel more cohesive even with limited time.
It’s a shame, then, that the match itself felt fairly rudimentary and didn’t service any of the women involved. Layup story beats such as The Secret Hervice interacting with long-time foes B-Fab & Michin, or Maxxine getting a chance to show off Natalya’s teachings were largely ignored. The formula was rinse-and-repeat, the pacing dull, and crowning Bayley & Valkyria as the winners despite MAKING A POINT to show they didn’t work well together felt like it undid any prestige in the women’s tag division in a blatant attempt to get Bayley on the WrestleMania card. Tag teams only succeed if there’s an allure to teaming up over long periods of time. If established teams are overtaken by two singles stars, it makes the entire division look subpar.
Additionally, it’s sobering to think that neither of the women’s midcard championships made it to WrestleMania in the inaugural year they were introduced. I don’t subscribe to the whole “they deserve to get on Mania!” ideology, but come on. It’s an easy way to establish a championship as legitimate, rather than lower-tier.
Overall, some solid in-ring work, but more a reminder that WWE isn’t utilizing the embarrassment of riches in their women’s division that well.
Grade: C
CHELSEA GREEN vs. ZELINA VEGA
Latest Developments:
Over the past few weeks, Zelina Vega has been a thorn in the side of Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green and her stable, The Secret Hervice. However, Green always escaped unscathed thanks to her goons Piper Niven and Alba Fyre running interference on her opponent.
Last week, Green was scheduled to face Vega, and was seen banging on the door of the injured Secret Hervice (fresh off the above gauntlet match). Forced to take on Vega alone, Green got into an argument with ringside officials and accidentally lost the match by countout.
Analysis:
No one does comedy like Chelsea Green. This was Ruthless Aggression-style funny, playing with the rules of professional wrestling to mine comedy. With in-ring work not always being emphasized, its always hilarious when WWE remembers that outlandish characters can be stifled by the rules of being in an actual sport (in kayfabe).
And no one executes buffoonery like Chelsea, who’s proven herself as a sleeper MVP for the women’s division, allowing any opponent she faces to get themselves over simply by being such an entertaining antagonistic force.
In a great bit of character continuity, I like the overarching narrative of Green being unsure of herself without her goon squad. With Vega now holding a pin over the champ, we’ll likely get a title rematch filled with shenannigans in the near future. If Green remains solo, there might be potential for a title change that doesn’t undo Green’s momentum as a lower-card heel.
Grade: A+
L.A. KNIGHT vs. JACOB FATU
Latest Developments:
In 2025, Jacob Fatu began to unofficially take over as The New Bloodline’s leader following the loss of confidence of Solo Sikoa. Their dynamic began slowly shifting, with Fatu asserting his presence in the group’s promos.
After losing a #1 contender’s match for the US title thanks to Solo Sikoa’s botched interference, a vengeful Fatu hinted he had lost faith in Sikoa. While Knight continued racking up wins against The Bloodline, Fatu defeated Braun Strowman in a Last Man Standing match to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 41 against Knight.
Last week, The Bloodline interrupted Randy Orton before LA Knight came to the rescue. Knight and Orton faced off against Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga, and won handily. Post-match Fatu appeared, laying out the babyfaces and held the title as the show closed.
Analysis:
Jacob Fatu continues to be positioned like a heel star, and watching him stand victorious over LA Knight made him look like a killer. There’s an intangible authenticity about everything he does. Even licking the US title, which would look cartoony and overplayed from anyone else, added to his menace.
The slow progression of Fatu from enforcer to breakout star hasn’t just been paced well, but WWE has made it feel tonally different from Solo Sikoa’s similar journey. For a faction seemingly repeating the same story, they’ve done a great job highlighting Fatu’s organic stardom in the same way they highlighted Sikoa (the character)’s posturing and inauthenticity.
I also love that Knight’s stardom hasn’t suffered as collateral. It would have been easy to make him feel like a stand-in for Fatu to dethrone. And while his reign hasn’t been that exciting, they’ve at least made him a worthy adversary to The Bloodline and unleashed him on the mic against Fatu, in order to make him a plausible mountain to climb.
This angle closed the show, a surefire bet that Fatu is earmarked to be WWE’s next big monster star. And, by god, it feels plausible every step of the way. If they can nail this finish, this angle may be a sleeper for the best feud this year.
Grade: A+
SETH ROLLINS GOES INSANE
Latest Developments:
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins reunited their long hatred for each other at WrestleMania 40, where Reigns’ hatred of Rollins cost him the WWE Championship. In the aftermath, Rollins and CM Punk engaged in a lengthy feud while Reigns dealt with The New Bloodline.
Last year, at Survivor Series: Wargames, Punk joined Reigns’ team as a favor to mutual friend Paul Heyman. In return, Punk said Heyman owed him a mysterious favor. At the Royal Rumble, Punk eliminated Reigns and Rollins. In the following weeks, Rollins and Punk’s feud intensified, culminating in a cage match. Reigns interfered, laying both men out. The three set a triple threat for WrestleMania 41.
Eventually, Punk revealed the favor to be Heyman staying in his corner at WrestleMania. The distraught Reigns ordered Heyman to refuse, but Heyman kept his word to his best friend Punk, as Rollins cackled on.
Last week on Raw, Rollins stalked Heyman throughout the episode, needling him over both Punk and Reigns having no real love for him beyond selfishness. Sadistically, he offered to alleviate Heyman’s pain with a quick stomp and taking him out of the equation altogether. CM Punk appeared to save his friend, but Rollins beat him down.
Over the following week, Reigns began displaying a colder and more callous attitude towards Heyman, as if mad at him for his supposed betrayal.
Analysis:
It’s such a shame that some of the most interesting character dynamics were only explored so late in this feud’s inception. Across the board, this feud has had some of the most nuanced storytelling across all of WWE this year, drawing on not just the immediate history of Paul Heyman and his two clients, but the intertwining decade-long backstories of all three wrestlers. Given that these three went through years of Vince McMahon’s worst booking, it’s commendable that this story feels as cohesive as it does.
However, up until the past few weeks, the feud felt like it was running on “aura” and artificially forcing cliffhanger moments rather than fully exploring character dynamics. Rollins did nothing but glower, Punk needled Reigns while Reigns postured back. For a while, the feud’s weakest point was its shaky face-heel relationships. But in the past week, all three men have finally settled into a comfortable dynamic.
Rollins has finally settled into a heelish dynamic that makes him feel like an integral part of the feud. Before, he felt tacked-on, serving little purpose other than hating the other two competitors. But the past week has seen Rollins grow increasingly deluded by hatred, to the point he seems truly unhinged. His toying with Heyman gives him his own unique relationship with the character base of the entire feud, and his erratic behavior feels synonymous with his flashy gimmick for the first time since the original 2022 Visionary heel run.
Punk, after oscillating between being the aggressor and the empath, seems firmly entrenched as the feud’s babyface simply because he’s comfortable with who he is. The smarmy CM Punk character has become increasingly harder to sell as a face in 2025, given his heelish penchant for prodding his opponent. But WWE finally cracked the code: his genuine earthiness. Warts and all, CM Punk is happy with who he is, and in a feud filled with men posturing and obsessed that’s enough to be the good guy.
And Reigns finally seems to be tying his character growth together following The OG Bloodline’s dissolution. Many complained (rightfully) that Reigns’ babyface turn was situational, and the character never evolved. For all intents and purposes, Reigns was still a heel, yet stories portrayed him as somewhat redeemed. For the first time, it’s nice seeing Reigns vulnerable and withdrawing back into his shell by being cold to those whom he has hurt. The core of the Reigns character is his fear of being betrayed, and WWE has done an incredible job playing up his self-hatred as he refuses to acknowledge Heyman.
With all these dynamics in play, the ensuing WrestleMania match has the potential to be soap-opera level dramatic. Now if only we got here a month ago so we could have explored the fully realized version of these characters.
Grade: B
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