I am a huge fan of AEW, but within the last year, things have been slowly creeping to senseless, and complicated storylines with lackluster payoffs, or with the payoffs continuing a story that no one cares about, i.e. bcc, versus JAS.

The only thing I can reasonably compare this to is the Game of Thrones. The first “season“ or a few years of AEW was really good. You had a smaller cast of characters, but each was unique, and had a story to what they’re trying to bring to TV. you understood those characters motivations and personalities and you had your favorites while the remaining cast at least made you feel something for them.

You had stakes showing, like in Game of Thrones, anybody can be taken out (omega’s downfall and loss record sending him to the cleaner gimmick, hangman becoming a depressed drunk).

You had a long term story arcs that had a satisfying payoff and then moved on to the next story (Cody vs MJF, Cody Vs Jerhico, Moxley vs Omega, PAC Vs Omega, inner circle vs elite).

But much like the later seasons of Game of Thrones, you’re now getting a random influx of new characters that are explained, or given motivation in a half assed manner. You have story beats and arcs that are not fully explained or are never completed or just don’t make sense. I do you have story arcs that should have ended, but continue to drone on to the excitement of absolutely no one. And you have rushed closures of stories that are half baked and while they get to the intended end, they don’t make sense and they don’t have an emotional narrative.

All this to say is that as much of an AEW fan as I have been, and in the past as much of a Game of Thrones fan as I was this seems like a modern wrestling company is emulating HBO’s best series with the absolute worst downfall. I hope things can turn around.