NXT LEVEL 355
POP OF THE NIGHT: (What was the moment, in segment, that you enjoyed the most and why?)
I think it has to be 'Must Be Finished'. It was the combination of the attempted use of the same matches from the original fire that killed DBs mum, and the successful escape unnoticed by DB himself. Blaze himself is more terrifying than ever (which was always how I wanted to see TBM when he first came in) and something big is going to have to happen at ROD for this to end with both of them safe and sane.
BURNING QUESTIONS: (What questions does the show have you asking after reading?)
- I'm really interested in the next steps for the Door/JTR/Narcissa angle. Having been part of the Apokalypsis storyline when I was Drewitt, I already have a vested interest, but that interest has been piqued:
- Who is the fifth key?
- What's behind the door?
- How does that help Narcissa?
- What happens to Apokalypsis once the door is open?
- Why did the uprising choose to take out the APD now? Will this play into next week?
- How does Destructo Boy get Blaze to see?
- I don't see how this Elders storyline can end in any way other than Herc killing Zeus, but I'm looking forward to being proven wrong. Given all that Hercules now knows, he must see the similarities between the Elders and what Zeus has been doing. But maybe he knows he must break the cycle too - but how?
HAVE YOUR SAY: (How did you like your characters portrayal and what are your thoughts on your current storyline? What, if any, improvements could be made?)
So Jackdaw has a little sass in him, a little swizz. Interesting. I still think that what Aurora wants/gets out of this is the key to this whole situation. Klaus and Jash seem to be sidequests to the mainline quest here. I'm not mad about it, but it intrigues me to know what that mainline quest is. Aurora is still very much unknown in this arc, just one week out from ROD.
POP OF THE NIGHT:
I don't really want to give it to one of the segments I was featured in. Gotta be fair and impartial, after all. So with that said, I'm going to give it to Who's That Writing? The tension was palpable in this segment. I know that John really wants that door opened by Ring of Dreams and Narcissa wants Apokalypsis to lay down for her and the Uprising. Given that one of those things definitely won't happen, you could only imagine how things would've gone had John not offered her whatever lays behind the door. Can't wait for these stables to clash head on at the big PPV!
BURNING QUESTIONS:
What sort of darkness lies behind the door that Narcissa can supposedly help bring about? How will it help her revolution against Zeus? Who even is the fifth key to the door that she supposedly knows? Was she even telling the truth about that in the first place?
What kind of impact will the Uprising attacking the APD have on Arcadia? Will there be nothing to stop them from taking over Arcadia, like Narcissa envisioned when she first broke them out of jail?
That being asked, what sort of consequences for the Uprising will Scott Sterling have them face? He says that none of them will leave OSW unscathed, so I have to imagine that it's going to be nothing short of a bloodbath for them. Just how bad will each of these guys be maimed in his wake?
HAVE YOUR SAY:
Blaze - Damn, Maxwell is really laying it on thick, isn't he? Not only does he not respect James enough to call him his son anymore, he also tried to set him on fire after beating him to near unconsciousness. It really shows just how far gone he is ever since getting a clear head. I don't think there will be any reasoning with him after all that Maxwell has done, but we'll find out if he can be talked out of killing his own son regardless. I personally hope so, but my hopes mean nothing to the direction the storyline will eventually take.
Mr. Kleen - You know, I thought that the former janitor was talking to the current Yellow Python when these segments were occurring. To see the guy being talked to was the Blue Shark, who was on the brink of death by the time Kleen told his tale, was a surprise. I have to wonder just where the body will be dumped in order for said Python to find it. Will the demoralization tactic work for him? Or will it only invigorate the last remaining Kingdom member to bring the fight to the boss of the ACA that much more? Can't wait to find out!
POP OF THE NIGHT:
There were a few contenders for the POTN this week, but I’m going to give it to Mr Kleen. The revelation that he was in fact talking to the bloodied, bruised, and ultimately dead body of the Blue Shark was a really clever twist which really elevated the drama and stakes of the piece.
Very clever writing.
BURNING QUESTIONS:
- What is the darkness behind the door that JTR referred to?
- Does the door finally get opened at Ring of Dreams?
- Why didn’t the match light when Blaze struck it? Were they childproof after all?
HAVE YOUR SAY:
It was great to shine some spotlight on some of next season’s talent in this fun little lead-up show. As always, there was some great storytelling throughout with some nice segues into some of the huge culminating storylines that lie in wait at Ring of Dreams.
POP OF THE NIGHT: Going with Assault on Precinct APD here. A truly intriguing moment here with the Uprising taking away Cade's biggest strength in the remaining officers who would help him. A great psychological tactic by Narcissa here and the hesitation by Jackson torn between what's right and the smart option was great with Attano being the voice of reason and eventually letting him see that leaving to fight another day is the only option. Great seg here and you just cannot wait to see how they both get back at the Uprising at ROD
BURNING QUESTIONS:
What is going to happen between Hercules and Zeus? Will Ares be able to do anything if the worst actually happens?
Is Narcissa going to fulfil her part of the bargain and for that point, is John going to ensure the Uprising get what they want? Is what John hinted is behind the door true or is it something even worse? Will Apokolypsis get what they truly want or has John been telling them bullshit all along?
Will Kleen succeed in ending the Kingdom once and for all or can the Yellow Python get vengeance for his fallen brethren?
HAVE YOUR SAY:
So once Blaze joined Six Feet Under, I knew this was only ending one way at ROD. A broken Blaze so single minded on answers he would hate his own son and a Destructo Boy desperate to fix his father and terrified that he may not be able to. I don't think ROD is the end of this (if anything the Six Feet Under wrinkle may mean the redeem Maxwell story goes for a long while now) but the first step is going to happen, with the hero stepping up and hopefully doing what's right for his father and I am so intrigued to see what happens at ROD and if my heart may end up breaking.
POP OF THE NIGHT:
I think I want to go with And Then There Was One. There wasn't a ton of segments on this show, and as such I think every segment that we did get really had the chance to shine. This segment, to me, was fantastic. Mr. Kleen telling his backstory in segment through this month was really interesting to me and definitely a highlight, but having it all come back to him actually telling the story of it to a captured Blue Shark? Phenomenal full circle here. And ending it with Shark's demise, or at least the implication of Kleen talking to a corpse? Cinematic as hell.
BURNING QUESTIONS:
- What's the darkness behind the door?
- Who's the key? I keep asking every week, but it's perhaps the biggest question of the season so this is my last chance to ask it.
- What comes next for Hercules and Zeus?
- What will be the repercussions of the Uprising attacking the APD?
HAVE YOUR SAY:
Jackson Cade: Excellent segment. I would have put the Assault on the APD as my segment of the night had I not been in it. As far as segments go, this was the perfect final straw to cement that Cade has no choice but to fight his brother because it's clear CJ has no love left for Cade. Also shout out to my man Sterling. I love seeing Sterling and him popping in to confirm the four way was excellent.
POP OF THE NIGHT:
Assault on Precinct APD gets it for me, this wasn't surprising but man Uprising is just running through the cops in a way that Attano is afraid of. Him telling Jackson Cade to stand down shows how brutal it is and if any group is going to be brutal to a police department, it's former death row inmates. Every week, the group or Narcissa engage in violence and yeah I love it. I love seeing what creative comes up and the group continues to get their shine.
BURNING QUESTIONS:
Is the darkness behind the door going to really help Narcissa or is this just another ploy by JTR?
Would Blaze actually burn his own son alive?
Where do Zeus and Hercules go from here?
HAVE YOUR SAY:
Man, loyalty is not a word I'd use for Narcy at this point, will she really let uprising die for this darkness behind the door or is she just trying to keep the movement alive by any means necessary? I'm liking her attitude about trying to ensure everything's going right by her. I like seeing this survival side of her as it brings out a side we normally don't see and a desperate Narcy is a scary Narcy