Sorry it's taken so long, but my Internet was down over the weekend and I wasn't going to go through what I had left of the show and feedback on it on my phone.
Fuck me it's be hard to live without.
Edward Explains It All
The over the top nature of this segment is absolutely fantastic. This is the grand unveiling of Edward White’s new group, so why would there be any expense spared? Everything gets summed up nicely, and White makes his plans know, but leaves plenty of questions for us to ask.
I’ll take this opportunity to say a few things. First off, Justin has said how long this angle has been in the works, so I have no doubt that this has been thought out and planned meticulously. Secondly, with Justin, Seth, Lee and Brunk involved it’s got a damn solid core. So often do things change or fall by the wayside because somebody leaves or needs time off, but I’m sure that these four are around for the long haul with this. Third, we should all be playing off of this. This is the biggest thing to happen to DEFIANCE in a long time, so everyone should be feeling the shockwaves of it. Fourth, those involved directly with it need to seize the opportunities to get their characters over in the biggest possible way.
As you can probably tell, I have high hopes for this angle.
Rage!
I don’t know what Dane was expecting. Surely he should know by now that he can’t have a house in order?
Tyler Rayne vs. Romero Antiguas
This was a really enjoyable match. I love the way things are described, like the ‘what could charitably be called a Northern Lights suplex’ lines. It just makes it more interesting to read than a simple list of moves.
Romero’s losing streak continuing isn’t really a surprise, but I’m starting to get desperate for a pay off. Hopefully we’ll get one somewhere in this arc.
Hopefully.
This Wasn’t Just About Money
This was difficult. We needed to split White and the LBC, but doing that without turning them, hinting at a HOSS/LBC feud, or just making the LBC look like trash wasn’t easy.
Sounds like I managed to get two out of three there though…
Also it needed to be a little bit more interesting than
‘Hey, we’re not working with you anymore’
‘Ok, whatevs man’
Lindsay Troy vs. Troy Matthews
Another good match.
It’s good to see Matthews back in action after being out of the ring for a couple of shows. Also, I think Troy right now kinda brushes on something that James and I were discussing the other day/week.
That being jobbers to the star in DEF.
Not that I’m calling Troy Matthews a jobber of course.
Hear me out.
Matthews right now seems to be floating. He’s not involved in an angle, but he’s still appearing on the shows. I think it would be handy if there were a few characters doing this at any one time so that they can fit in where needed, take matches where needed, all the while not over saturating the shows with endless storylines.
I know the idea of this game, especially with us being angled, is to write angles, but I don’t see why a writer can’t take an arc off from being involved in a storyline, recharge, and help to fill gaps in other people’s stories.
Of course it’s always possible that we could introduce a new batch of characters. NPCs that are on the shows regularly for the sole purpose of filling those gaps. I know we have our ‘developmental’ roster, but do new people really know about them? Do they have any defined characteristics? Are they available for newcomers to run an angle with where they can believably pick up a win and stand a chance to win at the blowoff match?
The LBC is Expanding
Won’t somebody PLEASE think of the children.
I writed dis.
Also, reading it back really makes me wish I’d done a little more with this. Played up Lindsay’s Italian Heritage etc. WHERE ARE YOU, CAPTAIN HINDSIGHT?
A Fear No Mask Can Hide
Eddie’s appearance here reminds me that Wayne hasn’t been around since the backstage seg with Eddie talking about Songome. I’ll be adressing that this weekend.
I hope this is a thing throughout the night. Either that or we see a few more of these during the introductions in the battle royal, kinda like we did with the SoHer match at GH: Canada. It’d be nice to hear the participants thoughts going into it.
The Curtis Clutch Challenge
Jon getting it right again.
Some nice lines, some good comedy, some asshole tactics… Penn is looking very good after all of the segments, and I mean that in every possible sense.
I’m REALLY looking forward to where this is all headed.
Crossing Paths
Short segments are coming in large quantities today, and that’s awesome. This didn’t need more than it is, and it isn’t more than it needed.
I will say I’d have liked the two to be at least a little confrontational, rather than passing each other peacefully until one piped up. Maybe a shoulder barge or something along those lines.
Out!
Did I mention how much I want this angle to be the best angle in the history of angles?
Tony Di Luca Defends The Southern Heritage Title
Again, mine. This is one of those situations where a jobber to the stars would have come in handy. There’d be almost no need to explain how a guy on, say Kofi Kingston’s level, would be warranted a shot at the SoHer title.
Also, again, there could have been more of a question mark as to whose side Lindsay was going to be on, but hindsight again.
In fact, I’m sure there was a plan for a BDH segment at one point which would have thrown more uncertainty into it, but I dunno what happened to that.
Worldbreaking News
So Dusty will walk past Dan Ryan in the hall and just tell him that he wants to face him at some point, but then will talk to Frank about how White isn’t going to get away with anything? Or have I misread/misunderstood something?
Masked Wrestlers Open Invitational Battle Royal
JP being ill made kinda killed this, but Jeff did a decent job. The match wasn’t bad, but it clearly wasn’t something that Jeff <i>wanted</i> to do.
And when I say wanted I mean ‘planned, booked, and arranged’.
The Train Wreck Talks
God damn it, Frank. That was awesome. The whole conspiracy theory nut job thing took its time in coming out, but when it did, Christ did it deliver.
If Frank’s poser doesn’t have him wearing a tinfoil hat when it gets made I’ll be bitterly disappointed.
Welcome to DEFIANCE, Ryushin
I also need the history explaining. I don’t think it’s been done, so hopefully it will all come out sooner or later.
As Close As You’re Gonna Get
HOSS have been unstoppable since entering DEF and now with White backing them they’ve surely got to be even more so. I have a hard time seeing how Ty is going to ever get an equal level of payback to what they’ve done to him for the last half an arc.
Unless Ty finds more friends that is.
Team HOSS vs. Angel City eXXXpress
I like the slightly more serious turn for the ACX, and them being allowed some offence here certainly goes towards building that, but in the end this match was only going to go one way.
Unless Ty had cost HOSS the titles, but that would have been a poor, poor booking decision what with everything going on right now.
How To Treat A Woman
Heidi’s been conspicuous by her absence so far on this show. I’d be nice to see her appear later, but I’m really not sure that’s gonna happen.
As far as the ACX goes, their serious turn seems to be creeping slowly into their segs as well. It’s being done well, which is good, because it’d be pretty jarring if they went from jokes to serious contenders in 2 weeks.
Honorable Discharge
This was a nice speech, but my biggest complaint is going to be something I mention quite frequently, and that’s the trips down memory lane.
I know Kai Scott has a history, but I have absolutely no idea who the names he’s pulling out are more than half the time. I feel so isolated when reading something like this, and that pulls me right out of the segment.
I can’t imagine what someone just joining the fed might think.
That’s not to say the segment is bad though, far from it, it’s damn good. Jonny’s interruption of something as heartfelt as this definitely adds to the heat he should rightfully be garnering, and Ryan’s follow up interrupting
The Last Stand of the Truly Untouchables
A decent match that showcased what it needed to showcase. Correct outcome too, with nobody taking the fall and looking weak, which was definitely necessary what with Ryan and Booya needing to look like the ultimate force right now and Scott needing to look strong with the title around his waist still.
I know where the save from Dusty is going, but if I didn’t I’d be way into wanting to know where it was going… if that makes sense.
Keep ‘em, Dump ‘em
Dusty’s doing a lot of running around by himself, and I think that’s something that Eugene, Sam, and Franks should be mentioning. Obviously there’s strength in numbers, and Dusty realised that during this seg, but that should definitely lead somewhere.
As far as the appearance of BDH, the two halves of the segment seemed very disjointed. There wasn’t any overlap between the two, which would have been nice to see. It just felt like 2 segments put together, then the first segment mentioned again a little later on. Not one whole segment.
Let me clarify. There was the half with Dusty and the half with BDH. Neither half was bad, but there wasn’t really a part where Dusty and BDH, and that’s what wasn’t great about the segment.
And Then This Happened
I’ll admit I want to read what should be a barn burner between Mushi and FDJ, but I must say that I hope that Frank’s involvement with the White Knights won’t be ignored during the story.
Yoshikazu YAZ vs. Eugene Dewey
I don’t know why, but I had a tough time writing this match. It just didn’t come naturally and took far longer to do than I wanted it to.
Glad so many people liked it though, but I’m not high up on it.
Your Reward, Sir
I really, really liked this segment. It felt so subdued, and actually read like two people who were fighting against other, now realising that they need to coexist against something even greater. That’s not just because that’s what’s happening either, I’m certain that anyone reading this for the first time would get that instantly.
Great work.
