Oh, boy. This was rough.

So the Young Bucks are going by Nicholas and Matthew Jackson now. They’re wearing suits, talking about taking their Executive Vice President duties more serious (their grammar, not mine) and generally acting like people with tons of power in the company. Ironically, while the portrayal might reflect more of reality in terms of their actual backstage power in AEW, the Bucks are not naturals in this role at all, and thus far they’re pretty spectacularly bad at it. Much like their buddy Jack Perry when he decided to get serious, they’re just not believable in these roles, to the point that you start to wonder whether the characters are actually meant as parody and we’re supposed to be laughing.

And granted, parts of this do feel like parody, but it’s a very smug, very downward-punching kind of parody that seems to be, at its heart, about the Bucks’ relationship with the fans. They’re basically doing exaggerated versions of the people many fans have accused them of being over the years: Arrogant executives who get themselves booked in all the best matches and want to push all the big stars out of AEW. Which is fine, except for the fact that it’s completely disconnected from the internal reality of the show. When Matt lays into Renee about “rumors,” asking if she believes the stories about all the terrible things they’ve done to keep AEW alive … what are they talking about? What rumors? What stories? Is this about Punk? Are they really still stuck on CM Punk, which is what the references to “cancerous” older stars and toxic locker rooms made it sound like? Are they still out here trying to passive-aggressively feud with a guy who doesn’t even work there anymore? It makes so little sense they have to completely change course when it’s time to talk about Sting, because none of that other stuff was about Sting, the guy they’re feuding with. But in that case, who was it about? 

The only possible answer is that it’s about the fans, and in the end, it’s just more of AEW’s infuriating tendency to respond to any and all criticism with mocking contempt. Do you think AEW is relying too heavily on older stars? Here’s Matthew and Nicholas Jackson to show you why you’re stupid. Do you think a show that began as something revolutionary has lost its edge in recent months, occasionally resembling the status quo to a less-than-comfortable degree? Guess what, you’re an idiot. That’s AEW’s response to your criticisms: Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. That’s you. That’s how dumb they think you sound.

Written by Miles Schneiderman