Alright, so I decided at the start of 2024, I’d really keep a closer eye on the heel turns happening over in WWE. You know, actually track ’em properly. Not just casually watch, but make a point of noting down who turned, when, and kinda how it went down. Felt like the storytelling needed a closer look this year.
So, what I did was pretty basic, really. Just made sure I caught Raw and Smackdown every week. Didn’t miss the PLEs, obviously, that’s where the big ones often happen. Got myself a little notebook, nothing fancy, just a cheap one. Every time someone properly switched sides, went bad, I scribbled it down. Date, show, who attacked who, maybe a quick note on the crowd reaction if I remembered.
It sounds simple, but man, sometimes you gotta rewind a bit. Was that a real turn or just a temporary frustration? You know how they blur the lines these days. So, yeah, involved a bit more attention than just having the show on in the background. Had to actually watch the segments, the promos leading up to it, the follow-up the next week. Tried to see if it felt earned, you know?
What I’ve Logged So Far in 2024
It’s been an interesting year, not gonna lie. Here’s a rough list of the kind of turns I’ve noted down without getting into super specific names maybe:
- The Slow Burn Surprise: We had one or two where you kinda saw it coming for weeks, the little hints, the dirty looks. Then boom, finally happened. Those can be satisfying when done right.
- The Shock Attack: Classic stuff. Tag partner turns on the other out of nowhere. Always gets a reaction, even if sometimes it feels a bit forced just for the sake of it. Saw a couple of those.
- The ‘For the Title’ Turn: Someone gets greedy. Sees gold and decides friendship or respect isn’t worth as much. Pretty standard motivation, noted one major instance of this playing out.
- The Faction Implosion: Groups breaking up always leads to turns. Someone gets kicked out, or someone leaves and attacks the others. That’s been brewing in a few places.
My Takeaways from Doing This
Honestly, keeping this log has made watching a bit more engaging. Instead of just letting the shows wash over me, I’m actively looking for those character shifts. It makes you appreciate the subtle stuff sometimes, or really notice when a turn feels completely out of the blue and makes no sense.
Some turns felt really well built. You could track the logic, the character’s frustration building up. Others… well, let’s just say they felt like someone backstage flipped a switch. No real reason, just ‘this guy’s bad now’. That’s the stuff that still bugs me.
It’s also clear they rely heavily on the surprise attack format. Works for a quick shock, but doesn’t always build the most compelling bad guys long-term. The slow burns, when they stick the landing, usually create more interesting stories down the line. Anyway, that’s just what I’ve seen keeping my little notebook this year. It’s been a decent way to stay invested.
