The shocking conclusion of WWE's TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view left fans in awe, with the sight of Bray Wyatt's The Fiend ablaze immediately generating discussion of a darker, more violent direction for the company after several ratings beatdowns.
And rightly so.
The unforgettable imagery, emblazoned in the minds of those who watched well beyond the show going off the air, was the most prominent point of discussion, but not the only one.
Cedric Alexander's hot streak, the undeniable star power of Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, and Drew McIntyre's status as the rightful WWE champion headline these hot takes from the year-ending pay-per-view extravaganza.
The imagery of The Fiend engulfed in flames, his lifeless body smoldering as TLC went off the WWE Network airwaves, incited awe across social media, if only because it was such an unexpected and daring angle for a company whose creative efforts over the years had been anything but.
On the heels of a disastrous rating, Alex McCarthy of TalkSport reported USA Network has expressed its desire for a more mature product—a darker, more violent product.
The WWE Universe got its first taste of what that may look like in the main event of Sunday's pay-per-view.
The question now is what that means for Bray Wyatt's Fiend persona.
As over as that particular character has been, and as much merchandise as it has sold, it certainly felt like we were witnessing the end of it as Orton stared at his burning body Sunday night. A series of tweets by Wyatt stressed the circular nature of life, perhaps hinting at a return to his original character.
If there is one thing we know, Wyatt has always thought several steps ahead of his audience, sometimes at a detriment because of WWE Creative's inability to keep up.
Regardless of what happens to Wyatt, this was the first indication of WWE's willingness to acquiesce to its longtime cable partner's wishes. It will be interesting to see just how over-the-top McMahon and his company are willing to go while chasing television ratings in the face of a humiliating loss in key demographics to All Elite Wrestling—and if said direction will even solve the problem at all.
Since joining The Hurt Business, Cedric Alexander has become one of the most valuable players on Raw and the standout of the faction.
The former cruiserweight champion had wallowed in mediocrity because of uneven, disjointed creative for so long that he immediately seized the opportunity presented him and wasted little time proving why he deserved (and had for quite some time) the additional television exposure.
From strong matches against Ricochet to excellent tag team work with Shelton Benjamin, the world-renowned competitor jumped off the screen, making it abundantly clear that management would have to pry this latest push from him.
Sunday at TLC, he turned in yet another inspired showing, this time with a twist.
Late in the match, Benjamin was well on his way to capturing the Raw tag team championship from The New Day when Alexander tagged himself in, delivered the Lumbar Check and earned the fall for himself and his team.
It was not the first time we had seen him do such a thing. Just this past Monday on Raw, he brazenly tagged himself into the match, almost as if he did not trust that his partner to finish the job. That or his confidence was so high that he wanted to show the world just how good he is.
Either way, Alexander ends a tumultuous 2020 with championship prestige, and if management plays its cards right, the foundation for an eventual split between him and Benjamin.
For all of the complaints fans have with the creative process within WWE, most of them justified, there is no denying the company has made absolute stars out of Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks.
From the moment they step through the curtain, it is abundantly clear that those two women are stars. Superstars at that. They are on par with the male talent around them because they carry themselves that way. Their presentation, from their look to their in-ring skills and the programs they are presented with by management, elevates them beyond so many others on the show.
Considering the minuscule roles women used to play on the show, it is a welcome change and further proof that the so-called "Women's Revolution" was indeed more than a buzz term.
However, if there is one negative about those two women being placed on such a high pedestal, it is the underwhelming utilization of the women around them.
Case in point, Asuka.
Yes, she had a banner summer. Yes, she was all over Raw and SmackDown and finally got her just due as a major star on the flagship show. There is no denying that. Unfortunately, she was immediately downplayed again Sunday night the moment Flair returned to the ring.
She was beaten down, isolated and in-peril for the majority of the women's tag title match. Her credibility was sacrificed in order to spotlight Flair, rather than using Flair to emphasize Asuka. Sure, the team won the titles and everything was right with the world, but it is hard to ignore the fact that The Empress of Tomorrow looked and felt like an also-ran in the presence of one of WWE's golden children.
Ditto Shayna Baszler, who has had her aura and credibility diminished to the point of no return. Another pin-fall loss, this time to Flair following Natural Selection Sunday night, did her no favors.
It is admirable that WWE has put in the effort over the last five or so years to elevate two women such as Flair and Banks, not to mention Becky Lynch and Bayley, to the point that they can main event television and pay-per-view believably.
It would mean even more to the overall state of the women's division if they would use those women's undeniable stars to build the rest of the division now, rather than using others to prop up the already towering superstars.
Drew McIntyre is not to blame for the aforementioned sagging Raw ratings. The current WWE Champion has been gold, turning in strong promos and even better in-ring work since capturing the title back at WrestleMania 36 from Brock Lesnar.
He again shined in a huge spot Sunday, defeating AJ Styles and The Miz in a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders & Chairs match to successfully retain his title. He had to fight from underneath to do so, overcoming a game Styles and a sneaky attempt by The Hollywood A-Lister to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
In doing so, McIntyre again proved he is the right champion, at the right time, in WWE.
His steady consistency is exactly what the company has needed (and continues to need) in this wildly unprecedented 2020. With so much uncertainty plaguing the product, he has been one of the Superstars to place the company on his shoulders and carry it through the muck.
Could creative support him a little better with more interesting, less-repetitive storylines? Absolutely, but he is hardly the only Superstar suffering from lackluster storytelling. What Drew has done is make the absolute most of what he has been handed, oftentimes elevating the material beyond what it probably deserves.
There will be some that suggest he is being subjected to the same sort of "overcoming the odds" babyface booking that soured fans on John Cena and Roman Reigns, but McIntyre does it while still kicking ass. He is still cool as he powers his way back into matches courtesy of the Glasgow Kiss, Future Shock DDT and Claymore.
He never feels like an underdog, rather a legitimate champion taking his bumps and bruises before unleashing a can of whup-ass.
In a year in which fans never really knew what they were getting from a WWE reeling creatively, McIntyre gave them exactly what they should want from a babyface champion and, hopefully, he will get to continue to do so well into the new year.
