14 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Oct 29)
1. Spooky Scary Brandi Rhodes
Brandi Rhodes starred in Dynamite's most jarring segment last week as she attacked heel Jamie Hayter out of nowhere, then got right in interviewer Jennifer Decker's face, threatening violence. It was a sudden, unearned snap from the company executive, and one that was met with justifiable criticism.
Things got even weirder last night. AEW presented a creeped-out video package that started with footage from the Hayter attack, then segued into Brandi putting on makeup, staring at herself in a mirror, then placing a funeral veil atop her head. Rhodes had photographs of the entire women's roster in a box and glowing green eyes. We got skulls, candles, spooky music, Brandi slicing a lock of blonde hair with a cleaver, and Awesome Kong stomping around in the background, and... yeah. None of this landed.
"Obsessed" with the roster she may be, but Brandi Rhodes is no big, scary goth. She's a charming, hard-working personality who presents a weekly cooking show on YouTube. This presentation goes against everything we know about her and came out of nowhere. It's patently fake, and we can only hope it's amended.
At least it was well-produced!