3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Unreal Season 3 (Review)
Ups...
3. Larry Talbot, RIP
For a show justifiedly belittled for the lack of reality in its Reality TV, the love story around CM Punk and AJ Lee, and the heartbreaking passing of their dog Larry, is incredibly moving viewing.
The first few episodes concentrate on AJ's return to wrestling, and the love that exists between herself and Punk. They both glow when talking about one another, their affection doesn't ever feel performative, and Lee reveals that they agreed to do an angle on camera together because after “12 years of privacy, it felt like the right time to celebrate my awesome husband and what we’ve done in wrestling.” Her return to the ring and her enjoyment in the current WWE system is satisfying, considering the unequal landscape she was formerly part of.
In episode four, these feel-good moments come to a gut-wrenching halt with the death of their dog, Larry. Larry was well known to the wrestling community, and his passing is something that will resonate with fans of all ages, races, genders, and sexualities. The mourning of Phil Brooks and April Mendez is uncomfortable to watch, just because the grief in their loss weighs a ton. It’s bold and brave for them to share the loss of their family member, and it redresses the balance of a world that doesn't do enough to recognize that the passing of our four-legged family members can hurt every bit as much as those who walk on two.
Punk’s valiant attempts to stop his grief becoming “just part of a reality show” are crushing to behold, as he doesn't want to talk to Netflix's crew about the pain he's going through. When talking about getting Larry’s paw print tattooed on his chest, he describes the day Larry left Earth as “the worst day of [his] life”. There is some relief as WWE, Punk, AJ, and fans around the world donated in their thousands to PAWS dog shelter in Chicago in Larry's honor, but this segment of the show is one of the few Unreal moments that fans feel part of a real-life look into the performers' lives.