5 Things We Learned From Total Bellas
1. Daniel Bryan’s Retirement Affected Him Harder Than We Imagined
This was probably the biggest revelation of the series and definitely the most emotional. Daniel Bryan had retired in February 2016, just as Total Bellas started filming. The shock of the extent of his injuries and the abrupt end to his in-ring career was very much still an open wound. We saw first-hand how desperately Bryan clung on to every shred of hope: when given a 1% chance by multiple doctors, he asked for more opinions, just in case that 1% meant he could still return to ring.
As fans we already knew this. We already knew Daniel Bryan did not want to retire, that he found it hard, that he was seeking second opinions. But it’s one thing to read about it online and another to see a man sobbing into his wife’s arms, heartbroken that his life’s work was over. As a fan of Daniel Bryan, both the wrestler and the person, it was difficult and emotional to watch.
It is also revealed that Bryan suffers from depression. Although this is actually revealed by Brie, it must have been approved by Bryan, which is incredibly important. He shows that men can suffer from emotional demons, and that they can be brought low not only by life shattering events, but by an uncontrollable chemistry in the brain. And that’s OK.
As awful as this period was for Bryan, and as difficult as it must have been for him to be followed by reality TV cameras, it showed us that it's OK to be human. And if you're lucky enough to have good people around you, you'll come out of it alright.