6 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE Raw (May 9)

4. Bliss Is Back!... But…

It cannot be overstated how great it is to see Alexa Bliss back in a WWE ring again, and even better, she seemed to be closer to her old self than the childlike person we’ve seen for the past year-plus.

Bliss notably went through “therapy” via a series of vignettes earlier this winter, leading to an appearance at Elimination Chamber, where she competed in the eponymous match, only to disappear again. The elaborate segments were supposed to document her journey back to Raw, but as with so much on WWE TV, they led nowhere.

Thankfully, WWE seemed to do Monday what they should have all along: simply push the reset button. Bliss came out in very familiar ring gear, albeit a bit darker and toting Lilly with her. However, the doll appeared to be just that: a doll. It didn’t talk or display spooky powers. It was just an accessory.

Still, despite Bliss running through a distraught Sonya Deville in seconds, we have to dock this “up” for a total lack of direction for her big return. She just showed up, smiled and waved, and won her match.

Hopefully, we’ll get a promo next week explaining who she is now and what her direction is. It’s one thing to get the “welcome back” pop and chant, but it’s another to actually gain some traction.