7 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dark (Nov 24)
4. The Waiting Room
This is getting better. Slowly.
Britt Baker and Reba followed up on last week's Waiting Room debut by shaving a couple of minutes off the runtime and keeping the roster burns (the best part of the first segment) to a minimum. Tay Conti was Baker's guest this time, with Britt trying to goad the Brazilian into calling her the best competitor in the division. When Tay named Serena Deeb, Anna Jay, Red Velvet, and Hikaru Shida, Britt got in Conti's face, suggesting we might get a match between them soon.
A more interesting use of Tay in this segment would have been Baker asking Conti about her involvement with The Dark Order, which still hangs in the balance. Alas.
The Acclaimed were brought in to spit a few bars and lift the mood as Conti and Baker came close to trading blows, with Tay looking thoroughly unimpressed in the background. Max Caster and Anthony Bowens' arrival contributed to the segment's disjointed feel, as it came out of nowhere.
AEW and Baker are going for a so-bad-it's-good style of cringe-worthy humour that isn't quite connecting yet. That's why The Waiting Room is on Dark, though. Expect the refinements to continue...