8 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 6)

5. A Brand Divided

While it could be argued that the dissent in SmackDown's men's team undermines the whole concept of Survivor Series, it adds a layer of intrigue to the big 5-on-5 elimination bout, and helps break the show away from the same old 'Brand Warfare' theme WWE leans on every year.

It provided much of last night's content. Though Miz and Bryan showed surprising cohesion with their first pick (Shane McMahon), they argued over Rey Mysterio, resulting in the lucha legend being placed in a singles qualifier with Andrade Almas. A similar thing happened with Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe, and the situation eventually boiled over into a fight following the evening's main event.

Joe and Bryan traded blows, and although Miz and Shane tried to intervene, Daniel ended up taking the Commissioner out, leaving the scene in a storm.

This year's timing (with Crown Jewel taking place just two weeks before Survivor Series) has left WWE with little time to build for this supposed 'Big Four' show. That's a problem of their own creation, and they don't deserve a pass for what still feels like a thrown-together elimination match. Regardless, this narrative should help them overcome those concerns.