WWE: Where is this Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan storyline going?

WWE has made the tension between the two SmackDown Live authority figures the focus of the show over the last several months. But where is it leading?

On Tuesday, WWE continued the ongoing Shane McMahon/Daniel Bryan saga. The two played a limited role in the episode, but they still managed to overshadow some of the wrestlers, particularly during the Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin match.

The camera cut to Bryan and McMahon twice during the contest, with the two arguing over whether Kevin Owens would interfere on Zayn’s behalf (he didn’t). While WWE didn’t give the embattled authority figures the main spotlight last night, the three segments devoted to them showed that WWE is still committed to this storyline for some reason.

WWE started this Bryan/McMahon story arch in November, and it’s progressed at a snail’s pace. I’m sure that WWE has some sort of endgame in mind for this squabble, but it doesn’t seem that clear right now.

Is someone going to turn heel?

One of the reasons why this storyline isn’t clicking is because of the lack of a true antagonist. Both Bryan and McMahon are babyfaces as of Tuesday and they still get favorable reactions from the crowd. One of them will have to turn soon. The question is, who?

Bryan seemed like the prime candidate at the beginning. The writers have gone out of their way to intimate that Bryan is in cahoots with Owens and Zayn. Plus, turning Bryan heel in an attempt to depress his popularity should he leave and wrestle somewhere else seems like something WWE would do (even though it wouldn’t work). However, his, along with Owens and Zayn’s, arguments against McMahon always came across as too reasonable (well, too reasonable for a heel).

Turning one of the most beloved wrestlers in recent memory doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, so that leaves Shane. Of the two, a Shane heel turn makes more sense. He’s likable, but not as much as Bryan. Of course, WWE has also gone out of their way to make sure that Shane looks like the ultimate babyface, so who knows. Besides, a McMahon turn means fans would have to sit through yet another overdone heel authority figure storyline. WWE hasn’t shown their hand regarding who turns on the other, which might have been interesting if this storyline was leading to something realistic.

Will this lead to a match?

Some people believe that all of this is leading to a match between Shane and Bryan at WrestleMania. There are a couple of problems with this theory. First, of all the wrestlers that Bryan could conceivably return to face, Shane McMahon is at the bottom of the list in terms of excitement. Second, and most important, WWE still hasn’t cleared Bryan to perform in the ring. I could see Bryan selecting a surrogate to fight Shane at Mania. Would Shane vs. Bryan’s stand-in be worth the months of television WWE spent on this angle?

Is this storyline worth it?

This storyline is one of the biggest reasons why SmackDown Live has been such a difficult watch over the last year. Instead of letting the in-ring talent shine, WWE chose to build the show around two bickering authority figures to set up a match that probably won’t happen.

Next: WWE Raw's Biggest Losers This Week

I don’t know what WWE has planned for their latest General Manager/Commissioner strife. Whatever the company chooses to do, it better be worth all the weeks of ho-hum television fans have endured on Tuesdays.