WWE: With or without NXT, SmackDown should be consistently great

It took WWE producing an NXT invasion to offer FOX its best episode of SmackDown yet, but it was more than just a few surprises that made the episode great. WWE need to use this show’s template to offer more consistent episodes of SmackDown every week.

Since WWE moved their blue brand to Friday nights on the FOX network, SmackDown has been far from a people pleasing show. Let’s just call it as it is.

Obviously, there have been some bright spots that both fans and critics have praised (i.e. Bayley’s transformation) but for the most part, thanks to moments like Kofi Kingston’s 10-second title loss to Brock Lesnar, SmackDown has received more negative reviews than positive ones. But thanks to an NXT invasion angle on the last episode of SmackDown, things took a turn for the better. So much so that some critics praised the episode as the best one on FOX yet. 

We could easily tout the fact we got some last minute surprises as a reason why the episode was so great, but surprises aside, this episode still could have fallen flat if it wasn’t booked so strongly. And who booked the show? The same guy who booked the last few bad episodes of SmackDown: Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

As reported elsewhere, while he was airborne on the way back from Saudi Arabia (while many of his Superstars were still stranded there, oddly enough), Vince rewrote the whole show himself. While Triple H was an influence backstage, it was still very much a “Vince show” and many key moments (such as the decision for Adam Cole to pin Daniel Bryan clean) were Vince decision.

Regardless of how you feel about the man when it comes to deals with Saudi Arabia or whatever other business practices (alleged or otherwise) could be deemed shady, we have to give credit where credit is due. When we look solely at his creative process, Vince still gets it, more than we give him credit for. He can still produce great television on a consistent basis. He just … doesn’t.

I don’t understand why. If last Friday’s show says anything, it’s that he still understands the mechanics which make a great television episode. He knows how to book a good episode. Could it be laziness? Did it help that his back was against the wall? I don’t know, but I don’t feel right pegging it as just a lucky week.

Above all else, Vince McMahon should use the template and themes he used to craft last Friday’s SmackDown to produce more consistent, great weeks of television every week with his regular roster of stars.