There was a lot of good on this week’s episode of Smackdown and not too much bad.  Instead of writing this up as I watch the episode, this week I decided to watch it all and write this up after.  Maybe it will have a different feel, maybe it will be better written or maybe you wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t written this explanation.  Either way, lets get to the review.

The show itself, just taking the two hours that aired, was a fine show.  Some entertaining promos and good matches.  However, when you think about the PPV that is coming up shortly there was absolutely no build up for anything in this show.

Daniel Bryan gives AJ another tongue lashing.  And not in the fun way.  Its the usual he’s an asshole and just this side of coming across as the abusive boyfriend.  The longer the angle goes, the more and more abusive he becomes.  One bad thing can be forgivable but saying shit each and every week makes it less and less possible to forgive Daniel’s words.  Not that the crazy YES chants are hurting his career at all.  Well, it might be hurting him being a heel but its great for his standing in WWE.

AJ is fast becoming WWE’s biggest Diva.  The crowd already thought she was adorable and then they felt great sympathy towards her.  Then she kicks a Divas ass.  Not just any Diva, because really it wouldn’t mean much if she beat a Bella.  No, she kicked Natalya’s ass.  Third generation, respected around the world, Hart family member Natalya.  I expect to see AJ wearing the Divas title by the end of the year.  While Bryan may not be getting anything out of the romantic story line, AJ is becoming an international star.

Damien Sandow promo, Brodus Clay adds Hornswoggle to his entourage, Hunico gets beat.  All of this is filler.  Its fun, it gets these guys on TV to build them up as faces or heels (or whatever they’re doing with Hunico) but overall it doesn’t matter.

Titus O’Neil and Darren Young get brought up to Smackdown.  Then, out of no where, Antonio Cesaro skips NXT and goes right to the main roster.  The new talent initiative, but not named as such, is better than the botched attempt that did have that name.  Titus and Darren were a great tag team and if WWE had any sort of tag team angles going on it would be exciting.  As such they’ll be on Superstars soon until WWE decides to randomly throw a tag team title match on TV with no build up.

Alberto Del Rio is officially on Smackdown now and beats Big Show by DQ.  Its a step down from his feuds on Raw, but what is there for Del Rio to do?  He doesn’t have any character besides wanting the World title.  I mean, I guess he could go after the IC belt but it still seems like a step down.  Big Show is just going around, doing what he’s told, smiling like a goof (he said goof right?).

Speaking of new talent, Ryback destroys a no body again this week.  The squashes are great but I’ll be very curious how he fares against someone with talent.  WWE level talent that is.

Great Khali gets taken out of the main event match because why not spend all this cash to fly over an eight foot tall no talent just to have him walk out and walk back.  And he was paid much much more than you to do this.  Don’t you wish you were born an untalented freak too?

Big Show, Sheamus and Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes.

Its kind of easy to see who will be taking the pin here.  The guy with nothing going on right now.  Mark Henry takes the pin and then the faces celebrate.  The faces are Big Show, Sheamus and Randy Orton.  Three men who have been the most hated wrestlers on the planet during their careers.  But for no reason they’re all good buddies now and hang out and smile and shake hands.  Look, I know wrestling should be good vs evil but how about some shades of gray?  I would rather see them teaming up out of respect than out of friendship.

That’s all for this week!  How did you like Smackdown?