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As we continue to settle into the routine of AEW Dynamite and NXT happening on separate nights, the Wednesday night show was typically delightful this week.
AEW Dynamite did well to build a lot of stars and angles, with May shaping up to be a huge month for the program.
Next week's edition is the much anticipated 'Blood and Guts' episode and Double or Nothing is set to take place at the end of the month.
We saw a lot of healthy developments on AEW Dynamite, with multiple things to look forward to.
From title matches and surprise assaults to fun returns and passionate promos, AEW delivered a great show this week. What did you think of it? Sound off in the comments section.
Let's get into the best and worst of this week's episode AEW Dynamite, the go-home edition before Blood and Guts.
#1 Best: Cody Rhodes makes his return to AEW Dynamite
Cody Rhodes made his return to AEW Dynamite this week, having been away for a month. He hadn't been seen since QT Marshall led an implosion attack on the Nightmare Family. Marshall and a few others broke off from the group, creating their own faction called The Factory in the process.
The two sides faced each other on this week's AEW Dynamite, with the heels getting a big win. After Marshall picked up the victory, he was met by a returning Cody. He was inside the Nightmare Express bus that The Factory arrived in.
The AEW executive then proceeded to batter Marshall around and on top of the bus, even locking in the Figure Four Leglock at one point. Cody Rhodes looked better than ever in the segment. He is set to face QT Marshall on next week's episode of AEW Dynamite.
While he will likely defeat Marshall next week, it will be interesting to see what Cody gets up to next on AEW. Could he enter the Bullet Club storyline at some points? How does he feel about his friends reuniting and turning heel?
#1 Worst: AEW Dynamite hasn't provided a clear direction for the world title scene at Double or Nothing
While AEW Dynamite has built to a few interesting matches for Double or Nothing, there haven't been any bouts officially announced for the pay-per-view. We are a month away from the event, with little indication of where things are headed.
Kenny Omega is fresh from winning the IMPACT World Championship, but he did not have much of a role to play on AEW Dynamite. He did come out and nearly got his ankle injured by Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston.
However, it doesn't seem like the direction we are headed towards for Double or Nothing. Moxley and Kingston may end up going for the AEW Tag Team Championship.
The company will likely need to conjure up a world title feud within four weeks, which is usually ill-advised. Who will Kenny Omega even face?
The Cleaner has teased a match with Christian Cage, who is currently in a program with Team Taz. Meanwhile, Brian Cage impressed on AEW Dynamite, dominating Adam Page.
Either one of them, or both, could challenge Kenny Omega for the AEW World Title at Double or Nothing. However, the clock is ticking away and the promotion needs to get a storyline in place for the top Championship.
#2 Best: Miro finally looks like a monster on AEW Dynamite
When Miro made his debut on AEW Dynamite last September, fans were excited. He was finally going to become the main event star.
However, the Bulgarian was saddled with the "Best Man" gimmick alongside Kip Sabian. Miro seemed more focused on bachelor parties and video games than succeeding in AEW.
For over half a year, it seemed that AEW had dropped the ball with Miro's booking. However, the past month has proven otherwise.
He set up a singles run for himself, following the Arcade Anarchy match with Kip Sabian, Chuck Taylor, and Orange Cassidy.
Sabian tried to speak with Miro in the locker room on AEW Dynamite but was instantly attacked. The former WWE Superstar looked like a beast as he brutalized his former partner. This was an excellent showcase of Miro's intensity, as he looks set to become the big star he always felt like.
Once Kip Sabian is completely out of the picture on AEW Dynamite, the three-time WWE United States Champion could win more gold.
Miro is a prime candidate to end Darby Allin's current reign with the TNT Championship. Hopefully, AEW continues to book him as a monster. Toniight was a step in the right direction for the Bulgarian star.
#2 Worst: What is the endgame for Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky on AEW Dynamite?
This week's episode of AEW Dynamite was headlined by Darby Allin and the TNT Championship yet again. He has defended the title on the show five weeks in a row now. Allin fended off a stern challenge from Preston "10" Vance of The Dark Order, with Sting watching at ringside.
However, there was considerable drama after the match. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky attacked the TNT Champion and the WCW Legend, beating them down and standing tall to end AEW Dynamite. They will feud with Allin and Sting, but how will it play out?
It seems like, for the second pay-per-view in a row, the TNT Champion will team up with Sting to take on a couple of heels.
The two of them will likely defeat Page and Sky at Double or Nothing, but will it truly benefit any of them. Sure, the heels get to work with the WWE Hall of Famer but that's about it.
Neither Scorpio Sky nor Ethan Page is likely to walk away from this angle with the TNT Championship, especially if they continue to team up afterward.
If that is the case, they'd simply be lost in the shuffle of a stacked tag team division on AEW Dynamite.
#3 Best/Worst: The final build for 'Blood and Guts' on next week's AEW Dynamite
This week's episode of AEW Dynamite was the go-home show for Blood and Guts, which pits two of the company's biggest factions against each other. The Inner Circle will take on The Pinnacle in what is set to be a brutal war, with this week providing a fine preview.
There was no violence between the two sides on AEW Dynamite. Instead, they laid into each other with some strong promos. Sammy Guevara, MJF, Santana, and Ortiz all did well but the show was stolen by Chris Jericho. He cut a stellar promo that was filled with passion and purpose.
It may have been Jericho's greatest ever babyface promo. The legend laid into MJF and spoke of the level of brotherhood he has with each member of The Inner Circle.
Le Champion even mentioned a time when someone tried to assassinate him in Abu Dhabi in 2012, and Jake Hager had his back.
Chris Jericho did an excellent job at giving the Blood and Guts match one final promotional shove on AEW Dynamite, but there is an issue. Tony Schiavone laid out the rules of the match at the start of the promo segment, stating that the only way to win is by making a member of the other team surrender.
This feels like an old-school WarGames match at a time when the concept needs changing. AEW could have implemented an elimination stipulation to make the match more exciting. Nevertheless, we will see how 'Blood and Guts' plays out on next week's episode of AEW Dynamite. Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.
