The Letdown that was Ultima Lucha Dos: Part III

Part three of Ultima Lucha Dos was a dud. Every single episode has ranged from pleasant to great. Not matter what happened, I was always left with a feeling of satisfaction. That was until now. Part three was the worst episode of the entire Lucha Underground series.

Since this was the season finale, I went in with certain expectations, which I don't think were unreasonable. I expected the wrestling to be top notch. I expected closure to long simmering feuds. I expected backstage vignettes to advance storylines and tie together loose ends. I expected to be left in a frenzy of excitement for season three to arrive. Most of all, I expected the type of show that I could be proud to show a friend and instantly get them interested in binge-watching before season three debuts. None of these expectations were met to satisfaction.

The Show

The show started out pretty strong with the birth of Pentagon DARK. No complaints there.

The Trios championship match was next. This match was a hot mess, in a good way. I wouldn't call it top notch wrestling, but it sure was entertaining. I could live with it, since Worldwide Underground are the heeliest bunch of heels this side of the Pecos. The fight's finish is when the show starting going downhill.

Angelico came out on crutches. I popped. When he interfered, I was lukewarm. I understand why he did it. Mundo was the perpetrator who put him out of action, but I wasn't a fan of seeing him exact revenge at that particular moment. Since it was the first match of the night, I decided to let it slide. I anticipated three of the next four matches would be dynamite.

Next up was the surprisingly entertaining Black Lotus vs El Dragon Azteca Jr. Just as it was picking up serious steam, Pentagon DARK came out to break their arms. Why? Two matches, two interference finishes.

The Lucha Underground championship bout proceeded as an unspectacularly boring affair. I get that Pentagon DARK is supposed to be a super badass now, but having him pummel a fresh, healthy Matanza for the first eight minutes did nothing to spark my enjoyment. It picked up a bit when Matanza executed some suplexes. I popped hard when Vampiro unveiled the barbwire bat only to be disappointed as the finish was bathed in adequatulence. That's not a knock on booking Matanza as the victor. It is a knock on the lack of epicness to match the tremendous buildup to the match.

The contest I was most hyped for in part three was next. Taya vs Ivelisse. They delivered a true slobberknocker, until Catrina made her presence felt. In a vacuum, the moment was amazing. As part of this episode, not so much. It was overkill of unnecessary interference and robbed me of a clean finish for a match I was eager to watch.

The frustrating part is that all of the interfering didn't need to occur. It could have transpired after each match and been just as effective. The worst part about all of the shenanigans is that nobody ended up looking strong in victory.

By the time the main event took place, my overall excitement had eroded due to the all the events up to that point. Prince Puma vs Rey Mysterio was fine, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more after a second viewing.

The Ending

The most disappointing part of the show was the ending. After the match, Rey had Puma take center ring for the fans. So, the lasting image of season two is supposed to be a defeated Puma being cheered?

Oh, hold on. Pentagon DARK attacked Vampiro, or was it Ian since he went back on his meds after the championship bout. So, the lasting image of season two is supposed to be Pentagon beating up Vampiro in a scene we've already seen multiple times in season one?

Oh, hold on. Dario Cueto is going to jail. So, the lasting image of season two is supposed to be Dario Cueto with an evil grin? The grin was kind of cool, but that being the end left a lot to be desired.

All three scenes got a big shrug of indifference.

They really dropped the ball by not doing a closing video like last year. We saw Dario Cueto fleeing the Temple with Black Lotus and Matanza in tow, King Cuerno hunting Fenix, Marty Martinez kidnapping Sexy Star, Team Havoc going down the open road, Drago and Aerostar flying away, Pentagon and Vampiro making plans, and El Dragon Azteca Jr. spray painting a question mark on the Temple billboard. So much awesomeness packed into so few minutes. It made every Lucha Underground fan experience maximum pumpitude in anticipation for a season two.

There were plenty of things they could have done with a closing video this year. We could have seen the police enter the Temple in search for Dario Cueto, instead of only seeing him hop in the van. Instead of Angelico interfering, we could have had a scene of him interacting with Worldwide Underground. It could have created a little bit of mystery about his attacker. Most would have assumed Jack Evans due to their AAA partnership and matching ring gear. Black Lotus and El Dragon Azteca Jr. could have bonded over their broken arms and started a Romeo & Juliet love story. The new Trios champs could have had another cool exit via flight and Firebird. So many options and we got nothing.

Review

The episode wasn't a complete waste of time. There were some redeeming parts. Tune in tomorrow for that dose of positivity in the supersized edition of the Tope 10.

Back to my checklist of expectations. Was there top notch wrestling? Not really. Puma vs Rey was good. The Trios match was a jumble. Taya vs Ivelisse and Black Lotus vs Azteca were cut short before they had time to develop into anything special. Pentagon vs Matanza was a bit of a snooze.

Was there closure to feuds? Rey is still el rey. Aside from that, zip, zero, zilch. The new Trios champs needed unplanned interference to win. They didn't prove they were the better team. Black Lotus and Azteca solved nothing. Due to interjection from Vampiro and interference from Dario, we don't really know if Pentagon is dark enough or if Matanza truly is the best monster. I still don't know who is the baddest bitch in the building. I suppose Catrina made her case, but Jack Evans still has a say in the race.

Were storylines advanced? Yes and no. Storylines were advanced. Unfortunately, they weren't the same stories that were being told as we headed into part three of Ultima Lucha Dos. Give me any of those moments on a regular episode and I'm grinning ear to ear. The problem is that this was the season finale. It wasn't the right time.

Were loose ends tied together? Not much. We found out the identity of Angelico's attacker, but I'm left wondering about the limo lord and who Dario Cueto called after bashing Mr. Cisco's brains.

Was I left with an intense desire for season three to arrive? Sadly, not at all. Dario being arrested is no big whoop. He has connections and will most likely be released. The most intriguing question for me is to find out who took care of Matanza while Dario was in the pokey.

Would I be eager to show this episode to a friend? On the contrary, I would be embarrassed. Lucha Underground is one of my favorite shows. I talk it up as must watch TV. To my chagrin, they didn't rise to the occasion.

Lucha Underground isn't a perfect show, but there is no excuse for what they delivered (or didn't deliver) in the season finale. As Saint Augustine said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." I want to have faith that this episode was a one-time dud leading to bountiful magnificence in season three, however, they didn't make it easy for me to be a Believer.