Welcome to the new Ice Box Temple, Believers! I’m excited to bring you my first Lucha Underground review of the season.
This week’s episode opens up with all eyes on Catrina. Caught between two worlds she’s looking for a way back to life. Last week her man Mil Muertes defeated both Jeremiah Crane, with some help from Ivelisse, and Fenix. Fenix holds the key to restore Catrina back to the world of the living!
Lick of Death, Kiss of Life… #luchaunderground pic.twitter.com/q9Ume0Smi8
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) July 5, 2018
In the next scene Melissa Santos mourns Fenix as she scrolls through photos of happier times. Catrina approaches and tells Melissa not to fret. She hands over a piece of necklace as a remembrance of her beau.
Our match of the night is Taya and Johnny Mundo vs Daga and Kobra Moon.
We get some intergender action as Taya and Daga start off first. Commentary acknowledges Taya’s new look, comparing it to Luna (which I saw you in the comments section say this too). They go back and forth with fast paced offense before Taya tags in Johnny after a wicked dropkick by Daga takes her down.
Daga and Johnny fight for a bit until Kobra tags herself in.
The Queen of the Reptiles takes it to the Mayor of Slamtown #thewarison #LuchaUnderground pic.twitter.com/Z8UopXfo7Y
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) July 5, 2018
She picks up the pace as Daga tags back in and they double team Johnny. After Johnny dominates Daga he tags Taya back in. Johnny and Taya return the double team favor to Daga, except, Taya gets caught in the crossfire and gets hit with a superkick by Johnny. Daga takes control and tags Kobra in.
Johnny calls for a time out as Kobra approaches. However, she starts pummeling the couple as Taya and Johnny lay in the center of the ring.
Johnny soon rolls out of the ring and it’s Taya’s turn to fight Kobra. Kobra takes Taya down with a headscissor Russian legsweep move.
But, PJ Black appears out of nowhere and hits Kobra in the back of the head.
Ouch #LuchaUnderground pic.twitter.com/U7ykCSaDtI
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) July 5, 2018
The distraction is enough for Worldwide Underground to get the win.
La Wera Loca capitalizes with a brutal finisher #LuchaUnderground pic.twitter.com/1gWmDALQOC
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) July 5, 2018
Though Taya wins the match for her team, chaos ensues with the arrival of Vibora.
Feuding with the Reptile Tribe is probably the biggest mistake the World Wide Underground ever made. #luchaunderground @LuchaElRey pic.twitter.com/IuhnFCbScA
— Arise, Kobra Moon, arise! (@TypeAndrew) July 5, 2018
Thoughts: Not going to lie, I must have missed something regarding Daga’s return. How’d he get resurrected? It’s a little off to me how commentary doesn’t even mention his prior absence, just that he appeared during the first episode.
Anyway, it’s nice to see Kobra back in the ring. She’s been featured in a different, yet still powerful role, but I know she can do more. She has improved and been working hard on the indies. Though her inclusion in the match is short, it’s enough to notice the difference in her from when she first appeared in Season 2. She’s faster and hitting moves much smoother. It helped she was in the ring with Johnny, who’s a veteran, and Taya, who’s been doing everything – appearing on Impact and on the Indie circuit.
Taya is great as always. She’s the most solid and dependable female in-ring competitor. She delivers every time. I hope to see more women included this season and in the future, LU can definitely piggy back the competition off Taya. We don’t see enough of Mariposa yet, despite the fact that she was the only woman involved in Aztec Warfare in the first episode.
The tribal warfare between the two groups will continue and I’m expecting the best showing is yet to come from all involved.
Onto the Mistress of the Macabre, I wasn’t expecting Catrina to receive her life force back so soon. I’m pleasantly surprised. Will she go back after Ivelisse? Will she target Melissa? Catrina’s role is so creative and unpredictable.
The only qualm I have so far is, I don’t feel like enough is being done yet to tie the lose ends up from last season. We’re 4 episodes in so I’m not alarmed yet. I doubt Sexy Star will appear but I want to know how the show will write her off.
We’re missing a purebred babyface in the new Temple now, with Ivelisse being a badass face and Mariposa still being shifty despite turning a little at the end of last season. I’m eager to see where things go from here.
What did you think of last night’s episode? Which team will gain the upper hand when they square off again? What’s next for Catrina? Sound off in the comments below.
