Winter Wasteland 2023 (Dec '23).

Promo reviews.

Originally posted by SupineSnake

Madison Gray
Really enjoyed this promo, thought it was quite creative and definitely ambitious. I’ve mentioned in the discord a few times the difference between your writing now and when you first joined with MDC and that continues to impress. Story was well paced and filled with interesting interactions with stand-ins for FWA stars, although I did think at some points a lot of the inclusions (outside of Wurst) maybe seemed a little random. The Tailor as the antagonist is obvious but some of the other choices for peripheral characters here didn’t add too much to the central story for me. I thought the writing was at its strongest at the start with some really cool imagery as well as fun surreal dialogue, the latter making appearances throughout the roleplay. Gray came across as perhaps impressionable, taking advice from those around her more than she is forthright and assertive, although she makes some progression through the final passages. Promo was mostly clean and the images were okay, although I think description alone probably better if you can get away with it.

Vengador
‘There's not nearly enough resources left in this world to sustain an agrarian society’ is such a backward mentality and really left me cold to this promo. Seriously though this was a fun little promo about trust, betrayal, and friendship (your favourite theme). Lots of opponent focus in a short time and done in a creative way. Think it’s clear your focus probably on the other two promos (!) that you have for this card but always enjoy these short, sharp Vengador pieces that always feel light and easy to read.

Bryan Baxter
Another promo with plenty of opponent focus, with Starling obviously standing in for the Showman and possessing adequate sleaze to do so. Sort of reminded me of Scorpane also. THe writing of the relationship with Bryan and his estranged daughter has been engaging, slow build stuff, the longer term narrative you’ve told there has been consistently good and refreshingly organic character progression. I thought the scene between Kristy and Aubrey was maybe a little thin (uncharacteristically), particularly in relation to Aubrey’s motivations for running away and in general. Maybe that’ll be drawn out more in the future. Would’ve liked a big circus set piece sequence. Aubrey standing in for the North American Championship here, though, contributed to the overall themes of the promo even if they left Aubrey without agency for much of the promo (or up until the climatic scene). Glad you somewhat subverted trope of finishing with a big fight or a dramatic build to said fight.

DRA
One of Konchu’s/Cyrus’s opponents, in this case the stand-in for Xavien Marshall, telling one of Cyrus’ characters that they ‘don’t know him’ is amusing because nobody addresses their opponents more thoughtfully and thoroughly than Cyrus. You really have a knack for understanding other people’s characters and nailing their essence in a couple thousand words. Enjoyed the pitch of Xavien and Kenny as common, petty ruffians with no strong bond, ready to sell each other down the river at the earliest opportunity. Although an argument could be made that this is a classic ‘list’ promo, where you run through your opponents one by one, I think there was enough flow between the sections where it feels like one whole piece comprising these individual acts. I actually thought the sections centred around Kenny and Xavien were stronger than the FTR sections in this promo, which is perhaps surprising given Cyrus and (to a lesser extent) Konchu’s recent history with Peacock and Black, although the ending with Peacock was pretty fantastic. Genuinely laughed out loud whilst reading in bed last night. Enjoyed this promo, feels unnatural seeing Cyrus this natural with a teammate.

*

promo reviews part two

Keres.
I think, alongside Death Walker, Keres as a character definitely has one of the most unique voices out of any of the new roster members since we came to WS. That’s in evidence here with what is often quite a bizarre scene involving your opponent and a host of other FWA stars. At first, I thought some of the inclusions here felt pretty random, focusing on people Keres has - to my knowledge - had very little interactions with since her arrival in the promotion, but overall I felt this approach added to the surreal feeling of the promo. Can see some of the wrestling influences in this promo - it’s no surprise that you’re a big Wyatt fan. I’m glad a large amount of the promo focussed on Bedlam, drawing what turns into a cutting and personal point on your opponent that keeps the roleplay focussed where it needs to be, even through the abstract stretches a the climax. Presentation was mostly fine though I did find the black-on-black kind of hard to read. Excellent character portrayal for me here - as I mentioned Keres as a character feels so unique and unmistakable. You know that you’re reading a Keres promo because you have such a firm grasp of the character.

Brooklyn Steiner.
Most of the time that I read a Brooklyn Steiner promo my mind makes obvious comparisons to my Jean-Luc Watkins character back when I was roleplaying as him - the section in this one with Steiner and his father definitely triggered images of Jean-Luc’s relationship with Rupert. Loved this sequence in the promo - the blunt and dismissive tone that Kirkman takes with his son in this roleplay explains a lot about the man that Brooklyn is (or the small part of him we’ve seen so far). Thought this was excellent character work in both the portrayal and development categories. The journey through the portal and into an alternate reality, complete with an alternate Brooklyn and alternate Sarah, was a creative touch even if this concept actually featured (relatively) heavily this cycle. I think you used it well to convey what I thought was the major point of the promo, with questions relating to whether Brooklyn’s attitude (almost courting the reputation as a workhorse) will lead to a prime version of himself. It seems that both Brooklyn’s father and Brooklyn himself have doubts about that. Originally, I wasn’t sure about the ending segments with an almost commercial-style hype package for the upcoming match. Now, I sort of dig them: they feel a little old school and unique amongst the FWA landscape.

Death Walker.
Really glad to see that you brought it in this promo, showing big for the pay-per-view at the culmination of a feud I’ve really enjoyed over the past couple months. The unique style of your promos is something that has been commented on a lot already, and that is combined here with an ambitious narrative structure with intertwining stories told in parallel. That was really well done, the structure itself becoming a major creative force in the roleplay before we descend into absolute madness in the final interaction between Death and Pam. This is Death Walker at his finest, sinister and pompous, and really does read like nothing else posted on this card (or any card in recent memory). This roleplay was definitely very much focussed around your own character, scoring particularly well for me in the character portrayal category, but I would maybe have enjoyed to see some more focus on your opponent. The feud has been hype, which makes it a shame that Grayson seems only a secondary concern here. This promo felt a lot cleaner and tighter than recent ones from Death, also, which helped with keeping the somewhat complicated structure straightforward to follow.

Jack the Clipper.
More sinister atmosphere (I imagine Jack speaks in a hushed and gravelly tone, to answer a recent question in the Discord about how characters sound for one other than my own) here but with additional backstory exhibition! First part of the promo was probably my favourite, with some exploration of Jack’s (don’t call him Clipper) initial forays into the wrestling business, his volatile tendencies on full display. This was great character work, particularly in the development category, but throughout the promo there is this feel of a Jack the Clipper promo that comes from the general atmosphere as well as solid work in character portrayal. As anticipated (by your opponent(s) as much as anyone…) we conclude with a lengthy monologue section, where you really sold the match and the importance of it to Jack specifically. There was enough emphasis on your opponents within the body of this monologue, with enough creativity in the language and approach to building the match (alongside that shown in the opening flashback sequence).

*

Undisputed Xperienx.
Sesame Street X sounds like a really sordid porno. When I started this and realised Jackson (and Nate) were going back to Sesame Street again I worried that the set-up would be the victim of diminishing returns, but I think you found enough amusing sequences here to avoid that, and the accompanying Xperienx (along with Monica and Antonia, of course) certainly adds a new dynamic to the whole thing. I think there’s enough character focus throughout here because of the manner in which you used the events of last cycle’s television as a catalyst for their visit – the Coven are always looming over the promo, even if not present or even discussed, as instigators and antagonists. Loved the characters realising that they couldn’t swear when in the Sesame Street universe - nice touch. Felt the ending was maybe a little sudden but that’s probably down to the enforced word count and wanting to get all your stuff in leading up to that point, which is a fair editorial choice. Enjoyed this promo.

FTN.
Throughout this promo, Chris Peacock is the member of FTN prone to volatility, violence, and prolonged bouts of sullen-ness, whilst Alyster Black engages in some frivolity (signing up for a murder mystery) in an attempt to conjure up some team spirit. I liked tha this promo in some ways felt like a role reversal of sorts, with Peacock exhibiting a lot of the characteristics I’d associate with Black (and vice versa), but enjoyed that it’s circumstance that has created this as opposed to going full gimmick a la Freaky Friday or whatever. Maybe a subtle nod to Golden Rock, which is possible given the opening sequence. With regards to this, I was initially worried that maybe we were going to be too focussed on Peacock’s backburner feud, but it quickly became clear that the situation with Randy Ramon was instead going to act as a source of tension between Black and Peacock, so I liked how you used that other program as a motivating factor for your characters going into Winter Wasteland. Also liked that you subverted having the murder mystery be directly about your opponents – when I started reading about the factory owners I was trying to decipher whether this was Kenny/Marshall or Truth/Hao, but soon became very clear the most obvious parallels between Lipp and Fine and FWA characters were to Peacock and Black. This made for a more creative and unique read in my opinion but also had very little focus on the opponents, with them reduced to shuffling past the other duos attempting the murder mystery – perhaps this is deliberate? Only thing they have in common with the teams in their pursuit of a common prize? Would work for Kenny and Marshall but I think less so for Hao and Truth. The quality of the writing here is very high throughout, although I think it’s possible you had more time to proof the start than the end. The second half of the promo definitely had more cluttered sentences with two many ands, but quality of writing still one of the highest posted. Thing this promo was particularly successful in the character categories, specifically that of progression. Ending sequence was pretty full on. I hoped for Peacock to finish his matching scar and then for everyone to go get matching manicures and perms. Really dug this promo throughout, great work.

Sawyer Xavier.
Alternate versions of the protagonists - be it in direct AU contexts like here or with Brooklyn, or in more down-to-earth and metaphorical ways like with FTN - seems to be a recurring theme for this set of promos. Thought you approached this in a pretty creative way, and thought it was a good touch that all of these other Sawyers seem to be telling our Xavier what NOT to do. Imagine this is indicative of the mental place that Sawyer is in leading up to Winter Wasteland: plagued by nagging self-doubt, despite the externalised blame (directed towards the man and the system) that we've seen from him on television and is the driving force of his story with Randall. Think this promo did a good job with character portrayal and also scored points for me by doing so in an unusual way that you might not expect.

*

Xavien Marshall and Jay Kenny.
I like that this promo in quite a few ways felt like a continuation of the excellent Xavien promo for the Gunfight Battle Royale match, which is definitely the tone struck up throughout. The atmosphere of this one feels a lot more like that of Marshall than that of Kenny, although it was fun to read Jay placed in that context. I was perhaps a little concerned during the first third that the primary focus of the promo was going to be Xavien to the extent of Jay becoming a supporting character. I think this is still sort of true at the end of the promo, but Kenny’s role becomes a lot more significant in that middle and final act. It is also the case that the best character progression made, in my opinion, is the development of the relationship between the two of them, mostly coming in that middle third of the roleplay. I like that they didn’t instantly become fast friends and there’s still a fair bit of tension and animosity under the surface with them, although I must admit Kenny not taking more of an issue with what happened on Meltdown did make him look a bit like a punk (although his willingness to go along with X and Z’s plan with the guy who owed them cash was explained by Jay finding himself back in his own element). Absolutely loved the description of Xavien going back to his old ends. Top notch pancake nostalgia imagery. I really enjoyed the parallels between the scene with Kenny and the dude owing money with the final one of Xavien and Officer Martin, with both collecting a debt and showing obvious similarities but also clear differences in how they conduct their ‘business’. Nice to see Xavien exhibiting some levels of restraint after the excesses of last cycle. There's a pragmatism about both men in each scene, though - a sense that both would be swift to violence if negotiations didn't go their way. Usually I would think an onscreen section like this would maybe feel tagged on or forced, but here I think it works well to cement the development (the common ground found) of the team. Also provides some match focus and is the clearest Kenny's voice comes through in the whole promo for me. Feels like a Kenny viewed through Xavien’s eyes up to this point. Outside of a couple of minor errors this was one of the cleanest promos posted this week. That tag match is incredibly tough to call.

The Coven.
The procession of Christmas-themed (or Christmas-inspired, or Christmas-infused) promos continues with the Coven’s festive storytime. This roleplay immediately brought to mind an old Saint Sully promo from (I think) his world title reign, where he tells his daughter a trio of bedtime stories focused around his opponents. This obviously has the levity dialled up with that concept and I enjoyed equating Trixie to Sullivan’s literal child. The stories were enjoyable, particularly the GrinchX, but also thought the Trixie/Rudolph work was some pretty solid character work. Overall presentation of this promo was very nice. Think the page is cluttered but deliberately so, almost childlike and scrapbookish. Think it's clear from reading both this and the Kleio promo that this one is where most of your focus was (though as a sidenote your prediction of what the Clipper promo would be in the KDS roleplay was amusing). The ending of this promo was funny also. Really enjoy Trixie and the Ravenwoods as a team but would also maybe like to see them spread their wings outside of the trios division.

Gabrielle.
I'm never sure exactly how I'm meant to feel when reading a Gabrielle promo. Voyeuristic isn't quite the word: we're not seeing anything that the protagonist doesn't want us to see, but the suggestion of vulnerability with which you write this Gabrielle (not quite fully sure as to her own motives or whether she has agency), not to mention the ‘power’ that Desmond notes enjoying, that gives these roleplays a calculated seediness. The middle scene was initially quite surprising but I think maybe it's a setup for what happens if Gabrielle doesn't make the F1, given that the Buddy Bowl makes it difficult for her to do so. I really enjoyed the address to Elizabeth/Lizzie after the meditations on sexuality - this third part of the promo is probably my favourite. This is Gabrielle at the most candid she's been since returning to the FWA, at least in front of a camera. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Gabrielle turning her back on Desmond, who holds some sort of power over her, before addressing Lizzie, who finds herself in a similar (but less adult themed) situation with Keres and Eternal. The promo was clean generally, and I like the stripped back look of it. Very strong character work throughout.

*

Tommy Bedlam.
The Lucien revelations (and the Lucien character in general) are certainly very out there, but I do like that this supernatural character dips in and out of your promos as a peripheral figure rather than a central one. At first, the plot twist with Lucien and Rocco seems super random, but I guess does help to explain the original peculiar event, and to be honest Rocco is the kind of guy I can see making long-standing deals with demons. I thought the scenes involving Keres’ ‘father’ were the standout in this promo, helping to underline the fact that Keres will stop at nothing to get the X Championship in her hands, and - more interestingly - asking why a supernatural being like Keres would even want a few pounds of leather and gold to begin with. I thought the reveal at the end, with the whole thing having been some sort of simulation, was amusing even if I was able to predict something to this effect during the roleplay. Tommy's reaction to the trickery was perfectly in keeping with his character. I think the simulation promo is very well trodden territory by now but this still managed to feel fresh and creative throughout, particularly during that reveal. I also thought this was one of the cleanest promos posted this week - the design was pretty simple but looked sleek and straightforward to read.

Gerald Grayson.
From the title and the imagery used in your forum post, I expected that - of all the various Christmas-themed promos posted for this pay-per-view - this one would easily be the most wholesome. It certainly has its moments in that regard, with Gerald's conversation with his parents backing up expectations from its title. Never judge a book by its cover, though, as you subvert this expectation wonderfully with the introduction of the Daredevil. More than just a nickname, we meet Gerald’s inner demon, personifying the more extreme and wild side of the character. Although this is definitely a narrative device that we’ve seen a number of times before from a multitude of other characters, it works here on account of it being pretty unexpected, with the (well-earned) reputation of Grayson as a pure soul without a bad bone in his body. It’s in fitting with the character that Gerald is initially resistant to this internal influence, and I enjoyed the antagonistic relationship between Grayson and the Daredevil that you developed through the promo. This felt sort of like an anti-’It’s A Wonderful Life’ in some ways, with Grayson encouraged to explore the darker parts of his psyche that he’s suppressed successfully thus far in his FWA career. The promo was clean and, as usual, I loved the first person writing that still feels a huge part of Gerald’s voice and unique even with more frequent use by others on this card.

Jeremy Best.
I love how in this promo the UltaBuddy robot is programmed in a lab and taught about friendship by its programmer, which is something that the sociopathic Jeremey can relate to, having seemingly picked up a lot of his own ideas about friendship from observation as opposed to experience. This goes wrong for the Jeremy incarnation of the robot, much the same as it has for Jeremy in his actual life, with miscalculations based around his own absolute ideas around friendship leading to Jeremy’s more overtly psychopathic moments (as they do for UltaBuddy here). The level of manipulation on display from the UltaBuddy, particularly when he lies for Alyx to get him out of a jam, was also very fitting. I really like that in this promo Jeremy Best, the writer's character, takes up the antagonist role whilst the opponent is the protagonist figure. This allows for great opponent focus, but think the UltaBuddy concept was unique and creative enough to hit the necessary character points as well (particularly in the portrayal category). The most impressive thing about this promo, as it quite often is with your work, is the narrative itself, which is so well structured, allegorical to just the right degree but also working as its own thing outside of the universe too. The story is expertly paced and rifles along to a dark ending that I didn't see coming. The promo read very cleanly, except for a few dropped dialogue colours late in and some clunky repeated words dotted throughout, but all very minor things that didn't affect my enjoyment of the piece. Congratulations on the trio of victories - all are well deserved.