Season Analysis

Raw

Season 26 Analysis

Season Woke Score

out of 10

Season Overview

As Raw celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018, the red brand gets dangerous with the arrival of "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey. Plus, DX reunites, Roman Reigns makes a heartbreaking announcement, and much more.

Season Review

Season 26 of Raw is a highly segmented television product where most of the content maintains a traditional sports-entertainment structure, but one key storyline significantly elevates the 'woke' score. The primary narrative engine is the arrival of Ronda Rousey, who is immediately established as a dominant, unstoppable figure, pushing the 'Girl Boss' archetype to the extreme. The show puts a high degree of focus on the 'Women's Evolution' and frames Rousey's success as a form of social commentary and a change in the meaning of 'fight like a girl.' In contrast, major male characters in authority are sometimes portrayed as morally dubious or weak in comparison to the female power structure, fitting the high-score criteria for Feminism. Other major stories, such as Roman Reigns' leukemia announcement and the Dean Ambrose heel turn, are grounded in traditional themes of loyalty, tragedy, and betrayal, providing a sharp contrast and keeping the other category scores extremely low. The show contains no significant political lecturing on race or sexuality, nor does it express hostility toward foundational institutions or religion. The overall tone remains focused on competition, celebrity, and melodrama, with the notable exception of the intense focus on gender dynamics in the women's division.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The narrative remains largely centered on character dynamics and traditional conflict. No plot exists to lecture on privilege or systemic oppression. Casting reflects a general colorblindness within the context of wrestling personas. Roman Reigns' real-life health announcement, a major emotional moment of the season, focused on human struggle, not intersectional identity.

Oikophobia1/10

The season contains no explicit hostility toward Western civilization, home culture, or ancestors. The reunion of the popular group D-Generation X is an embrace and celebration of the show's own heritage and nostalgia. Core institutions like the family unit are referenced in a positive light during the Roman Reigns storyline.

Feminism9/10

The core of the season's programming revolves around the arrival of Ronda Rousey, who is instantly presented as a dominant, perfect force, embodying the 'Girl Boss' trope. She is positioned as a figure who is actively changing the meaning of 'fight like a girl' and whose presence is a form of social commentary. Authority figures like Stephanie McMahon constantly assert dominance over male subordinates, and men are sometimes depicted as bumbling or needing to be 'educated' by a powerful female boss.

LGBTQ+1/10

Alternative sexualities are not centered in the narrative. The nuclear family structure is not deconstructed or framed as oppressive. The show avoids lecturing on gender ideology and keeps sexuality private, focusing on athletic competition and dramatic feuds.

Anti-Theism1/10

No storyline is dedicated to demonizing or attacking traditional religion, and Christian characters are not depicted as villains or bigots. The show operates within a framework of clear moral opposition between 'face' (good) and 'heel' (evil) characters, upholding an objective moral law for its melodrama.