I Didn't Understand How This Show Kept Hitting #1 on Netflix—Until I Went to a Live Taping

Is WWE scripted? Yeah, duh. But that doesn't change the fact that these wrestlers are spectacular athletes.

And as with any sport, the live, in-person version is even more impressive to take in than the on-screen one. A baseball game on TV bores me to tears, but attending a Mets or Yankees game in person makes things way more fun to watch. You get to see the skill of the athletes up close, and this makes their feats all the more jaw-dropping.

When these WWE wrestlers battled it out live in front of me during my visit, I couldn't believe just how strong and disciplined they each are. They throw their bodies off of the top ropes, they dive out of the ring onto folding tables and they deliver (and take) stage punches in a realistic, drama-inducing way. The fact that they aren't actually hurting each other only makes their performances that much more impressive.

When I attended the WWE night, I had no idea I'd be stepping into a full-on soap opera. The drama between the wrestlers is intense. Sure, it's all scripted and planned out. But WWE Raw—like any TV show—presents heroes and villains out to destroy one another. Sometimes the heroes prevail (and the crowd goes wild). Sometimes the villains do (and the arena erupts into booing).

The wrestlers have a fair amount of dialogue in addition to their actual wrestling matches. They appear on camera backstage or center ring to trash talk their opponents, tossing out important plot points that are bound to stretch over the course of weeks. In the live-taping I took in, I was floored by just how many intricate storylines there were. And the crowd around me knew all about them. They knew who hated who, who had betrayed who and who was supposed to emerge victorious.

Honestly, I felt like I was back on my childhood couch watching One Life to Live with my mom...

First of all, the spectacle of it all is incredible. There are pyrotechnics, elaborate costumes (and makeup), dramatic lights and chill-inducing music. Each element, layered together, creates a full-blown extravaganza reminiscent of my favorite big-budget concerts.

And then there is the energy of the crowd. Again, I would liken it to a concert audience, leaping to their feet and losing their minds (in a fun way) over seeing their favorite star in person. The cheering and the chanting (the crowd knew exactly which chants went with which wresters) made it hard not to enjoy myself. I found myself smiling throughout. And even when I didn't know which wrestler I was supposed to root for, the crowd around me filled me in.

So, though I don't know if I'll be watching Raw every week, I can certainly say that I get the appeal now. And who knows? Maybe I'll tune in to catch a cage match every now and then.

You can watch new episodes of WWE Raw each Monday on Netflix.

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