WWE Unreal Season 2 review: Seth Rollins steals the show

Just a few months after WWE Unreal premiered on Netflix, a second season has arrived, and it features fresh faces like the injured Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

The all-access behind-the-scenes series is now following WWE’s creative journey to SummerSlam in August 2025. Along the way, they face hurdles like faking Rollins’ knee injury and handling the push of Lyra Valkyria.

Additionally, there is a greater focus on celebrities. The lead-up to Jelly Roll’s in-ring debut is chronicled in the series as well, adding some star power to the second season.

Is it worth the wait? WWE Unreal is a unique project, giving fans a look at how creative decisions are made. While some hate the series, it’s one of the best things WWE has done, especially after a somewhat disappointing 2025.

WWE Unreal Season 2 review

Picking up right after WrestleMania 41 — which WWE Unreal Season 1 culminated with — Season 2 chronicles the path to SummerSlam.

The new season features some familiar faces, such as Rhea Ripley and Chelsea Green, but it mostly brings new players to the table. Almost immediately, Unreal proves its power, with bombshells being revealed almost instantaneously (listen to what Lynch says in one of her first talking heads).

Through five episodes (and about five hours), Unreal attempts to take fans behind the scenes of some of its biggest Superstars’ paths to SummerSlam.

Now, it’s fair to question how authentic Unreal really is. They emphasize how candid it is, but it’s always hard to tell with a series like this. Paul Heyman, who makes it known he hates the show, still indulges and gives secrets away. Rollins, who fooled everyone leading up to SummerSlam, has shared similar sentiments.

Like professional wrestling, Unreal requires some suspension of disbelief. It’d be naive to take it all at face value, but the second season ups the ante from get-go with a nonchalant bombshell from Lynch.

Seth Rollins’ fake injury dominates Unreal Season 2

Rollins is an interesting case. He has  been open about his dislike of WWE Unreal, even telling ClutchPoints that there were “some lines I wasn’t willing to cross” when filming the show.

Was his relationship with Punk one of them? In kayfabe, the two hate each other, but in the ring, they have to work together. They are never shown interacting backstage in the show, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Understandably, the Superstars want to keep some things secretive in hopes of keeping the audiences’ suspension of disbelief. However, even having Rollins’ storyline as part of the show makes it feel like WWE’s got one foot in the water, not both.

As they say, you can’t have your cake and it eat it too. That’s the biggest limitation that holds WWE Unreal back. Yes, there should always be kayfabe secrets, but maybe not in a show like this.

Still, Rollins is pretty open with his fake injury outside of the Punk factor. Lynch’s reaction to having to lie to her loved ones makes you think about the consequences of their industry.

The final episode is the most exciting part of WWE Unreal Season 2. It shows the two-night SummerSlam, including Rollins’ epic Money in the Bank cash-in.

Who are the other standouts?

The most authentic participant in the show appears to be Valkyria. While she had a quick rise in 2025, her SummerSlam match with Lynch ended with disappointment. Seeing her real reaction to the botch-filled match reminds fans that while they appear larger than life, WWE Superstars are human.

It was a pleasant surprise that R-Truth’s release and subsequent return were included. It was nice to see his close relationship with Road Dogg, which made the episode about his release more emotional.

It’s easy to cast judgment on Superstars who aren’t as “over” as others, but this is still their livelihood. The impact R-Truth’s release had was so unique.

Jelly Roll also deserves all the credit in the world for stepping into the ring. Unreal shows his impressive weight loss journey and training for his SummerSlam moment. Not all celebrities make it look easy, and his willingness to take the pin at SummerSlam will make fans respect him even more.

Naomi is also extremely candid, but the season cuts her journey short. Currently, she is out of action due to her pregnancy, but Unreal Season 2 shows her drastic gimmick change heading into and after WrestleMania 42. Hopefully, she gets to return for Season 3 and continue to show the lead-up to her life-changing announcement and what came next.

Additionally, Iyo Sky makes waves with her appearance. While she’s an amazing in-ring performer, she connects with her crowd with her viral emotes more than anything.

Unreal peels back some of her layers and shows her personality. It also shows how positively Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and others view her. Triple H even goes as far as saying he’d choose her to restart a promotion with.

Where the series falls flat

There are some limitations, but that’s to be expected. WWE Unreal is extremely light on John Cena’s heel turn. In Season 1, the turn itself is shown, which was the marquee moment of the series.

Now, Cena doesn’t do talking heads like he did last time around, which may explain why his controversial heel turn isn’t discussed at length. However, Cody Rhodes is in Season 2, and he faced Cena at SummerSlam.

So, Unreal shows a little bit of WWE’s decision to turn Cena babyface right before SummerSlam, but this is when the series most felt like a production.

Surely, there had to have been more heated discussions about the heel turn. Each episode is about an hour long, so there’s not a lot of time to linger, but a more in-depth breakdown of this topic would’ve been appreciated. At least WWE is willing to admit its mistakes in Unreal. R-Truth’s release and Cena’s heel turn were rough patches of 2025, and Triple H had to rectify them.

Should you watch WWE Unreal Season 2?

There is a lot to like in WWE Unreal Season 2. Like the first season, it offers a peek behind the curtain of the creative process. How much of Unreal is actually real is up for debate, but it’s an entertaining watch nonetheless.

Just like his ring gear, Rollins makes the biggest statement when he’s willing to speak about certain topics. He’s one of the best storytellers in the company, and seeing the lengths he went to hide his fake injury in 2025 was fascinating.

There are times when WWE is understandably cagey — such as when talking about Naomi’s exit in 2022 — but each episode is well-paced and entertaining. While Unreal may lack some of the star power of its first season (perhaps explaining Jelly Roll’s inclusion), the stories feel more personal this time around. It humanizes some Superstars who feel invincible on screen.

Even documentaries can blend fact and fiction. If you can get past the inevitability that WWE Unreal may not be as real as it seems, it makes for a fun companion watch to the typical programming.

Grade: B+

WWE Unreal Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Jan. 20.

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