Recap/Review: ESPN+'s "Stephanie's Places" Highlights Endurance, Emotion, and Storytelling with a WWE Backdrop
Stephanie’s Places is a fantastic introduction to the world of WWE while offering unique perspectives certain to entertain long-time fans. If you’re unfamiliar with WWE and think it's only about what happens in the ring, this show pulls back the curtain and offers a look at the storytelling and entertainment components of this highly physical form of entertainment. Her narratives are masterfully woven with clips of the high-energy WWE event footage. The host, Stephanie McMahon, is fourth generation in the wrestling world and has previously been a wrestler and an executive within the organization.
In the debut episode, McMahon shares that she has taken a step back from WWE in recent years while her husband, Paul “Triple H" Levesque, serves as Chief Content Officer for the sports entertainment empire. The show opens with her arrival at the new WWE HQ, which she had helped draft and design but had yet to see. She is surprisingly vulnerable while sharing stories from her years around such legends as Andre the Giant and Dusty Rhodes. Her playful and romantic interactions with her husband add a personal touch as she explores the new HQ.
Sparked by her own return, McMahon opts to explore the wildly popular element of WWE storytelling: “The Return." While the discussion begins with Triple H’s own experiences of making it back to the ring after an injury and his fears about crowd response, the episode’s main focus is CM Punk, his contentious departure from WWE, and his emotional return during a hometown event in Chicago, Illinois.
In 2014, tensions between CM Punk and WWE escalated to the point that he walked away, leading many to believe he would never come back. Paul “Triple H" Levesque recounts the efforts to bring him back nine years later for a match in his hometown while keeping it a secret. McMahon travels to Cleveland, Ohio where CM Punk had originally quit the WWE and where his first singles event would take place during SummerSlam, to discuss that upcoming 2024 appearance. CM Punk reflects on the fans’ reaction to his return, their intensity and love of a redemption arc. Punk doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness that his most contentious relationship was with McMahon’s husband and they recount the barbs thrown during the dispute — including those between them. The conversation is part recollection, part reconciliation perhaps even a bit cathartic.
Shortly after his initial comeback, CM Punk sustained an injury that sidelined him for a few months. One of the episode’s most compelling moments is the footage of Punk's emotional return to the ring at SummerSlam after his injury. Viewers are treated to behind-the-scenes glimpses of Triple H, the crowd’s reaction, and the heartfelt exchange between Punk and McMahon after his performance. In a surprisingly candid post-match interview, CM Punk, still glistening with sweat, conveys the overwhelming emotions of the moment. Though he did not win the match, he embraces his role with a nod to the local "Lovable Losers" Chicago Cubs, quipping, “If your dreams don’t scare the s**t out of you, you need bigger dreams."
As the end credits roll, additional footage from McMahon’s exploration of WWE HQ plays, serving as a fitting close to an episode that intertwines the enduring power of storytelling in professional wrestling and the resilience celebrated in a return.
Stephanie’s Places is now available to stream on ESPN+.