Filmed around the last days of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, the Total Divas Season 8 Finale is both a farewell and a retrospective for the legendary Superstar and father of longtime castmember Natalya.
Anvil appears early in the episode, when it’s revealed he is suffering from a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s the family has chosen withhold so he can enjoy his final years without worrying about what’s happening. He’s starting to show some signs of decline, which is causing the Neidharts some stress (one bright spot comes when Natalya tests negative for the genetic marker), but he passes suddenly before the illness can progress further. The loss is abrupt and devastating, but Natalya retains a measure of peace knowing her father was still himself at the end. The funeral is a perfectly-organized celebration of his life, at the end of which Natalya is encouraged by her sister to compete at SummerSlam in his memory — a charge she ultimately accepts, wearing his jacket to the ring.
Elsewhere, Naomi and Jimmy Uso have their biggest fight yet after her wedding ring is stolen and Jimmy accuses her of being overly careless, if not outright negligent, of a symbol of their relationship. So, to make it up to him, they replace the ring with something that can’t be stolen: Matching tattoos.
Also, Money in the Bank is coming up and the Total Divas’ various pursuits this season all come to a head. Lana showcases her improvement in the ring; Nia Jax holds her own against Ronda Rousey and, pointedly, The Bella Twins watch from home and begin to realize they miss the ring more than they were initially willing to admit. Brie is even nurturing the idea of a proper comeback … but that’s a story for Total Bellas Season 4 on E! in January.