Chris Jericho's Return to the WWE Explained: In the End, We're All Just Marks

Last night on WWE Monday Night Raw, Chris Jericho returned as the "It Begins" mystery man.  However, the WWE Universe was treated to what was, to put it simply, not what they were expecting.

After one final "It Begins" vignette, and an earthquake effect, the lights went down in Memphis, Tenn.  Then, Chris Jericho, with his arms stretched, appeared on the entrance ramp, and his music hit.  

The crowd popped for the man they had been expecting all night, their Y2J signs held high, and chants filling the arena.  Jericho entered the ring and began to work the crowd, celebrating his return.  Then he grabbed the mic, and kept the crowd going.

For roughly nine whole minutes, Jericho played the crowd.  He slapped hands around ringside, twice.  He had different sections of the crowd cheer, in various different distributions.  Then, he dropped the microphone, and went back up the entrance ramp.  

He got the fans to cheer just a little more, but by the time he stopped and stared at them, the fans who were cheering for him had turned on him.  They realized that he had come out, and made them jump through hoop after hoop, and would receive no payoff other than his presence.  The crowd booed, and Jericho simply smiled and walked backstage. 

The knee jerk reaction of many fans was that WWE had ruined the return of Chris Jericho, that all this hype was for nothing at all.  Others thought Jericho just wanted to soak up the energy and leave.  Neither of those statements are true.

What we saw, was a heel turn that needed no words, and very few actions.  Look no further than Jericho's Twitter account to see how he's treated the fans.  He's insulted their intelligence, and had a good laugh at their expense.  In 2012, it's safe to assume that what we see from WWE Superstars in social media will be directly linked to what we see from them on WWE television.

Chris Jericho worked the fans, and I believe his intention was to leave the fans sitting at home and at the arena realizing that Jericho just pointed out that we're all marks.  The WWE Universe exploded for a man who came, mocked them, and left with a smirk.  

Whether or not tonight's return was brilliant or a bust cannot be seen until we get an idea or glimpse of what Jericho's next move is.  If he comes out on Raw next week and mocks the fans again, then I'd go as far to say that it may be one of the most creative returns of all time.  If it turns out that his intentions were something other than getting the fans to turn on him, then I'd say it was a bust.

Much like the "It Begins" vignettes from weeks past, fans are left trying to decipher Chris Jericho's return.  What do you say, Bleachers, was Jericho's return a success, failure or yet to be determined?