Cover art by @sarah_urkart on Instagram
By Matt Gannon
GLOW is the perfect example of a victim of Netflix’s carelessness. As a beautifully constructed show with incredible acting, gorgeous set pieces, and some of the most exciting action outside of Game of Thrones, it should be the talk of the water cooler every summer. However, season three was dropped with little to no fanfare (even the streaming service’s promotional social media accounts seemed to forget about it), even though this new season is a thoughtful, delicate masterpiece.
The move to Vegas seemed like a strange choice when introduced at the end of season two. Could a show constructed around wrestling survive a new environment where it’s the same fights every week? Could the characters survive this? Both of these questions are answered, and while the second is a little more complicated, the answer to the first is a resounding yes. It’s a little strange to spend a lot less time inside the ring, but with the amount of complex storylines and interesting character developments that are taking place, it’s not missed too much.
And there’s a lot going on outside the ring. Ruth and Sam are finding themselves entangled with each other (romantically and professionally) more and more every day, and Betty Gilpin shines as Debbie just trying to get some damn authority. One of the most refreshing things about GLOW is the fact that it doesn’t forget that Debbie is a mother, nor does it become lazy enough to let motherhood be her only driving force.
We also get to see a lot more from the supporting characters this time around. In previous seasons, when the drama was mostly centered around the three main protagonists, we really only ever fully dived into a few backstories, but this round, almost every secondary wrestler gets their time to shine.
Arthie and Yolanda were last season’s surprise couple, and while their original conception was rushed to say the least, the complexities of their relationship are explored in full. Arthie especially has a great arc of doubt and acceptance, and with Sunita Mani’s fantastic performance, this couple has the potential to become just as compelling as Ruth and Debbie in future seasons.
Gayle Rankin’s performance as Sheila this season is something to behold. She has the most defined arc of all the characters, and as Sheila grows as an actress, Rankin is more than ready to keep up. One particular scene with “Liza Minnelli” is a bigger surprise than any Game of Thrones-type drama could hope to contain, and I dare any viewer to watch it without a huge smile.
Wrestling for sure takes the backseat to the character drama this season, but again, it’s not entirely missed. GLOW has always been a character study, and while the ring is a great way to break up the monologues and heavy conversation, as the character’s lives outside the ring grow deeper and more complicated, it’s not as needed. That isn’t to say that the wrestling we do get isn’t incredible. Every wrestling scene is hilarious and fun, and episodes five and ten contain by far the best sequences in the ring of the show so far.
This is the first season, however, where we see the ring (and the characters inside it) really catch up to the actresses. Ellen Wong delivers stunning MVP work as she grapples with her past and the fact that she is playing such a caricature of her own culture every night. In a more physical sense, Tammé’s age is also catching up with her, though the show’s obvious reluctance to ever permanently get rid of any of its characters makes the solution to her problem maybe just a little too easy. Even though their roles are given less screen time, Sydelle Noel, Britney Young, and Jackie Tohn also shine.
With all that’s going on in the background, it is easy to forget about the main trio of the show, but the writers certainly haven’t. Ruth and Debbie have such a complicated relationship, but it’s so fantastic to watch them grow. So many other shows with women in competition or women who don’t like each other have them constantly battle it out, tearjerker make-up scenes seemingly forgotten by next week’s spat. Ruth and Debbie may not be best friends again yet, but they are healing themselves with every conversation and interaction, and both Brie and Gilpin bring such a genuine joy to the rebuilding of their friendship. Both actresses are performers at the top of their game, and this new batch of episodes makes Brie’s Emmy snub sting even more.
Without discussing a whole ton about Marc Maron’s arc, as its development shouldn’t be spoiled, it’s great to see the character putting aside his own hangups and ego for something that he actually believes in.
The romantic relationship between Ruth and Sam, out of place in previous seasons, feels even more shoe-horned-in here. In a nearly perfect show with such a simply constructed plot that leaves little to no room for extraneous material, this endless will-they-or-won’t-they game is growing tiring, so much so that the show itself is seemingly growing to realize its exhaustion point. The good news is that it doesn’t spend far too much time on this thread, so it doesn’t weigh down too much.
Overall, GLOW season three, while maybe a tiny step down from its perfect second season, continues to be a quiet and simple masterpiece that deserves to be the most popular show on television. The acting is a phenomenal display, and the way it develops and fleshes out characters is some of the most thoughtful and careful execution I’ve ever seen.
TV Wasteland 