The Glamorous Ladies` of Wrestling came out into their cage and were ready to rumble. Season 3 of the critically acclaimed Netflix "hit" delivered another strong season, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of their characters and tackling topics that were and are still relevant. So let's tackle the good and the better of this season of GLOW
Coming Out
This season delivered two vastly different but still strong coming out stories and while both stories weren`t on the center stage of the season they were both impactful and honest. A simultaneously bad and good thing in regards to GLOW´s storytelling is that they don`t push so hard on their stories but tend to forget them and provide developments a rather bit later. So Bash`s and Arthie`s stories weren`t really well-paced but further provided respectable progress.
Arthie and Yolanda were just too sweet together. The small steps they made throughout the season were just sweet and heartwarming. Arthie`s second thoughts and emotional progress were very well executed by Sunita Mani. That doze of innocence and insecurity Sunita brought to Arthie gave the character a dose of relatability that a viewer can appreciate and get invested into. Even the small break up story/trope felt sincere and was elevated to a tolerable level cause of the sincerity Sunita and Shakira brought to their characters. Arthie coming out to the group and the acceptance she received from her family was just perfect.
Meanwhile, Bash continued to struggle with his sexuality and Rhonda being the perfect wife didn`t really help with the whole "issue". Chris Lowell is just impeccable in this role. I follow Chris since his Private Practice days and he is such a tremendous actor. He does so much work with his face, his gestures, and especially his voice setting up the story to be devoured by the viewers. I personally wouldn`t label Bash as just gay, he is more likely bi in my eyes cause he does love Rhonda and has passion for her, just his need to suppress the gay side of him makes that side seem much more desirable. Bash is going through a thought process that so young LGBTQ+ people go through. He carries the weight of expectations around him and just can`t handle it all as he sacrifices his true desires just to not hurt anyone around him. I was spoiled on the threesome via social media but I didn`t expect it to go down like that, and my gosh that was so hot. Bash commending Paul to get all nasty with Rhonda had me in shock and Chris delivered some sexy tones and looks during it. Hugh. . . A major shame would be if this story ended the way they`ve closed this season. Bash once again suppressed himself into a corner and did what he thinks he should and not what he wants to. So here is reason number 1 to renew this show. This story needs to be told to its full extent.
All-Around Woman
Betty Gilpin once again got so much great material to handle and I loved every single moment of Debbie rising above all the people trying to downgrade her. Sometimes I wonder how the GLOW-writers succeed in tackling all these topics and tell so many stories for one character and stick with
Besides that, all the moments she spent with the other girls behind the stage were priceless. Her pot session with Cherry, her helping out Tamme just made her road this season more significant and showed how important she is to all the Ladies and she fought for them with all her force.
What about Ruth?
And while jumping to that final scene is what I really wanna do, Ruth`s path to there was a heartbreaker. Just as Debbie, Ruth had to dig herself up from the low points of life find herself and her Eden. Early in the season, Ruth found herself in a root, stable job she enjoys, devine boyfriend she beds but was that enough? Or too much? Ruth wasn`t sure herself but Sam rocking her world with his confession wasn`t appreciated either. Ruth clearly had all the feels for Sam but on a scale, the risk wasn't worth it. A major shame cause I truly grew to like the person Sam has become over the previous seasons and he would be good for Ruth. He sees her and loves her for the person she is and that is mostly just enough. Their LA reunion was everything I wanted it to be but Justine had to destroy it all, it did all seem too good, didn`t it?
Ruth`s meltdown in front of Sam was just the cherry on top of all the frustration that built up over the previous months. And sadly Sam was the one who had to get the bad side of it. And that there was the saving grace. Debbie couldn`t keep it to herself, she had to give Ruth that glimpse of hope that their lives will turn around and that Eden is just ahead. Ruth just wasn`t ready to let go. Let go of who she was, of what she had dreamed of her whole life, her essence. The contrast between Debbie the hardcore realist and Ruth the endless dreamer was just a harsh reality shock. Debbie`s words sounded like a dream, they would have it all and live happily ever after, Ruth just had to say yes and it would be a go. But she couldn`t. Everything Ruth learned on her path would`ve been in vain. And just like that, the writers put the Damocles sword above our heads cause with that (out of character) yes we all could`ve closed this chapter if Netflix decided to.
Molting
In a surprising turn of events, Gayle Rankin`s Sheila took the crown and become this seasons MVP. Her transformation from the wild physical force to the emotional mature Beast was a simple delight. With each episode, her story was elevated to a new level and the character development hit all the right places. Gayle Rankin just blew it out the box. She accelerated and no one could stop her. The scene during the acting class was the first time I got aware of her true acting potential. The raw emotion Gayle put in just surprised me on so many levels. Sheila burning her wig and fur was one of those moments of power that makes this show so unique and tremendous. At its core, Glow is about these mostly young women trying to find a place in the world and they found it and with that, they also found a family. A place to be who they are and as Sheila felt all that she could get rid of her protective armor. From who she was and how Sheila behaved you could always feel a trauma but the performance she delivered at the club was just too much. All the pieces fall in place and she grew so much that her pain wasn`t a hurdle in her life, instead, it inspired her to be better, bolder and stronger. If season 4 happens I would love to meet Sheila`s parents, at this point the writers owe it to us.
Her Liza Minelli entrance is probably the most hilarious moment of the season. Gayle was beyond funny and her comedic momentum combined with the performances of all the other girls brought out tears of joy.
Stories That Should`ve Get More Focus
- Sam and Ruth and Sam and Justine.
- Cherry and her Hubby.
- Carmen, Tamme, and Reggie as individuals.
- Geena Davis as Sandy, cause you don`t get Geena Davis and underuse her like that.
Episode Ranking
10th Place: Up, up, up (3x01)
9th Place: Keep Ridin (3x08)
8th Place: Hot Tub Club (3x02)
7th Place: Hollywood Homecoming (3x07)
6th Place: Say Yes (3x04)
5th Place: Desert Pollen (3x03)
4th Place: The Libertines (3x09)
3rd Place: Outward Bound (3x06)
2nd Place: A very GLOW Christmas (3x10)
1st Place: Freaky Tuesday (3x05)
Freaky Tuesday was by far their best episode of the season. The whole set up, from Debbie as Zoya and Tamme`s back pain to Sheila`s Liza Minelli entrance, was perfectly executed. It felt refreshing and the joy the actresses felt during the costume change was simply palpable. The season finale, as every GLOW finale, was on point and delivered enough character and story progress for another three seasons. The Debbie-Bash BTS drama + the girls in another new get-up was entertaining on all the right levels.
That`s a wrap from on my side. What are your thoughts about GLOW`s third season? Did the girls earn another round in their cage? Or did they drain all their potential? Sound off in the comment section down below and let me know all the reasons GLOW deserves another season or not. Till next year I hope. . .
