GLOW: Season 1/ Episode 7 “Live Studio Audience” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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The first matches of GLOW happen and while not without some problems, at least no one gets injured.

Last Minute Final Touches: Sam, Sebastian, Ruth, Debbie, Cherry, Carmen

The first matches are soon, and Sam is expecting a few more additions. Mainly crew. For while they have the wrestlers, who is handling lighting, makeup, costumes, the camera, and stuff like that? Well, basically who Sam already has. For with Sebastian already pouring are $600,000 into GLOW, he has been cut off. So, with that in mind, Sam is the announcer, Keith is the ref, and everything else is what it is.

As for Ruth and Debbie? Well, after seeing a real wrestling match, Debbie isn’t much for what Cherry is offering. She wants something exciting, which is worthy of the main event. Thus leading to her taking a page out of Ruth’s playbook and seeking out Carmen. Someone who convinces her brothers to help train Debbie and Ruth.

Commentary

While not over the moon with the acting and what I assume to be comedy, you have to give it to the actors when it comes to stunts. Wrestling is a dangerous activity. Landing the wrong way has ended careers or sidelined them for months, if not years. As shown, there is a need to be able to truth the person you are working with. After all, they are the ones not only making you look good, but are acting as a safety net.

So if there is perhaps one thing this show has consistently done well, it is the wrestling element. As for the rest, my opinion hasn’t really changed much.

The Early & Middle Card: Cherry, Tammé, Carmen

Two strong looking Black women facing off with two older white women? Cherry finds it bad enough she doesn’t have a singles match, but for Sam to think she is going to beat on senior citizens? No, that’s not happening. So, being that the girls she and Tammé are up against are special, she convinces them to play the Klan. Thus making Cherry and Tammé the heroes of the situation and perhaps the first match to get a rise out of the crowd. Especially after Carmen gets stage fright and passes out, away from the ring, from emotional distress.

Commentary

Why couldn’t these three be the stars? I get Brie and Gilpin are the more familiar faces, but even Stevens sort of eclipses them. Which is hilarious since this is her first real acting role. Much less, she was purely a wrestler before this. One who didn’t say all that much but mostly whooped people’s asses. So between the jokes of the Welfare Queen to how she and Cherry kick ass, it makes me so mad the sort of mediocre two are the leads of GLOW.

That issue aside, I felt bad for Carmen. For this whole time, she was the legacy kid. The one who was helping Cherry train everyone but when it was time to shine, she got scared. On top of that, she had a panic attack of some kind. Now, while her family wasn’t there to present an “I told you so” weight, you got to feel for her. But, with this happening now, it’ll make things so sweet when she wins her father’s approval later on.

The Main Event: Debbie, Ruth, Mark

After the performance of Cherry and Tammé, the crowd is quite warmed up. Making it so when Debbie and Ruth come out, they are very into what is going on. Especially with all that they learned from Carmen’s brothers on display. However, before the big finish, Debbie sees Mark and it all falls apart. She goes backstage to talk to him while Ruth is stuck in the middle of the ring.

So while Ruth does insults to the crowd, Mark speaks on his feelings. He is mad Ruth is being spoken to but not him, how he had to stalk Debbie down to know how she and their kid are, and he is just mad. So mad that he presents Debbie with divorce papers. Thus ending the night with a triumph for GLOW, but a low point for Debbie.

Commentary

Again, gotta love the stunts. Heck, even Ruth being the nasty Russian, in small doses. However, I think I finally understand why I just can’t get into these two women. The awkwardness. In GLOW, the awkwardness of the characters aren’t used for jokes or to amplify a character trait. Like how dramas and thrillers use tension, this show uses awkward silences and things of that nature. With that, I think we are supposed to feel the unease of the characters doing this unfamiliar, and very physical act. Perhaps understand how weird it is to trust a stranger with your safety and watch them be actors who aren’t selfish.

For, when it comes to most Debbie and Ruth, that is one of their original main problems. Both are so selfish, alongside self-absorbed to a point, that they seem unbearable. Yet, you can see their growth through relying on others, connecting with those who they can’t always convince or use, and there is what lies the hope. That is perhaps the main reason these two aren’t so terrible that this show isn’t worth finishing the season.

Which leads to perhaps why it took so long to see that: The villain of both Debbie and Ruth’s stories are themselves. While Sam is an ass, they aren’t battling to prove him wrong or anything like that. Cherry isn’t picking on them like she did Melrose, when she was treated as relevant. And while Ruth has been battling expectations in a way, her struggle was never so hard that you came to the point of rooting for her. Nothing about the way Brie plays her makes you think underdog. Much less someone who is so sure of herself that you inspire to be like her.

Same goes for Debbie. While she, like Ruth to a point, has a bit of a sob story, it isn’t so developed that it makes you feel for her. Yes, she got cheated on, yes her life wasn’t the best before Mark. However, where is the meat? Where is the depth? It’s easy to blame the actors for they are the ones seen, but really I think the actors are just the scapegoats for the writers at this point. For just the stunts alone show the actors are taking this seriously. You can see, no matter how cringey the awkward moments are, Brie is trying to play up her character. So, at this point, you can only blame the writing.