GLOW: Season 1/ Episode 8 “Maybe It’s All The Disco” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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It’s a bit of an emotional episode for everyone. Sheila gets to feel like one of the girls, Debbie has dinner with her husband, Sam goes through a breakup and someone has an abortion.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Sam, Rhonda, Debbie

Rhonda isn’t like most starlets. There is no shame when it comes to dating and sleeping with Sam and it bothers him. It makes him feel less respected. So, with that in mind, he plans to breakup with her. However, she beats him to the punch. For while that dating tape got her hooked, actually being with him has been a slight hell. Especially his deprecating jokes.

As for Debbie? Well, she has dinner with Mark, with hesitation. During that time the inevitable is asked: Why did you do it? Of which his answer is the simple, you stopped talking and touching me. He even counted 42 days of just nothing. Which naturally was countered with her noting she just had a baby. However, his comeback is that their problems started long before Randy was born.

Commentary

… I got nothing. I’m trying to muster caring enough about any party involved to say something… but I got nothing. I’m not invested in Debbie’s marriage and Sam I give not a single care about. Though it is sad to say, I’m borderline indifferent at this point.

A Personal Celebration: Jenny, Sheila

Being that for Jenny, birthdays weren’t a huge thing growing up, naturally in her adult life she had changed that. However, it isn’t just for her but other people. Such as Sheila who in no way wanted to make her birthday a big deal. But when dealing with Jenny, she has no choice.

Leading them all to a roller disco birthday which Sheila relies heavily on Ruth for at first. That is until all the girls make her feel comfortable, like one of them, and even howl with her. Leading to perhaps one of the best, or at least memorable, birthdays Sheila may have ever had.

Commentary

What have we learned about Jenny thus far? It has been 8 episodes now and all we have learned is she is Cambodian, has no issues stealing from her grandparents, and birthdays are her thing. Anybody else find something wrong with that? Granted, this is a half hour series so it isn’t like they are given a wealth of time to get into the nitty gritty, but the more I watch the more I crave for them to do so.

I mean, just look at Sheila. While still very much mysterious, there at least was enough effort put in for us to kind of get her. There was enough effort put in so when we saw her smiling and howling with the girls, you knew it meant something. As for Jenny and her birthday thing, it more so seems like a quirk because it came out of nowhere.

Too Soon?: Sam, Ruth

So, Mark got Ruth pregnant. However, thanks to Planned Parenthood and Sam, she gets an abortion.

Commentary

The weird thing about GLOW is that it isn’t funny enough to really be considered a comedy, nor awkward or disheartening enough to be a drama. For even with Carmen feeling like a failure or Ruth’s abortion, there isn’t that gut punch impact. When Cherry spoke about her miscarriage and it became almost a gag, you could see it then, but for the most part things are very matter of fact.

It’s something which has left me a bit on the fence about this show. Can moments on this show be funny? Kind of. Can they be dramatic, sort of. But in general, as odd as everyone is, and their situation, the show seems very rooted. Like it wants to be seen as something slice of life and never sway too far in any genre direction. Which sort of works for and against it.

It works for it since it makes it where these characters can seem real. As weird as everyone is, like Sheila, there is an underlying current which you feel could explain that. So, like any good comedy, when there is a moment you want to laugh, if you think about it long enough you can seem pain.

But then there is the drama. As much as we may see Debbie cry, Ruth go through something as hard as an abortion, it is like the show never wants to take it far enough where you get emotional. Hence why the men in the scene throw cold water on the situation. If not someone comes in quickly to lighten the mood. Which upsets me, personally, since I want to like this show. I like the actresses, no matter how much I’ve complained, but this refusal to just let us soak up a moment is killing me.

Collected Quote(s)

I just need someone to disagree with to clarify my own instincts.