S01.E08: Maybe It's All the Disco

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

Jenny whips up a party for Sheila's birthday while Sam helps Ruth deal with a new complication in her personal life. mark changes his tune with Debbie.

[thuganomics85]

Well, that was a bit unexpected.  As soon as Ruth as pregnant (with I have to think Mark's child), I thought this was going to be used as drama for whatever she and Debbie might have slightly rebuilt, but instead it ends with her having an abortion.  Glad that Sam went with her for support, even if it still ended up being awkward and inappropriate, because it's Sam.

Happy Birthday, Sheila!  Glad that Jenny got a little more to do in this episode, even if she's mainly a secondary character still.  But I like that she seems to be a lively and nice person.  Seeing Ellen Wong all bubbly again brought back memories of her Knives from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, compared to her colder, more recent work on Dark Matter.

At least Rhonda had ended it with Sam, before thing went too south.

Don't trust him, Debbie!  He may seem sincere now, but I've learn never to trust Harry Crane to stay on good behavior for long!

[CletusMusashi]

Maybe this marks me as a horribly subversive heathen, but I like that they didn't treat a very early abortion as such a big deal that you had to stop making jokes or bickering about donuts.

[Lady Calypso]

I don't know why I never considered Ruth getting pregnant from her last ONS with Mark, but it happened. And she got an abortion, which I don't think was talked about much in the 80s. It was nice that Sam could be there for her, even if he was the same old Sam that we've always known.

Mark seems to be saying all the right things, and I do want to believe that he is a guy capable of changing, since it would be a rare thing for a guy like this to do without him faking it, but I just won't believe it. 

Nice to see Sheila get a happy birthday, and we're getting a little more on the supporting characters who haven't had much to do, like Jenny. 

I really do like the women and their friendship on this show. Even with the mini rivalries, they can still all hang out and be friendly. I also love that the women have more power than the men. Rhonda broke up with Sam, in this instance.

I wonder how Debbie will react when she inevitably finds out about Ruth's abortion. Unfortunately I don't have all that much faith in Sam to not accidentally blurt it out. I'd like to think that he's not that guy and he'd keep it quiet, out of respect. It could go either way.

[2727]

3 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I wonder how Debbie will react when she inevitably finds out about Ruth's abortion. Unfortunately I don't have all that much faith in Sam to not accidentally blurt it out.

I hadn't even considered that. Ugh, painful. I wouldn't put it past Sam to deliberately let it slip if he's worried that Debbie and Ruth are becoming close again and that undermines their ring rivalry.

3 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Rhonda broke up with Sam, in this instance.

Then he lied and said it was his idea, which kind of cracked me up. Typical!

[OnceSane]

13 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I wonder how Debbie will react when she inevitably finds out about Ruth's abortion. Unfortunately I don't have all that much faith in Sam to not accidentally blurt it out. I'd like to think that he's not that guy and he'd keep it quiet, out of respect. It could go either way.

Oh she will flip her shit, imo.  I think Sam won't intentionally out it, but with the copious amounts of coke and alcohol he ingests, it's almost inevitable that he'll blurt out the news at the worst possible time.  I loved Sam being the one Ruth called and him showing actual concern for her.  And I liked what she said: wrong time, wrong baby.  That, and "In Soviet Union, abortion is the only thing there's no line for."  I'm really digging Sam & Ruth's uncomfortable tentative friendship.

Sheila looked so happy!  Is this the first time we've seen her do more than a brief smile?  And seeing them rollerskating brought back so many memories!

I also have trouble believing Mark's change of heart…just don't buy it.

[SeanC]

I wasn't surprised when Ruth got an abortion immediately, just because on this show's premise there's really no way that her having a baby could fit into the plot, as far as I could see.

The trip to the roller disco is a reminder that even though it's the mid-1980s, the 1970s never completely went away.

[snowwhyte]

I was a kid in the 80's and I would roller skate everywhere. It was much more fun than walking. I would have loved the roller disco birthday. It was nice to see Sheila enjoy it because to be honest Jenny wasn't throwing the party for Sheila, she was throwing it for Jenny. I don't like birthdays and it annoys me when people ignore your wishes and try to force you to celebrate them.

[tennisgurl]

Awwww Sheila looked so happy at the birthday party! It was so adorable seeing all the women together having fun, and the last remnants of the 70s still playing out. Not that roller rinks aren't still a thing (I remember several roller skating birthdays as a kid in the late 90s) but this one just screamed 70s. I'm glad they gave Jenny more to do, she seems like a really sweet person, who might have a tendency to steamroll people in her desire to make people happy, but she seems means well.

I just don't about 80s Crane and his attempts at change. On the one hand, he could be totally full of shit and is just trying to get his old, easy life back, but on the other hand, he did seem sincere, and it seems like they had real issues in their marriage even before his affair, so who knows. I can see Debbie giving him a second chance, even if its somewhat reluctantly. They still have a baby together, and while she likes her new career as a wrestler, she has felt super adrift since her marriage fell apart.

I was surprised and not surprised that Ruth was pregnant, and immediately got an abortion. I hadn't thought about her being pregnant, but it makes sense, and when I realized she was pregnant, I thought it would create pregnancy drama, but it makes more sense for her to get an abortion. She's so career oriented, and is now in a physically demanding job, there's no room for a baby for her right now, especially with her former best friends husband she was sleeping with. It was nice of Sam to come with her, even if he was very Sam about it. 

[Slovenly Muse]

23 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I just don't about 80s Crane and his attempts at change. On the one hand, he could be totally full of shit and is just trying to get his old, easy life back, but on the other hand, he did seem sincere, and it seems like they had real issues in their marriage even before his affair, so who knows. I can see Debbie giving him a second chance, even if its somewhat reluctantly. They still have a baby together, and while she likes her new career as a wrestler, she has felt super adrift since her marriage fell apart.

Yeah... he SOUNDS like he's saying the right things here, but I'm not convinced. The old "I had to have an affair because you aren't nice to me anymore" approach was bullshit, even though he put all that flowery "I'm not saying this excuses me" stuff around it. The simple fact is, if your wife goes 42 days without touching you or asking how your day was, that's when you maybe.... have a conversation about it? Become concerned ABOUT her, instead of about your chances of boning her? She could be going through something (depression? crisis?) and could use your support, rather than a stab in the back. So maybe don't skip counselling and jump immediately to "sleep with her friend?" And, I'm also wondering if Mark's counsellor has explained the difference between "I acknowledge your anger" and "I'm sorry for what I did." Has he actually genuinely apologized yet? There may have been some frantic, "Shit, I got found out! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" going on, but has he actually sincerely taken responsibility for his actions? All I've seen is him making bullshit moves to take his "power" back. Which, since the fact of their relationship is that he's a selfish drip and she's a queen with the looks, talent, AND brains of the pair, is never going to happen. She's also talking about their relationship now like, "HE wants to give it another shot," and looking undecided. But no one yet (including Mark) has actually asked her what SHE wants. I bet (and fervently hope) she ends up kicking him to the curb and beginning to look for someone who actually supports her and WANTS her to be successful, and won't feel threatened when her star is rising. I tell you, though, they really cast the best actor for this, because Harry Crane ruins everything!

 

However, the best moment of the episode for me was BY FAR the complicated 80's pregnancy test! The urine trough! The eyedropper! All the vials! The waiting all afternoon! Oh, 80's. Never change.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I hope that Debbie was careful when she had her fling with Steel Horse (the motorcycle-riding wrestler.)

[benteen]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 11:45 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I hope that Debbie was careful when she had her fling with Steel Horse (the motorcycle-riding wrestler.)

If Steel Horse was doing steroids like many wrestlers were back in the day, he may very well have been sterile.

I was surprised with the pregnancy.  I thought the first season took place over a longer period of time but I guess not.

I really liked the party they threw for Sheila and how much she was enjoying herself.

Edited July 2, 2017 by benteen

[dubbel zout]

I was disappointed there was a pregnancy subplot, but I'm glad it was taken care of with minimum fuss. Oh, for the days when abortion wasn't highly politicized.

I really liked how Sam stuck around for the whole procedure.

ETA: I loved that the venue lady (who was played by Brooke Hogan) snarked about Styx canceling its show, and that's why the room was available. Styx used to regularly play in my hometown before hitting it big.

Edited July 2, 2017 by dubbel zout

[Cheezwiz]

Somehow the possibility of pregnancy never occurred to me until all the ladies were cheerfully discussing being "synched up" with their periods, then I had an "uh oh" moment. Eighties pregnancy tests: Oy!

It was nice that Sam accompanied her, and although his joking around at the clinic was wildly inappropriate, I think it actually helped cheer Ruth up and got her through the day. Glad this plot diversion was handled economically and not dragged out over multiple episodes.

Good job on the roller rink - that was one 70's hold-over that stubbornly held on right through next decade. My high-school after grad party was held at a roller-rink in the late eighties. Total disaster.

My advice to Debbie still stands: run away!

[txhorns79]

Quote

I hadn't even considered that. Ugh, painful. I wouldn't put it past Sam to deliberately let it slip if he's worried that Debbie and Ruth are becoming close again and that undermines their ring rivalry.

I'd like to think that's a step that he would not consider.  It would blow things up well beyond anything he could control, and be such a huge betrayal of Ruth that I can't imagine she would stick around with GLOW. 

[Last Time Lord]

If I've learned one thing from this show, it's that in the 1980s, a home pregnancy test was a full science kit.

[Clanstarling]

On 7/4/2017 at 8:01 PM, Last Time Lord said:

If I've learned one thing from this show, it's that in the 1980s, a home pregnancy test was a full science kit.

I took a couple between '86 and '87, but it sure didn't look like that to my recollection. They must have made a lot of progress quickly, or I've simply forgotten. They never worked well for me anyway.

I liked the matter of fact way they handled the abortion. I don't think it was handled as a trivial decision for Ruth - but more an inevitable, necessary, and drama free, decision.

But the thing I liked best about it was a tiny off-screen detail - the sound of the speculum being cranked open. I hadn't realized just how identifiable it was - and they didn't have to put that sound in there. But it sure worked for me. My husband didn't even notice it. But years of gyno exams have apparently burned that sound into my memory.

I don't think Sam is going to say anything. Maybe it's just a wish, because he was  there for Ruth, and surprisingly considerate (despite the outlandish statements, which Ruth seemed to like anyway).

Edited July 9, 2017 by Clanstarling

[ketose]

On 6/26/2017 at 3:02 AM, CletusMusashi said:

Maybe this marks me as a horribly subversive heathen, but I like that they didn't treat a very early abortion as such a big deal that you had to stop making jokes or bickering about donuts.

The funny thing to me is that I've seen a couple of 80's movie that were like that. Abortion was just a thing you did when you got knocked up and didn't want a kid. It was definitely a very 80's story line.

[BakerStreet]

I thought they handled it well. That's how it was, and I thing she made the right decision.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I think that Sam being Sam helped Ruth. She responds well to someone being in character and committing to the character, and in this case I think it helped ease the tension a little bit. Even though she had already made up her mind to have an abortion, it still had to be a little stressful (I may be projecting because I get stressed just knowing that I have an annual check up coming up). His wildly inappropriate comments cracked me up. I mean, who else would go to an abortion clinic to be supportive and talk about how he was too lazy to pull out?

Florian didn't seem the least bit worried that he hadn't seen Bash in three days. I know Bash said that his mom cut him off but apparently that didn't apply to the house he's living in since Florian is still there.

Ruth's fake it til you make it speech to Sheila about tricking yourself into having fun by pretending that you're having a good time is something I have done before at social events that I didn't want to attend. I loved that Sheila went from "I don't trust shoes that move" to liking roller skating so much that she was out there skating by herself.

Although I agree that Jenny was pushy about throwing a birthday party when Sheila clearly didn't want one, I think Jenny was making up for not having birthdays in Cambodia. She said her grandfather didn't even know how old he was. Sometimes when there is something you don't have growing up, you overcompensate later in life (and yes, I'm definitely thinking of some very specific people who I know!).

I like that Rhonda continues to defy stereotypes. In the previous episode, I thought she would get catty about Justine's jealousy but instead she told Sam to be kind to Justine. In this episode, I thought she would get jealous about Ruth going to check out the venue with Sam but she was totally nonchalant about it. I thought she wouldn't take their breakup well but instead, she saw their relationship very clearly and ended it with him (and with no drama). My one nitpick is that her teased bangs seemed a little too big for 1985. There were definitely teased bangs by then but just not quite that tall, at least not where I lived in California.

Debbie spoke for a lot of women when Mark said that he'd started a diet the previous week and she said she'd started her diet when she was 14. Even though he's saying all the right things, I still don't trust him. She needs to call her lawyer and tell him to shred the divorce papers before he tries to follow through and take 10% of her future earnings.

[aradia22]

Is Rhonda going to learn that she doesn't need Sam and his BS?

"Sisters of the moon, rejoice." XD

I REALLY don't need Ruth to be pregnant. Why, Glow? Why???

Seeing them all bond over Sheila's birthday was sweet.

Hmn... so their marriage issues are more complicated than they appeared. Mildly intrigued.

The pregnancy plotline was SUPER unnecessary but I liked how they handled the abortion with Sam being supportive in his own way and Ruth making the right decision for her, thoughtfully but without agonizing over it.

[Clanstarling]

11 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

The pregnancy plotline was SUPER unnecessary but I liked how they handled the abortion with Sam being supportive in his own way and Ruth making the right decision for her, thoughtfully but without agonizing over it.

My reaction was that it was necessary - it developed both Ruth and Sam's characters quite a bit, and depicted this topic in a way you almost never see on TV.

[dmmetler]

In high school, we weren't allowed to dance ('80s conservatives...sigh) but we did have skating parties where we took over the entire skating rink to contemporary Christian music. That rink was right on, down to the mood lighting which was a boon to teens looking for a place to make out.