S01.E10: Money's in the Chase

[The Crazed Spruce]

Quote

On the day of the big taping, Sam attends to unfinished personal business, while Ruth scrambles to make last-minute changes to the lineup.

[2727]

Okay, then.

Storylines were okay, acting was okay, characters were okay, the 80s were okay. I probably wouldn't watch a second okay season because there are many more interesting options.

I wonder if (because he was so perfectly suited for it) Maron's part was increased as shooting went along, because I came away thinking he was the actual star/main character of the series.

Edited June 28, 2017 by 2727

[SzmuttyPratfall]

I hope Betty Gilpin gets an emmy nomination out of just how much she mines Ruth's betrayal from the first episode to that last interaction.

This season has been filled with a lot of brave choices, and the last interaction between Debbie and Ruth "We're not there yet" was a Brave defiance of the typical "Women coming Together" narratives, to not have every resentment resolved, to not have everything be splendid, was an exclamation point of a season of a show that was unafraid to make you uncomfortable. This show relishes in people making mistakes, and making asses out of themselves, and being terrible, while still not being Bad people. And every character in a way is memorable, despite the time they get, I have favorite moments of each character.

I would say that either this or Stranger Things is the best new Netflix Show since Orange is the New Black premiered, but these characters were better written, and everything felt so inverted and fresh, that I may put this at the top. The abortion is no big deal in the same show where miscarriage is dealt with as painfully as possible, the rift between two friends isn't magically fixed, yes there are stereotypes and in a time like the 80s you may be better off using them for you because the oppressive times won't let you forget them, Arthie is able to sell her character but also has no way to fight back against the crowds racism in the last episode, the war on drugs was filled with glad handing hypocrites, and in Wrestling the good guys winning isn't always the smartest choices. 

The only real problem in the series is that aspects of the last two episodes were rushed. Would it have been two much to see Goliath, come in, sit down watch the other matches? And it would have been nice to see Bash and his mother interact before the episode where they resolve their issues for now.

This show is so optimistic even when it dabbles in pessimism. These are amazing people who sometimes can't fight back. In a way this is Netflix's realest series and I AM GUSHING.

Edited June 25, 2017 by SzmuttyPratfall

[thuganomics85]

Heh, I loved all the craziness that unraveled at the end, with Ruth and Debbie doing a work and making everyone think Debbie left and the main event would end with Ruth winning, only for Debbie to come out of the audience and win the day.  Only for Sam to apparently pull Tamme aside and have her sneak attack and win the "crown", setting up a rivalry between the "All American" and "The Welfare Queen."  That is totally something I could see happen in a real pro wrestling match.

Solid ending, with them successfully pulling off the show, but setting things up for future seasons, if they get any.  Besides the title chase, there is still Ruth/Debbie's relationship in general, Sam and Justine dealing with their newfound issues, and probably what Ruth's role will be for future installments.  And then there are the secondary characters, with Cherry getting that new television gig, Arthie dealing with some major racism and hatred for playing a "terrorist," etc.

Glad that Carmen's dad ended up coming around and was there for her match.

Even though she was more underdeveloped compared to the rest, I'm glad Jenny got to be in the main event for a bit.  I hope Ellen Wong gets more to do if this show continues.

This is probably the quickest I ever binged a show.  I had a blast with all the 80s vibes, the wrestling, and the actresses.  Gold star to both Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin, who were pretty much fantastic in every moment.  Hope this show comes back!

[kieyra]

I kept falling asleep during this show, so my opinion should be taken with that in mind.

It didn't really work for me. I'm not sure I'm even using this term corrrectly, but "mumblecore" keeps coming to mind.

I wasn't getting enough from the large cast to get invested in any of them, and I think I was supposed to care more about Marc Maron than I did. For a cast that big (14 wrestlers alone), I think we needed OITNB-long episodes, not the 25 mins or whatever this was. Especially when they were (rightfully) proud of all the work the actresses put in learning the moves. But I felt like I never learned enough about the 5 or 6 front-runners, I was dying to know more about Sheila (although I get why they took a less-is-more approach there), and never seemed to learn several of the wrestlers' real names (or even their stage names). Even the ... party girl? Character had her personality  explained to us early on by someone else, rather than by her own words or actions. (And she didn't look quite right for the part, to my eyes and memories of the 80s.)

I love Betty Gilpin, but Alison Brie was somewhat lost on me except for her ebullient Soviet schtick.

(Shallowly, I was endlessly distracted by how freaking high those leotards were cut, even though I lived through that era.)

[cali1981]

I loved GLOW.  It had a somewhat serious underpinning topped off with a lot of laugh out loud moments.  Betty Gilpen continues to add quality work to her resume and Allison Brie is a damn good actress.  I've always loved Marc Maron's work and he really ups his game in this show.  The entire cast was very good and the wild diversity among the ladies just worked.  One of the nicest things about GLOW was the 30 minutes episodes. It made it so easy to watch 2 two or three at a time (or all 10 if you're so inclined).  I hope that Netflix brings it back for a second season. 

[Armchair Critic]

That was an easy series to binge watch. I love all things 80's so I liked the music, hair, and clothes. I've had a little crush on Marc Maron for years so I was glad to see he got a juicy part. Alison Brie with her permed hair, minimum makeup, and Mom jeans was a nice touch, usually the lead is more glammed up and this was realistic. I will say though that I am not that invested in the other women besides Debbie and Ruth. 

[ichbin]

I liked the series a lot more than I had expected to. I have no interest in wrestingly so I wasn't going to watch it at all based on what I heard about it, but I put on the first episode out of curiousity and wound up binging the rest.  It's far from perfect, but I would watch another season if it gets picked up.  

Loved the line toward the end when Bash said something about Gene Scott ranting about aliens.  I had completely forgotten about that guy.   I remember when he used to announce that he would remain silent until viewers started calling in and making pledges and then he would just sit there staring into the camera.  I used to watch his show now and then for the entertainment.  They hit some of the 80's cultural stuff well.  

[snowwhyte]

I enjoyed it. I didn't think it was that funny but I liked all the characters with the possible exception of Melrose. I would watch a second season.

[cali1981]

18 hours ago, ichbin said:

Loved the line toward the end when Bash said something about Gene Scott ranting about aliens.  I had completely forgotten about that guy.   I remember when he used to announce that he would remain silent until viewers started calling in and making pledges and then he would just sit there staring into the camera.  I used to watch his show now and then for the entertainment.  They hit some of the 80's cultural stuff well.  

Oh God, do I remember Gene Scott with his big cigar and his white board which he would fill with what looked like a cross between hieroglyphics and nuclear physics equations.  It was pure insanity but there was a perverse genius to it.  He would also wore a wild assortment of hats.  Every year that he was on the air he got crazier. He was, as I recall, pretty funny at times.  Ah, the good old days of cable TV in the 80's.  Yeah GLOW definitely did hit some nice cultural reminders of that era.

Edited June 26, 2017 by cali1981

[Lady Calypso]

I think, overall, it took me a while to get into the show and it has some typical cliches, but I do think I enjoyed it by this finale. I think that the women and their relationships with each other is what makes this show unique. Even when the girls had rifts, they didn't let it interfere with their careers and they could get along when they wanted to.

Overall, I loved Debbie and Ruth, but my favourite supporting girl is Carmen, by far. She's a character I want to see more of if there is a season 2. I ended up liking Sam by the end, and I actually liked Bash a lot, as well as Cherry's husband Keith.

Overall, I'd like to see a season 2. There are plotlines that I want to see continued. They set up a lot to be explored in season 2. Ruth/Debbie mending their rift, Justine and Sam figuring out their family situation, Carmen/Bash maybe being set up as a romantic couple, and more backstories on the other supporting characters like Jenny, Dawn, and Stacey. Plus, if their show will be successful and how it'll impact each of the women's lives.

I think it's important that the show wrapped some things up, but also left a lot open ended and it wasn't all sunshine and positivity. There's truly a lot more that can be explored, and I want the chance to see it happen. 

I'm really glad I gave the show a chance, and I'm glad I stuck with it. It's definitely up there in my favourite Netflix shows.

[Doyounot]

Pretty funny show although to me this was the least funny episode. Not saying it was bad just the most serious episode they had. But i guess they had to set up stuff and have all the hard work they did pay off (i kept being surprised and amazed how much the actual actors did the wrestling).Funniest moment of the episode for me though was sam saying sorry for trying to fuck her if he had known she was his daughter he never would have done it right in front of the kids mom!

[mtlchick]

I managed to get through all of it by Saturday night, which is shocking since I love Kimmy Schmidt and it took twice as long.

 

It was pretty heavy handed (one of the girls turned out to be...DAUGHTER!  Which he found out by kissing her!) but at least it's different.  I was happy that Debbie wasn't completely thawed by Ruth's attempt to be friends at the end. 

[OnceSane]

This whole season was fantastic for me!  Loved the ending Ruth & Debbie worked out and loved even more Sam adding to it.  And he was right: most of the time in wrestling, there's better story in the face chasing the belt.

I'm really not buying Mark's turnaround and his reaction at their event showed me I'm likely not wrong.  This is not to say he couldn't come around, I'm just not buying it now.  Nor am I excited about his female therapist who insists on 30-second hugs.  Hopefully she meant between the husband and wife, but I'm pretty sure Mark just found the next woman with whom he'll cheat on Debbie.

Loved Sam & Justine's interaction at the ballroom.  "Maybe you should direct them."  "Maybe you shouldn't run away  so I have to chase you when I'm supposed to be directing."  "You want to make out again?"  "What?!?"  "Kidding."

I'm ready for season 2!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Carmen/Bash maybe being set up as a romantic couple

I didn't get the impression he was interested in women, but you never know.

[Lady Calypso]

55 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I didn't get the impression he was interested in women, but you never know.

I'm not sure either, especially with the scene of him putting on the eyeshadow before the show. They could end up being really great friends. Either way, I found that I really liked their scenes together and I do think they were trying to set up something there.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

  14 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Carmen/Bash maybe being set up as a romantic couple

 

6 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I didn't get the impression he was interested in women, but you never know.

I'm not sure either, especially with the scene of him putting on the eyeshadow before the show. They could end up being really great friends. Either way, I found that I really liked their scenes together and I do think they were trying to set up something there.

I also remember his mother saying how he had disappointed her in many ways, and I though his dating life might be one of them.

[SzmuttyPratfall]

3 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I didn't get the impression he was interested in women, but you never know.

Definitely. While it was never said, I thought the third episode made it clear Florian and Bash are a closeted 80s couple, with Florian working as the Butler as cover. Florian's reaction when Debbie tried talking to him about one day when HE has a wife, Bash jumping at Sam when he said something mildly disparaging of his Butler. It was great. It also made it feel that Bash's reasons for a female wrestling promotion went beyond exploitation and more towards how Gay men found power in powerful female roles before they started appearing in media.

Though Carmen did have the scene where she was fascinated by Rhonda's breasts. Maybe if there is a season 2, it will explore Carmen and Bash in a mutual beard relationship.

Edited June 27, 2017 by SzmuttyPratfall

[SeanC]

Earlier in the season I liked that they had Tammé worry about whether the audience would get the supposedly satirical point of the "Welfare Queen" character.  This episode continued that sort of them in the audience reactions to some of the characters, particularly Arthie's getting pelted with stuff (and ethnic slurs).  I don't particularly want the show to get preachy on this point, but it's good to examine the pitfalls, since to most people watching this today this is easy to dismiss as goofy retro wrestling stuff.

The whole Ruth/Debbie plan was a bad case of characters doing somethings solely to fool the viewing audience without much in-universe reason.

Justine didn't wrestle in the match, but she's still hanging around with the group at the end, so I wonder if she's going to be competing in future events, or maybe will she be involved in other aspects of Sam's work instead?

[snowwhyte]

Justine seemed interested in film making but not particularly interested in wrestling so maybe she'll become Sam's assistant or something. They'll need some way for her to stick around. There's plenty of comedy to be found in Sam's attempts at parenting.

[ciprus]

I had very high hopes for this show, and it didn't quite deliver on them until the last episode.

I liked that we finally got to see some wrestling, even though I know virtually nothing about it, it was a lot of fun and a lot of food for thought with all the stereotyping and the audience's reactions to them. Debbie was the standout character for me, she really sold the torment and pain of being betrayed by both her husband and friend. Ruth was a little bleak, but I think it was the point? She did look awesome in her Zoya outfit, though.

I'll probably watch a second season, and by I would like some more character development across the board. It was a solid show, but if it had been aired on a week to week basis, I would have lost interest after a few episodes.

[pasdetrois]

I think we saw an homage to the great Joan Cusack in Broadcast News. She had to deliver a tape for a broadcast and ran pell-mell through the TV station to deliver it, jumping over filing cabinets. Bash almost copied that scene exactly as he raced to deliver the show to the engineers for broadcast.

[tennisgurl]

This was a great season, just a great summer binge watch! Not exactly something super deep, but a lot of fun with lots of likable characters and interesting scenarios. And that's from someone with zero 80s nostalgia, and zero knowledge of any kind of wresting!

Loved the whole thing with Debbie pretending to leave, only to show up at the show in the crowd and pull off her dress and reveal her Liberty Belle outfit. They totally fooled me! Ruth and Debbie are great together, and I like how they ended things. They are in a better place, but Debbie isn't ready to forgive her, and that's understandable. Also, Ruth has never looked better than she did in her full on Zoya costume.

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 9:00 AM, kieyra said:

It didn't really work for me. I'm not sure I'm even using this term corrrectly, but "mumblecore" keeps coming to mind.

I don't think mumblecore really applies here. Most mumblecore stories are aimless 20 somethings or 40 something in a midlife crisis in a big contemporary city, and are generally slice of life stories where everyone just talks about things that are kind of quirky but also kind of boring, and is called mumblecore mostly because of its tendency towards weird sound mixing, and actors who, well, mumble their lines. Think Girls with less of a budget. Justine has a bit of a mumblecore vibe, but that's the only similarity I see.

Poor Arthie, her match got a little too real, especially with the drunk assholes in the front. They've kind of edged around a "these broad stereotypes are actually not cool" theme here and there throughout the season, and its something I would like to see them explore more in the next season.

I'm not sure about Bash and Carmen. They could be heading towards them becoming a couple (he was so happy for her in the ring!), or I can also see Bash being a closeted gay man (his "butler" he's super close too, his estrangement from his conservative family) and they just become good friends. Or he isn't gay and they just stay pals. No matter which way they go, they're scenes are super adorable. Just, don't take any of his pills, Carmen. And, I know its super cliché, but I loved when Carmen's dad showed up to support her.

[Lady Calypso]

14 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I think we saw an homage to the great Joan Cusack in Broadcast News. She had to deliver a tape for a broadcast and ran pell-mell through the TV station to deliver it, jumping over filing cabinets. Bash almost copied that scene exactly as he raced to deliver the show to the engineers for broadcast.

Oh! I KNEW that scene looked familiar! I just couldn't place where I had seen it before!

10 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I'm not sure about Bash and Carmen. They could be heading towards them becoming a couple (he was so happy for her in the ring!), or I can also see Bash being a closeted gay man (his "butler" he's super close too, his estrangement from his conservative family) and they just become good friends. Or he isn't gay and they just stay pals. No matter which way they go, they're scenes are super adorable. Just, don't take any of his pills, Carmen. And, I know its super cliché, but I loved when Carmen's dad showed up to support her.

Agreed. I don't care where they take Carmen/Bash; as long as we get to see their scenes, I'm cool with any direction they take the characters. Both of them became my favourites by the end. 

[tennisgurl]

You know, I was actually going to entertain the idea that 80s Crane was sincerely regretful about the affair with Ruth, but this episode pretty much convinced me the guy is an asshole whos only sorry he got caught, and is now backtracking because he wants his life to go back to normal. His reaction to GLOW and his constant mockery and disdain of what his wife clearly enjoyed makes me think that, while maybe Debbie had her issues, their marriage had problems because of his unsupportive behavior and inability to see things from her point of view (plus the affair). Like, it seems as though, as much as she said she was happy to stay at home with the baby, it doesn't actually look like it was something she really wanted, it was just what she felt like she should do, and probably what 80s Crane wanted. If he really wanted to work on their marriage, he would be listening to her and supporting her, not acting like a dick about her interests. It makes even his nicer phrasing about how he wasn't making excuses and how he felt alone in their marriage seem really shallow retroactively.

[snowwhyte]

I decided against him in the first episode, not just because of the cheating on his wife thing but because when he was with Ruth he kept talking about how real she was. So, his wife isn't real enough? I think by real he meant less beautiful, less successful, not as out of his league as his wife. When his wife hit some difficulties with her acting career he didn't encourage her. He instead persuaded her to focus on being his wife and a mother. I get why Debbie might want to try to work things out but I think he is probably a lost cause.

[Duke2801]

That was the perfect song choice for Debbie and Ruth's match!

I really enjoyed this show. And, if I wasn't before, I'm now fully convinced that Alison Brie is just really flipping GREAT in whatever role she plays.  I hope there is a season 2! 

I don't think Betty Gilpin has as much range.  But I liked her much more here than I did on Nurse Jackie.

[jrlr]

It took me awhile to warm up to the show, but I'm glad I stuck with it because by the end I was rooting for a second season.  At first I was put off by the familiar "Holllywood actors/directors on the fringe" angle, but as the characters developed, both the comedy and the tension were kicked up several notches and I started to get invested in the story and the people in it.  I don't know who the actress playing the wolf girl is, but she broke my heart AND made me laugh, so kudos to a great supporting cast as well as to the three leads.   I can't believe that the actress playing Ruth was Trudy on Mad Men - I don't think I ever would have put that together!   I just wish the series would have hit its stride sooner.

[Loandbehold]

2 hours ago, jrlr said:

I don't know who the actress playing the wolf girl is, but she broke my heart AND made me laugh

If you go to the media topic, there's a link to an interview she did.

[jrlr]

22 minutes ago, Loandbehold said:

If you go to the media topic, there's a link to an interview she did.

Thank you!

[Arynm]

I cried ya'll. Straight up cried with how much Bash was cheering Carmen on. I don't care if they get together or are just great friends, but I LOVE them. This show was everything to me, the 80's vibe, the jeans that made everyone's ass look huge (stupid mom jeans) the real emotions and friendships of the women. I really, really liked this show. I was a child in the 80's, graduated high school in 92, and I really enjoyed the nostalgia of the roller rink and the big hair.

 

I await a second season

[BigDfromLA]

A reference to Dr. Gene Scott?? He was absolutely hilarious!!

For those of us who live in L.A., the actual original GLOW program appeared on KDOC, Channel 56, a small, independent station located in Anaheim which at the time was owned by that jerk off, Pat Boone. Dr. Gene Scott was an unorthodox T.V. evangelist who appeared on Sundays and overnights I think. He was a character...wonder if any You Tube videos of him exist? 

KDOC at that time was the home/origin of 1980's buffoon/windbag Wally George, who spewed conservative garbage and gained a small local following. He was a complete phony. He actually tried to do shows involving women wrestlers and GLOW. This show should feature a Wally George character in a future episode.  A lot of comedic potential there.

[dubbel zout]

On 6/25/2017 at 2:37 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Glad that Carmen's dad ended up coming around and was there for her match.

Carmen's face when she saw him almost made me cry. 

On 6/26/2017 at 11:43 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Cherry's husband Keith.

He was great. I loved his refereeing, pretending to yell at the wrestlers while having a completely different conversation.

On 6/27/2017 at 0:39 PM, OnceSane said:

I'm really not buying Mark's turnaround and his reaction at their event showed me I'm likely not wrong.  This is not to say he couldn't come around, I'm just not buying it now.

I'm glad they aren't showing Mark as totally changed. It's not something that's going to happen quickly, especially since he was so mocking of wrestling. I think Debbie working outside the home in any capacity is a problem for him, so they need to do more work on that.

On 6/28/2017 at 7:11 PM, pasdetrois said:

I think we saw an homage to the great Joan Cusack in Broadcast News. She had to deliver a tape for a broadcast and ran pell-mell through the TV station to deliver it, jumping over filing cabinets. Bash almost copied that scene exactly as he raced to deliver the show to the engineers for broadcast.

That's immediately what I thought, too. 

[benteen]

Great episode.  I loved the whole series and not just because I'm a wrestling fan.  I loved the characters, thought it was funny and well-made.  Love the setting as well.

I thought they did a great job with the wrestling itself and liked Ruth running the show a great deal.  Really liked that costume she had on at the end too.  Debbie came through after putting her asshat husband in her place.  I agree her reaction at the end to Ruth was more realistic than you would see on television.

Great job with a wrestling although having watched so much of it over the years (not anymore though) I can say that a lot of the moves that they used were not seen during the 1980s, particularly with American promotions.  You were more likely to see SOME of that stuff in Mexico or Japan.  Just a nit but the action was very well done and enjoyable.

The Welfare Queen swerve at the end definitely was a very wrestling-like swerve, shades of Terry Funk and Ric Flair at The Great American Bash of 1989.

Quote

Solid ending, with them successfully pulling off the show, but setting things up for future seasons, if they get any.  Besides the title chase, there is still Ruth/Debbie's relationship in general, Sam and Justine dealing with their newfound issues, and probably what Ruth's role will be for future installments.  And then there are the secondary characters, with Cherry getting that new television gig, Arthie dealing with some major racism and hatred for playing a "terrorist," etc.

Yes, there's definitely a lot of potential storylines here and I'm sure we'll see more ladies brought into the promotion as it grows.

I'm only sorry it's over as I really want to watch more.

[Blakeston]

I can't even fathom that Bash is supposed to be straight. If he's straight, then the writers decided to pull a huge mindfuck on the audience by giving us so many clues that he isn't.

I guess I could see him as bisexual. But even if he's bi, I can't really imagine him with Carmen. They have virtually nothing in common, aside from loving wrestling, and having disapproving parents. (And Carmen's father doesn't seem to be all that disapproving anymore.)

[Captain Carrot]

On 6/27/2017 at 0:39 PM, OnceSane said:

I'm really not buying Mark's turnaround and his reaction at their event showed me I'm likely not wrong.  This is not to say he couldn't come around, I'm just not buying it now.

I think he's sincere in wanting to fix what he sees as the problems in their marriage. Such as a lack of communication and the fact that he cheated. Based on comments he made he wants to be in a relationship where he's the dominant partner instead of an equal, he wants a house wife, and he doesn't really respect Debbie. (Calling her jobs silly, calling her trash, etc). He'd have to realize that his wife wants to work, wants respect, and wants to be an equal to have a chance at a happy marriage.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm obsessed with the Welfare Queen and the actor /wrestler who plays her now 

[dubbel zout]

She's fantastic!

[Ms Blue Jay]

I need a GIF of her rubbing the money on herself.

[Cheezwiz]

Count me in if they do a season 2!

I was reluctant to watch this because I knew absolutely nothing about wrestling, but it turns out that the fun part of the show is that none of the main characters (with the exception of Carmen) do either! I wound up being pleasantly surprised - I really enjoyed all the actors, and the all of the period detail was fantastic! Clothes, sets, music, everything. This is from someone who is generally not nostalgic about the 80's at all.

I really liked Cherry and her husband. I want her character to take the lead on the network show, but then I don't, because I don't want her to leave the wrestling team.

I liked that they ended on a realistic note with Ruth & Debbie's relationship. Slowly thawing, but not there yet. Still think Debbie's husband is a selfish ass, and she should kick him to the curb. It was clear from the way he was belittling her, that nothing would change if she went back to him.

If this comes back, I hope to learn more back-story on some of the other characters, as well as more snippets of Sam's awful movies.

[txhorns79]

Quote

That was the perfect song choice for Debbie and Ruth's match!

I love the song, but keep expecting Helen Slater to show up and say "Fair is Fair." 
I would continue watching the show.  It did feel a little like the cast is too large for the approximately 30-minute format they are trying to follow.  I understand entirely that there is a core of characters who are getting the focus, but it would have been nice to give the secondary characters a little more development.   

Quote

I can't even fathom that Bash is supposed to be straight. If he's straight, then the writers decided to pull a huge mindfuck on the audience by giving us so many clues that he isn't.

I kept thinking he was being telegraphed as gay.  I'm curious if the showrunners or Chris Lowell have been asked, and what they've said in response. 

Edited July 7, 2017 by txhorns79

[brilliantbreakfast]

Well I love this show.  Part of it is that I've been a Marc Maron fan since he did "Morning Sedition" on Air America Radio (and if you go to morningseditionists.com you can download entire shows or just some of the funniest Bush-era comedy bits you'll ever hear).  A friend of mine was friends with him for a while and the character isn't all that much of a stretch.  I think the man is not someone I would want to know too well but he's brilliantly ascerbic and hilariously funny and while Sam is hardly a stretch, he's killing it here.  I'm deliriously happy for him.

The surprise for me is how much I like Betty Gilpin in this.  I hated her on "Nurse Jackie", and hated her in "Masters of Sex."  Of course those were brittle characters with little depth.  Here she's playing the same kind of brittle character, but with a bit of heart to it.  She's great.  But my heart on this show belongs to Brittany Young (Carmen/"Macchu Picchu").  I love her smile, and I love that Bash seems to be genuinely fond of her.  

My husband and I used to be huge WWF fans in the 80s.  We went to the first Wrestlemania -- we took my stepfather and he had the time of his life.  They are nice memories of two people that have left this world far too soon.  

I'm hoping for a second season.

Edited July 7, 2017 by brilliantbreakfast

[DrSpaceman73]

I didn't think it was great, but this was an enjoyable series so far. I would watch a season 2. 

My one complaint I mentioned earlier is I'd rather more of the shows focused on the secondary female characters rather than Ruth and Debbie so much. 

Did not see the welfare queen twist. 

Nice mix of actors and actresses  have seen in other series.  A few from Mad Men, a few from Its always sunny.  I thought for sure one of them was Chelsea Peretti from Brooklyn 99, sounds just like her, but I guess not

[xander874]

Quote

He was a character...wonder if any You Tube videos of him exist?

Ask and you shall receive!

Count me in on the Bash/Carmen train. Not necessarily romantic, but they had good chemistry and I want to see more of them. Carmen is hands down my favorite character.

Also I loved Zoya's outfit. Alison Brie has been so plain so far (which I realize is intentional), so it was nice to see her "dolled up".

As for Cherry, I like the character and her husband too, but she would be foolish not to take the other gig. Interested to see how that pans out.

I hope if there is a Season 2, the grannies develop their act and maybe morph into bad girls like Hollywood and Vine from the original show. 

[Negritude]

On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 0:34 AM, BigDfromLA said:

A reference to Dr. Gene Scott?? He was absolutely hilarious!!

For those of us who live in L.A., the actual original GLOW program appeared on KDOC, Channel 56, a small, independent station located in Anaheim which at the time was owned by that jerk off, Pat Boone. Dr. Gene Scott was an unorthodox T.V. evangelist who appeared on Sundays and overnights I think. He was a character...wonder if any You Tube videos of him exist? 

KDOC at that time was the home/origin of 1980's buffoon/windbag Wally George, who spewed conservative garbage and gained a small local following. He was a complete phony. He actually tried to do shows involving women wrestlers and GLOW. This show should feature a Wally George character in a future episode.  A lot of comedic potential there.

Did anyone see the GLOW doc on Netflix? I watched it probably a week or so before I even knew this series was coming so I had a little refresher course. I was kind of disappointed that there weren't any cameos from the real GLOW wrestlers. Maybe next season?

Ah yes KDOC. I live up north now but grew up in LA and the Inland Empire. I remember a lot of Green Acres and Mr. Ed lol.

Off topic but you wouldn't happen to remember the video show that used to come on KDOC in the late 80s/early 90s and played a lot of alternative like "Mothers Milk" era Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction. It was hosted by a young woman, red head I think. I've been looking for it online and can't find it.

[wendyg]

I've always been so impressed with Alison Brie's work - she's the best kind of chameleon. And some of the characters were interesting. However...the big downside for me is the wrestling scenes. Yes, I know they're scripted and rehearsed, but I still do not like (and never have liked, back into childhood) watching people slam each other around, even "for fun". Didn't mind watching the rehearsals, but really didn't like having to sit through the show in the finale.

[DianeDobbler]

I also enjoyed Bash and Carmen. Throughout, Bash had more dimension than I expected, and I thought his perspective on stereotypes was a necessary antidote to Sam's over-complication. 

I did enjoy watching them bash each other around, knowing that it's all rehearsed, that every body slam, choke hold, hair pull is technique. It's fun to see women having fun using their bodies that way - as Debbie said, "I get back in my body - it's not Randy's and it's not Mark's. 

If you go on instagram you can track Alison Brie's training for this part - she wasn't fooling around, and that's why her body has changed. 

I loved when we saw Bash put on eyeshadow. Whatever it was or wasn't saying about his sexuality, it was a great way to show how absolutely passionate and invested emotionally he is in GLOW.

I think Alison Brie is gorgeous, and no matter how they try to make her plain, IMO it's obvious she's gorgeous. The only time she was convincing as not drop dead gorgeous was her first audition scene - had to do w/the skin tone.

[NaughtyKitty]

On 7/13/2017 at 4:34 PM, Negritude said:

 

Off topic but you wouldn't happen to remember the video show that used to come on KDOC in the late 80s/early 90s and played a lot of alternative like "Mothers Milk" era Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction. It was hosted by a young woman, red head I think. I've been looking for it online and can't find it.

You must be a little younger than me because for me it was "Video One" with Richard Blade and they played a lot of Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and Thomas Dolby videos.

[xander874]

Quote

Did anyone see the GLOW doc on Netflix? I watched it probably a week or so before I even knew this series was coming so I had a little refresher course. I was kind of disappointed that there weren't any cameos from the real GLOW wrestlers. Maybe next season?

It's actually a really good documentary if you were at all a fan of the show. Loved the reunion.  And I really hope they do get some cameos next season. I kept waiting for one this season, but nothing. 

[Negritude]

On 7/17/2017 at 8:07 AM, NaughtyKitty said:

You must be a little younger than me because for me it was "Video One" with Richard Blade and they played a lot of Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and Thomas Dolby videos.

I just googled Video One KDOC and Request Video came up which was the show I was looking for! (The host was brunette not ginger lol) Thanks so much :) off down memory lane I go...