S03.E05: Freaky Tuesday

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Tammé's back problems lead to a major shake up in the ring. An offer to extend the show divides the producers. Justine asks Sam to read her screenplay.

Original air date: 8/9/19

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wow, Bash really decided to flex those producer muscles and shit on everyone else. I know it's unlikely that everyone will walk out since we're only halfway through the season but part of me wishes that they would all leave just to spite him. If only one or two of them quit, he could keep the show going but if they all leave then he would be fucked. There's no way he could replace them all because there aren't scores of women trained in wrestling waiting in the wings.

Poor Tammé. Sadly, her situation is all too common. Dancers and performers often self medicate and hide their injuries, toughing it out with the bare minimum of treatment.

[Lady Calypso]

It would be interesting if everyone walked out on Bash, but yeah, it's unlikely to last. 

Bash was definitely not his best this episode. I'm going to guess that he was shaken up by his interaction with the drag queen, which caused him to be a big dick. He's definitely trying to push his sexuality down but now that someone actually really noticed it and now that feelings are starting to come more to the forefront, it looks like Bash is working overtime to push them down, which means being cruel to everyone around him as he tries to gain control over something in his life. 

Poor Tamme. My mom's had back issues for many years. It's a lot better nowadays, but back when I was a kid, I remember her back pain being as bad as Tamme's, and she didn't have to wrestle every night. I do love the ladies coming up with the switch-up of characters to help Tamme, even if they didn't realize it at the time.

It was fun to watch the switch-ups as well. Debbie as Zoya was fantastic. And Ruth as Liberty Belle? Having her play a slightly different role as Debbie's Liberty Belle was great. And Carmen taking on the lead role as Welfare Queen? She did a fantastic job. But the star? Sheila as Liza. I love everyone being so supportive of Sheila.

[kieyra]

The role swaps were SO good. Debbie’s take on Zoya was giving me Red from OITNB plus Russian seductress. Ruth somehow finally brought the “girl next door” thing to life. It was all great, especially Sam’s bemusement.

On a Sam note, I guess it’s good for him that he’s suddenly so completely chill, but I do miss him grouching around at everyone.

There’s also zero tension now between Debbie and Ruth. I guess the fractured leg/hospital scenes were supposed to leave some of that in the past, but maybe I’ve rewatched the first season too recently so the infidelity stuff is still fresh for me. 

Oh, and as someone with lower back problems that started a few years ago, I’ve always watched the wrestling and training scenes with a slight cringe, especially when someone is slammed onto their back. I hope none of the actresses have been seriously hurt. (They’re the ones I’m always cringing for.)

Edited August 10, 2019 by kieyra

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really enjoyed everyone swapping characters. It was so fun to see them interpret different wrestling personas while also imitating the original performance. Sheila as Liza was so fucking amazing! I really like her new friendship with the drag performer. I think they see themselves in each other so I'm excited to see them spend more time together. Sheila was so guarded and private when we met her so it's been really nice to see her opening up. Just the fact that she was able to clearly and calmly tell Sam about the issues she had with his new script showed how much she's changed. I was actually surprised a few episodes ago when she said she was taking an acting class because that requires you to be emotionally honest in front of an audience. I think that her willingness to take off the wig, the eyeliner, and the wolf girl persona was a huge step forward for her. That character was her armor and she's finally ready to let people see something else that's more of her.

[Corgi-ears]

I thought nothing would top "you like my little slut ukulele?", but when Sheila came out as Liza 'Ring Them Bells!' Minnelli, I screeeeamed. "I feel like I'm on acid," as Sam said. Quite aside from being a pivotal episode plot-wise, this was a brilliant way to engage with current day debates about what actors have the "right" to play what roles.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 hours ago, Corgi-ears said:

this was a brilliant way to engage with current day debates about what actors have the "right" to play what roles.

Seeing Melrose play Fortune Cookie was cringeworthy. It's bad enough to watch Jenny play such a stereotypical character in the ring, but watching Melrose do it made me cringe.

[dubbel zout]

12 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

But the star? Sheila as Liza. I love everyone being so supportive of Sheila.

That was AMAZING. First of all, Liza Minnelli as a wrestling character? GENIUS. And Sheila pulled it off so well. I could not stop laughing the way she always managed to hang on to her martini glass. The entire switcheroo was so well done, and I like that Geena Davis's character wasn't phased by it in the least. "Keep it fresh, that's good," when what she was seeing was completely bonkers.

[thuganomics85]

All of the role swapping in this episode was perfect, and it seemed like both the characters and the actresses were having a ball getting to change it up.  At first, I didn't think anything was going to top Debbie as Zoya (not just because Betty Gilpin was certainly rocking that look and persona!), but then Sheila comes in a freaking Liza Minneli!  Ha!  And it was perfectly capped off by Sam's reactions to all of it, and how he pretty much just rolled with the crazy.  Sometimes, that's all that you can do.

Good seeing Justine again.  Can't get a read on Sam's initial reaction to the screenplay.  Does he want Ruth to read it because he thinks it was good?  Or does he think it was bad?

Oh, Bash!  This was not a good look for you, at all.  It might be your name on the banner and you do admittedly get credit for how you've backed everything financially, but you're not going to have much of a show if all of your players are against you.

Poor Tamme.  I hope her injury doesn't get even worse.

[DoctorAtomic]

On 8/9/2019 at 6:49 PM, Lady Calypso said:

It would be interesting if everyone walked out on Bash, but yeah, it's unlikely to last. 

Where are they going to go though? It's not like there's other wrestling jobs. They're kind of stuck. On the other hand, good for them. Getting the show extended means it must be popular.

On 8/10/2019 at 7:49 AM, dubbel zout said:

"Keep it fresh, that's good," when what she was seeing was completely bonkers.

It's not like the audience would know what the 'normal' show was anyway. I'm surprised they have done something to shake up the script as it was.

[Snapdragon]

While I think Bash could have said it in a nicer way, I'm actually on his side about extending the show for nine more months.  I mean, that's how shows work.  If you don't want to do the show anymore, then you quit and they replace you with someone else.  If Debbie doesn't want to extend her contract (which is totally understandable, given her circumstances), then she can just quit and they can either switch one of the existing wrestler to her role or hire someone else.  Why is she trying to get in the way of everyone else earning money?

[kieyra]

I’m sure everyone got this but me, but it didn’t click for me till I read it in a recap. I couldn’t quite place what Ruth was doing as Liberty Belle (or the accent), until I read a recap that referred to her as Judy Garland. (And, I guess, Dorothy by extension.) My old-movie references are slim unless Katherine Hepburn is involved.

When Debbie says something like “Disrobing? Really? I can’t ...” as Zoya, that was giving me Villanelle from Killing Eve.

[Dots And Stripes]

10 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

While I think Bash could have said it in a nicer way, I'm actually on his side about extending the show for nine more months.  I mean, that's how shows work.  If you don't want to do the show anymore, then you quit and they replace you with someone else.  If Debbie doesn't want to extend her contract (which is totally understandable, given her circumstances), then she can just quit and they can either switch one of the existing wrestler to her role or hire someone else.  Why is she trying to get in the way of everyone else earning money?

I agree with this generally, except Bash could have also brought that up privately the first time they spoke. He could have said if she didn’t want to stay they could discuss her exit. She really would have no reason to sabotage him if he wanted to keep going Vegas and she didn’t have any interest in continuing GLOW at all. I guess Debbie kind of forced his hand by taking a major risk in front of Geena Davis. Really though, I tend to think this is an error by the writers. They want to introduce conflict but in truth both Bash and Debbie could have easily figured out they could go their separate ways. Then again, Debbie and Bash tend to do the exact wrong thing, so maybe them getting into an irrational and pointless fight is just in keeping with their characters.

[tennisgurl]

Liza Minnelli as a wrestling character is amazing and works WAY too well! Sheila looked amazing and it was great how supportive everyone was of her. Second to her were Debbie and Ruth switching roles, that was a real trip. Or, as Sam would say, its like being on acid.

Melrose playing Fortune Cookie was so cringy it hurt. Its already pretty bad when Jenna plays her (and I enjoy when they get more into this really stereotypical roles wrestlers play, especially then) but this was even worse.

Edited August 13, 2019 by tennisgurl

[dubbel zout]

9 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Melrose playing Fortune Cookie was so cringy it hurt. Its already pretty bad when Jenna plays her (and I enjoy when they get more into this really stereotypical roles wrestlers play, especially then) but this was even worse.

Wasn't it? So, so awful. And the fact that Melrose didn't get why Jenna was so upset was even worse. PC wasn't a big thing back then, but people still knew racism existed and was wrong.

[Blakeston]

 

 

 

1

5 hours ago, kieyra said:

I’m sure everyone got this but me, but it didn’t click for me till I read it in a recap. I couldn’t quite place what Ruth was doing as Liberty Belle (or the accent), until I read a recap that referred to her as Judy Garland. (And, I guess, Dorothy by extension.)

Ruth was doing kind of a broad, old-school midwestern accent. I don't know if it was necessarily supposed to be Dorothy Gale, specifically. (She was made up to look like Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island more than anyone else).

10 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

I agree with this generally, except Bash could have also brought that up privately the first time they spoke. He could have said if she didn’t want to stay they could discuss her exit. She really would have no reason to sabotage him if he wanted to keep going Vegas and she didn’t have any interest in continuing GLOW at all. I guess Debbie kind of forced his hand by taking a major risk in front of Geena Davis. Really though, I tend to think this is an error by the writers. They want to introduce conflict but in truth both Bash and Debbie could have easily figured out they could go their separate ways. Then again, Debbie and Bash tend to do the exact wrong thing, so maybe them getting into an irrational and pointless fight is just in keeping with their characters.

I think Bash was furious that the wrestlers changed everything up without even letting him know, and decided to take things into his own hands. I don't blame him for being angry - the whole thing was wildly entertaining, but it easily could have been a disaster. I can't imagine something like that actually happening, on the spur of the moment, in actual pro wrestling. The odds of an injury would have to be very high.

[Maysie]

I think there's a whole lot of stuff going on with Bash and his decision to plow forward, regardless of what anyone else wants. If I remember correctly, no one really expected GLOW to be much of a success; it was a good scenario for everyone involved - a chance to act/have a job, get paid and be bankrolled by the rich kid who has some money to burn. As it turns out, Bash's little pet project has more legs than most everyone else associated with it expected. Based on that, I kind of understand why he's ready to plow forward with the show - he's finally a success! I agree that he was also probably affected by his interaction with the drag performer. I also think that his success is going to his head, causing him to act out. But...

Bash had a good idea and money, but Sam and the women have done most of the work to actually make GLOW a success. So yeah, in theory, they'd be excited about the opportunity to extend the show an extra nine months, but I can understand why they wouldn't be as thrilled as Bash is. It's all fake wrestling, but I think the show did a great job of showing with Tamme that even though it's fake, it takes a toll on the body. And Debbie's situation shows that there's an emotional toll to putting your life on hold for even just several months for the work in Vegas.

You know, by the end of the episode, it seemed almost like Bash and Sam have switched places. Bash was the "good guy," the one who seemed to care about the women and what they needed/wanted in the first two seasons. Now it seems that it's a success, he's got a "there's more of that where they came from" kind of attitude and is not real invested in the women themselves.

I loved the switch up. Just the thought of having to do the same show, night after night, bored me, so I can only imagine how boring it would be for the actual performers. Mixing it up was a great idea. Melrose's Fortune Cookie was really cringe-worthy - it was painful to listen to. And it is so disturbing that the Welfare Queen can only "work" if it's played by a person of color.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Maysie

[Primetimer]

Our own Joe Reid posted a nice write up on this episode today. Check it: https://www.primetimer.com/features/glows-freaky-tuesday-is-season-3s-secret-weapon

[wendyg]

I hope everyone got the ALL THAT JAZZ reference of the music-shower-wine-pills montage.

[Mattipoo]

Poor Tamme! Hope she is able to get her back problem treated.

Sheila as Liza Minelli is everything!

Love the switch-up with all the roles.

[DianeDobbler]

On 8/11/2019 at 2:51 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

Where are they going to go though? It's not like there's other wrestling jobs. They're kind of stuck. On the other hand, good for them. Getting the show extended means it must be popular.

That's where I am. It's difficult to get a job in show business and the rule of thumb is you stay with the job you have until you have another one, unless you've got other irons in the fire and enough in the bank. Was Debbie just planning to go home to Randy .. and do what? Same with the rest of them.

[whiporee]

I don't think Bash can actually do what he did. But I I also think it's unrealistic that any of this would have been left until the last week of the show -- the Fan Tan would need to be coming up with a replacement act, and the women would be putting out resumes and looking for their next gig. Finding out they've got an extension would be a relief to most of them, unless they've all been paid enough to have a safety net. 

Plus, after three months, wouldn't it be time to be working on a new show, anyway?

That said, Bash forgets that without Debbie, the show is never anything but a little boy's dream. Without Ruth, they are dealing with the battle for Kuntar. This has been collaborative, and while he was the original backer, he hasn't put any of his own (or his mommy's) money up for the last three months. If he were the producer he claims to be, he'd be working on ways to get the product back from the TV station so they could actually become the national thing they were on the verge of being. He's having fun being all flashy, but he's actually terrible at his job and probably shouldn't be quite so cocky about it.  

[iMonrey]

It was only at this point I think I realized they must be doing the same show every night. Which is odd. When it was on TV they needed to have an ongoing storyline because obviously they couldn't do the same show every week. The drawback to doing the same show on the stage every night is that it would probably kill a lot of potential repeat customers. 

[kieyra]

I love the way Debbie has to halt her Zoya act to briefly mutter jesusfuckingchrist because Ruth’s leotard is cut so high.

[Clanstarling]

21 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It was only at this point I think I realized they must be doing the same show every night. Which is odd. When it was on TV they needed to have an ongoing storyline because obviously they couldn't do the same show every week. The drawback to doing the same show on the stage every night is that it would probably kill a lot of potential repeat customers. 

I don't think it's much of a drawback for Vegas. I would imagine that most of the customers are from out of town (except for the die hard gamblers) and wouldn't be around to see it more often anyway. I think the big shows (like Cirque de Soleil) do the same shows for a season, then switch them up. But I don't really know, I've only experienced Vegas as a visitor - and only saw a comedy show while I was there.

[JakeyJokes]

On 8/9/2019 at 8:06 PM, kieyra said:

Oh, and as someone with lower back problems that started a few years ago, I’ve always watched the wrestling and training scenes with a slight cringe, especially when someone is slammed onto their back. I hope none of the actresses have been seriously hurt. (They’re the ones I’m always cringing for.)

Kia Stephens (Tamme) was a pro wrestler before this, so I always thought it was no coincidence that the longest match we saw was between her and Debbie. There was also some camera trickery going on in that tag match — we saw Reggie set up the crucifix spot but then they cut without showing them hit the mat. 

[benteen]

I was waiting for when they would do an episode that focused more on the show itself (ie the wrestling) and they delivered with this one.  Gilpin was a GREAT Zoya and Brie not surprisingly delivered as Liberty Belle.  Carmen was a fantastic heel as Welfare Queen.  Sheila as Liza, being told that she wouldn't be as successful as her mother got a good laugh too.  Great, fun episode.

Edited August 22, 2019 by benteen

[Kel Varnsen]

On 8/11/2019 at 2:51 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

Where are they going to go though? It's not like there's other wrestling jobs. They're kind of stuck. On the other hand, good for them. Getting the show extended means it must be popular.

Carmen's brother did say she should come out on the road with him. So there obviously is some demand from other promotions for what GLOW is doing.

On 8/12/2019 at 1:11 PM, Snapdragon said:

While I think Bash could have said it in a nicer way, I'm actually on his side about extending the show for nine more months.  I mean, that's how shows work.  If you don't want to do the show anymore, then you quit and they replace you with someone else.  If Debbie doesn't want to extend her contract (which is totally understandable, given her circumstances), then she can just quit and they can either switch one of the existing wrestler to her role or hire someone else.  Why is she trying to get in the way of everyone else earning money?

One thing that bugged me about the contract extension thing is no one talked about other options, like there are other casinos in vegas, or there is touring, or trying to find a way to get back on tv. Even if everyone was for it, it seems foolish to take your first offer when you are hot.

On 8/19/2019 at 6:56 PM, kieyra said:

I love the way Debbie has to halt her Zoya act to briefly mutter jesusfuckingchrist because Ruth’s leotard is cut so high.

That was funny. Debbie is also a lot taller than Ruth which I imagine would make it extra uncomfortable.

[Cheezwiz]

Loved this nutty episode!

They all did great with their role switcheroos. Sheila as Liza Minnelli was just pure pure genius - loved that she managed to hang onto her martini glass during all of her wrestling moves. The idea of Liza in a wrestling ring is just amazing!

Oh Bash, you are screwing up big-time. Definitely a combination of being rattled about his sexuality, and hubris from unexpected success. He really should have met with Sam & Debbie first, and then sat down with the girls to discuss the offer that was on the table. And rather than being intransigent, could he not have worked out some sort of deal for Debbie, so that she could still have a hand in things as producer, but be able to spend more time in LA with her kid? The hotel was clearly eager for them to stay and was offering a lot more money, so that's when you negotiate. Debbie might not be able to perform as Liberty Bell all the time, but maybe they could have someone sub for her.

I was wondering what the heck happened to Sam's daughter. I have a feeling her screenplay is probably brilliant and surpasses anything Sam could come up with, which is why he's gobsmacked and enlisting Ruth to read it. I could be wrong on this, but that's how I'm leaning.

[Danny Franks]

I was really pleased to see Justine again. I liked her character a lot, and am far more interested in Sam as a bewildered dad trying to do his best than as a love interest. They have a really nice dynamic.

Tamme's story rang very true, painfully so. I've heard too many stories from professional wrestlers about performing hurt, and self-medicating to deal with the pain, then performing more hurt, and self-medicating more. And then they end up dying at a young age because of all the abuse they put their bodies through.

I'm really struggling to care about Debbie's story this season. Bad mother, missing her kid, whatever. Maybe I'd care more if I had any interest in children. She wants to quit and go home, let her do it. Because quite honestly, you probably can't throw a rock in Las Vegas without hitting an all-American girl in need of steady work. There's no reason for her to try and stop the rest of the girls getting another nine months of work.

The gimmick switches were a lot of fun. Giving the women a chance to do something different and have some fun, and to show their improvisational skills, as well as mocking one another's characters.

Debbie was great as Zoya, and perhaps even better as a Soviet ice maiden than Ruth (in mannerisms, but not accent). But I really don't like Melanie, and her racist schtick here just reconfirmed that.

And they finally un-dowdied Alison Brie, to play Liberty Belle. Carmen made a fantastic Welfare Queen. And holy crap, Sheila as Liza Minnelli was unrecognisable.

"And in the other corner is.... a nun."

[aradia22]

Oh, no. I really didn't want to see Tamme deal with substance abuse problems.

Loved Geena Davis' gorgeously tacky funeral outfit.

Alison Brie went full Judy Garland as Dorothy for her Liberty Belle. It was one of the few switches that almost worked. 

"Fuck. I feel like I'm on acid." XD

Sheila's Liza wasn't great but it was better than Bobby's.

Bash was a real jerk but I'm weirdly glad he wasn't more of a jerk? He didn't invoke anything in their contracts to force them to keep working. But he owns GLOW so he can keep the show running if he wants. 

[aradia22]

Quote

While I think Bash could have said it in a nicer way, I'm actually on his side about extending the show for nine more months.  I mean, that's how shows work.  If you don't want to do the show anymore, then you quit and they replace you with someone else.  If Debbie doesn't want to extend her contract (which is totally understandable, given her circumstances), then she can just quit and they can either switch one of the existing wrestler to her role or hire someone else.  Why is she trying to get in the way of everyone else earning money?

I'm a Broadway person so I didn't have a problem with Bash extending the show necessarily (though it was a jerk move to override the other producers and not even discuss it with the cast). Shows want to run as long as possible. Performers get replaced. The problem is that with this particular show, the women have put so much work into their characters. And my guess is that if anyone gets replaced, the characters would stay the same. It's like if when The Rock decided to quit wrestling, they just got another guy to play the same character because they had to do a stage show. 

[scrb]

Thing is, most of the ladies were down on their luck when they joined GLOW.

They survived the struggles of the show, as it first tried to stay on the air.  They worked on their moves and stayed in that dingy motel, while uncertainty hung over them.

They didn’t pursue other jobs.  So after all this time, they see some success and momentum, a certain amount of paychecks.

I understand they’ve endured emotional and physical hardships.  But if the show ends in 3 months, what then?  There would be economic hardships for several of them.

If they all could easily get other gigs, no big deal, they could just walk away.  Also if a certain number of them decided to leave, the ones who wanted to remain may not have jobs either if they can’t put on a show with say half or less of the wrestlers.

I guess every season the continued existence of the show is threatened.  Either the audiences stop coming or enough of the wrestlers will move on to other things.

Wonder if they knew whether they’d be renewed when they wrote this episode.  They have to try to gin up drama whether they end with this season or they continue.  Realistically, people probably walk away one by one or the show stops being a big enough draw to continue.  Hard to see it lasting more than a couple of years.

[Paloma]

On 8/16/2019 at 1:00 PM, wendyg said:

I hope everyone got the ALL THAT JAZZ reference of the music-shower-wine-pills montage.

That was great! All That Jazz is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I got it right away.