S03.E04: Say Yes

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

A visit from Russell puts Ruth on edge. Bash hires a magician to spice up the show. Sheila forges ahead with her acting and finds a new idol.

Original air date: 8/9/19

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved Bash's delighted reaction to the magician and the jugglers. Not at all surprised that he turned down the drag queen though. He's still in denial and not ready to be honest with himself. But I'm glad that Sheila found a new friend!

I enjoyed Debbie and Cherry hanging out.

I'm glad Russell saw right through Ruth and called her on all the weird things she did while he was visiting.

[thuganomics85]

Bash really was like a puppy dog during all of the magic and juggling acts.  But, yeah, I'm not surprised over the way he reacted to the drag queen.  He really needs to start being honest with himself, or he's not just going to cause himself more trouble, but Rhonda as well.

Cool seeing Kurt again, and I like how it might be setting up Carmen to do more pro in the future.

Poor Cheryl.  Glad Debbie was there for her.

Russell is cool, but I suspect that Ruth is going to end up ruining it over her conflicted feelings towards Sam.

A very good episode for Shelia.

[Lady Calypso]

Bash was adorable during all of the magic stuff. He really got excited over magic and the juggling acts. But, like others, I'm not surprised at his reaction to the drag queen. I knew marrying Rhonda was a bad idea and he's only on the road to hurting her. I think he really does need to find someone to confide in. Maybe Carmen, if she doesn't already know his secret? 

Carmen and Kurt's scenes were great. I'm glad to see a bit more Carmen. Last season, she was definitely underused. So I'm glad that she seems to be getting her own plot now.

Cherry and Debbie got a plot together. Debbie is the perfect person to help Cherry through her marital issues, as well.

I feel bad for Russell because he's going to get his heart broken. Hopefully not by walking in on Sam and Ruth fucking or something awful like that. It's tough to watch because it's clear that Ruth likes Sam more but she's living in denial. It's like she doesn't want to like Sam, but she does, so she's overcompensating. Plus, we already know she's been the other woman, so she could be a cheater on her own boyfriend.

Sam and Sheila get a plot together! I always appreciate when Sam gets to interact with the other ladies. And Sheila's plot was pretty good. It looks like we'll get to see more Sheila this season.

[kieyra]

I spent part of the episode going “I love drag queens from way back, but why is this one taking up some much of my show?”, but then they spun things off into both Bash and Sheila’s storylines in an impactful way.

I’m missing the wrestlers as a group, though. I guess it’s harder when there are no training scenes and no wrestling. 

[dubbel zout]

On 8/9/2019 at 7:38 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I loved Bash's delighted reaction to the magician and the jugglers.

Same here, but I also thought, Oh, Bash, you are 6 years old, and that's not always a good thing when you're trying to run a business.

[DoctorAtomic]

On 8/9/2019 at 5:38 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm glad Russell saw right through Ruth and called her on all the weird things she did while he was visiting.

What I liked was that she was ticked because she didn't get to read Sam's script. It's more interesting to me than 'will they'.

I completely missed the Bash subtext. I'm not disputing it, but this is the problem with shows taking so much time off that you could build a literal pyramid in the hiatus. With so much content all over the place, it's hard to keep track.

Edited August 11, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[Miles]

Guess the Bash is gay storyline isn't as dead as I thought. At least the drag queen clocked him. And it does seem like it hit home for him.

Seemed like he was having too much fun having sex with Rhonda in earlier episodes though. Not like he was just going through the motions, faking it somehow.

I mean there is always the option that he's bi, but that doesn't seem to be what they are choreographing here. Interesting.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Miles

[DoctorAtomic]

9 minutes ago, Miles said:

Not like he was just going through the motions, faking it somehow.

That's what confuses me. You'd think they would tip us off in that context.

[kieyra]

Straight woman, so I’ve just assumed I’m probably wrong about my impressions. But my probably-wrong impression is that he’s gay, but so closeted and deep in denial that he is able to “perform” with Rhonda. I assume that this is, er, mechanically possible for some men, given the number of men who father children with women but then come out as gay later.

I know that it’s very popular to showcase bisexual characters on television right now, but this doesn’t feel like that. I think we would have seen him with another woman before now if so. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by kieyra

[Miles]

1 hour ago, kieyra said:

Straight woman, so I’ve just assumed I’m probably wrong about my impressions. But my probably-wrong impression is that he’s gay, but so closeted and deep in denial that he is able to “perform” with Rhonda. I assume that this is, er, mechanically possible for some men, given the number of men who father children with women but then come out as gay later.

I mean I'd think usually they'd close their eyes and think of England... England being the name of a big burly gay pornstar, of course. Being so deep in the closet that you find women attrractive? That's not how that works.

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

2 hours ago, Miles said:

Not like he was just going through the motions, faking it somehow.

That's what confuses me. You'd think they would tip us off in that context.

It's not just about tipping us off, but that it doesn't seem to fit.

PS: Wondering who can figure out where I stole that quote from originally.

[kieyra]

1 hour ago, Miles said:

Being so deep in the closet that you find women attrractive? That's not how that works.

I didn’t use the word “attractive”. Just “perform”.

And I almost used the England quote the first time around. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I think the point is, when they were having sex, he seemed into it and not thinking of England. They could have written this plot better. We, as viewers, should have been tipped off that he was thinking of England, or there should have more of a tip off when Florian passed. 

[tennisgurl]

Bash was so happy and excited seeing the magician and the jugglers, it was adorable he really was like a kid in a candy store! I should have known that the drag queen was clock him as deep in the closet right away, but its sad to see how in denile he is. Its hard to blame him, in tgose times with that family, but it still sucks. Its just going to end in misery for both him and Rhonda, and everyone in their immediate vicinity. I mean, the whole "You know MY  WIFE" bit after the performance pretty much said it all for me. At least Sheila made a friend! 

Its so painfully obvious that Ruth is into Sam, I just hope that she doesn't break poor Russel's heart, as he seems like a nice person. 

The Kurt and Carmen scene was really good, it was great seeing him again, and that Carmen is getting the screentime she deserves. I thought she was pretty underused last season, so I think seeing her get some time in the sun. She is the one who I think could go furthest in wrestling, it seems like something she really wants to be her career, and has the skill and passion to go far.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Every time I see the title of this episode, I hear this song in my head:

[DoctorAtomic]

Klymaxx wow. 

[Blakeston]

The Bash/Rhonda sex scene in episode 2 was very brief, and we didn't see any noteworthy expression on Bash's face, so I didn't necessarily take it as an indication that he was enjoying the sex. Just a confirmation that he was having it, which doesn't mean much one way or the other.

The way Bash turned on Bobby was interesting. Bash had to know Bobby was gay from the get-go, but Bash was reasonably nice to Bobby up until Bobby made that joke about having a wife himself.

Bash seemed to interpret it as Bobby mocking his marriage to Rhonda, but I don't think that's what Bobby was going for. I thought the joke was just that Bobby obviously didn't have a wife back home.

There was no reason, at that point, for Bobby to realize that Bash was gay. And even if he had spectacular gaydar, I don't think he'd be dumb enough to make a crack about Bash's marriage being a sham to his face, right after meeting his wife.

[festivus]

I'm really not interested in Ruth's love problems, I find my mind wandering during those scenes although I do kinda like low key Russell.  Ruth really does wear the most god awful clothes. My mom was at least 10 years older than Ruth in 1985 and she never wore mom jeans that bad. Or a damn fanny pack. Just had to get that off my chest. Moving on.

It was nice that Shelia found a friend. I did get a laugh out of her and Sam's scene though. He is such an asshole, I probably shouldn't find him as funny as I do.

[Whimsy]

19 hours ago, Blakeston said:

The Bash/Rhonda sex scene in episode 2 was very brief, and we didn't see any noteworthy expression on Bash's face, so I didn't necessarily take it as an indication that he was enjoying the sex. Just a confirmation that he was having it, which doesn't mean much one way or the other.

The way Bash turned on Bobby was interesting. Bash had to know Bobby was gay from the get-go, but Bash was reasonably nice to Bobby up until Bobby made that joke about having a wife himself.

Bash seemed to interpret it as Bobby mocking his marriage to Rhonda, but I don't think that's what Bobby was going for. I thought the joke was just that Bobby obviously didn't have a wife back home.

There was no reason, at that point, for Bobby to realize that Bash was gay. And even if he had spectacular gaydar, I don't think he'd be dumb enough to make a crack about Bash's marriage being a sham to his face, right after meeting his wife.

I 100% thought that Bobby immediately clocked Bash as gay and apologized and softened his approach when Bash balked.  I thought that was very artfully done and fell a little in love with Bobby then.  He knew Bash wasn't ready and accepted it and changed the subject to try to make Bash feel a bit more comfortable again. 

[martha21]

While the sex scene with Bash and Rhonda was short and we didn't see much of his face, right afterwards Bash was so elated. He was in a much better mood, talking about how he loved everything including his wife. That, to me, seemed a stereotypical portrayal of a man who just had a fulfilling sexual encounter. So it seemed like he enjoyed sex with a woman.

It is interesting that Bobby assumed Bash was gay, and then Bobby shared his own experience of having a son with a (ex?) wife who he said was a dear friend. I could see Bash going in the same direction, being good friends with Rhonda and possibly procreating even if he might also enjoy sex with men. Doesn't seem like he's tried it yet.

Not very interested in Ruth's love life, but I really enjoyed Bobby. I love his face and his acting. Wouldn't mind if he was in all of the remaining episodes.

[Clanstarling]

On 8/11/2019 at 8:27 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I think the point is, when they were having sex, he seemed into it and not thinking of England. They could have written this plot better. We, as viewers, should have been tipped off that he was thinking of England, or there should have more of a tip off when Florian passed. 

There was sufficient tip off for me, when Florian died. For my tastes, they've written Bash's closeted self-denial with perfect subtlety and nuance.

On 8/14/2019 at 6:24 AM, Whimsy said:

I 100% thought that Bobby immediately clocked Bash as gay and apologized and softened his approach when Bash balked.  I thought that was very artfully done and fell a little in love with Bobby then.  He knew Bash wasn't ready and accepted it and changed the subject to try to make Bash feel a bit more comfortable again. 

Same here.

On 8/15/2019 at 9:58 AM, martha21 said:

While the sex scene with Bash and Rhonda was short and we didn't see much of his face, right afterwards Bash was so elated. He was in a much better mood, talking about how he loved everything including his wife. That, to me, seemed a stereotypical portrayal of a man who just had a fulfilling sexual encounter. So it seemed like he enjoyed sex with a woman.

Or was elated because he was able to perform and please Rhonda, whether or not he was strongly attracted to her physically.  Also, once it gets going, sex feels good if you're both willing. Sexual response is more fluid than hetero, gay, and even bi, and can definitely be complicated. Add denial to the mix, and it gets even more complicated.

[DianeDobbler]

On 8/18/2019 at 5:53 PM, Clanstarling said:

Or was elated because he was able to perform and please Rhonda, whether or not he was strongly attracted to her physically.  Also, once it gets going, sex feels good if you're both willing. Sexual response is more fluid than hetero, gay, and even bi, and can definitely be complicated. Add denial to the mix, and it gets even more complicated.

Yep. If he doesn't want to be gay, and it seems he doesn't, there had to have been a lot of relief.

Someone had an interesting take on this that I read - the choreography in the Bash/Rhonda sex scene had him thwarting actual intimacy. When eye contact was threatened, he flipped over. When she was riding him, he flipped over again so he wouldn't see her breasts (he put his head in her neck). The intensity and vigor with which he was performing could indicate a lot of intensity and INTENT, versus something coming naturally to him. All kinds of energy can transition into sexual energy. Fear, desperation, etc. I took the scene as Bash being very intense and absolutely determined to drive this home, so to speak, and not necessarily being turned on by his partner. The difference between the pile driving with Rhonda and the near swooning with the gigolo was pretty marked.  Rhonda and his sexual encounter seemed one note. If they'd slowed things down or changed rhythms, I think he'd have lost his ability.

That said, I do think the story is a mess. I understand the basic beats. Bobby assuming Bash is gay made sense to me. It's not just gaydar - Bash kind of screams. And Bobby may have seen him in his Elvis outfit. I don't know that there are clothes and things that tip one off that someone is gay, but there's definitely attire and grooming that can tip one off someone isn't straight, mostly because customarily straight men are pretty limited in their sartorial range. Anyhow, it made sense to me.  The messy part is that we're to believe Florian and Bash lived together at the beach, alone, Bash adored him, and there was never a late night or unguarded moment when Bash and Florian had an intimate encounter. Plenty of repressed and closeted gay men have such encounters, rationalizing and compartmentalizing away. To me it's implausible for Bash to be living with a hot man he loves, who is actively gay, and nothing happens.

Also in S1 we see Bash put on glitter eye shadow. Is GLOW telling us he's tiptoeing into the gay world but isn't onto himself, and only caught on when he was in the threesome? They're not specific. They throw a lot of "hints" about Bash, but it seems aimed at the audience, versus giving us actual info about Bash. They've kept his status pretty vague, which IMO is a mistake. His status on his road to coming out- what he knows about himself, when he first knew it, when he first acted on it.

My whole take on this early stage Bash/Rhonda marital sex is Bash was attempting conversion therapy on himself. If I do it, I will become it. His announcing that "We have been having a lot of sex" his kind of being performative about married life. He's trying on the role to see if he can become the role, and hoping he can.

Finally, if GLOW is leaning towards telling us that nothing ever happened with Florian, and Bash is so clueless about women he didn't know what an IUD was - are we to understand his interlude with Rhonda was his first sexual experience and she took his virginity?

This story is a mess.

Edited August 20, 2019 by DianeDobbler

[The Companion]

Bash's storyline actually feels really authentic to me, when it comes to sexuality. A lot of gay and lesbian people have had relationships with the opposite sex before coming out, especially those in deep denial. In fact, gay and lesbian teens have higher teen pregnancy rates. Being attracted to someone and being able to perform sexually with someone and enjoy it are not always the same thing, and every time Bash has sex with a woman, he reaffirms what he is trying to tell himself over and over: that he is straight and all that other stuff is just a blip. The way he emphasizes "my wife" everytime Rhonda is nearby feels so very much like he is trying to convince everyone, including himself. I had an ex like that. He was the model boyfriend. Bought flowers, wrote poetry (ugh, high school), planned elaborate dates, etc. One day, I realized that he was more obsessed with being a boyfriend than he was with actually being my boyfriend. He didn't seem to particularly like or love me. He wasn't interested in what I was doing. He was going through all the motions, but he could have had anyone on the receiving end. Mind you, I don't think he had any clue he was doing it either. I think it all helped reaffirm a self-image in his own mind. The storyline makes me sad. Sad for Rhonda and sad for him. Both probably have a pretty difficult journeys ahead. On the bright side, I could watch Bash's puppylike enthusiasm for all the performances on loop. 

I am having trouble really caring about Ruth and Russell. They don't seem to have much in common and the relationship is so obviously doomed that it is hard to really watch. It feels like this season has so many romantic relationships, and I would far prefer watching the GLOW women together than a doomed relationship.

[Clanstarling]

52 minutes ago, The Companion said:

Bash's storyline actually feels really authentic to me, when it comes to sexuality. A lot of gay and lesbian people have had relationships with the opposite sex before coming out, especially those in deep denial. In fact, gay and lesbian teens have higher teen pregnancy rates. Being attracted to someone and being able to perform sexually with someone and enjoy it are not always the same thing, and every time Bash has sex with a woman, he reaffirms what he is trying to tell himself over and over: that he is straight and all that other stuff is just a blip. The way he emphasizes "my wife" everytime Rhonda is nearby feels so very much like he is trying to convince everyone, including himself. I had an ex like that. He was the model boyfriend. Bought flowers, wrote poetry (ugh, high school), planned elaborate dates, etc. One day, I realized that he was more obsessed with being a boyfriend than he was with actually being my boyfriend. He didn't seem to particularly like or love me. He wasn't interested in what I was doing. He was going through all the motions, but he could have had anyone on the receiving end. Mind you, I don't think he had any clue he was doing it either. I think it all helped reaffirm a self-image in his own mind. The storyline makes me sad. Sad for Rhonda and sad for him. Both probably have a pretty difficult journeys ahead. On the bright side, I could watch Bash's puppylike enthusiasm for all the performances on loop.

I agree.

I've known several people who've been married and had children before coming out. It's not rare, but it's always painful for everyone. We all tell lies to ourselves, sometimes we're aware of the lies we tell, sometimes we don't even know we're lying to ourselves.

I agree that being able to have sex for having sex when we're not attracted to someone isn't particularly indicative of orientation - plenty of heterosexuals do that all the time, for varying reasons. It's a human thing, not a sexual orientation thing.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Clanstarling

[kieyra]

7 hours ago, The Companion said:

I am having trouble really caring about Ruth and Russell. They don't seem to have much in common and the relationship is so obviously doomed that it is hard to really watch. It feels like this season has so many romantic relationships, and I would far prefer watching the GLOW women together than a doomed relationship.

I was disappointed they brought this character back at all. IIRC the actor has some other credits (writer/producer/etc) so it's one of those situations where, whenever he's on screen, I just sigh and assume he's someone's friend higher up in the show production. He just sucks the air of a room, in a way not even Alison Brie can save. 

And he looks like he should be standing on a street corner in that HBO show about the 1970s porn industry, not appearing as romantic interest in GLOW. That aesthetic alone takes me out of every goddamned scene he's in. 

[The Companion]

1 hour ago, kieyra said:

I was disappointed they brought this character back at all. IIRC the actor has some other credits (writer/producer/etc) so it's one of those situations where, whenever he's on screen, I just sigh and assume he's someone's friend higher up in the show production. He just sucks the air of a room, in a way not even Alison Brie can save. 

And he looks like he should be standing on a street corner in that HBO show about the 1970s porn industry, not appearing as romantic interest in GLOW. That aesthetic alone takes me out of every goddamned scene he's in. 

Yeah, there is so little chemistry between them and he is so low energy, that I am sort of surprised every time they kiss. He could be a good counter to Ruth's manic energy, but it just doesn't quite work. 

[Cheezwiz]

On 8/15/2019 at 9:58 AM, martha21 said:

Not very interested in Ruth's love life, but I really enjoyed Bobby. I love his face and his acting. Wouldn't mind if he was in all of the remaining episodes.

Agreed. I think this actor is great, and a fantastic addition to the show - I hope he sticks around. His character seems smart, perceptive and kind. I'm glad Sheila came out of her shell to befriend him, interested to see where that goes.

Like others have mentioned above, I just can't get into Ruth and Russell. I don't buy them as a couple at all, he's just so bland and such a non-entity onscreen. I can't imagine Ruth getting excited about him or even pretending to get excited about him. I actually keep forgetting his character's name and had to look it up.

On 8/27/2019 at 12:52 PM, kieyra said:

he looks like he should be standing on a street corner in that HBO show about the 1970s porn industry, not appearing as romantic interest in GLOW. That aesthetic alone takes me out of every goddamned scene he's in. 

Yes, this too. Not that I expect everyone to look like an underwear model, but there's a distinct absence of charisma or something that is a bit jarring. I wonder if that's why they've been dressing Allison Brie in such horrifically dowdy clothing, so that they don't seem so mismatched.

[Danny Franks]

Okay, Bash's childish glee over the magic tricks was brilliant. Chris Lowell is so good in this role, managing to make what could easily have been a one-note character really interesting and fun to watch. I imagine that the hotel staff started circulating the message, 'this guy's got money and he's a credulous mark'.

Bobby was an interesting addition, and I loved that downbeat, vulnerable moment he had with Sheila at the end. It's no surprise that Bash didn't hire him, after he revealed that he, too, was a gay man who married a woman to avoid admitting the truth.

I figured Rhonda must have some clue about Bash, and if not her then some of the other GLOW girls, but no one has really said anything so far.

Sam trying to improve himself and get healthier, as a reaction to Ruth dismissing him? Thank god that he's not doing the predictable thing of drinking and gambling his sorrows away. Still don't want them together though.

Russell is clearly just a temporary love interest, and doesn't seem to have much personality at all. I can see why Ruth likes him, because he's a nice guy, but talk of moving in together? Engagements? Not a chance those things happen.

I hope Keith comes back. He was one of my favourite secondary characters, and it would suck if the healthy marriage he and Cherry had couldn't survive this. Obviously, the dismissal of women as objects of value once they've had children is hovering in the subtext here, and I was surprised that the dance instructor didn't have a sorrier tale to tell than just having to wait a couple more months to re-audition.

[aradia22]

That was a fine drag queen but a bad Carol Channing. And the only Barbra I got was the wig and the outfit. The Liza didn't sound right either.

So Russell is still in the picture.

Is Chet supposed to be a character I care about? The way he worked his hips, I don't think he's straight. But that might be the actor and not the character.

Whoa. Those earrings on Rhonda were crazy. 

To be fair, that was good close up sleight of hand magic. But also, Bash's outsized child-like reaction was so him.

What is this? Bash wearing a fitted suit?

I'm glad Kurt showed up. Carmen shouldn't have to rely on the rest of the cast to have a scene.

I love Sheila but I'm still not sure how to feel about the wolf thing. 

[aradia22]

Quote

The way Bash turned on Bobby was interesting. Bash had to know Bobby was gay from the get-go, but Bash was reasonably nice to Bobby up until Bobby made that joke about having a wife himself.

Bash seemed to interpret it as Bobby mocking his marriage to Rhonda, but I don't think that's what Bobby was going for. I thought the joke was just that Bobby obviously didn't have a wife back home.

There was no reason, at that point, for Bobby to realize that Bash was gay. And even if he had spectacular gaydar, I don't think he'd be dumb enough to make a crack about Bash's marriage being a sham to his face, right after meeting his wife.

Quote

I 100% thought that Bobby immediately clocked Bash as gay and apologized and softened his approach when Bash balked.  I thought that was very artfully done and fell a little in love with Bobby then.  He knew Bash wasn't ready and accepted it and changed the subject to try to make Bash feel a bit more comfortable again. 

To me, Bobby was making a light joke about Bash and Rhonda's marriage. And he backtracked when he realized the producer he was pitching his show to wasn't out of the closet. It was crazy to me that Bobby would do that. There was no sign that Bash was out or had some sort of arrangement with Rhonda. You should step more carefully in social interactions before you know what's going on. I didn't really feel bad for Bobby when Bash rejected his act because of that. And also because all his impressions were bad. 

Quote

Someone had an interesting take on this that I read - the choreography in the Bash/Rhonda sex scene had him thwarting actual intimacy. When eye contact was threatened, he flipped over. When she was riding him, he flipped over again so he wouldn't see her breasts (he put his head in her neck).

Oh, that IS an interesting take. I was wondering how to interpret all the flipping but I just put it up to TV nonsense.

Quote

That said, I do think the story is a mess. I understand the basic beats. [...] The messy part is that we're to believe Florian and Bash lived together at the beach, alone, Bash adored him, and there was never a late night or unguarded moment when Bash and Florian had an intimate encounter. Plenty of repressed and closeted gay men have such encounters, rationalizing and compartmentalizing away. To me it's implausible for Bash to be living with a hot man he loves, who is actively gay, and nothing happens.

Also in S1 we see Bash put on glitter eye shadow. Is GLOW telling us he's tiptoeing into the gay world but isn't onto himself, and only caught on when he was in the threesome? They're not specific. They throw a lot of "hints" about Bash, but it seems aimed at the audience, versus giving us actual info about Bash. They've kept his status pretty vague, which IMO is a mistake. His status on his road to coming out- what he knows about himself, when he first knew it, when he first acted on it.

Finally, if GLOW is leaning towards telling us that nothing ever happened with Florian, and Bash is so clueless about women he didn't know what an IUD was - are we to understand his interlude with Rhonda was his first sexual experience and she took his virginity?

This story is a mess.

Agreed. There's way too much confusion here and there shouldn't be. It's fine if most people don't know what's going on with Bash or if he's not 100% clear on his sexual identity but as the audience, these things shouldn't be in question. Another problem is that this story has been parceled out in such a way that we've had to piece it together and try and make sense of it. Meanwhile, we've gotten way too many scenes of Debbie post-marriage implosion and that story is pretty straightforward and easy to follow.

Quote

I am having trouble really caring about Ruth and Russell. They don't seem to have much in common and the relationship is so obviously doomed that it is hard to really watch. 

I liked Russell at first. I don't think they have sizzling chemistry but he's very sweet. I think the problem is that the show floated Russell as a love interest and then took a hard turn into pitching Sam. Which only serves to make Russell feel temporary. I don't know that they have nothing in common as much as I know Russell makes the effort to find out what Ruth is interested in. He clearly has a life outside of her but we don't know about it and they didn't care to tell us about their phone conversations. I'm not super Team Russell but I really don't want to see Ruth and Sam get together.