GLOW Season Three (Spoiler-Filled) Review

Warning: This piece will spoil the entire third season of Netflix’s comedy GLOW. So, if you haven’t watched season three yet, fire up your Netflix account and get on it. Seriously, it’s only 10 episodes, and most are under 35 minutes. You can handle that.

There’s so much to love about GLOW: The complex characters. The snappy dialogue. The fact that it’s one of the most diverse and female-forward shows on television. The fun 80s references (and the not-so-fun 80s references). The way the show’s writing staff has figured out how to craft smart, funny, and compelling storylines that move the story ahead but still feel perfect for the show’s setting and aesthetic. So much to love.

And that’s what this review is going to be: A love letter to GLOW, a series that somehow managed to keep the quality high while eighty-sixing most of the wrestling in its third season (while I definitely missed the fun of having the weekly wrestling match line-up with the major story points of an individual episode, I found, by the end of the season, that I didn’t really miss the wrestling as much as I thought I would). Sure, I have some nit-picks (the major one being that with an ensemble cast this large, certain characters really end up getting short-changed while certain characters get a single episode spotlight before fading into the background again, which is a major bummer but also the nature of the beast), but I burned through my GLOW binge and was left wanting more, which is more than I can say for most shows I watch these days.

GLOW is a lot of things, but the heart of the series is the relationship between Debbie and Ruth – the story of the two former friends finding their way back to each other. And season three took enormous strides toward the happy ending everyone is hoping for before absolutely shattering that illusion by reminding us that these are two women with very different life goals. Debbie has finally pulled herself out of the spiral she’s been stuck in for the past two seasons, finally getting a grip on being a working mother while also managing to learn just enough about local business deals to ensure that she can continue working her way up the entertainment ladder. It’s been a hell of an arc for the character and it’s impossible not to root for her to continue to succeed.

Ruth, on the other hand, loves what she does. Sure, she’s a bit lost in her own personal life (and I’m happy the show moved away from the Ruth-Sam romantic relationship, as that never felt quite right, despite both Allison Brie and Marc Maron doing all they could to sell it), but she’s a hell of a performer in the ring. If only she was able to get the same breaks outside of the ring. Ruth has always wanted to be an actress. Her dream is the exact opposite of Debbie’s dream to become more than a face on a screen. I was genuinely crushed watching the final scene of the season, knowing that for all their strides together, Debbie and Ruth’s relationship might finally be moving apart out of its own necessity. Perhaps they just aren’t meant to be friends anymore? Growing up and moving on is a normal part of life, even in your 30s. But if that’s the case, I’m happy we got one final chance to see the two ladies working together, connecting and accepting each other, before their paths diverged (although, I assume Ruth will be back on the GLOW roster, so while they might not spend their time together as equals anymore – Debbie certainly seems the type to take Ruth’s refusal of the director post as a personal slight – they will still be in each other’s orbit).

Outside of the show’s main relationship, several additional characters were given the chance to shine in season three. Bash began taking steps to grow up although the arc could have used a bit more screen time to really watch it develop. Instead, Bash went from 0 to 60 with his plan to buy into the casino’s shows, only to spiral into depression over his repressed sexuality, and then end everything on a high note thanks to Debbie’s eleventh-hour Hail Mary plan. It was a lot of story condensed into a few episodes, and it would have hit harder has the show spaced the major beats out a bit more.

Sheila’s steps to fully accept herself and allow the world to see the real her was one of the season’s highlights. One of the show’s most intriguing characters from its earliest episodes, Sheila’s journey never really went as deep as it could have (this is a comedy, after all), but it was wonderful to see her begin to understand that she doesn’t need to hide herself within a performance every day. Rather, the “new” Sheila that emerged through some help from Bobby Barnes (Kevin Cahoon absolutely slayed in the role, and I’m sorry we’re not likely to see more of him in future episodes) allowed her to blossom into a hell of a performer. I hope the show continues to explore this side of the character – and what really caused her to hide under the wig and make-up for so long.

So, at the end of the day, season three of GLOW was a success. I would have loved the chance to spend additional time with some characters not named Debbie, Ruth, or Sam, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles when a series has three clear leads and a large supporting cast. I’m intrigued to see where things go in season four, with a new venture spearheaded by Debbie more than Bash (who I enjoy as a character, but who I wouldn’t be sorry to see less of in season four), and with the potential loss of Britney Young’s Carmen (unlike Bash, I would love more Carmen – and I suspect we’ll check in with her on the road, at least). There are so few shows that can bring joy to our lives, while not sacrificing the elements that make for great, fulfilling TV. GLOW is one of them, and I was thrilled to get to spend some time with the gorgeous ladies of wrestling this past weekend.