Inspired by the real Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling from the 1980’s, GLOW stars Alison Brie as Ruth Wilder, an out of work actress that stumbles upon a chance at stardom from a surprising place.
So, Is It Any Good?
4 episodes into GLOW, I was planning on writing the review for this, and it would have been a hard NO. At that point, the show was all character development with a lead that felt more like a villain. How can I root for someone that is just a straight up “C U Next Tuesday”?
Where did the glitz and glamour of the trailer go? Was it part of the next season? Was it going to be a dream sequence later in the show? I had all these questions and for me, nothing was getting answered. But rather than give up on the show, like I had planned, I pressed on, all because the trailer had sold me the world that I wanted to see.
I’m glad I did stick with it because episodes 5 and 6 changed everything. GLOW went from something I would never recommend to something that needs to be seen. These episodes are where we start to see the wrestling and relationships build. We start to see flickers of glitz. There’s a moment between the two leads that turns into a classic 80’s montage scene that absolutely gripped me. All the character development from the previous episodes paid off and I was now cheering for the characters, and laughing in hysterics from the antics of Alison Brie and her stage presence. This is where Netflix shines, the feature of continued play almost forces you to continue watching or face actually moving your arms to change the show on the remote, who has the time for that?
Simply, GLOW is a dramatic look at the behind the scenes of a female wrestling, but dig further and you’ll find great characters and an eye-opening look at 1980’s television. It has all the glitz and glamour, with the drama and heartache that only a show about female wrestling could provide.
You might find it a little hard to get through the series before episode 5 but I highly recommend pressing on. The payoff is well worth it! I for one cannot wait for season 2!
GLOW is streaming on Netflix now!