GLOW Season 3 Review: Still the King of the Ring!

A few months ago, we recommended GLOW as one of the must-watch shows on streaming with a predominantly female cast. If you have not seen the show, you are missing out on one of the most entertaining shows on Netflix. Some people may feel turned off by GLOW due to the premise of female wrestling but don’t be deterred. The human stories, especially in seasons 2 and 3, are far more centerstage for this show. The 10 episode season structure does a lot of good for a show like this. The writers can tell the story without too many filler episodes to pad the count, keeping the storytelling very taut.

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In Season 3, the show moves away from the wrestling to more issue based stories. The few times the show does revisit the wrestling, it is from a fresh perspective which is brilliantly innovative. The change of backdrop to a Las Vegas casino also adds a new challenge for our protagonists – a live show every night vs a recorded TV Show. GLOW deals with everything – racism, sexism, homophobia, bulimia, working mothers, the tragedy of being in the closet and misogyny – but never loses its biggest asset: The humor.

Characters feel more multi-dimensional while their interactions have become more complex this season. A great example is the central friendship between Debbie (Gilpin) and Ruth (Brie). They have moved from best friends to enemies to grudging colleagues and their love-hate relationship adds layers to anytime the two share screen.

For such a large ensemble, GLOW does justice to all the cast members, highlighting their stories in different episodes. The cast also delivers wonderfully nuanced performances and repay the trust that the writers place in them. Special mention for the two leading ladies who are just incredible and deserve all the nominations, awards and recognition. The romantic relations too, are all of different flavors and are more grounded in reality. Ruth and Sam (Maron) are the will-they won’t-they couple. Now married, Bash and Rhonda find that their problems are in the closet(pun intended) trying to burst out. 

But my favorite couple on GLOW this season is Arthie (Sunita Mani) and Yolanda (Shakira Barrera). At the end of Season 2, they were the most content out of everyone on the bus to Las Vegas. In the new season, they discover that one person’s uncertainty about their sexual identity could take a toll on even the strongest couples. Arthie’s journey makes for a fascinating study of what it meant being queer in the Eighties and how difficult stepping out of the closet was. Even if the show were to end with this season, I am happy with where GLOW leaves these two.

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Speaking of how difficult it was to be queer in the Eighties, Bash’s(Chris Lowell) journey is an even more glaring example of the toxic homophobia, although in his case – the homophobia is self-inflicted. The previous season alluded to Bash’s queerness, this season lays bare the conflict that he faces. On the one hand, he tries to be “Normal” to fit in but on the other, he just can not deny his attraction to men. Chris Lowell’s performance as Bash is exceptional – A charming and cheerful guy in public but suffering and conflicted on the inside.

Through the last 3 years, GLOW has continued to be the show that marries emotional stories with great comic timing. The new season just confirms that (at the risk of repeating myself) GLOW is one of the smartest shows currently on TV. Here’s hoping that it scores a renewal from Netflix, but even if it does not – I heartily recommend the show and this season to anyone who enjoys clever storytelling with a side of humor with a dash of 80’s nostalgia.

Rating – 4/5 | Grade – A

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