So obviously there is going to be spoilers here and the biggest one can’t be hidden which is that I was a little disappointed with the return of one of my absolute favourite shows.
So here are 5 things that really ruined GLOW this year for me.
5. Randy?
We spent the entire first half of the season learning how much Debbie misses her son which was sweet, in character and a good story. I mean it was mainly there to have her cry and get upset all the time but it was what we knew was going to happen.
Suddenly after the half way point she just has him for one episode before she starts dating a millionaire and suddenly Randy is never seen or even mentioned again.
We have this amazing scene where he disappears and she’s all emotional because she lost her kid but losing the kid wasn’t the thing, juggling being a single mum and a producer wasn’t a story, nothing about Debbie and her life was really the story because this season was all about getting her into a position where she could strong arm her way into a mans world.
WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE if it wasn’t for the fact that the built up her motherhood side to the story then left it at the side which just didn’t make any sense.
I can only imagine where that kid is now.
4. The badly told story of Bash
Bash has always been a bit of a comic relief character that has some good moments but is mainly the face and voice of the company.
With the company fine and us never seeing it his main purpose was gone so they had to lean heavily on the stupid producer gets mean story which was meant to, I think, tie into him trying to hide the fact he’s gay away.
Thing is it was so badly told.
He got mean after Bobby accidentally comes on to him and after that he just isn’t a character worth mentioning. Gone is any actual semblance of the character we have grown to know and in its place is a totally one dimensional angry closeted guy who suddenly has the world at his feet.
It wouldn’t have been that bad if they had at least given us some scenes like the one he had with Debbie where he basically came out to her. It wouldn’t have been too bad if we just had anything other then every time he was on screen he was being this dick head that was totally out of character for him.
With Sam disappearing half way through the series it felt like Bash was just there so they could play out a male gay story line instead of giving the character some actual development so we could feel for him or so that he stayed the same Bash we all loved to begin with.
3. The even worse told story of Ruth and Sam!
I mean if I’m complaining about Bash then there is SOOO much to complain about with Ruth and Sam.
It was a slow burner, something the audience knew and the characters were growing into. It was the love story everyone wanted.
Until it wasn’t.
Whilst I get that Sam telling Ruth and Ruth denying it was actually a good direction to go, even her slow realisation that she loved him was good in its way, they stretched it out for too long with no real actual development other then Ruth giving sad eyes to people all the time then had her blurt out her feelings before snatching any humanity from her and making her a selfish bitch who only seemed to care for her future as a actress.
Whilst I don’t get why Sam told her she wasn’t getting the part just before he was going to take her home and sleep with her the reaction to this news was ridiculous and honestly killed any story with them two in the future.
I don’t see Sam, who knows he might not have long to live and is living for his daughter right now, ever going back to a woman who was that selfish. He seemed to realise that she didn’t really love him the way he loved her but who knows with GLOW?
2. Stories being rushed
I mean it is the problem with the above points I guess but absolutely no story was given time to breath and there were some really good ones.
Sheila’s story for example is one of the most heartbreaking when talking about being rushed. She wanted to be a actress which was really interesting, she had the confrontation with the acting coach which made little sense because we never saw them being told to dress for their role, she then had the friendship with Bobby which was amazing but never really seen on screen, that amazing moment as Liza and then burning her She Wolf outfit. It was all fantastic but all these great moments, plus the recital at Bobby’s party, are as bare bones as I’m writing them.
Blink and you miss them moments.
Bit WOW look at that moments with no follow up.
Arthie and coming to terms with being gay was ALL OFF SCREEN! She had one moment after the party where she saw the homophobic graffiti and she talked to Rhonda about it briefly but we never saw her come to terms with who she is. There was never a proper emotional moment between her and Yolanda, there was never a moment like Sheila up on stage. She just stood up in the last episode said she was gay and that was it.
Then we have Carmen who was told she was ready to tour with her family, refused it then by the end of the season had decided to leave. She was the one bringing fresh ideas to the table and yet she decided to leave after her most ridiculous idea was a success.
So many good stories wasted.
1. Amazing guests not used well enough
Bobby, Sandy and that Show Girl were all amazing characters that were rarely used but stole every scene they were in. Bobby and Sandy’s interactions were the best and the Show Girl had a promising relationship with Cherry that never got off the ground.
Of all the missed opportunities of this season utilizing the guest cast is going to be the one that hurts the most.
I don’t even know what to say other than that.
Bobby could have worked wonders if seen more with Sheila and Rhonda had actually taken up his classes and was a constant in Bash’s life. Sandy should have had a bigger part to play in Debbie’s life and just been a bigger presence in all of their lives.
As no one other then Ruth and Debbie really mattered though it isn’t that surprising that these wonderful characters weren’t used more.
So those were my disappointments, I guess to be fair I’ll put out a 5 positive things about the third season of GLOW later but I can’t help but feel a little let down by the series as a whole.
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