To watch the GLOW season two trailer here:
Debbie “Liberty Belle” (Betty Gilpin) on GLOW. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
It’s business as usual on GLOW – the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling – which means wacky costumes, dead-pan humor, and fighting against racism and sexism. In the second season, which drops on Netflix on Friday, June 29, the women finally have a hit show; they have have groupies, get fan-mail, and people recognize them on the street. But all is not perfect in the world of women’s wrestling, or else it wouldn’t be GLOW.
Many of the women of color on the show within a show still have to deal with the fact that their wresting personas are based on stereotypes. “My costume still smells beer and racism,” says Arthie “Beirut the Mad Bomber” (Sunita Mani). Some of them have to deal with how to explain this to their families. “I’m not the only offensive character,” Tamme “Welfare Queen” (Kia Stevens) has to explain to her son. “Everyone’s offensive.” Set in the 80’s, not everything is PC, but you can trust in GLOW to push its characters beyond the stereotypes, and to a deeper understanding of the humanity and people we all are underneath.
Debbie (Betty Gilpin) on GLOW with her baby. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Meanwhile, our two main characters Ruth “Zoya the Destroya” (Alison Brie) and Debbie “Liberty Belle” (Betty Gilpin) are still working through their beef from last season – which is that Ruth slept with Debbie’s husband. In the season finale, it seemed like Debbie might make it work with her husband, but that was undermined when she insisted on continuing to do the show against his wishes. We learn in the trailer that she’s getting divorced, and that she and Ruth are having trouble separating personal feelings from their work together in the ring. Debbie is also struggling to balance her work life with her life as a mother. “I forgot to pick my son from daycare today,” she says in a stunned tone while preparing for a show.
Even the messiness within the show however, never trumps the chief struggle on GLOW – which is fighting to stay on the air. The ladies find out that they’re going to be canceled and replaced by a men’s wrestling show. Ruth admits that it may be her fault. It’s implied that she turned down sex with someone important within the industry, and the canceling of their show is retaliation. “That is how this business works,” Debbie tells her. “It shouldn’t be that way,” Ruth retorts.
What’s their plan? To go down fighting. Or in Sam’s (Marc Maron) words, “I say we do whatever the hell we wanna do. Set the weirdos free and see what happens.” An inspirational montage follows with “Holding Out for a Hero” in the background. These ladies are tough, they are sticking together, and they’re not going to be pushed out of the ring. Welcome to season two.
The cast of GLOW. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
