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SHOW:
GLOW S2
WHERE TO WATCH:
OUR RATING:
4/5 Stars
WHAT IT’S ABOUT:
In 1980s LA, a crew of misfits reinvent themselves as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. A comedy by the team behind Orange Is the New Black.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
There’s always a lot of pressure on a show with a successful first season to live up to the hype when it returns for a second run.
Of course nobody understands that kind of pressure more than the cast members themselves. "There is a lot of pressure to live up to the hype of the first season. The first season felt very insular and protected. Like it was this secret feminist, circus camp that wasn’t for anyone else but each other and now there’s an awareness that we actually made a show that people watched and enjoyed," Betty Gilpin (Debbie) told me during a recent sit-down interview in Rome.
She added: "There’s a pressure of meeting people’s expectations. But I think it took a week of being in my head about that and then I just had to let it go and went back to the circus camp."
But Alison Brie (Ruth) had a different view; "Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch are incredible running the show and their writing continues to evolve. It’s great to work on a show where the characters get to evolve constantly. We just have such implicit trust for them…so we kind of very quickly realised that any of that sort of pressure was actually on them. [Laughs] So it sort of took the edge off of us a little and all we had to do was wrestle…and act for our lives [In dramatic voice]."
Whatever they did it clearly worked. The second season of GLOW on Netflix is a delightful follow-up to its much-loved first season. It effortlessly got rid of any season 1 insecurities and matured to a must-watch TV show that’s really well-made.
I binged the whole season in just two days and didn’t once find myself zoning out – which sometimes happens when a show fails to capture my attention. GLOW S2 had me completely focused and involved in its delightful storyline thanks mostly to the connection between its lively cast of characters.
During my chat with Betty and Alison they teased that "shit gets crazy" this time around – especially in one specific episode. "We may have gone too far. You be the judge," Alison said without giving away too much.
This was undoubtedly a reference to episode 8 which sees the show pay homage to the its roots – the original 1980s syndicated women's professional wrestling circuit, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (or GLOW). The original show used to include over-the-top comedy sketches – which was a big part of its success. This episode is the perfect throwback to that.
GLOW is a beautifully diverse, female-led TV show that boldly takes on topical issues and real-life truths without flinching. It’s energetic, honest, and undoubtedly worth the watch. I want more!
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
