I'm always on the lookout for new shows to binge watch on Netflix, and I stumbled upon a Netflix original called "GLOW," or "Gorgeous Women of Wrestling." It follows a group of random women who auditioned for a women's wrestling show, regardless if they are trained actors or non-athletic.
At first, I was skeptical about the show, it seemed kind of cheesy given the title. But after watching the first season, I could not stop. The women in the series are hilarious, subtly, and I enjoyed the different type of humor the show brought to the table. The story of how a group of women who would have probably never would have met become stronger together to master, or at least make the audience think they master the sport of wrestling.
Each woman comes up with a wrestling persona, and although most of them are quite offensive, such as Welfare Queen and Beirut the Mad Bomber, the women pour their heart into their stories and characters.
The gimmicks they concoct are hilarious, all while trying to please director Sam Sylvia, who is trying to make enough profit from the show to produce a movie. He is a tough cookie when it comes to others and emotions, but the women somehow make him become more likable, especially going into the second season. They also have to impress "GLOW's" producer, Bash Howard, a young man with a rich mother that helps him produce the show.
The women do not let the men push them around or push them, and if they do, they make a point to let them know. The cast is a random selection of women who somehow meld and begin to get along great, except for the shows star characters, Ruth Wilder (Zoya the Destroya) and Debbie Eagen (Liberty Belle). The two have past history that ends up getting Debbie hired onto "GLOW," which causes on and off tension for the pair, and the rest of the group and network.
"GLOW" brings a certain amount of drama that is just right amongst the humor, and that is why the show appealed to me. It makes the show not just about a bunch of women trying to please a television network and make wrestling look 100 percent real, each character has a story of how they dealt with life and their own difficulties. As the seasons go on, you learn more and more about each woman's backstory, and it explains a lot about how the character they came up with for the show.
Overall I am thoroughly impressed by "GLOW." It does have inappropriate language and scenes, so if you are not a fan of that I would not watch. But if you are looking for a show with a great underlying feminist message, sports and lots of glittery spandex, "GLOW" is the show for you. Both seasons are available to watch on Netflix if you are looking for something to binge-watch this summer.