As the sixth episode of the sophomore season comes to a close, a coke-infused Liberty Belle (Debbie) gets into the ring for her battle with Zoya The Destroya (Ruth). Towards the climax of the fight, Debbie becomes ever more aggressive, with her resentment towards Ruth boiling. Having her in a leg lock, Debbie snaps Ruth's ankle, and she falls in pain, breaking the facade of her wrestling persona, and the screen cuts to black, ending "Work the Leg," a very tongue-in-cheek episode title.
As the season begins, "Glow" starts to find some strands of success. And for the two female leads, their characters experience personal and profession up and downs as well; Debbie negotiates a producer status while Ruth begins to develop feelings for the cameraman Rusell. However, having recorded a promo without Sam's permission leads to Ruth barely wrestling while Debbie is finalizing her divorce from her husband Mark, who slept with Ruth. Then Debbie sabotages Ruth's date with Russel; Ruth neglects the advances from a KDTV an executive causing the cancelation of "Glow;" and Debbie sniffs lines of coke leading up to her and Ruth's match.
Ruth and KDTV executive Tom Granthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iM7W1Dvl6Q
Needless to say, the tension between Ruth and Debbie has continued to fester as the show has progressed. Glimpses of their friendship shine through the cracks, but more often than not, their rivalry grows. And all of the above leads to their literal breaking point, with the snap of Ruth's ankle. This article, however, is more interested in the resulting argument between Ruth and Debbie in the hospital in episode seven "Nothing Shattered."
During their argument, it all comes out. Years of resentment from both Debie and Ruth finds itself on the surface. Ruth exclaims that her struggles throughout the years all fueled Debbie's ego complex and that she never had the success that came Debbie's way. Debbie rebuttals that she shouldn't hide her accomplishments for the risk of offending Ruth.
The argument moves from their careers to personal jabs and this scene, in my opinion, is possibly the best of the show. Both Betty Gilpin (Debbie) and Alison Brie (Ruth) showcase the pinnacle of their talent. The two have a dynamic chemistry which is only ever present in this scene. They're both crying, screaming and struggling to find the words to back up their side of the argument, and they play off each other beautifully.
Most importantly, everything that has accumulated between them over these two seasons comes out. For the majority of the show (save for the series premiere when Debbie finds out about Ruth and Mark) the duo has been relatively cordial to each other. Most of their relationship seen has been Ruth desperately trying to make amends while Debbie shuns her, or at the most, gives Ruth an attitude.
Debbie Eagen (Betty Gilpin)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iM7W1Dvl6Q
But in season two, Ruth slowly starts to give up on this dream. That reveals an exciting path, as that the two may never become friends again. As a viewer, you assume they will make up at some point. There are moments when such an outcome seems to dance across the horizon, but as quickly as the moments come, they fade.
With this argument, you can expect that they can now finally move past these issues. The episode ends with Debbie, Ruth, Sam, and Bash walking out of the hospital somewhat triumphantly set to the tune of Missing Person's "Destination Unknown," offering a possible positive outcome.
But the feud, however, doesn't seem to be over really. For now, the duo may be briefly past their issues, but at the end of the day, they both want the same thing; to be the star. Even if they let personal bygones be bygones, they will still have their professional stalemate. And that will most likely continue in season three, with one possible path for the junior season to use such a stalemate to its advantage being highlighted in my article "It's Glow! The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling."
Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iM7W1Dvl6Q
However, regardless of where the show may go forward with these two characters, Shelia sums it up best when she speaks with Debbie. She states that her parents will lash out with years of ammunition behind them, and she's always waited for them to get divorced. But they never do, they always end up back together, she says. And that sets the tone for Debbie and Ruth. No matter what, they won't leave each other. "Glow" underneath all of the other characters and their stories and the wrestling premise, is about the friendship between Ruth and Debbie.
