GLOW - Every Potato Has a Receipt

 "Love is fake...just like wrestling"

And as soon as "wrestling fan and fanatic for Brittania", Toby throws that out in anger after his "marriage" (sham) to Rhonda (Kate Nash) is undermined by Bash (Chris Lowell), still shaken by the loss of his dear friend, Florian, to AIDS proposing marriage to her so she can get her green card. Bash telling her he's in love with Rhonda certainly adds drama to the whole wrestling wedding nonsense, all set up in the ring with the Ladies of Glow all in attendance. While what happens in the ring is often not as important as what happens outside of it, if you are a pro wrestling fan (or "Sports Entertainment" according to Vince McMahon), wedding fiascoes are quite commonplace. Bash's grief sort of spills into his attitude around Sam (Marc Maron) and the ladies, really grouchy and ill at ease. He demanded a cleanup crew to make sure the area where Florian stayed was bleached and cleaned excessively. I was wondering when AIDS would become a very significant sidebar on the show considering this period in the 80s.

This is another episode where you get first hand information from a pro wrestler, Chavo Guerrero, Jr (as "Chico"), giving Betty Gilpin's Debbie ("Liberty Belle") tips such as when to duck, throw a clotheline, and throw a hiptoss. Carlos Colón Jr. ("Big Kurt Jackson"; he's known as "Carlito", with the apple, in the WWE) takes issue with Britney Young's Carmen over taking his moveset and using it for her own in the ring. So Debbie made amends by giving Chico and Kurt time on television during a battle royal for the GLOW crown after Brittania's bouquet served as a prize all the wrestlers battle over.

Because of her broken leg, Ruth (Alison Brie) has to help Sam "co-direct" instead of perform. She takes to the job (how she conducts the cameras to capture the action) like a duck to water. She's also really serious with camera operator, Russell (Victor Quinaz). Still, by episode ten at the end of season two, Debbie and Ruth have tension between them. They can't really talk as best friends due to the adultery. After the divorce, Debbie and Mark (Rich Sommer) seem to have finally found amicable ease, as Mark even brings the baby by to see Debbie during a practice in the ring. Their friendship will never be made whole and the relationship between the once married couple will always have that betrayal...that is life.

But Debbie wants to make the GLOW show a success. She's invested in its success. She's all in. As is Ruth, who wants to help Sam in whatever way she can to find a monetary sponsor so GLOW can survive.

The final episode lets us see how the studio they signed a contract with screws them over, not allowing the show to be bought by someone else, with strip club owner, Ray (Horatio Sanz) offering a big live show in Vegas as an option available to them instead. Sam tells Ruth that she'll hate it in Vegas, haha. The wedding was well received by the audience, signifying to Ray that they have a show with a lot of promise. It is quite a detour from what was expected.

There is also a subplot involving a burgeoning romance between stripper, Yolanda (Shakira Barrera) and Arthie (Sunita Mani). I cracked up at a great scene in Ray's strip club in LA as Sam is scribbling on the wedding script when he noticed Arthie front row taking all of Yolanda in. Yolanda on the pole, with Sam unable to see her strip because he now values her as a person popped me. But Arthie just transfixed and surprised by these new feelings for someone as Sam realizes she's crushing on Yolanda is just the right kind of amusing. It is what makes GLOW quite special: the little subplots of the ladies on GLOW.

The awkwardness of Sam and Ruth gets some easing out as Ruth makes sure he no longer has to walk on eggshells around her. When she and Russell just kiss passionately, there is no doubt this relationship is full of love. Sam is also realizing how much he loves his daughter, Justine (Britt Baron), admitting to Ruth he opened a space in his heart and life for her. With Justine forced to leave with her mom, daughter and father must hug and say goodbye.

There are a lot of goodbyes in the episode. Debbie says goodbye to her baby, hardly able to leave. Ruth says goodbye to Russell, a cameraman with no role at a live Vegas show. And just the ladies saying goodbye to LA for Vegas, unknown future awaiting them all as they board a bus, forward to whatever success might be available to them.

I loved the episode. This cast just wins me over. They can do no wrong. Especially Maron, who makes "frustrated, getting life figured out, anxious but trying, middle-aged but putting forth an effort" an artform. But I love Brie. Here lately, a guilty pleasure of mine is "Community" and she's just so darn cute on it. So her presence as the good-natured, hard-working Ruth so works for me. But Gilpin continues to be a revelation. She came out of this show a star. 4/5