# Anybody going to watch GLOW on Netflix?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 23, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688 "2017-06-23T15:57:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/61 "2018-07-08T01:32:32Z")

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> [@snoe](#):
>
> I was so happy to see one of the Lumberjacksons show up in the finale. Along with his buddy, Chico Guapo or whatever.

Carlos Colon Jr. (Carlito) and Chavo Guerrero Jr., for the wrestling fans in the audience. Welfare Queen had herself a respectable wrestling career too, as **Joey P** pointed out.

ETA: Awesome Kong is too young for the original GLOW series.

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**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/62 "2018-07-08T02:38:55Z")

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> [@D\_Odds](#):
>
> Carlos Colon Jr. (Carlito) and Chavo Guerrero Jr., for the wrestling fans in the audience. Welfare Queen had herself a respectable wrestling career too, as **Joey P** pointed out.
> 
> ETA: Awesome Kong is too young for the original GLOW series.

There was a Queen Kong on either GLOW or POWW.

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**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/63 "2018-07-08T13:58:08Z")

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Probably, but that isn’t the same person. Welfare Queen, aka the wrestler Awesome Kong, didn’t start wrestling until ~2000, long after GLOW had passed.

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**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/64 "2018-07-09T00:46:38Z")

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Yeah… Kia Stevens (aka “Welfare Queen,” pka “Amazing/Awesome Kong”, a/pka “Kharma”) is only forty years old, so that seems unlikely.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/65 "2018-07-09T04:44:34Z")

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> [@P-man](#):
>
> There was a Queen Kong on either GLOW or POWW.

POWW. [Dee Boher](http://prowrestling.wikia.com/wiki/Dee_Booher) wrestled under the name Mathilda the Hun in GLOW.

> [@D\_Odds](#):
>
> Probably, but that isn’t the same person. Welfare Queen, aka the wrestler Awesome Kong, didn’t start wrestling until ~2000, long after GLOW had passed.

Yeah, she was given that name( somewhat against her wishes )for her ten year stint wrestling in Japan. She had nothing to do with the original GLOW.

Reading up out of curiosity apparently none of the original GLOW wrestlers were consulted about the show and most of them aren’t thrilled with it for various reasons.

Myself, I thought it was really good :). In some ways I think season 2 was a slight improvement over 1, though generally I think it has been pretty consistently strong.

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**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/66 "2018-07-26T21:53:21Z")

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I wish the show played more with kayfabe since that would make for a lot richer base for stories…but the central character dynamic of the show requires Kayfabe to not be a thing–That Debbie, a former Soap Opera Star on hard times, becomes a TV female wrestler largely to torment her best “friend” who had an affair with her husband.

My other main problem with the show is that they sometimes treat the show within a show like it’s improv. They don’t need to swerve the characters in order to swerve both the show within a show’s audience and the Netflix audience.

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**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/67 "2018-07-27T04:16:34Z")

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I think this is one of the best shows around. The intense scene in S2E7 between Ruth and Debbie may be my favorite TV moment of the past year. What a great job by both actresses.

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**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/68 "2018-07-27T17:53:00Z")

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> [@Biotop](#):
>
> I think this is one of the best shows around. The intense scene in S2E7 between Ruth and Debbie may be my favorite TV moment of the past year. What a great job by both actresses.

I agree. I do wish that those two characters had spoken more than a few words to each other the rest of the season.

In hindsight… too much Bash and too much Sam. Which is hard because I think Maron as Sam is one of the best parts of the show and his relationship with Ruth is phenomenal. The show often sacrifices the women in the narrative to spend extra time with the males. I don’t need to know more about Bash’s relationship with his family’s butler… I want to know more about Sheila and Cookie.

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**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/69 "2018-07-27T19:50:19Z")

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> [@Push\_You\_Down](#):
>
> I don’t need to know more about Bash’s relationship with his family’s butler

I mean I think that one is pretty important. I’m pretty sure they were insinuating that Bash and Florian were lovers and Florian died of AIDS.

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/70 "2018-07-27T19:55:35Z")

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> [@ISiddiqui](#):
>
> I mean I think that one is pretty important. I’m pretty sure they were insinuating that Bash and Florian were lovers and Florian died of AIDS.

Actually the show seemed to show that Bash was unaware his friend/butler was gay. He seemed surprised in the gay bar. I do think they made it fairly clear Florian died of complication caused by AIDS, (_technically pneumonia_). I think Bash was being shown as being overly dependent of Florian not a lover.

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**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/71 "2018-07-29T23:32:37Z")

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> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> Actually the show seemed to show that Bash was unaware his friend/butler was gay. He seemed surprised in the gay bar. I do think they made it fairly clear Florian died of complication caused by AIDS, (_technically pneumonia_). I think Bash was being shown as being overly dependent of Florian not a lover.

Bash’s sexuality is really mysterious to me. I have a feeling it’ll be dealt with in Season 3. My guess:

[spoiler]He’s a deeply closeted gay man – hasn’t realized it himself.

Alternate guess: asexual.[/spoiler]Whichever way it turns out, I will be _really_ surprised if Bash actually has sex with his new wife, Britannica.

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**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/72 "2018-07-30T00:48:53Z")

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> [@snoe](#):
>
> Bash’s sexuality is really mysterious to me. I have a feeling it’ll be dealt with in Season 3. My guess:
> 
> [spoiler]He’s a deeply closeted gay man – hasn’t realized it himself.
> 
> Alternate guess: asexual.[/spoiler]Whichever way it turns out, I will be _really_ surprised if Bash actually has sex with his new wife, Britannica.

It didn’t seem mysterious at all to me. I do agree with your conclusion, but I thought it was obvious during season one.

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**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/73 "2018-07-30T21:12:46Z")

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…wait…

Are people saying that Bash and Florian weren’t lovers?

I thought this was completely out there in season 1. At first implied but then confirmed during the time Bash was pretending to be Machu’s boyfriend. (hence Machu’s discomfort with Bash proposing to Britanica–she knows he’s using her as a beard).  
Bash’s discomfort in the gay bar was because he wasn’t “that kind of gay” and was put off by Florian apparently being that kind of gay.

Am I misremembering season 1?

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**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/74 "2018-08-02T00:19:55Z")

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> [@Push\_You\_Down](#):
>
> …wait…
> 
> Are people saying that Bash and Florian weren’t lovers?
> 
> I thought this was completely out there in season 1. At first implied but then confirmed during the time Bash was pretending to be Machu’s boyfriend. (hence Machu’s discomfort with Bash proposing to Britanica–she knows he’s using her as a beard).  
> Bash’s discomfort in the gay bar was because he wasn’t “that kind of gay” and was put off by Florian apparently being that kind of gay.
> 
> Am I misremembering season 1?

It certainly wasn’t explicit that they were (or weren’t) a couple — and it’s odd for this show to be coy about that.

Myself: I “read” Bash as gay starting from the episode in Season 1 where they had the big party (and we met Glowbot). But the episodes in Season 2 where Bash is shown confronting Florian’s gay-ness directly — the gay bar, the call from the hospital — make me wonder what’s going on.

I don’t think he’s an out gay man, in other words — maybe not even a sexually active (or experienced?) one. Whatever’s going on with Bash, he seems pretty messed up in the romance department.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/75 "2018-08-02T01:38:06Z")

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Just finished season 2. I like the show in general but I don’t think it delivered as well as it could this time. There’s too many storylines going on and not enough time to do any of them all that well. The first season was full of introductory plot, in this season it would have been nice to get into more depth with just a few of the characters.

The last two episodes do deserve high marks though, I hope that carries through to season 3.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/76 "2018-08-02T02:15:14Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> The first season was full of introductory plot, in this season it would have been nice to get into more depth with just a few of the characters.

To be fair “Welfare Queen” did get some backstory and depth( well done, I thought ). But in general these BBC-length serials just don’t have enough time to serve all the supporting characters. I would have liked to see the season maybe bump up from 10 to 12 or 13 episodes to accomodate that.

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**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-going-to-watch-glow-on-netflix/789688/77 "2018-08-02T18:51:25Z")

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> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> But in general these BBC-length serials just don’t have enough time to serve all the supporting characters. I would have liked to see the season maybe bump up from 10 to 12 or 13 episodes to accomodate that.

Isn’t “BBC-length” more like 4-6 episodes? (Not all the time, I guess.)  
I agree that GLOW needs more room in each season. IMHO, it’s a shanda that a well-written show like this has to economize on its storytelling – while the Marvel superhero shows on Netflix seem to be stretched pretty thin, story-wise, at 13 episodes per season.

Still, I think GLOW is doing a good job at economical character development. Characters like Beirut, Melrose, Machu, the Wolf Girl, and the two Junkchains seem well-rounded to me, even though they have few lines. (Good acting helps there. The actress playing Melrose absolutely nails her jokes when she gets them.)  
Fortune Cookie could use some development, but her character (like the Toxic Twins’) is _supposed_ to be pretty shallow, I guess.

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