'Glow' Full season review: The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling get down and dirty and we likey!

8.5/10

If your reaction to the premise of GLOW (the new Netflix comedy based on the real-life Eighties female wrestling league the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) is “But I have no interest in wrestling whatsoever ”, then some reassurance: this show isn’t really about wrestling and, at least to start with, the main characters have absolutely no interest in it either.

From the makers of Orange is the New Black and Nurse Jackie, GLOW focuses on a bunch of struggling Hollywood actresses who audition for hilarious but shady director Sam Sylvia’s (Marc Maron) new project, an all-female wrestling show to take on the huge success of WWF (at the time). Alison Brie, best known for her sunny demeanour on Mad Men, Community and Bojack Horseman, plays Ruth, our main protagonist, and it’s great to see her in a well-deserved starring role. 

It’s with Ruth that the many similarities with OITNB (orange is the new black) begin – much like Piper Chapman, Ruth is seriously fucking annoying, self-involved, pretentious and just a tad bit deluded. This means that, for the first episode or two, you might find it tough to root for her. But sticking with it is highly recommended – soon Ruth’s many irritating traits become her USP in the wrestling ring, as she assumes personas like The Homewrecker (“there is no woman more desperate") and Kuntar (“a vision of hideousness”).

It’s a right laugh, especially since – again, like Piper – Ruth is so desperate for approval that she takes these insults in her stride and emphasises on them, by the end of the series, you, along with Sam, and the rest of the wrestlers might even find yourself warming to her. 

But she’s by no means the star of the show. Her friend Debbie (Betty Gilpin), a new mother who’s recently lost her role on a soap opera, is a joy to watch, along with the extremely eclectic supporting cast of Hollywood wannabes which includes an unlikely turn from singer Kate Nash. 

One of the best things about GLOW is the sheer Eighties-ness of it all – it’s a sensory explosion of synth-heavy tunes, neon lights, high-cut leotards, hairspray… and even a robot which dispenses cocaine.

Most of the wrestling crew aren’t particularly glamorous, but they’re fun, colourful and quirky.

This first series is more about setting the scene for the show, but it would be great if, should there be future seasons in the pipeline, we get to know some of the characters in a bit more depth.

It’s not all good clean fun though – some of the side-plots deviate into darker territory, with many of the characters, particularly director Sam, clearly battling some pretty major demons. It could be that, as with OITNB, what’s on the surface a kooky comedy soon becomes a more heavyweight drama series. Although the action takes a few episodes to truly get going, there’s so much potential here, and the hilarious season finale, when all those weeks of rehearsals culminate in the first GLOW show, will really have you craving more.