GLOW Episode 4 "The Dusty Spur" Review

Chris: Glow dipped their toe in a plot device that was done heavily in Orange is the New Black and that is have an episode focused moreso on characters that have been in ancillary roles up to this point, showcase their background and move them into a more prominent position in the show moving forward. Glow didn’t go into the full flashback scenes like Orange did but I wouldn’t be surprised if from this point on, we have more focus on Shiela the She-Wolf. Of course, it’s worth mentioning this episode featured two pro wrestling cameos by former WWE wrestlers, Brodus Clay (now going by “Tyrus” on Impact Wrestling) and Carlito, both playing brothers to Machu Pichu. Part of me was hoping Machu Pichu’s father and brothers would start training the girls because it still bugs me that they don’t have an actual trainer since Salty Johnson left after the first episode. There’s been a lot of focus on finding character and character development but it’s been a couple episodes since we’ve see any sort of wrestling training.

Joel: Whether it’s been intentional or not, each episode has seemed to have something of a focus on one specific aspect of wrestling. One episode about training, one episode about storytelling, things like that. This episode seems to have a great deal of focus on character. We get Ruth, who doesn’t really have a wrestling character yet, try out several different ideas throughout the episode. Tamme is having issues with her character as well, worried that it might be seen as offensive (and rightly so). Sheila gets a good amount of screentime in this episode. Up until this point her “wolf” getup has mostly been played, to some degree or another, for laughs, but here for the first time we get to delve into her story a bit more, and learn that her character isn’t just a character to her.

Like earlier episodes I’m glad that there is a bit of time to describe the concept at hand to viewers who may not be as familiar with wrestling. It helps that many of the characters don’t know a lot about wrestling so we get several opportunities for these little education scenes. Specifically this episode has a discussion around Gorgeous George, what his character was and how it worked. It really helps to set up the point of characters in wrestling and why some things that work for one character won’t work for another. There small moments and they don’t take up much time in the episodes, but I love that they're there because over this first handful of episodes, they’ve really helped to drive home what wrestling is. It’s something that’s important to the characters and taking time for moments like this help it be an important thing to the audience as well.

Alexa: I said in my review of the first episode that I got an Orange Is the New Black vibe from GLOW, and Chris is right that this is the episode where the OITNB DNA is most evident thus far. I love seeing the supporting characters’ layers gradually peel back, and we get a deeper look at a few of them here. Most notably, Sheila the She-Wolf reveals that her character is much more to her than a wrestling persona. Her delightful strangeness has been a source of some comic relief until now, but her exchange with Ruth about her true self is so heartfelt that anyone who has ever felt a little bit odd can’t help but feel a kinship with her. We also get to know Carmen more through her interactions with her disapproving family. I desperately want Carmen to come into her own, to have her shining moment that proves her family wrong. And I initially thought I would find Bash grating, but I love him for standing up for her. Also, Cherry and Keith are my new favorite TV couple. More Keith, please.