Glow is like a better OITNB
IT’S not just Jenji Kohan’s involvement that will draw comparisons between Glow and Orange is the New Black. The strength of Glow’s diverse cast and focus on female camaraderie is the other obvious similarity, even if it’s surprising that a TV series about girl-on-girl wrestling can be this feminist.
Kohan, who created OITNB and Weeds, serves as executive producer on Netflix’s new series while former OITNB writer Carly Mensch is a co-creator of Glow alongside Liz Flahive (Homeland). Mensch and Flahive met as writers on Nurse Jackie, another series with complex women at the centre of its stories.
But be assured, Glow is better than OITNB or, at least, OITNB in its current shark-jumping, high-drama malaise.
Inspired by the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW), a campy show from the 1980s, this Glow is a fictionalised look at what it took behind the scenes to get such a show on air. Starring a mostly makeup-free Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin and Marc Maron, Glow is that breed of series which can’t be pegged as either drama or comedy.
In 1985 Los Angeles, struggling but serious actor Ruth (Brie) just can’t catch a break. After yet another unsuccessful audition, she learns of an unusual opportunity. When she shows up to a gym in suburban LA, she’s surrounded by women who don’t fit the mould of Hollywood beauty.
An unlikely shepherd, B-list schlock director Sam (Maron) is putting together a TV series featuring female wrestlers, hoping to capitalise on the popularity of the likes of Hulk Hogan and The Iron Sheik. He describes it as family friendly porn you can watch with your kids.
The 80s setting means a lot of big hair and big shoulder pads. But it also means looking at gender and social politics through the lens of the Reagan era while not-so-slyly commenting on the quagmire of 2017.
And while Glow had ample opportunities to dial up its use of pop power, it doesn’t rely on its soundtrack as a crutch, instead, rationing it with purpose.
The chemistry between the women and its focus on the dynamics of female friendships and female competition is what makes Glow such an exciting entry into Netflix’s crowded slate of original programming.
The wrestling might have been the gimmick that drew you in but it’s not what keeps you there.
Glow is available to stream on Netflix now.