Summary
GLOW Season 3, Episode 10, “A Very GLOW Christmas” presents highs and lows for our characters, giving us that happy and sad Christmas feeling.
Well, there wouldn’t be a series without a Christmas special, and GLOW season 3 duly delivers in its finale. Episode 10, “A Very GLOW Christmas” surprisingly provides some character closures, but then it leaves some wounds open.
Let’s first talk about Bash. Since the birth of the Netflix series, Bash was flagrantly a character not being himself, but now he has revealed his sexual preferences to his wife, he’s embarrassed about the ordeal, requesting space and pushing her away. He tells Debbie about the threesome, and he’s distraught.
It was hard to watch Bash writhing around drunk-crying on the floor in his extra-expensive hotel room. His entire upbringing and sense of entitlement, mixed with his suppressed sexual urges due to a pressuring family all imploded at the same time. He’s lived a lie, and his truth has reduced him to a pathetic sobbing man wondering how he can continue to earn his mother’s respect.
Morale is low at GLOW, so Carmen convinces the team to perform “A Christmas Carol” in the ring. I can imagine fans truly appreciating a series of scenes that shows the cheesy, yet uplifting production of GLOW. Season 3 has lacked the wrestling for good reasons but presenting a Christmas story showed a real sense of community amongst the characters, and it leads to some positive outcomes after.
First of all, Keith returns as Santa, walking back into the arms of Cherry who was depressed following his departure. He offers adoption as an option to form a family with her, so she does not have to hurt her body.
And then Debbie decides to strike up a new partnership with Bash after his drunken explosion. “A Very GLOW Christmas” sees Debbie betray her boyfriend by undercutting one of his TV deals. She was frustrated that she has given Tex plenty of business advice, but he sees her as an attendee-to-look-pretty for his client meetings. Debbie is so hungry for success that this is her prime moment.
Once Bash sobers up, Rhonda goes to speak to him. They make up momentarily, as he declares that he wants her, and only her. He also states he wants a family.
This was a cringeworthy moment for Episode 10, especially after you see Rhonda’s reaction; it’s clear Bash only wants to start a family to continue his family’s expectations. It will be interesting to see how this will continue in the next season.
GLOW Season 3, Episode 10, “A Very GLOW Christmas” ends with no twists, but a signal to where certain characters will end up; Carmen decides in the airport that she’s quitting GLOW and that she wanted the Christmas special as a way of saying goodbye, but this spurs Debbie to reveal the news to Ruth that she has struck a TV deal, and that she wants Ruth to be a director of a new wrestling show. Ruth rejects the offer before boarding the plane.
I was with Ruth on this occasion. Debbie has been so desperate and hungry for power and success, that she has forgotten what Ruth wants, which is to act — to perform — to prove her critics wrong. The way Debbie offended Ruth with her offer by stating that “she will never make it as an actress” was not the most glorifying way to highlight their friendship — in fact, it felt like a blow to Ruth. Kudos to Debbie though, who has used her boyfriend’s meetings to her advantage to potentially land an empire. Let’s see what Season 4 brings. That’s if Netflix does not cancel it. I can hear the outrage already.
Spandex Stories
- Bash ruthlessly pulls Rhapsody after advice from Debbie.
- In the “Secret Santa” swap. Arthie announces she is gay, which saves her relationship with Yolanda.
- Sam wants to adopt Justine, so he’s officially her Dad — he wasn’t on the birth certificate.
You can read the review of season 1 by clicking these words.
