Netflix's GLOW is a hit not just for wrestling fans!

My excitement for GLOW began the second I knew of its existence. The women’s wrestling scene has been off the scale in the last few years. But, the story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is one that needed to be told. 

Based on the promotion of the same name, the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling ran from 1986 to 1989. Most of the cast were actresses looking to break into the entertainment world. GLOW tells the story of those women who joined the promotion and although their character names are not used, some do have the same "gimmicks".

Alison Brie plays the title role of Ruth Wilder a struggling actress who is failing to land serious roles. Ruth is aware that only men get that kind of job and thus she sabotages one of her auditions by reading for the male lead.

As the series goes on and Ruth joins GLOW, you begin to learn more about her including a sexcapade she’s recently endeavoured in. Without giving too much away, it does not end well for her.

Ruth is supposed to be unlikable, we the viewers are meant to hate her and in the wrestling world, she would be known as a heel. So that's exactly what she becomes for the television show after some less than favourable conversations with the director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron) who later begins to accept Ruth.

Similar to Sam Sylvia, you eventually start to warm towards Ruth and realise that she isn't all that bad or at least not the 'monster' she's initially presented as. The word monster is used loosely, I don't wish to spoil it for any of you by using the term she's actually described as.

Every heel needs someone to face off with, someone good that they can battle it out against and no doubt loses to, they’re known as the babyface. For Ruth, that is Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin). Again without giving too much away, the pair have a history which makes their in-ring confrontations feel very real, something actual wrestling promotions strive for. 

The other women who are part of GLOW each have their own side-story and work towards one goal of getting GLOW off the ground. For example, although she isn't one of the main characters, Rhonda Richardson (Kate Nash) has one of the more prominent stories in the serious revolving around her developing relationship that started after she joined GLOW. 

With each episode only lasting between thirty to thirty-eight minutes each, the series is a breeze to get through, especially for anyone who has prior knowledge about wrestling. But, for anyone worried they won't be able to keep up with the lingo or don't understand exactly how it all works, don't worry! Episode five titled "Debbie Does Something" explains all you need to know about the storytelling that goes on beyond the chokeholds and bodyslams, including a nod to anyone who perhaps views wrestling as "silly". 

For those of us who do know some things about wrestling, there's also some subtle nods our way too. The biggest of which is the gym the women train in, it's named "Chavo's Boxing Gym". The person who trained all of the actresses to be able to wrestle for the scenes in GLOW is Chavo Guerrero. Or a scene that stars former WWE superstar Carlito who portrays one-half of a tag-team is seen eating an apple, a nod to his character in the wrestling world. There's even some shade towards the current WWE superstar Bayley in one episode that caught me off guard. 

Who knows, maybe in a future season we could see a guest role from Bayley and she can lock up with Ruth or Debbie. This is totally a hint and request all in one. 

GLOW does not shy away from the very real problems that hindered the original series it is based on either. During the documentary about the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, there's a joke about how cheap the production was, something that is highlighted in the Netflix version as their sound system is just one of the women playing a keyboard.

There are also multiple scenes filled with politically incorrect lines by specific characters, again, something that the original promotion did on purpose to offend people and get them interested in the show. The Netflix version does do a good job of highlighting how the television world has racist tendencies towards people of colour, including a scene where the head of the network informs Sam they can't show people portraying Klu Klux Klan members, but they're okay with two of the black characters portraying negative stereotypes of African Americans.

They also highlight how fans who deem wrestling to be "real" can often react towards certain characters in a manner that would be deemed offensive, even if that character being displayed is, in fact, racist and a negative stereotype about a collective group of people. 

This ten episode series is strong on the feminism front, has a diverse cast and dissects issues within the television world both during the eighties when it is set and still today. GLOW is much more than just a show about wrestling, it highlights many different struggles within the world whether it's chasing your dream, finding your family or overcoming stereotypes to make it work for you. 

I think GLOW has the potential to open people's minds towards the world of wrestling or at the very least help change some opinions about what women are capable, as it is unfortunate we still live in a time where people view female athletes or just women in general as inferior to men. A predominantly female series has worked previously for Jenji Kohen with Orange is the New Black, and this could end up being another hit series. 

So, whether you're a fan of wrestling or you just enjoy watching badass women on your television screen, GLOW is definitely for you. Go into it open minded, who knows, you may finish it as a fan.