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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

You won't want to tap out of the "GLOW"

Arts Filler

The first episode of Netflix’s new wrestling comedy “GLOW” is a delight.

It is hilarious and follows in the expanding tradition of comedies about serious subjects. Sometimes it feels like it’s giving too much exposition, but that’s mostly because the world it sets up is so rich.

“GLOW” follows Ruth Wilder, an actress who’s having trouble booking parts. She tries out for the 
“Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” an all-women wrestling TV show. Wilder’s professional struggles are complicated by a secret affair.

This decade has been great for half-hour sitcoms that blur the line between comedy and drama. Some examples include Amazon’s “Transparent” and Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman,” which also features Alison Brie. These shows have used their limited running time to 
explore complex issues of identity and mental health, in addition to telling jokes.

“GLOW” is great at fitting into that recent trend. Series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch use Wilder’s journey to explore complex issues regarding sexism and the elusive nature of success.

They write great dramatic scenes while never neglecting the humorous side of this series.

A lot of “GLOW”’s humor is verbal, and Marc Maron has some particularly nasty quips as director Sam Sylvia. But there are also a lot of great visual gags.

Some of the best ones happen in a montage when Sylvia interviews various women about their wrestling capabilities. The jokes land in large part due to the excellent cast that Flahive and Mensch have assembled.

This show features a great lead performance from Brie. Her various facial reactions run a wide emotional gamut from vulnerable to confident, and the scenes in which she tries to “act” in her wrestling auditions feature some of her funniest work yet.

The supporting cast is excellent. Betty Gilpin is funny and dramatic as Wilder’s best friend Debbie. “Mr. Robot” fans will like seeing Sunita Mani as one of Wilder’s fellow wrestlers.

“GLOW” is off to a great start. Its excellent characters and sharp sense of humor distinguish it from other half-hour dramatic comedies. While the first episode is a little too slow, the characters and world it establishes are rich enough to make you want to continue watching.

This show is shaping up to be one of the most fun binge-watches of the summer.

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