GLOW – Desert Pollen

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

Cherry (Sydelle Noel) is in the gym asking Sheila (Gayle Rankin) where everybody is as they were supposed to be there at 8am, but Sheila explains that most of them didn’t get in until 7am! Cherry is intrigued by another group using the gym. As she is talking to their trainer Denise (Breeda Wool), Sheila falls off the treadmill! Slightly embarrassed, Cherry explains that they are from GLOW. Sheila speeds up on the treadmill in an effort to impress.

Cherry is ranting to her husband Keith (Bashir Salahuddin) about how Denise has the showgirls doing fitness classes and eating well, but the GLOW girls are doing anything but. Cherry checks if she is ovulating whilst complaining about how if the girls carry on being sloppy someone’s going to get hurt. Keith celebrates that Cherry is close to ovulating. Ruth (Alison Brie) catches Sam (Marc Maron) in the corridor with a tennis racket. He asks her how her new room is and she says the other room was exposing her to too much pollen, at which Sam points out that they’re in the desert. Cherry is banging on everybody’s door. Melrose (Jackie Tohn) emerges and moans that it’s the middle of the night. Cherry explains that they’re all going to a dance class, but Sheila and Tammé (Kia Stevens) are excused due to their acting class. Debbie (Betty Gilpin) collects a parcel from outside her room. Ruth mentions the dance class, but Debbie says she had a full body work out last night. Did you now Debbie?! Ruth persuades her to come saying it will be like old times.

The girls enter the dance class, most of them still worse for wear. As they enter they notice how flexible all of the showgirls are and aren’t feeling it. Meanwhile, Sam and Bash (Chris Lowell) are warming up to play tennis. Sam is coughing a lot and blames the pollen and Bash reminds him they’re in the desert. Bash calls to a couple of men who he explains are the Zeissman twins who run another show and that they will be their doubles partners. Bash is using it as an opportunity to network. Jerry (Randy Sklar) and Lev (Jason Sklar) approach and greet Bash. Denise has the girls practicing ballet on the bar. She tells Debbie to “tuck [her] tail in” so that her bum isn’t sticking out. Debbie keeps trying, but Denise still says her bum is sticking out. Denise tells Ruth she is perfect. Debbie is clearly annoyed. Back at the tennis court it turns out that Sam isn’t very good. The twins and Bash get into a conversation about skin, much to the annoyance of Sam who just wants to get the game over and done with. The girls are watching the showgirls rehearse a perfect dance performance before Denise tells them it’s their turn. It’s safe to say that they need a bit of work to get up to the showgirls’ standards. Debbie points out that the showgirls look like their bodies don’t need to contain organs and she needs to leave.

Tammé and Sheila are in acting class, reciting dramatic monologues. Tammé is getting into the dramatic nature before making everyone laugh. The teacher (Arye Gross) isn’t happy with her putting her own spin on things though. Sheila is up next. She really gets into her monologue about blood and brain chopping, scarily well. Despite her near Oscar winning performance, the teacher asks her to stop. He says he’s too distracted by her look. He tells her whatever she is that she is a “problem.” She rightly tells him that he’s the problem and leaves. As her and Tammé storm down the corridor Tammé drops her bag as she has a bad back. She says that she will see a doctor after the show is over in a couple of months, but Sheila says they should tell Ruth or Debbie. Tammé says she would rather wait until they’re back in L.A.

Cherry is thanking Denise for letting the girls join her class today. Denise explains that she’s not in Rhapsody anymore since she had a baby. As she is explaining to Cherry that she couldn’t do anything whilst pregnant, Cherry looks downfallen. Denise says she will have to audition again to be a part of the show. As Cherry is asking if it was worth it, a group of screaming children run into the studio. Cherry looks uncomfortable. Bash gets excited the Zeissman twins are coming to the show tonight, but Sam doesn’t seem to like them all that much. Bash and Sam decide to play a set between themselves, but again, it doesn’t really seem like Sam’s game. Sam throws the racket at the fence in frustration. In the hotel, Ruth asks Debbie if she’s going for lunch, but Debbie says that she’s not hungry. As she walks away, she looks at the elevator sign. She puffs out her cheeks and opts for the stairs, running up them. Sam is sat at the side of the court coughing his guts up again. He goes to light a cigarette but thinks twice. He nearly throws them away but keeps them. On her way running back down the stairs Debbie bumps into Sandy (Geena Davis). They walk up the stairs together talking about performing and what comes after. Sandy tells Debbie that her door is always open.

The ladies are in their dressing room post-show and Melrose is attempting, and failing, to get them all to go out. They’re all too tired after all their new exercise. Bash enters with Jerry and Lev, without giving the ladies any notice. He tells them not to get undressed yet and the twins tell them not to stop on their account. Yuk! After a few more sleazy comments from the twins, Sam asks them to leave. It’s clear Bash is trying to butter up the twins. but this isn’t the right way! Debbie tells them she’d “rather eat out a dog’s asshole” than join them for drinks. Go Debbie!

Melrose has gone to the casino bar with Jenny (Ellen Wong) who is falling asleep. Melrose lets out an over exaggerated laugh and is surprised when the handsome man’s attention she is trying to gain looks over at her. She tells Jenny to leave as the man is coming over and she doesn’t want Jenny stealing another one of her pursuits. Paul (Nick Clifford) introduces himself and they spend a little time flirting. He asks her if she wants to “discuss rate” and Melrose is taken aback. She goes over to tell Jenny that she’s taking Paul upstairs, so to stay out of the room. Back in the dressing room Ruth asks Debbie if she wants to grab dinner, but Debbie says she can’t eat from the buffet. In an attempt to cheer Debbie up, Ruth finds the headdress from a showgirl costume and dances around. Debbie points out that Ruth looks more like a grandma in her blouse, so Ruth rips it off! Debbie giggles as Ruth dances for her. Sam enters (yep, awkward) to apologise for the Zeissman twins earlier.

Melrose and Paul have finished their bedroom antics and talk about how awkward payment is. They agree that $200 is fair and Melrose waits to be paid. Paul asks if she’s going to get cash to pay him. Melrose doesn’t understand and says it’s her that needs paying, but he tells her that’s not how it works. Melrose explains that she thought he thought she was the prostitute. Good Lord. Melrose refuses to pay, but Paul says he has a pimp. Melrose responds that she has a pimp and lawyer who will say she didn’t enter a contractual agreement. Paul angrily leaves with his silky underwear.

Cherry is hiding in the bathroom when she comes out to talk to Keith, she looks nervous and upset. She tells him that she’s worried about what having a baby will do to her body. He tells her to take it easy with the show, everyone else is rubbish anyway. She reminds him that she can’t work whilst pregnant and after she’s had the baby she’ll still need to find work. Keith says that he’ll apply for everything when they get back home and Cherry says she’ll still be stuck at home with the baby. Keith looks disappointed, but Cherry says she didn’t mean it. Keith says he’s been waiting ever since they met to have a family and asks if it matters what he wants. Cherry says she doesn’t know. They’re both upset and Keith leaves mad at Cherry.

Ruth approaches Manny (Manny Jiminez Jr.), her chef friend (probably the best friend to have) and asks him for two cheeseburgers. As Ruth and Debbie eat their food they talk about Debbie’s body. Debbie isn’t happy with it after what people were saying to her today. Ruth tells her that even though her bum is big, it’s sexy and an honor to have it in her face every night. Just because Debbie’s not a ballerina doesn’t mean she’s not hot – she is. Debbie says that when she was a teenager she always expected that she’d look like the showgirls. She gives in and eats her cheeseburger. Debbie even orders vanilla milkshakes for them both. Ruth says to Debbie that the showgirls remind her of a scene in Funny Girl. They both recite the scene and laugh with each other. It’s nice to see their friendship again. When Debbie is back in her room she plays the video that was in the package outside her room in the morning. It’s a video of Randy walking and saying “horse” and “hi” to her. Debbie is proud, but visibly upset that she is missing out on time with her baby. She heads to the bathroom where she looks at her waist in the mirror. She goes to the toilet and makes herself sick. She looks back in the mirror, wipes her mouth and hold her waist. She smiles.