GLOW – Up, Up, Up

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

We’re in Vegas and the ladies are enjoying their breakfast in their hotel rooms whilst watching Ruth (Alison Brie) and Debbie (Betty Gilpin), dressed as Zoya and Liberty Belle, on morning TV promoting the opening night of their new Vegas show. Coinciding with their promotion is the launch of the Challenger space shuttle. Liberty Belle and Zoya are bantering each other over American/Russian space conquests whilst newlyweds Bash (Chris Lowell) and Rhonda (Kate Nash) watch on in matching pyjamas. Cute! As the Challenger sets off, Bash and Rhonda watch on excitedly. Zoya is mocking the spacecraft and Liberty Belle is naturally being very patriotic about the event. As Zoya continues to mock the launch, it is clear on Liberty Belle’s face that something is wrong. Debbie taps Ruth to get her attention and Ruth quickly snaps out of character, shocked at the events that have unfolded. There is silence as we are shown footage of the Challenger exploding mid-launch and the camera cuts back to Debbie and Ruth still, understandably, in shock. Debbie tells the crew that they need to cut and they do.

After an epic title sequence, we are back with the ladies and Ruth is being comforted by Sheila (Gayle Rankin) and Carmen (Britney Young). She is clearly upset about making jokes about the Challenger during the tragedy. The phone rings and it’s Russell (Victor Quinaz), Ruth’s boyfriend. He asks if she was watching what happened, she just replies “yep.” Ruth tells him that she’s looking forward to seeing him tonight, but he has been called in to cover the news. As Ruth puts the phone down on him, Sheila questions whether they will still be going ahead with the show opening. Bash, Sam (Marc Maron) and Debbie are sat on golden steps contemplating the same question. Debbie wants to push it back a few days, but Bash wants to run it by Sandy (Geena Davis) who is the entertainment director at the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino. Sandy explains that after the MGM fire her old dance captain Fluff LeCoque was on stage the next night. Sandy mistakes Debbie for Bash’s wife, but he explains that they are all the producers. After a bit of hesitation from Debbie, they agree to go on with the show.

Whilst Ruth and Jenny (Ellen Wong) worry that the shuttle disaster is bad luck for opening night, Sam is having trouble with his crew following cues. Rehearsals are a bit all over the place as the “Old Biddies” (Rebekka Johnson & Kimmy Gatewood) and Zoya and Fortune Cookie run through their match. Sam says he can’t wait for the next three months of bitching. Sam cues Bash, but he’s on the phone much to Sam’s annoyance. Debbie steps in. They run through Liberty Belle challenging Zoya, which also doesn’t go to plan. It’s Welfare Queen’s cue but she’s not there. Ruth goes to find Tammé (Kia Stevens) who is watching the news with some of the others. As Melrose (Jackie Tohn) is comparing the mood to when her grandma was in a coma, Jenny comes through with incense to rid the bad energy. Tammé eventually follows Ruth. Debbie asks Sam what he thinks of Sandy – she isn’t sure. Ruth approaches them suggesting that they address the morning’s tragedy in the show and says Brittanica would be perfect to explain how Science sometimes goes wrong. Sam says he understands Ruth must feel guilty for making fun of national heroes as they died on TV, but nothing they will be able to do in the show will change that. Rhonda and Bash rehearse their kiss, a little too full on for Sam’s liking. Rhonda reminds Bash that his opening night party is space themed. He panics and runs off to sort things out. The ladies attempt to rehearse the Battle Royale, but noone can really remember how they get to the last three. As Zoya flies in on the zip-line, she gets stuck. Cherry (Sydelle Noel) goes to fetch a ladder, but as she does the fire alarm goes off and Ruth is left hanging…

Everybody is outside having been evacuated and Jenny worries that it is her incense that set the hotel on fire. Sandy is handing out free casino chips and drinks as everyone is let back inside. Arthie (Sunita Mani) swoons over a couple of tall showgirls, which prompts Yolanda (Shakira Barrera) to ask if her girlfriend likes tall girls now. Sandy hands Debbie a chip and hints that she set the alarm off. Debbie tells her that she needs to do better than a $1 chip if she wants happy wrestlers for the opening night. Sandy hands her the box and Debbie walks away ecstatic. Debbie and the girls take their chips and Sheila explains how to play the game they have found themselves at. She explains she knows because the casino holds classes every Wednesday. After placing their bets Debbie says Jenny should blow on the dice, she is Fortune Cookie after all. However, Melrose argues that “everything she touches turns to shit.” Jenny blows on the dice. They lose. They let Jenny stay, as long as she doesn’t breathe on anything. Shelia gives the dice a lucky blow and they win. She does it a second time and they win again! Amongst the excitement Ruth leaves the table.

Ruth approaches the front desk and asks if there are any messages for her. There aren’t. Debbie has followed her and is shown some flowers that have been left for her. Sensing Ruth’s disappointment, Debbie takes her outside. She shows her the billboard for the show and says she thought it would cheer her up. I knew my hope for these two wasn’t lost! Ruth explains that technically it’s Bash’s name up there in lights and Debbie agrees. Debbie explains that she doesn’t want Ruth to miss the big night by being down…also she’s bringing everyone else’s mood down. A valet says hi to Debbie and that last night was fun. Debbie tells him not to talk about it whilst she’s working. She also gets his name wrong. Ruth asks if Debbie really went there and she explains the guy is twenty-five years old and she is singe. She says, “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.”

A cake decorated with a rocket is being wheeled into the party room and Bash orders for it to be taken away. Rhonda asks for it to be turned into some trifles, but Bash doesn’t know what a trifle is. (What?!) Rhonda notices that Bash is worried about the party and asks everyone to clear the room. As she tries to reassure Bash that the night will go well, she shows him a magazine with his picture on the front cover as she bought ten. She reassures him again that the party will go well and that she… LOVES HIM!

Arthie is showing Yolanda the “flour-s” that she had bought her for opening night. Tammé asks Debbie who sent her flowers and she explains that her ex-husband sent them pretending they’re from her son Randy. Tammé shows Debbie the magazine with Bash on the front and Debbie explains they were both at that shoot. An announcement from Sam comes over the speaker in the dressing room. Debbie turns off the speaker as Sam begins his pep talk. She tells the ladies that they have been professional and pulled themselves together. Ruth interrupts her and asks for a moment of silence as she feels it’s the least they can do. The room falls silent until Rhonda barges in with balloons. They explain to her that they are having a moment’s silence, but she carries on. A few of the girls start playing with the balloons until it turns into a balloon fight in the room. Ruth opens her eyes and she can’t help but smile.

Oblivious to the fact that no one actually heard it, Sam tells Bash that he is proud of his pep talk – it’s the best he’s ever given. Sandy greets them with the director of the longest running show at the Fan-Tan. The show begins with Edna and Ethel making jokes about their slots being too loose, which results in roaring laughter from the audience. Ruth is watching from behind the curtain and her and Debbie nod at each other. Zoya and Fortune Cookie are introduced before the scene cuts to Ruth walking down the hotel corridor all dolled up in a slinky gold dress. She tells Sam that Sheila found it for her in lost and found and he doesn’t seem as approving as when he first saw her. He invites her into his room for a drink. They cheers with their drinks and talk about the day. After they talk things through, Ruth gives Sam a look that says, “I really want to kiss you but I have a boyfriend.” As they leave for the party they bump into Debbie. The three enter the lift together. As the door closes, Cherry shouts for them to hold it. Soon enough the lift is packed with the whole gang, including Rhonda who ran downstairs so she could ride with them. Sam leaves saying he can’t take it.