Brief review and a pic spam

[selenak]

The current heatwave is definitely making mincemeat of my attempts do get some constructive work done, or even of having interesting things to say in terms of fannish consumption. I did marathon GLOW, which is a Netflix series now consisting of two (short) seasons, set in the 80s, very loosely based on the real life G(orgeous) L(adies) O(f) W(restling) making their debut just then. Faithful reader, if you now wonder why on earth you should watch something about wrestling when you, like me, never watched wrestling (or wanted to watch wrestling), fear not: wrestling lay people like yours truly have no problem following the stories. The producers are the same who are responsible for Orange is the New Black, though while both offer a mainly female ensemble, GLOW doesn’t use the main character just as a stealth introduction before branching out to tell everyone else’s stories, it does remain focused on mainly Ruth (our heroine of sorts, who after trying in vain for eons to make it as an actress in Hollywood tries to get into the newly cast wrestling show as a last chance), Debbie (her best friend and after events of the pilot also arch nemesis, had some minor success as a soap actress but now also in need of a job), and Sam (the director trying to make some desperately needed cash off the 80s wrestling craze via female wrestling show), while also fleshing out the supporting cast. It‘ s what’s called a dramedy these days and just great fun, with some truly touching moments amidst the gags. Also, it takes its heroines seriously in their absurd situations, which is the secret of successful comedy, and offers complicated relationships galore, even within its half an hour per episode format.
Warnings: one of the characters asks another character (who has worked with Sam before) whether Sam’s a racist. The other character replies: „He’s more of a sexist.“ In truth, Sam practises a lot of -isms, and he’s not the only one in this 80s scenario, but the narrative never is unaware or on board with this.
When not struggling with Darth Real Life and watching GLOW, I did appreciate the natural beauty around me, as when we got treated to a blood moon.



Then there was one of the summer lake parties which in recent years managed to be drenched in rain, but not this year. Check out the pictures below the cut for gorgeous sunsets, Alps, and one of the Bavarian lakes.


These alp horns sound as if summoning the riders of Rohan, if you’re curious.

You try folk dancing on a boat, even if the lake is quiet like this.





The later the hour, the more boats on the lake. This was because everyone was waiting for the fireworks, but ensured it looked as if we were having a regatta on the Tegernsee.



And here it is, the highlight and conclusion of a summer lake party:

Comments

[watervole]

Garland dances!

We have those too.

I shall have to give Glow a try.

[selenak]

I think you'd enjoy it. Re: Dances, I'll watch another round tomorrow when there's another summer party with folk dances. Dirndl and garlands being prominently featured.

[trobadora]

Gorgeous photos!

[selenak]

Thank you!

[d_generate_girl]

GLOW is one of my very favorite things (because unlike other viewers, I *love* wrestling and have very fond memories of the actual real-life show). I really appreciate all the work they put in to making it as true and respectful of wrestling as possible, and you can see it. Just the fact that Kia Stevens (who plays Tamme/Welfare Queen) actually IS a wrestler and has become such a wonderful actress is so cool to see. Alison Brie is such a natural, too, I love watching her as Zoya.

[selenak]

When Ruth creates Zoya and can shed all her anxieties as soon as she transforms into this gloriously over the top villain, that's such a great moment. And Debbie and Ruth training the moves they've seen made even laywoman me understand how it works.

Re: Kia Stevens - Tamme moved to the front of my favorite characters in s2, and what she does with her face in that scene where her son is in the audience is just amazing.

[d_generate_girl]

Ruth's transformation is *so* powerful. Something they really do well is the physicality, the constant training, but I love that they pay equal attention to characterization. When wrestlers create a wrestling persona, they really try to inhabit it, and it's a constant process. I love that we see Ruth trying "Auntie Christ" and the other failed personas before she hits upon Zoya (just as we get Cherry playing around with Black Magic when she realizes that Junkchain isn't really hers anymore, and Arthie trying to break out of Beirut's racism, and Bash very intelligently pointing out that Carmen is a natural babyface instead of a monster heel).

THAT TRAINING SCENE. I love it on so many levels. I love it for being Debbie and Ruth receiving patient training from Carmen and the Lumberjacksons. I love it for the Lumberjacksons being played by actual wrestlers Carlito Colon and Broadus Clay, lending legitimacy to it. I love it for straightforwardly showing that women can wrestle men (before we got actual intergender wrestling with Debbie and "Chico Guapo" aka Chavo Guerrero Jr, their actual trainer and stupendously talented wrestler).

Kia is SO GOOD, and it's nice to see them tackling a different portrait of motherhood than they do with Debbie.

[sassbandit]

I just marathoned GLOW last week and loved it! My take is similar to yours. Who's your fave? Mine's Carmen. I'm delighted by what happened with the canon queer character at the end of s2 and saddened at the dead background queer, but hopeful for what it'll do to Bash's storyline in s3 (if/when it gets greenlit). In short: yes yes yes, so good!

Also, it was so weird for me to watch Alison Brie in this having only seen her as Annie Edison. She was unrecognisable to me! Debbie was recognisable to me as Sherlock's ex-gf from Elementary (I could see her face easily) but Ruth/Annie was just... incomprehensibly different. I know I'm a bit faceblind but not usually THAT much!

[selenak]

I've never seen Community, but I did watch the first season of Mad Men, so I could have recognized Alison Brie as Trudy Campbell, and yet I didn't, either.

re: Bash, I'm reasonably sure self actualization and self outing with him after s2 basically sent him into shock and denial first; it's not the kind of show where he stays in denial, though it fits that this is how he reacts first. Also: 80s. AIDS certainly was one of the defining elements of the decade, and I wouldn't want Bash's story to be about how he gets infected, so instead killing off someone whose demise would force him to confront what he's been in denial about so far makes a certain Storytelling sense.


Favourites: I adore Carmen, too, and the way she's been able to use her expertise, but in the second season, Tamme stole my heart as well!

[sassbandit]

Yeah, the Bash thing makes sense, but I was so sad to see Florian killed off. I would have quite happily enjoyed a "Bash discovers Florian is gay" plot with pining and miscommunication and stuff, because I am a sucker for fanfic tropes and stuff, but I guess this isn't a bad way to open up potential plots later. I hope they have something good lined up for him in Vegas!