GLOW

Eine ausgezeichnet ausgewogene Mischung von einer Komödie und einem Drama. Ich habe mich von der ersten Folge der ersten Staffel bis zur zehnten Folge der dritten Staffel köstlich amüsiert und die Geschichte der ganzen Show sowie die Geschichten der einzelnen Heldinnen und Helden genossen, die ich allmählich verstanden habe. Die Figuren sind wirklich toll geschrieben und dargestellt (Alison Brie und Marc Maron exzellieren und dabei sieht es nicht so aus, als ob sie sich Mühe geben würden – sie sind einfach natürlich). Sie erleben und machen unerwartete Dinge, die aber immer Sinn ergeben (manche erst in der Zukunft). Die Autoren haben z. B. kein Problem damit, in der ersten Staffel etwas anzudeuten. Dann erinnern sie das Publikum mehrmals unauffällig an diese Sache. Die große Enthüllung kommt aber erst in der dritten Staffel… Ich schätze auch, dass es der Serie aus den Disco-80ern so ungezwungen gelingt, auf verschiedene Themen aufmerksam zu machen, die immer noch aktuell sind. Es wird dabei aber nicht moralisiert. Ich habe die Serie wirklich genossen. (15.09.2019)

Season 1 – 80% – It's hard to believe how natural, lively, and strong GLOW is, despite all its wavy hair and neon glow, just like the determination of the main protagonist. Thanks to Alison Brie's enthusiasm and Betty Gilpin's cool charisma, the whole wrestling/television effort flows almost effortlessly, and even in the absence of memorable moments, it functions as a surprisingly positive companion at times that are definitely not positive. Perhaps if all the (albeit subtly presented) relationship and family twists didn't become clear to me so far in advance (which is truly unusual for me, a viewer who likes to be surprised by any plot twist), I would have enjoyed the Gorgeous Ladies even more. Season 2 – 85% – The easiest binge ever continues. I can't remember another show where I wanted to watch the first episode of the second season right after finishing the first, only to nod approvingly a few hours later at how well that season turned out. And the second season turned out slightly better. The subplots are no longer reliant on surprising revelations, and the well-crafted performances only pull me down because of that unfortunate theme. The wrestling is sufficiently solid and the girls have countless twists up their sleeves because of it, but it's precisely the passages that focus on the actual match, both in the foreground and background, that prevent GLOW from skyrocketing to the brightest stars. Season 3 – 90% – Just when it seems like the show has disintegrated into a series of stories about the girls' party in the attractive environment of a casino and neon lights, it has the greatest impact on me. The characters have gotten under my skin to such an extent that each emotional moment moves me deeply, and even the characters who I don't care about as much as Debbie can still speak to me. Paradoxically, it is in the city of entertainment that the Ladies resonate with me in the quietest and most precise way, whether it be on a conventional level or in the surprisingly frequent need for special episodes (exchanges, Hollywood, Christmas). I really hope Netflix resists the urge to cancel this beloved show after three years. (08.08.2017)

GLOW Is the New Orange Is the New Black just given substantially less space (both in terms of footage and the number of episodes in the series), in precisely captured 80s portraying environment of female wannabe wrestling and with an excellent central duo of Alison Brie with no make-up (she literally gave everything to this character) and Marc Maron in Lloydov-Kaufman's style. Simply put, it´s a comedy drama built on well-written and played characters with a somewhat overplayed course (however partly it is part of the intention). However, it is still difficult not to get into it, even if you truly hate 80s and especially wrestling and you are chauvinistic swine. The driving force of the second season is the same, but not the third one, sadly. A change was needed, but the authors don't know what to do about the relocation to Las Vegas. The "clearly defined common goal" disappeared. The show itself became redundant, and in order for it to work well in a new setting, some of the characters adjusted overnight. It's still good, funny and dramatic (especially the fifth, sixth and final episode), that´s for sure. However, it is already too standard and smooth. | S1: 4/5 | S2: 4/5 | S3: 3/5 | (27.09.2017)