What Will We Never Know About GLOW’s Shocking Cliffhanger?

by

GLOW stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Mindhunter as one of Netflix’s finest original series to date. Just like its peers such as Santa Clarita Diet, Shadow and Bone, Lockwood & Co., Sense8, I Am Not Okay With This, and Tuca & Bertie, it unfortunately met an untimely end. The cancellation of GLOW is particularly puzzling given its critical acclaim, substantial viewership (though specific numbers weren’t disclosed at the time), and the fact that it had only one more season left before wrapping up its storyline. Despite this, the series starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin was canceled after just three seasons, each of which was arguably stronger than the last.

Unfortunately, fans of GLOW were left disappointed, as their anticipation grew when Netflix renewed the series for Season 4 just a month after the third season premiered in August 2019. However, their hopes were dashed in October 2020, when the streaming service announced it had decided to cancel the show instead.

Why Was GLOW Cancelled?

The TV show, centered around fictional representations of actual ’80s wrestling circuit “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” stars, was unlikely to garner the massive popularity enjoyed by shows like Stranger Things or House of Cards. However, it wasn’t poor viewership that led to its cancellation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted productions across the entertainment industry, leading even to the suspension or termination of various series, including Netflix’s GLOW Season 4, was initially in production but had to be delayed by a year following its renewal for another season. In February 2020, lead actress Brie shared a set photo on her Instagram account. However, filming didn’t last long as the pause happened only a month later, with just one and a half episodes completed.

The main hurdle in completing GLOW was the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was another significant factor: budget constraints. Due to the nature of the wrestling show, which involves a lot of physical contact, implementing safety measures to prevent an outbreak on set would have been costly. Given that the production was already expensive for a project with decent but not exceptional viewership, it seemed financially risky to proceed.

To put it simply, there was a problem with the timing between seasons for GLOW. Netflix believed that waiting three years between seasons might not be beneficial for viewership. Season 3 of GLOW aired in 2019, and due to COVID-19, its final season would not have been able to premiere before 2022 at the earliest. This delay ultimately led to an unsatisfying ending for fans.

Without further ado, let me tell you that the third season concluded mysteriously, leaving us hanging. In the special titled “A GLOW-y Christmas,” the ladies strive to maintain their holiday cheer after an LGBTQ+ friendly event they hosted in the previous episode was torched by a hate group. A wrestler named Carmen Wade proposes re-enacting “A Christmas Carol” inside the ring as a means of entertainment, which turns out to be a hit! With the show’s success under their belts, everyone gets ready to return to their homes for the festive season.

However, in the closing scenes of the episode (and thus, the series), Debbie Eagan, played by Gilpin, speaks with Brie’s character Ruth Wilder. She reveals that Debbie and Chris Lowell’s character Sebastian “Bash” Howard plan to continue GLOW, this time on television. Although eager for acting opportunities in films, Ruth has been gradually pulling away from her friends and associates due to her ambition to direct features.

In this scenario, Debbie views the change in GLOW as a chance to reintegrate Ruth into the team. However, despite Debbie’s hopes, Ruth refuses the offer, even after Debbie makes it clear she wants Ruth to take over directing the GLOW show. Ruth then gets on a plane to go home, and that’s where the story ends.

What Would GLOW Season 4 Have Been About?

If we were to speculate about what the fourth season might have shown us, it’s unfortunate that we don’t know much. However, Marc Maron, who plays Sam Sylvia, hinted that his character and Ruth would have had a romantic encounter at some point. The most revealing information comes from Brie’s interview with The A.V. Club, where she shared that before filming the fourth season, the showrunners told her the entire story, which left her in tears after hearing their season-long synopsis.

Following a quick summary of Season 3’s finale, she hinted that Season 4 would kick off focusing on Ruth. It seems that Ruth might have temporarily returned to her hometown, possibly considering quitting wrestling only to be drawn back in again… She remained vague about whether this scenario is the plot of the first unseen episode we shot. If produced, it could have made for an outstanding season of television, but unfortunately, it appears the opportunity for another streaming service to continue the story for a satisfying conclusion has likely passed.

The seasons of GLOW we did get are now streaming on Netflix.

Read More

2025-03-24 21:42