GLOW: Ass kicking and 80s Nostalgia. The Netflix throwback I never knew I needed.

Ass-kicking and 80s nostalgia come together to shine a light on the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). But this is no documentary. GLOW sits firmly in the land of fiction, and that’s its great charm. And charming it is. And hilarious. It’s a respite from TVs recent proliferation of hardcore dramas/ thrillers like The Handmaid's Tale, Gypsy and 13 Reasons Why.

Alison Brie as Ruth with Sheila The She Wolf.

GLOW deftly intermingles light and dark in a way that I haven’t seen since OITNB first came on the scene. With a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s setting the TV world ablaze. Going into season 2, it remains to be seen whether it will continue to go from strength to strength or fizzle out like a bad batch of sparklers.

'It remains to be seen whether it will continue to go from strength to strength or fizzle out like a bad batch of sparklers.'

Alison Brie’s portrayal of Ruth, a struggling actress-turned-soviet-villain Zoya the Destroyer, is bone-crunchingly funny. But it’s in her scenes with Debbie (Bettie Gilpin), perfectly cast as Liberty Bell, the All-American babe, that she really shines.

The supporting cast, including Kate Nash as a goofy Brit, in an otherwise All-American set of characters, balance out the lead characters' narrative. Something that GLOW has taken notes on from other recent hits is the success of diversity, with several groups represented. Pertinent themes of feminism, race and religion are also touched upon. A throwback show that has never been more relevant or funny. Go watch it.

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