Rejoice, ’80s wrestling fans! GLOW has officially been renewed by Netflix for a fourth season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sadly, though, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling will be hanging up their costumes as this will be the final season of the show, which stars Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron, alongside an ensemble cast of women. While we don’t have many details on the final 10-episode run, it’s safe to assume that the fourth season will address the cliffhanger at the end of season three, where it appeared that Ruth (Brie) and Debbie (Gilpin) were headed in different directions after the gang’s successful run in Las Vegas.
Here’s everything we know so far about GLOW season four.
The premiere date. Timing has not been announced, but typically new GLOW episodes stream in the summer.
The showrunners. Co-creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch will be back to helm the show as it ends its run. “We have a full story to tell and whether or not we’re idiots for not giving ourselves an ending this season remains to be seen,” Flahive told THR before news of the renewal broke. “We’ve played it this way every season, where we’ve sort of left it all on the field. This show has a big heart and a big cast and big story to tell, and other people are not going to set that limit for us. We can’t do that, because it wouldn’t be fair to what we’re trying to do. We’d love to have the opportunity to give the show a satisfying ending.”
The cast. No guest stars have been announced, but we’re hoping for more Geena Davis, who was a standout addition in the third season—and the returning cast sounds super excited for the final season. “They have sort of screwed themselves by making the model be that there is no model — that they have to reinvent the wheel every season,” Gilpin said of a fourth season. “So I hope they are hard at work reinventing the wheel. Because this is the greatest job ever, and I want to do it again and again.”
Brie also shared a note about the new season to Instagram. “Excited to announce that GLOW will be back for a fourth and final season!” the actress wrote. “I wish I never had to say goodbye to these characters, but I am so grateful to get one more round with our incredible team. You better believe we’re GLOWing out with a bang! ?????????”
And Jackie Tohn, who plays Melrose, shared a heartwarming message to her social media about the show’s impact on her life. “GLOW SEASON 4 BABY!!! 4th and final. Wow. So bittersweet,” Tohn wrote. “Such a gift to be able to prepare for that time but man do I love making this show with these f*cking weirdos. And man am I gonna miss it. Thank you Glow – for letting me be my loud quirky Jewish self when, for decades, I was told I was too much or too outside the box or did I say ‘too much’ already. Oof I needed this cry. Best experience of my life. Until the next best experience of my life. Thank you.”
Viva Las Vegas! If there was ever a more seemingly perfect fit for the world of GLOW, it’s Sin City. But ’80s-style Vegas is not the Vegas of today, and a Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling residency is way different than Lady Gaga’s.
When Netflix premieres season three of the Emmy-nominated series on August 9, the location might be different, but the characters are the same, trying to find their place in work and in life. There’s also the arrival of Oscar-winner Geena Davis, who joins the cast as Sandy Devereaux St. Clair, a former showgirl-turned-entertainment director of the hotel. But even with Sandy’s zest for the dramatic, Ruth’s passion for the show slowly starts to dim, while Debbie is racked with the guilt of not being there for her son.
In fact, there’s so much to unpack in the just-released season three trailer. Take a look:
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Here’s everything we know so far about GLOW season three:
Ruth may have unresolved feelings for Sam. A sexy gold dress? A hot tub moment? What is this, The Bachelor? Anyway, at one point Sam asks her what she wants and she says, “I don’t want to ruin what we have.” She’s also clearly not telling him the truth about how she actually feels about Las Vegas. I mean, he says he was wrong about her hating Vegas, but does she really feel that way? And let’s not forget what she told Debbie: that she has a job and a boyfriend (Russell) but still feels lost.
Following Eva Chen on Instagram is a little like enrolling in an adulting college. The only difference between a four-year university and a tap on her account’s “Follow” button is that it’s free. I’ve learned so much from tuning in to her daily diaries, and it’s all applicable to my daily life: how to pose for a mirror selfie, how to actually use a jade roller, how to distinguish a sumo orange from a heap of common citruses. No one can say that about Intro to Basketweaving.
In my favorite glimpses at her life and travels, Chen posts product-by-product makeup and skin care application stories on her account. Last season at fashion week, makeup artist Nikki Makeup joined her for a series of videos where she shared the ins and outs of perfectly-applied blush and highlighter. I foolishly forgot to write down the products they used for Chen’s glowy skin in the video, but I did remember one specific tidbit of wisdom. According to Nikki, the best blushes give you the appearance of having just come inside from a brisk walk. Translation: When applied and blended just so, blushes can give you a light, lit-from-within glow.
My prior experience with blush has come nowhere close to that precisely described look. What I wanted was the delicate flush of a Jane Austen heroine after she’s arrived at a great manor on horseback. What I often got was a garish pink or red that threw my naturally paper-white skin into sharper contrast. Granted, that’s mostly my fault. The bulk of my exposure to blush came from caking on deep pinks and orange-reds for dance performances until my mid-twenties. The look made sense under heavy stadium lighting, but it was startling and unflattering up close. Maybe my expectations were a tad dramatic, but there was nothing natural about the blushes I’d tried to wear before.
After seeing the potential for a rosy, light cheek on Chen’s Instagram, I felt compelled to give blush a second chance. I knew it would be more than re-incorporating the product back into my makeup routine, though. It’d also be a matter of tracking down a pigment that could liven my pale cheeks while avoiding clown territory. I found just that in less time than I expected, at the corner of my favorite lipstick brand, Charlotte Tilbury, and Glamour‘s latest Beauty Awards winners.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Pretty Youth Glow Filter is more low-key than its name suggests. It’s a blush-highlighter duo in two complementary, semi-sheer pink shades. There’s a natural element to the ingredients too. Instead of a powder, it’s a paraben-free cream blend. (This doesn’t mean that much for the average user, other than that it’s extra smooth to the touch and lightweight to wear.)
I followed the award-winning suggestion to try the “Pretty Fresh” shades, described online as a “coral pink” set. “Coral” sounds harsher than the blush appears. The shade looks like more light pink than pink-orange after applying. When I want the lightest of flushes, I’ll dab some of the coral color on a blush brush and swipe along my cheekbones. For days that I’d like a hint more color, I apply the blush on the apples of my cheeks with a finger before blending it with a brush.
On either occasion, my favorite part of the set is the highlighter portion. This isn’t the thousand-watt glitter bomb that you’ll find at a Fenty or an Urban Decay, but that’s why it’s great. Instead, it’s a soft gold that shines brightest under direct light. My cheeks have the slightest sparkle, but it’s not at Twilight-vampire levels.
It seems a little shameful to share this in the age of clean beauty and wellness, but I’ve always been skeptical of natural products. I have pretty strong thoughts on brands using “clean” as their number one selling point that we can save for another time, but most of my reluctance toward the category comes from the fact that a lot of it just doesn’t work for me. I have finicky skin, so I’ve generally stuck to more clinical-grade skin care, and in the past have always thought of natural products as heavily scented, homemade, and something you would pick up from Whole Foods along with your quinoa.
One of the first brands to change this perception for me is the incredibly chic Herbivore Botanicals. The brand was founded in 2011, but really blew up on Instagram a few years ago. As soon as I saw the brand’s minimalist packaging and whimsical names cross my feed, I was sold. There’s nothing about the products that bring to mind crunchy granola, both the packaging and the formulas are super sophisticated, like something you would see in a chic Brooklynite’s bathroom, not a farmer’s market. And most importantly, they are effective. After dipping my toes in with the Blue Tansy mask, I’ve been steadily adding to my collection.
I’m not alone in my obsession. The brand’s had so many great launches in the past year, it was nearly impossible to narrow down which one should win a Glamour Beauty Award. But a decision had to be made, and once we tallied votes, there was a clear standout: the Prism Exfoliating Glow Potion.
Honestly, its win couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but whenever the seasons change my skin tends to go a bit bonkers. My face gets flaky to the point that it looks like sandpaper if I put foundation on top, plus I’m treated to a huge, under the skin breakout. Fun!
But the Prism Glow Potion corrects all that. The power is in the formula: the hydrating serum contains fruit acids, include lactic and glycolic, to gently slough off dead skin cells, which helps with both dry patches and acne. The acids also help even skin tone—after a few weeks of use, I already saw a difference in my hyperpigmentation. This could also be attributed to the inclusion of Kakadu Plum extract, a popular natural ingredient that’s rich in vitamin C and nourishes skin. Aloe is the first ingredient on the label, which accounts for a lot of the soothing properties, as well as the serge of moisture and bouncy skin I get from applying the serum.
Another plus: the serum is lightweight but not sticky. I find it incredibly gentle and experienced no stinging, but if you’re not used to acids you may be a bit sensitive. When I use a new acid product I tend to experience purging (meaning that my skin breaks out while it gets accustomed to the new formula), but I haven’t had that happen with Prism. In fact, the opposite happened, it helped calm my acne after about a week of use. I’m not mad at the well-rested glow it gives me either.
Because my skin is so dry, I pair it with a pure hyaluronic acid serum for extra moisture, but if you have normal or oily skin it’s probably hydrating enough to use on its own.
I’m not saying my bathroom cabinet has transformed into Goop, but thanks to Herbivore it’s looking a little greener. And my skin’s more radiant than ever.
After the lull of summer, the Emmys always bring a welcome return to award show season. (And are typically much more fun because its all about TV.) To kick off the night, Glamour‘s October cover star, Issa Rae, gave us a look behind the scenes at the makeup she and celebrity makeup artist Joanna Simkin used, all based around the fabulous powder blue Vera Wang jumpsuit she chose for the evening. (Which, BTW, featured over 3,000 crystals. No big deal.)
Inspired by a sketch of Rae’s outfit, Simkin asked for a fabric swatch of the jumpsuit to base her beauty look around (that outfit-eyeshadow coordination doesn’t just happen by accident). Her skin is always the star, but L.A.’s 83-degree weather tonight didn’t make things easy, Simkin says. The Emmys usually call for long-wearing, batten-the-hatches foundation, but they didn’t want to interfere with Rae’s glow for the night. Instead, Simkin started by layering on CoverGirl truBLEND Matte Made Foundation in D80 Soft Sable, and then brushed on the Glowing Up TruBlend Super Stunner Highlight Palette to set the foundation on Rae’s cheekbones, brow bones, and cupid’s bow (Rae is an ambassador for the brand).
The fabric swatch came into play for Rae’s eyes, where Simkin swept the bright, peacock blue color in CoverGirl’s TruNaked Dazed palette. To tone it down slightly while keeping the color coordination, Simkin blended the center shade from the Super Stunner palette in It’s Lit across the blue. She defined Rae’s eyes with the darkest shade in the TruNaked Nudes palette, drawing it out into a gentle flick that made Rae’s eyes look huge.
That was intentional: Simkin says that Rae was adamant about wearing a Vera Wang design, since the designer dressed her last year. “Vera Wang hooked me up,” Rae told Giuliana Rancic on E!’s Live From the Red Carpet. She continued: “It’s just really, really dope to be recognized. My nomination represents the show’s nomination… our writers and our directors. We’re just happy to be thought of and talked about.” Other than the Vera Wang repeat, last year felt a world away, Simkin says. Since this is Rae’s first time being nominated for an award, the night means more than ever before.
Betty Gilpin pulls a lot of faces as Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan, a former soap star turned campy stars-and-stripes-clad wrestling heroine on GLOW, Netflix’s comedy about a ’80s female wrestling league that’s back for a second season. (Caution: Spoilers for the season ahead.) There’s one in particular that pops up most frequently: a manic beauty-pageant smile so big you can see her molars that teeters on the edge for a few seconds before fading into a grimace.
Sometimes it’s obvious, like in the season two show-within-a-show episode “The Good Twin,” when Liberty Belle, in mourning over her kidnapped daughter Savannah Rose, hosts a “Griefercize” class to “sweat those sorrows away.” She ends the segment by bending over, positioning her head in between her legs, and turning that crazed grin into a silent scream.
Other times it’s more subtle—if you can call anything a pro wrestler with a pound and a half of eye makeup and a costume Gilpin describes as a “glitter diaper” does “subtle”—like when she alternates between a plastered-on smile and a wince while singing the group’s “We Are the World”-style song “Don’t Kidnap.”
Liberty Belle is obviously played for laughs; Gilpin’s unafraid to go as big as possible with her, to the point where you start to feel for her cheek muscles. But she also employs a more toned-down version of the smile/frown twofer out of the ring as Debbie throughout season two. When Debbie runs into her ex-husband, Mark, and his new girlfriend, Susan, she’s all passive-aggressive smiles as she says, “I just would love the pleasure of knowing the name of the woman you have spending time with our son.”
Once she realizes Susan is also Mark’s secretary, you can see in her eyes that she’s thrown and her grin gets a little tighter. She presses on, though, cracking a joke before excusing herself and leaving. The second her back is to them, she drops the smile with the same speed and efficiency she uses to lay out opponents in the ring—only this time, she’s the one who looks like she’s just been clotheslined.
PHOTO: Erica Parise/Netflix
That forced smile is a testament to Gilpin’s skill as an actor. And when this year’s Emmy nominations are announced on July 12, there’s a strong chance her name could be read. The potential nod would actually be honoring her work in season one (because of the eligibility period), which was excellent, but it’s the show’s second season that really showcases her outstanding work. Gilpin excels as both Liberty Belle and Debbie, as the character grows more self-assured professionally despite her personal life unraveling.
Part of Debbie-as-Liberty Belle’s confidence is the result of more wrestling experience, and season two gives us even more difficult moves and matches. Liberty Belle, as GLOW’s most popular face, is in the ring more than anyone else, even going toe-to-toe with Chavo Guerrero Jr. of the legendary Guerrero wrestling family (in character as Chico Guapo). The tragedy of Debbie and the comedy of Liberty Belle—who, after hip-tossing Chico Guapo, lets out a triumphant growl and tells the crowd in her Southern drawl, “I’ve been baking pies at home. PIES OF RAGE!!!”—have always been front-and-center, but this season it’s obvious Gilpin is pulling triple-duty with the character as her stunts (which she and the rest of her costars do themselves) get more elaborate.
Her character wears multiple hats this season, too. Debbie leverages her star power in the ring into a producer role on the show. She’s the only cast member who even attempts to negotiate the terms of her contract, and she does so in the most Debbie way possible: in her wrestling costume, with her ex-husband—who is an agent but not, as she’s careful to point out, her agent—in tow to go over the terms of the deal.
She knows the games she has to play as a woman in Hollywood in the ’80s, but she still goes out of her way to bring a copy of the contract for the network head’s wife, smiling as she says, “I’m sure you don’t expect your wife to sit here looking pretty while we do business. She might have some great ideas.” She doesn’t bother with that cheery facade later when she presents the contract to Sam (Marc Maron). When he incredulously asks, “You want to be a producer?” she corrects him: “Oh, no. I am a producer.”
PHOTO: Netflix
In many ways, Debbie and her friend turned enemy Ruth (Alison Brie) are two sides of the same coin. They’re both highly ambitious women in an era when being one was difficult. Their fractured friendship, the result of Ruth sleeping with Mark in the show’s first season, is the heart of this second batch of episodes. When Ruth tells Debbie about the head of the network coming on to her in his hotel room—a “Me Too” moment that feels ripped from the headlines until you remember stuff like that has been happening since the beginning of time—she’s shocked when she doesn’t get sympathy.
Instead, Debbie blames their show’s cancellation on Ruth’s decision to flee. “You’re supposed to make him think that you might fuck him. Or that you desperately want to fuck him if only you didn’t have your fiancé or your period or an extra set of teeth where your vagina should be,” she says. “That’s how this business works. Men try shit, you have to pretend to like it until you don’t have to anymore.”
It’s a complex reaction, but Gilpin plays on that, making it apparent Debbie doesn’t fully believe what she’s saying and growing increasingly upset until she reveals the more personal motivation behind her feelings, spitting, “The one time you keep your legs shut, we all get fucked.”
Debbie loses her shit and take things too far lot this season, like when she impulsively sells all the furniture in her home after finding out Mark wants to buy the same bed they used to share. But it’s most affecting when it’s directed at Ruth, and all of the moments of Debbie falling apart come to a head when, coked up and upset about her divorce, she intentionally breaks Ruth’s ankle in the ring. Because she goes so big as Liberty Belle, the quietness that Gilpin brings to Debbie in the moments after the injury—the dead-eyed calm as she washes away her sins in the shower while the rest of her castmates rush to the hospital with Ruth—is stunning.
It all builds to the season’s climax, an emotional, ugly fight between Ruth and Debbie in the hospital that features some of the best work from both Gilpin and Brie. Debbie enters timidly but unwilling to admit her faults; when Ruth doesn’t buy that the broken ankle was an accident, Gilpin masterfully shifts gears, calmly and quietly stating “It was an accident, Ruth” before looking over her shoulder, pausing for dramatic effect, and yelling “…unlike the time when you accidentally fucked my husband twice!”
But this side of Debbie disappears as the fight goes on and she realizes she was in the wrong. She storms out crying before returning later with a peace offering: a change of clothes so Ruth doesn’t have to leave the hospital in costume. She can’t bring herself to actually say the words, but she writes “Sorry I broke your ankle” on Ruth’s cast. In this moment, Gilpin executes a subtle version of her signature move: a tiny smile that eventually curves downward and disappears as she wipes away a tear.
It’s a moment so tender it will break your heart—and it confirms what we’ve known since this show premiered: We’ll be baking our own pies of rage if that’s not enough to earn her an Emmy.
Bonnie Stiernberg is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York.
