Freaky Tuesday

"Freaky Tuesday" is the fifth episode of the third season of GLOW. It is the twenty-fifth episode of the series overall. It was released via Netflix on August 9, 2019.

Synopsis
Tammé's back problems lead to a major shake-up in the ring. An offer to extend the show divides the producers. Justine asks Sam to read her screenplay.

Plot
As GLOW's live show at the Fan-Tan Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas wears on, Tammé Dawson goes through a weary routine - taking a shower, having a drink, popping pills, exercising and stepping into the ring. This continues day after day, as she groans in evident pain. She sneezes, and curses.

That morning, Sandy Devereaux St. Clair holds a eulogy for Bernie Rubenstein, director of the longest running show at the Fan-Tan, Rhapsody. She calls him the biggest personality in the room, even if he was the shortest. She says that even though most of them knew him as an old man, he was really something when he was younger. She calls it the end of an era with him gone, noting that there's a Burger King at a nearby casino, and suggesting maybe it's better he's gone before it happens there. She says to have a drink at the bar on her when their shift is done. She thanks everyone for coming, saying that his daughters wouldn't let her speak at the real funeral. In his honor, she offers to extend the contract for GLOW until the end of the year.

Debbie is aghast at the idea of staying in Vegas for another nine months. St. Clair, however, offers double-scale for the show's producers. Bash starts to accept, only for Debbie to say that they need to discuss this. St. Clair agrees, saying she knows where to find her. Bash wonders what there is to discuss; that what they have is everything they ever wanted. Debbie replies that the very fact that he thinks there's nothing to discuss is why they need a discussion. It's not about the money for her; it's been brutal already living for three months in another state from her child. Bash counters that he seems to recall certain "amenities" that have made her life more bearable. Rhonda tells them to stop, that they're basically at a funeral.

Reggie enters Tammé's room with a Fan-Tan employee, where she's on the floor in pain. The employee says that if she's in so much pain she can't get up then she should probably go to a doctor, but Tammé asks her to just do what she can. She'll go soak in the hot tub and she'll be fine. Elsewhere, Sam Sylvia is examining his script, Paterfamilias. He puts it in a folder and heads off. He has coffee with his daughter Justine, who tells him that her boyfriend, Billy is trying to get her to come back to him. Sam says he's happy she decided to spend her spring break there. She asks him how Vegas is and he says that she's in it. He tells her how they lost Keith and now he's going to be playing ref, "uniform and everything." She says now she has to see the show. He starts to tell her about his screenplay, only for her to say that she's finished her own. She pulls it out and shows it to him, and he points out it doesn't have a title. She asks if he'll read it. He agrees to, though she says she needs him to be completely honest with her. He promises to be merciless. He starts to open it and she says she doesn't want to be anywhere near him when he reads it and leaves.

Debbie finds Sandy, who is getting drunk. She offers Debbie a drink, but she demurs, saying that she said she could come to her if she ever needs her, woman to woman. Sandy says it's not a good time after Bernie's death. She thought him a "creep," but had nevertheless hitched her wagon to him. Debbie says her offer is dropping an atom bomb on her life, that she thought the show would end after three months as planned. Sandy asks if that's what she wants and she admits that she doesn't really know, that she wasn't thinking that far ahead. Sandy tells that if she wants to be a good producer, she should. She suggests that she might swing by the show later, with Rhapsody having gone dark.

Bash finds Sam alone at his table. Seeing the script, he asks if he can read it, but Sam refuses. He presents him with a number, the amount of money he could be making if they stayed in Vegas. He tells him of Sandy's offer. He asks him to help get Debbie to come around, saying that he'll be good cop and Sam can be bad cop. Sam replies that he doesn't want to put in the middle. Bash replies that he wouldn't; he'd be on his side. He figures this is why he kept him around. Sam counters that he thought he kept him around to direct, but Bash replies that essentially he's on a paid vacation. He can earn his keep by agreeing with him, but he replies that he's not his butler., that he can't pay him to be his friend or agree with him. He says that instead he's paying him to write another screenplay that will never get produced. Sam jabs that he's not good at throwing his weight around. Bash stalks off in a huff, telling him he's lucky to have the job.

Tammé suggests that she should play a biddie in that night's show. The group discusses switching characters, though nobody seems very enthused about it. Debbie says that it's the last week, so they should shake things up. Carmen asks about kayfabe, Ruth says that it's their job to do the same show and that way find out more about their own characters. Carmen says that if they did switch characters, she would need to be Welfare Queen, as she's the only one other than Cherry who can play her. They all start arguing over who should play what character until Debbie calls it to a halt. She says Ruth will play Liberty Belle and she'll play Zoya the Destroya. She says it'll be like Freaky Friday, or Freaky Tuesday.

Justine sits down with Sandy, saying that her father is in the show. Sandy replies that her own father figure died that week. The show starts. He introduces the "Beatdown Biddies," and the audience seems amused with the twist on the characters. Next up is the Red Scare - Zoya the Destroya and Fortune Cookie. Debbie amuses with a Russian character and the match begins: the Biddies vs. the Red Scare. Backstage, the cast struggles to get into the costumes for their new characters. Jenny is disgusted to hear the voice being used to perform her character, Fortune Cookie. Meanwhile, Sheila still hasn't even changed.

Back in the ring, Tammé's character is down, and the girls aren't sure why, as she's not supposed to be. The Red Scare knocks her out of the ring. Bash plays along, saying that the Red Scare, the evil empire, has prevailed. They then improvise as Russia vs. China. Zoya takes down Fortune Cookie, and Sam counts her out. On-stage, Bash quietly asks her what she's doing, and she says that Sandy's at the show and she thought it would cheer her up. He presents her with a fake crown and she says that this is what a Bash Howard budget gets her. She says nobody wants to challenge her, but in the crowd, Liberty Belle says that she'll fight her. Zoya calls her a "plain toast girl," and she replies that she's from the Great Plains, a sweet innocent girl who plucks chickens and milks cows, but she'll still kick her ass.

Zoya jibes that girls like her are toothpicks in Russia. She replies that this toothpick runs on meat and wheat from the great state of Nebraska and kicks her. They go at it fiercely and Liberty soon pins Zoya. Sam starts to count her out, but she flips her away. Zoya picks her up and plays her like a ukelele. The match continues, until finally this time Liberty knocks down Zoya, pins her, and she is counted out for good. Liberty is the winner. She says that anytime evil confronts our borders, she'll be there. Then, Carmen appears as Welfare Queen and snatches the crown. She helicopters Liberty and she is counted out. Welfare Queen chuckles that the crown is finally hers. Bash asks that she tell them who she is and why she's done this. She says that she's the Welfare Queen and you love to hate her, but the crown is coming back to the hood. Sam says he feels like he's on acid.

The show continues with the women in their new roles. Bash looks pained. The audience, however, largely seems to be into it. Bash starts smoking, and then Sheila appears in a red dress as "Liza Minelli." She sashays down to the ring, as Bobby Barnes watches happily. Someone asks if it's her, and he says that if he did his job right, they'll never know. The show continues and the girls watch happily, feeling that the idea of switching roles was a great idea.

Backstage, Tammé is having a bad muscle spasm. She asks how long she's been in pain and she says since that morning. Debbie tells her not to lie and she says that it's only four more shows and she'll make it. Debbie looks pained, given the offer to extend the show, but she hears her cue and Tammé tells her to go ahead. She does, while Tammé cries in pain.

Backstage, Sam asks Ruth to read Justine's screenplay. He wants her opinion on it, so that he knows that his own opinion isn't crazy. She agrees.

With the show finally over, everyone gathers backstage. Sandy congratulates them on a great show. Bash says that it was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, that they had no idea what was coming next. Debbie says that they wanted it to be fun, since they're on their way out. Bash says to not be so fast, telling Sandy that they would love to stay for the rest of the year. "So, we're staying?" asks Cherry, confused. Tammé, shocked, asks if he said the rest of the year. Sam tells him to slow down, as they haven't even had a meeting about it yet. He says that they did, that he told them, and that they don't need a meeting to know that he's the only one who cares about keeping the show alive. Debbie jabs that he cares about magicians and jugglers and shiny-buttoned faux-producers, that he sacrifices nothing. He says that the truth is that it's his name on the marquee, paid for by him, and therefore his show. She can get out if she doesn't like it. Sandy suggests they should move it to his office, but he declares that they will be extending it. If they don't like it, they can go home. "Cheers."

Guest starring

 * Sunita Mani as Arthie Premkumar
 * Shakira Barrera as Yolanda Rivas
 * Kimmy Gatewood as Stacey Beswick
 * Rebekka Johnson as Dawn Rivecca
 * Marianna Palka as Reggie Walsh
 * Ellen Wong as Jenny Chey
 * Geena Davis as Sandy Devereaux St. Clair
 * Kevin Cahoon as Bobby Barnes

Co-starring

 * Colton Tran as Andy
 * Cindy Chavez as Tracy
 * Aaron Coleman as Man in Audience