The Dusty Spur

"The Dusty Spur" is the fourth episode of the first season of GLOW. It is the fourth episode of the series overall. It was released via Netflix on June 23, 2017.

Synopsis
With just five weeks left to crank out a show, Sam and Bash move all the ladies into a motel. Ruth struggles to nail down a memorable character.

Plot
Sheila puts on makeup, getting into her "She-Wolf" character. She puts on her wig. Bash and Sam meet with Debbie, who has her baby, Randy with her. She sarcastically compliments them on their matching tans. Sam says that they went to Palm Springs, and Bash comments that mentally they went on a magic carpet ride. Debbie asks if they're bosom buddies now and Bash tries to give her a hand with her stroller. He doesn't have much luck and she tells him that she's got it. Sam tells her that's the reason why he didn't ask.

The two meet with the girls of GLOW, Bash saying that it was exhilarating to be locked up with Sam for 48 hours. He says they escaped to a private villa, did some marijuana and figured everything out. They're moving them into a hotel because they feel that it'll help them in the same way - help them to focus. Bash tells them it'll be all free - free housing, free cable, a free commute, even a free pool. Carmen asks if they can live at home and commute. Cherry notes that some of them have lives and husbands. Sam says there's no exceptions. Debbie raises her hand and he agrees that she's an exception because she's the star and has a baby. Cherry objects and Sam says that it's time for reality - that they shoot in five weeks, that most of them don't know how to act and none of them can wrestle. This is their way of making it so that they don't suck. There's also a curfew and a strict no-drug policy. Bash likens it to them living like sorority sisters. Sam tells them that if they want their paycheck for the week, they'll live at the hotel and follow the rules. Ruth asks just when this is all happening and they say that it's at the end of the week.

The group makes their preparations. Finally, they all arrive at the hotel. Ruth is paired with Sheila. Ruth puts on a pair of glasses, pretending to call someone on the phone and be a businesswoman. She takes off the glasses, telling Sheila it's her new character idea, kind of a female JR with a touch of Cruella de Vil. Sheila simply stares and Ruth asks if her if it didn't work. She complains of being the only one who doesn't have a character, noting how they labeled the door "Sheila the She-Wolf and Ruth." Sheila opens a window, telling her that they all need to be open at all times. She warns Ruth also that she's a very light sleeper and the smallest noise or variance in smell will disturb her. Ruth says she can't control what happens when she sleeps, but she'll try her best. She tells her that she respects how committed she is to her character, that it's crystallized. She asks her to help her find something like that, that she's happy to do the whole method-all-the-time thing. Sheila grabs a trunk, heads to the bathroom, and closes the door.

Carmen rooms with Rhonda Richardson, who's excited to have the hotel room. She has her shirt off and asks Carmen if she's staring at her breasts. Carmen admits that she is, asking how it is that they stand up the way they do. Rhonda says they like attention. Carmen says that the only other breasts she's seen is her brother Tommy's, that she's never lived with girls before. She says she's going to stare because Rhonda is like an alien from another planet. Rhonda tells her that she rubs lotion all over herself before bed because it's scientifically proven to be the only thing that stops aging in its tracks. She asks if Carmen wants to put lotion on with her and Carmen agrees.

Ruth lies awake that night. She gets up and goes to the bathroom. While there, she looks inside Sheila's case, which includes her various makeup supplies, as well as dried meat. She finishes up and tries to get back into bed quietly, but the pipes in the bathroom groan, waking Sheila. Sheila is bothered by her wig being messed up and Ruth tells her that she can take it off when she sleeps. Sheila tells her to shut up and stop looking at her.

That morning, Sam discovers several of the girls lounging by the pool. He snipes that he's glad to see everyone is working hard. Jenny agrees that she's working hard on her tan, or at least "Fortune Cookie" is, seeing as that's the stereotype he wants her to roll with - that Asians work really hard, but they also do karate and are really shy. He asks if she's mad about something. Arthie runs up, asking Sam to watch, and does a cannonball into the pool. She says she calls it a Lebanese cannonball and it's Beirut's signature move. He asks if she can do it in the ring, and she admits she can't yet. Stacey and Dawn urge Sam to get in the pool, saying they'll show him theirs if he shows his. He takes off his shirt, agreeing that it is hot out. Cherry walks up, asking where her invite was to the pool party. She asks if they all forgot that they have training in ten minutes. Sam agrees that she's right, telling them this isn't Club Med.

Bash shows the girls a video of "Gorgeous George," saying that he was a bit more old-school than today's guys, but he has a great gimmick. "You mean he's gay," says Tammé Dawson. Bash says that it doesn't matter - that he's Gorgeous George, a pretty boy. He'll stop in the middle of a match to fix his hair. Carmen points out that his valet would actually do that for him and Bash agrees. Debbie says that she wants a valet, and Carmen says it wouldn't make sense. Debbie says that she's Liberty Belle and she needs a manservant to carry her enormous American flag. Carmen says that she's self-made and carries her own props and Bash agrees there will be no valet, saying that the point is that they each need to develop their own gimmick. Sam says that they really need to start figuring out the whole show, everything from gimmicks to props.

Rhonda holds up a copy of a book, Principles of Genetics. She's smart - thus, Encyclopedia Britannica - Britannica. Ruth approaches Sam, saying that she has a lot of ideas for characters. They include "Mint Julep" and the "Auntie Christ" - the kind of evil person who gives out raisins to kids on Halloween. Sam asks who said that she gets to invent her own character. Ruth points out that she didn't give him one and he says he's still marinating on it. She says she's anxious when she feels like she's behind. She suggests she pair up with someone the same size as her. Sam says she can pair up with Sheila. Ruth begs him not to, saying that there's friction between them. Sam can't believe that she's now managed to alienated both Debbie and Sheila. Ruth says there's been some weirdness and Sam says that's great - that means there's conflict. He calls Sheila over, declaring Ruth to be fresh meat. Ruth says they should talk about the night before and Sheila says they should stick to wrestling. Ruth agrees that they should work on her gimmick, saying she's already mostly there, but could tap into the werewolf thing even more. She could have a cage and a collar, and the announcer could say that it's the full moon. Bash asks if they're doing a werewolf gimmick, saying that he loves it. Sheila replies that it doesn't make sense, because she isn't a werewolf, that those are mythical creatures. Bash says it's the same difference and walks off.

Carmen and Tammé train together, Maccu Picchu vs. the Welfare Queen. Carmen tells her to fight her, but she says she's going to sit, watch television, eat some lobster and caviar. "All paid for by the American taxpayer." Carmen says she's too lazy to fight. "Damn right," agrees Tammé. Tammé points a candy bar at her like a remote, making her go in slow-motion. Bash loves the gimmick. Carmen pulls away the candy bar and they go at it. A group of wrestlers walk in, including Carmen's father, the legendary Goliath Jackson. Bash greets him and he asks if he's the promoter. Bash says he's more like the brainchild. He says they don't have a promoter. Goliath asks who's in charge and Sam steps forward, saying he is, that he's the director. Goliath tells Carmen to go, that she wrestles over his dead body. She says that he lets Tommy and Kurt do it. He says that it's different - that he wants her to find a nice man and have a family and a job where people treat her with respect. She tells him people respect her there and he says that nobody respects a lady wrestler, that she's a sideshow. Sam tells him he can't talk to her like that, but she says it's fine, that it's how they talk. Sam says he can't just come in and disrespect one of his actors. He may be big and famous, but he's also an asshole who wears oversize diapers for a living. Goliath smacks him. Sam asks if he's a mouthy housewife for him to backhand him. Goliath asks if he wants him to hit him like a real man and Sam agrees whatever it takes to get him out of there. Carmen says she'll go, apologizing to Sam.

As they walk out, Carmen asks Tommy and Kurt if they'll at least try to talk to him. Bash runs out, begging Carmen to wait. He kisses her, passionately. He says that he understand the shackles of family expectations and that her father has nothing on his mother. He asks her to introduce him to his family. She introduces him as her boyfriend. He says that he and Carmen are very much in love and she agrees they take their relationship very seriously. Bash says they're taking things slow and Carmen says not too slow because she's moving in with him. Goliath says they're both terrible, that if they want to wrestle, they need to learn how to sell. Carmen agrees that she lied and he says she's been lying for weeks, about a new job at Macy's. She says that it's because he wouldn't let her audition and she's 25. She doesn't need his permission. He can either be supportive or she'll leave, like Mom did.

Tammé brings Sam some ice. He says that the guy had a hundred pounds on him and fights for a living. It wasn't fair what he did. He asks what she wants and she says she has concerns about her character. He invites her to sit down and she says her character is offensive. Sam says that that's the genius of it, commentary on an existing stereotype. She asks if other people will realize that, like her son, who goes to Stanford. She doesn't want him turning on the TV and getting upset. She says she wants the job. He asks if she's never had a role she was uncomfortable in before and she tells him she's never had any role. She's only ever done background work. He says that sort of work is middle of the road and safe. He likes to push the envelope and jolt people into consciousness. His first feature was called Swamp Maidens of the Viet Cong. He urges her to watch it, as well as Gina the Machina, which was so offensive it was banned in 49 states, which he's pretty proud of. He gives her several other tapes, telling her she needs to watch them and make notes.

Ruth comes home and finds her husband, Mark there. She asks him what he's doing there, saying she's not ready to talk to him. He says she's made that pretty clear, given that she hangs up every time he calls. She tells him to get what he needs and get out. He says that he won't. He pulls out a piece of paper. She asks if it's an acceptance speech. He says he's been ready a book about marriage and she replies sarcastically that a book is really going to save things. He reads from the note, saying that he's moving back in. He's been sleeping on his cousin's couch for two weeks and he's given her space. She quips that sleeping on a couch sounds awful, asking if there's anything she can do to make him feel better. He says she's still angry and that's fine, but he has rights. He pays the mortgage and the utilities, so he is going to stay there. If she doesn't like it, she can file for divorce, but this is his house. He asks if he can put Randy to bed. She tells him to be his guest if she wants to sleep there and leaves.

Ruth enters her shared room with Sheila and lies down on the bed, only to find a dead animal. She shouts and gets up. She asks Sheila what it is and Sheila says that it was a squirrel. Ruth asks what's wrong with her that she would kill it. She says that she didn't, that she found it and brought it. She suggests that maybe Ruth should sleep somewhere else. Ruth grabs a towel and picks up the squirrel, telling Sheila that she's not going anywhere. Sheila can take the squirrel and sleep somewhere else herself, "you wolf." Sheila says that she just called her a wolf. She says that most people call her a freak and thanks her. She takes the towel and deposits it outside. She tells Ruth that she's worn her costume or some version of it every day for the past five years. She says it's not a costume, it's who she is. She says it's not for Ruth, it's for her. Ruth tells her that she gets it. Sheila says that she knows she's a human, but she says that she's a wolf, spiritually. Ruth tells her that when she was 10, her grandfather died and she was depressed. She connected with Anne of Green Gables, and wore a straw hat and puffy sleeves to school every day for a whole year. Sheila smiles, saying that she hasn't lived with anyone in a very long time. "Me neither," agrees Ruth. Sheila suggests that they could have a system for privacy. Ruth suggests the "old sock on the door trick." Sheila puts a sock on the door and Ruth realizes she means right now.

Tammé hosts a viewing of one of Sam's videos - Blood Disco. Keith joins the group and Jenny asks who he is. He explains that he's Cherry's husband. Jenny asks where Cherry is and he says that she's taking a shower because there's no hot water in the morning. Debbie moves into the hotel, where Bash has told the staff there to give her a poolside view. She's brought Randy with her. Back downstairs, as the film viewing continues, Keith points, saying that he's in the film, as a guy on a motorcycle. Tammé notes he's worked with Sam before and he agrees, saying that he worked with him twice and partied with him for five years after that. She asks if he trusts him, or if he's just another white racist director. Keith says that in his experience, he's more sexist than racist.

The film suddenly cuts off in the middle of a scene and Sam shows up talking instead. He says that he's a filmmaker and that people say he has a zany sense of humor. He's smoking and says that if you can't stand smokers, you should just fast-forward to the next schmuck. He says he's looking for a partner he can stand, with a great smile and a great figure, someone who doesn't tear him apart when he makes a mistake. He says to choose him because his cock works great. The film cuts back on. Stacey quips that she'd date him, saying that he's cute and lonely. Dawn tells her not to believe everything she sees on television. Keith says he's out of there. Tammé says she doesn't know about them, but she learned a lot tonight.

Debbie walks outside, holding Randy. She sits down on a chair by the pool. She sees Ruth sleeping in another chair on the other side. She lies down herself.

Guest starring

 * Britt Baron as Justine Biagi
 * Kimmy Gatewood as Stacey Beswick
 * Rebekka Johnson as Dawn Rivecca
 * Sunita Mani as Arthie Premkumar
 * Kate Nash as Rhonda Richardson
 * Marianna Palka as Reggie Walsh
 * Gayle Rankin as Sheila the She-Wolf
 * Kia Stevens as Tammé Dawson
 * Jackie Tohn as Melanie Rosen
 * Ellen Wong as Jenny Chey
 * Chris Lowell as Sebastian Howard
 * Bashir Salahuddin as Keith
 * Rich Sommer as Mark Eagan

Co-starring

 * Winston James Francis as Goliath Jackson
 * Tyrus as Mighty Tom Jackson
 * Carlos Edwin as Big Kurt Jackson
 * Ravil Isyanov as Gregory
 * Grace Elizabeth Andrews as Blood Disco Girl
 * Sarita Gupta as Arthie's Nani