Outward Bound

"Outward Bound" is the sixth episode of the third season of GLOW. It is the twenty-sixth episode of the series overall. It was released via Netflix on August 9, 2019.

Synopsis
A camping trip in the desert canyons outside Vegas spirals into a night of soul-searching, bitter showdowns and bombshell revelations.

Plot
Ruth emerges from her room in the morning and finds a package. Inside is a note which reads "Be honest, S," and underneath it is his daughter's screenplay - "Untitled Justine Biagi Project by Justine Victoria Biagi." She smiles and heads for the elevator.

The ladies of GLOW get in cars and hit the road. They stop by some mountains, whee Ruth takes in the peaceful atmosphere, saying that they could have been doing this every weekend. Debbie, unimpressed, says that the spa in the sands is also peaceful. Ruth tells her to look around and take in the beauty, that the mountains are calling. She says she went camping all the time.

Melrose crabs about her mother to Jenny, calling her a "black-belt in guilt jujitsu." She does a mocking imitation of her mother, but Jenny asks her to stop. "About myself?" she asks, and says that she can't. She offers to help carry something, but she says she doesn't need her help, grabbing a bunch of heavy bags. As the group sets up tents at the Red Rock Canyon campground and hiking trails, Debbie asks Cherry if she's told her husband, Keith, that she's staying in Vegas for the rest of the year. Cherry admits that she hasn't. She asks who's going to be bad guy to tell Tammé the truth, as she's not going to be able to make it for another nine months with her back problems. Debbie says that they've benched her and she doesn't respond when Cherry asks for how long, Cherry realizes she has to be the bad guy.

Ruth tells the girls to get out of the wine; that they'll be dehydrated for the hike later. "What hike?" Sheila wonders, and Ruth suggests a moderate six-mile sports hike. Her guide says it's a can't-miss, but some are skeptical. She says if they don't want to go, they can hang back and start dinner, or make a fire. Carmen and Rhonda go to get firewood. Ruth, Debbie, Sheila and Reggie are the only ones to join the walk.

Walking together, Sheila asks Reggie if she ever did any sports. She replies that she did Outward Bound when she was a kid. She offers her some water, but Sheila declines. BLANK replies that's cool and that they should push it, as she'd like to get to the top of the mountain while there's still light. Lagging behind, Ruth asks Debbie if she's really done. Debbie responds that she's not going to commute for an entire year of her son's life. Ruth calls her a superhero for flying back and forth, but Debbie tells her how she missed his first steps. Ruth suggests that she do fewer shows; that she can cover Liberty Belle and Sheila can do Zoya on her off-nights. Debbie tells her that Mark won't roll with it for a full year and she doesn't want to ask him. She says that she hates all men - her husband, Bash, she'd just like to crush their face into a pillow. And yet, men are free - they get to dictate everything. Ruth scrounges in brush, saying that she needs a walking stick. Debbie points out that they're in the desert and the woods, so she won't find a stick. She finds a stick, though she comments "You don't find a walking stick. It finds you."

Debbie asks where Sheila and Reggie have gotten to. "Where are we?" asks Ruth. Debbie asks for the map, but Sheila and Reggie have it. Ruth says they'll bump into them eventually and, if not, they'll let the stars guide them. Debbie comments that she's never been camping before.

Melrose joins Jenny a ledge, cursing about the hike. She warns her to not tell Cherry that she's this out of shape. Jenny makes no comment and she asks her to just spit it out. She replies that she has nothing to say to her. Melrose replies that she clearly does and she just wishes that she would ignore her out loud instead of pretending she's had an epiphany two minutes after they got into the desert. This gets a small smirk from her. She says that every night she puts on a fortune cookie costume and it's like she's living in a nightmare. Melrose asks what this has to do with her, and Jenny imitates her impression of her during the "Freaky Tuesday" flip from the previous episode. Melrose says that has nothing to do with her, that she was just pretending to do a racist character the way she does. "But you're white," replies Jenny. Melrose says she doesn't understand, that they're friends, and she did a gag one time. She says that if she's going to sit there pretending to be Buddha, she has to relax. They're on vacation. Jenny leaves, warning her not to follow her.

Tammé is stoking the campfire, but Cherry tells her she shouldn't be crouching over the way she is. She replies that she shouldn't be sleeping on the ground either, but it was too fun to pass up. Cherry tells her that she can't wrestle in the show. Tammé tells her to give it a few weeks and it'll heal, but Cherry tells her it's not going to work with the number of times she would hit the mat in nine months. She says she'll play a biddie and Cherry tells her that if she gets an X-ray or a note, then maybe she can. Tammé replies that she doesn't do doctors. She begs her not to take it away, but Cherry says she has lots of other options. She asks if she wants to attend her son Ernest's wedding in a wheelchair, and Tammé counters that it's fine so long as she's there.

Carmen comes other and Cherry says she'll tell Tammé how crazy she sounds. Carmen tells her that she knows a lot of wrestlers who were crippled from permanent nerve damage. She suggests that maybe she could go into managing. She says that managers just go around and cause trouble, like Don King in boxing. Tammé thinks she could do Don King.

Yolanda and Arthie sit together, Yolanda smoking a joint. Yolanda comments that it's good to get out of the hotel, and Arthie agrees, saying she had started to hear the sound of slot machines in her dreams. Yolanda says that it's good not to have to pretend to be straight and flirt with Mormon dealers. Arthie wonders if she's really doing all that and she replies that someone has to keep them safe. Arthie feels the hotel is safe with so much security. Stacey Beswick and Dawn bring over a bong and chips. Arthie imitates Ethel Rosenblatt and everyone has a laugh. They discuss the role-swapping from the "Freaky Tuesday" event, Arthie saying that it was freeing to play a character and not have to worry about racial geo-politics. Stacey says that she loved playing Beirut, that it was like being a Bond supervillain. Arthie suggests that they switch roles permanently. Stacey wonders if they can, then says she doesn't care and she's in. "Done!" agrees Arthie. Dawn asks if she's ditching her, and Stacey asks if she would want to be a biddy too. They wonder if they're all going to trade partners, Dawn explaining that what Stacey is saying is that there's a lot of moves where your crotch ends up in your partner's face. Yolanda says she'll stick with the Junkchain role.

Reggie and Sheila head for the top of the mountain, though Sheila is panting badly. Sheila tells her to push through. She stops, breathing heavily. Suddenly, a white wolf approaches Sheila. She looks on in awe and extends her hand, but it walks away. Reggie asks what she's doing and finds her passed out.

Arthie, Yolanda and the others call for the girls to hurry on the campfire; they're starving because they smoked a lot of weed. Melrose tries to thaw the ice with Jenny, help her cook, but Jenny walks off. She wonders what she's going to even cook in, noting that none of the geniuses even thought to bring a pot. Dawn quips that she brought pot. On the mountain, Ruth finds what she thinks is a trail marker. Debbie points out she said that last time, but Ruth's sure it's "more than a random piling of rocks." They find the path completely blocked and turn around for the other direction. Ruth says they'll be alright if they get back before it gets dark and Debbie wonders what happened to "the stars will guide us."

Carmen searches for a pot, but finds nothing. Melrose, desperate, cuts the hubcap off a tire, thinking she can use it as a pot. Dinner is served around the campfire. Melrose suggests that since they're in the desert and she's already disappointed enough people, they could do a Passover Seder. She explains that it's a Jewish dinner for friends and family. They recite the enumeration of the Ten Plagues. She explains the story of the Passover Seder, comparing Bash to the dictator pharaoh from the story. They compare what he's doing to slaver labor, but Rhonda is upset. She points out that she was sleeping in her car last year and if it wasn't for Bash, none of them would even be sitting there. She notes she didn't hear any of them complaining when they got their last paycheck or the one before.

Ruth and Debbie are well and truly lost. Debbie says she'll get her wish and they'll die together. "Debbie Eagan, 32, found dead near a cluster of rocks." She continues, saying that she attempted to revive her career on the short-lived GLOW, which fizzled out on the Vegas stage, a fledgling producer who never had a project of her own. Ruth says that if she died, her obituary would say simply "Soap Star and Unidentified Woman dead in National Park." Debbie comments that Russell would throw her a great funeral, and she admits that Sam told him he's in love with her. Debbie says she'll have to tell her how she feels about that, not being able to see her face in the dark. She admits she doesn't know. Debbie offers some choices - happy, scared, excited and repulsed. Ruth goes with scared and excited. Debbie asks what she wants to do, and she admits she doesn't know. She thought she knew, but she feels lost. Debbie suggests that maybe she's holding herself back from something she wants, that if she really does love him, then she should admit it. She says that then again, she doesn't even know how to do her job, to be a producer, the title she fought for. If she goes home to Randy, he'll need her. Ruth admits she avoids talking about Randy, that she doesn't want to touch the subject. She suggests that maybe she bring him to Vegas. It could be a start. Debbie jibes that it's a great place for children, and Ruth comments that he would probably like the flashing lights and the noise. There's a pool and Jell-O at the buffet.

They hear a rustle and Ruth panics, wondering if it's mountain lion. It is, however, Reggie, telling them that Sheila is extremely loopy and dehydrated. They have to get back to camp. Ruth asks if she knows how to get back and Reggie says that she's been following the rock clusters. Back at the campfire, Melrose continues explaining about Jewish traditions. She says that she identifies with the wicked child, who sets himself apart from the group by asking questions like "Why do we even do this holiday?" Her family thought it was funny to make her the wicked child every year. Jenny gets up and starts to leave, saying that she's tired. Melrose tells her that it's almost over, but Jenny says that she's just talking about herself, like it relates to everyone else. Melrose says that it's a parable, about freedom. Arthie tells her that it's about the immigrant experience. Melrose asks her if she's secretly a Jew and says she'll stop talking about herself, that Passover is not about her, though trauma and mass oppression are still a pretty recent thing for her people, given the Holocaust. Cherry suggests they just call it a night.

Melrose says that they maybe they don't want to get into the trauma that's behind what they're talking about, how her Aunt Pestel and eight children died in Treblinka. How her father won't live in a house without an attic or a basement in case they need to hide. Jenny says her family was pretty lucky, that her father knew someone at the embassy. They got one of the last flights out on a military plane that had just dropped off rice. Her uncle was with them, but everyone else they knew died. Every relative and every friend. She says she understand what it's like to survive genocide and not talk about it all the time - the killing fields. It's the whole reason she's even there, she gets to be one of the lucky ones. Yet, now she's jumping out of a fortune cookie every night and pretending everything is fine. Melanie tells her she's sorry, that she had no idea. They hug. Everyone joins in a group hug as Jenny sobs. Debbie arrives. "Uh, guys, what are you guys doing?"

Seeing the group, Melrose asks "Oh my God, is that Elijah?" Debbie asks who Elijah is. Later, Tammé says that she's going to go stretch. Rhonda and Carmen lay down together in a car and drink. Rhonda tells her that in the past when she'd sleep in her car, she'd always to park somewhere pretty. That way, she would feel better about her life when she woke up. Carmen asks if she thinks her life is pretty good now. She tells her that she can get out of the Porsche if she's going to start too. Carmen tells her that she's not being sarcastic, that she's really asking her if she's happy with Bash. She says that she is, even though she knows that it's awkward for her. Carmen asks why it would be awkward, and Rhonda replies that she may still have feelings for him. "For Bash?" asks Carmen, astonished, but Rhonda thought she had a crush on him. Carmen admits that maybe she did when she first met him, but she doesn't want him. She'd like a boyfriend. Rhonda notes that she's never heard her talk about boys before, except for her brothers. She tells her that ever since she left, people keep crashing into her room after having sex, and never thinking that maybe Carmen's in there with a guy. They assume she's alone and sexless. Rhonda asks if she's ever played Mash. "Like the TV show?" asks Carmen. Rhonda explains, taking out a pen and paper. "Mansion. Apartment. Shack. House." she tells her, saying to name four guys. "Um," says Carmen and Rhonda tells her not to think, to just pick any four names. So Carmen names Don Johnson, Manny from the kitchen, Keith... "what, Keith?" They chuckle. She says that she's saying it and also names Macho Man Randy Savage.

Laying together in sleeping bags, Arthie and Yolanda talk. Yolanda tells her that you have to pay attention when people tell you who they are. Arthie tells her that Dawn and Stacey always say stupid and offensive things. Yolanda tells her that that's because they're homophobic and to not make excuses. You have to deal with your friends disappointing you when you're gay. Arthie asks her what if you don't know. Yolanda asks what she means. Arthie says that she knows she's in love with her and that she wants to be with her, but she's not sure if she's "that word." Yolanda asks just what she is and Arthie wonders why she has to be anything. Yolanda replies that she can't be with a straight girl who doesn't know who she is or what she wants. Arthie tells her that she didn't say that, but Yolanda feels that she did. She turns off the light.

Ruth reads Sam's daughter's script by firelight. Sheila emerges from a tent and Ruth asks how she's feeling. Sheila says that she's better. She tells her that Justine's screenplay is really good, funny and real. She feels bad for Sam, but then again, his could be that good too. She asks if Sheila wants to sit, that she has marshmallows left. Sheila takes off her wolf outfit and wig and tosses them in the fire. Ruth asks if she's out of her mind. Sheila yells that she's never been more clear. Dawn and Stacey yell for her to shut up, that they're trying to sleep. Ruth gives Sheila a coat as they watch the clothing burn. Ruth asks why. Sheila tells her that it was getting in her way, that there's so many things she wants to do and become. She cries a little as the clothing goes up in flames. Ruth nods, saying that she likes it. Sheila quietly thanks her.

Morning comes. Tammé tells Debbie that she slept really well in the limo. Debbie tells her that Cherry is right, that it's stupid to put her back in the ring. Tammé says that Welfare Queen could be a manager and not a wrestler and that Bash would have something to play off of in the ring. Debbie says to have Rhonda tell him, that it would be better coming from her, as she won't be around. Tammé asks where she thinks she's going and Debbie says she can't do nine months like that with a kid. Tammé tells her to bring him there, and Debbie replies that that's what Ruth said. Tammé says she's right, that if she could do things over, she would have done the same thing with Ernest. She tells her not to fold her tent and give up on a show that she produces and stars in, to stay and fight. It's what she's trying to tell herself.

Sheila emerges from her tent, and everyone is surprised by her new look. She says that she's starving and asks what's for breakfast. Ruth admits that they have about four hamburger buns, a half a jar of peanut butter and some Mountain Dew, and that's about it. The buffet is open 24 hours. Sheila smiles. Everyone packs up. Dawn and Stacey lag a bit, saying that they can't leave without their rations, Bong Michaels. They take off. Back at the hotel, Ruth knocks on Sam's door. She gets no answer and finds the door open. She finds a housekeeping staff member there, cleaning everything up. She asks if the man in the room checked out, and the housekeeper tells her he left that morning. Ruth looks on at the empty room in surprise. She sighs.

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

Co-starring

 * Valeria Chavez as Housekeeper

Trivia

 * Anya Adams won an NAACP Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for directing this episode.