This show was certainly an interesting concept.
Los Angeles, 1985. Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) is a struggling actress where all the good roles are written for men. She is well-trained and polished and far too good for the role she finally gets and holds onto by the skin of her teeth: the enemy in this avant-garde women's wrestling show.
Ruth is the main character and shines, but she is not perfect having slept with her best friend's husband for no good reason. But she is a good actress and idea person. And the director, a curmudgeon if there ever was one, Sam (Marc Maron) does notice her but has already cast her former friend and former soap opera star, Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin, great) as the lead and she is also thrilled for her role though it takes her a while to get into it, given that she's done better than the show. On the other hand, having just had a baby, she is thrilled to be in control of her body again.
The show is about the struggle to create something special and to find enough money to just get the show on air. Now, it isn't perfect. I'm not mad that Ruth had the abortion, I'm not thrilled that the show made her pregnant in the first place, but whatever.
And there are plenty of twists and turns, including Sam finding out that he has a daughter and the funds for the show running out. We still don't know if Debbie will be able to save her failed marriage or if she wants to.
The show transports you back to the 80s, which is no small feat and does so effortlessly.
It is nevertheless, a must watch, with great acting, from largely unknowns and features fully developed, diverse female characters and that is something that there is not enough of in Hollywood. Grade: A-
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