‘GLOW’ Season 3: All Hail Geena Davis and Her Fabulous Showgirl Moment

In GLOW, Sam (Marc Maron), Debbie (Betty Gilpin), and Bash (Chris Lowell) have a new boss to contend with: Sandy Devereaux St. Clair, played by the luminous Geena Davis. Everything about Sandy is different than the “bosses” we’ve seen before. It’s not just that she’s a woman, but she’s a retired showgirl. Las Vegas is in her soul, and she is a living relic of a glittering time slipping away right before her eyes. Geena Davis plays Sandy with grace, class, and just enough balls out moxie that you wish they had used more of her. And — SPOILER ALERT — her greatest moment comes with the introduction of The Libertine Ball.

Since the beginning of GLOW, our triumvirate of producers have had to contend with lecherous producers and conservative advertisers. Now that they’re putting on a live show in Las Vegas, they need to answer to entertainment director Sandy Devereaux St. Clair. Sandy is a tiny bit brash, shaking off tragedies with a “show must go on” attitude, but she is also forthright and fair. When she gets off on the wrong foot with Debbie, she makes amends and offers advice anytime she needs it.

But Sandy’s biggest moment happens towards the end of GLOW Season 3. Episode 9, “The Libertines” gives Debbie the opportunity to organize her own event: the Libertine Ball, a benefit for the LGBTQ community at the height of the AIDS crisis. To everyone’s shock, Sandy supports the event by showing up in a classic Bob Mackie showgirl ensemble.

It’s a gorgeous moment. Not only does the 63-year-old Geena Davis look HOT in the barely there get-up, but it’s also a sign of solidarity from Sandy. She’s supporting her friend Bobby Barnes (Kevin Cahoon), Debbie’s event, and all those in the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino who might feel on the fringes. (The importance of her support is only highlighted in the episode’s horrifying ending, when the event is attacked by a mob of homophobes who make their hatred known.)

Okay, and Geena Davis looks great. As Sandy, Davis gets to show off her incendiary charisma, all while playing a positive female role model. She is a powerful woman who lifts other women up, and still holds her employees accountable. She’s not soft, but she is empathetic. She’s smart, but in a street smart sort of way. Davis’s appearance in this season of GLOW only makes you want to see more of the star, as Sandy or someone like her. (The good news is she is also in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 3…but that’s only her voice.)

GLOW Season 3 is currently available to stream on Netflix. 

Watch GLOW on Netflix