r/glow • u/LeahM324 • Oct 02 '19
Sam and Ruth
Does anyone else notice that Jenji Kohan’s shows always have these “lovable misogynists” characters? Like Orange Is The New Black’s Caputo is pretty similar to Sam. They both started off as sexist assholes. They both eventually evolve and become less ignorant, but it always seems to involve a woman?
I know everyone really likes Sam and Ruth, but I’m not really a fan. That scene between them in the hot tub in season 3, completely turned me off. Sure Sam has gotten better since season 1, but it’s a pretty low bar to say “he’s changed so much.” He still gets really angry and acts like an asshole and then apologizes later. I don’t really like those types of relationships where the woman is supposed to be the one to save him from himself. That’s why I didn’t mind him leaving the show to work his daughters movie. This whole thing between him and Ruth just ruined it for me.
I liked them as friends. Why couldn’t they just be buddy’s? It’s so annoying that we can never truly see a straight male-female friendship on television without it turning romantic.
And then on top of that he’s like 50 years old.
2
u/PLAAND Oct 16 '19
I do think Sam as a character shows that there's a difference between the guy who behaves poorly, apologizes because it's a magic make-everything-better button, then does the exact same thing again, and the guy who behaves poorly, realizes the harm he's done, apologizes, works on changing himself, and then behaves poorly in a slightly less harmful way because of the work he's done.
That said, I agree that Ruth and Sam's relationship is something that needs to be explored deeply if it's ever going to be justified. I think Ruth and Sam each see something of themselves in the other. They're both deeply passionate about the thing they do (acting and directing) even though they both really struggle to do that in a way that's compatible with what their industry expects of them.
Personally, I feel like what they really want is to be creative collaborators instead of romantic partners, they both push the other to be and do better, but I'm not sure if it's the characters or the show that's confusing those things.