‘GLOW’ canceled: Why did Netflix reverse Season 4 renewal?

Netflix has reversed its renewal decision on GLOW Season 4. Originally intended to be the fourth and final season, Season 3 will be now the last.

Netflix’s critically-acclaimed wrestling dramedy starring Alison Brie, Marc Maron and Betty Gilpin will not return for its fourth and final season, after all. According to Deadline, the streaming service has decided to reverse the renewal decision for GLOW Season 4 due to COVID-19-related production problems.

In March, GLOW filmed for approximately four weeks before the pandemic led to a production shutdown. They reportedly filmed the first episode of the season and had started on the second episode when the shutdown occurred.

While some shows have restarted filming with more restrictions, GLOW is a little more complicated due to its subject matter. Revolving around the intimate sport of wrestling, it would be difficult to guarantee the actors and crew could perform in a safe environment.

In a statement released to Deadline, series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch said, “COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show.”

Is it possible fans could see the first episode of GLOW Season 4?

As mentioned above, GLOW reportedly wrapped filming on the first episode. Is there a way the team could eventually polish it into a series finale or at least release the episode to fans? Anything is possible, but I wouldn’t count on it. Filming might have been completed, but that doesn’t mean production was finished. The episode is probably not edited or polished.

Why didn’t Netflix just postpone GLOW Season 4?

Many fans are extremely disappointed to discover the critically-acclaimed, female-led series will not return. It’s bad enough to have a show canceled abruptly, but it’s even worse when a series gets renewed and then has that renewal taken away. Audiences have seen that happen multiple times as more and more shows succumb to COVID-19. GLOW joins other Netflix series like The Society, I’m Not Okay With This and ABC’s Stumptown.

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Netflix’s renewal reversal of GLOW is particularly painful because the show was so beloved. Now fans are being robbed of a proper ending.

So, why can’t Netflix just postpone the series and wait until all of this is over to complete filming on GLOW Season 4? The main reason is likely due to contractual obligations to cast members. If Netflix wanted to postpone the series, they would spend more money to keep the show’s cast for an indefinite period.

Considering most of the cast comprises award-winning actors and actresses, that would be a costly endeavor, and there’s no guarantee when they could return to the studio.

Sources close to Deadline reported that the show, which is already “an expensive, high-end series,” faced high COVID-related costs due to its large ensemble cast. That, coupled with the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, resulted in the budget exceeding what Netflix executives were willing to pay.

“Additionally, the earliest ‘GLOW’ would have returned to air would be 2022, at least two and half years after Season 3. With the significant delay and the increased costs of production, Netflix brass didn’t have confidence there would be a big enough audience who would tune in at that point to justify the investment,” noted the publication.

Are you disappointed in Netflix’s decision to reverse the renewal for GLOW Season 4? Would you have been willing to wait until 2022 for the series to get a proper ending? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.

The first three seasons of GLOW are now streaming on Netflix.