It’s a major betrayal, a gut punch for Debbie when she discovers what’s happened — but what makes this situation unique is that GLOW doesn’t try to immediately absolve Ruth of her transgressions. True to real life, forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight. Ruth has to sit in the aftermath of what she’s done while the remainder of the first season plays out.

Of course, the situation gets more complicated when Ruth and Debbie are hired for the same gig: a new women’s wrestling show. Excited for the job opportunity, Ruth throws herself into training for GLOW with absurd enthusiasm; Debbie, on the other hand, remains wary right up until the second she recognizes the similarities between a wrestling storyline and the plot of a soap opera — and then realizes this is something she might actually be able to pull off.

Their ultimate clash in the ring is a gradual happening too. Each of the other women their director Sam (Marc Maron) tries to pair with Debbie don’t feel quite right, so eventually she agrees (albeit begrudgingly) to team up with Ruth — and that’s when things get really interesting.

Even as Debbie’s emotional trust in Ruth has been shattered, she’s still forced to trust her on a physical level as they try to choreograph their staged wrestling moves so as not to hurt themselves or one another. Their fight prep becomes a master class in coordination, but it also speaks volumes about the way physical and emotional reliance have to be so intertwined once in the ring. Shared glances become their own form of communication; wordless responses are the only language. When Debbie flies off the ropes to drive Ruth into the stage using her big power move, a quick mutual nod afterward is all that’s required as a check-in, a confirmation that everyone’s okay.

This is where GLOW largely distinguishes itself from shows that have addressed similar subjects. Big Little Lies, which aired on HBO earlier this year, revolved around unspoken communication between female characters — most significantly in its finale. However, while the main trio of Big Little Lies eventually built their friendship to the degree where an implicit look signaled explicit volumes, GLOW’s two leading women have to collaborate on a physically dependent level after breaking their emotional backbone.