'GLOW' Canceled, Previously Announced Season 4 No Longer Happening Due To COVID-19

GLOW season 3 ended on a cliffhanger, and Netflix renewed the series for a fourth and final season back in 2019. Now, that's no longer happening. Netflix has reversed course and canceled the show due to the coronavirus. As a result, that fourth and final season – and a satisfying conclusion to that cliffhanger ending – is no longer happening.

Deadline broke the news on GLOW cancelation, complete with a statement from series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch:

"COVID has killed actual humans. It's a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW. We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that's gone. There's a lot of sh*tty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don't get to see these 15 women in a frame together again."

The pair added also added a plea to fans: "Register to vote. And please vote." I commend Flahive and Mensch on that level-headed, down-to-earth statement. That said, it's still a bummer that GLOW won't get to wrap things up on its own terms. I'm a fan of the show, and while most people seemed to be disappointed in season 3, I enjoyed it and was looking forward to the final season. Regarding the decision, Netflix said:

"We've made the difficult decision not to do a fourth season of GLOW due to COVID, which makes shooting this physically intimate show with its large ensemble cast especially challenging,. We are so grateful to creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, Jenji Kohan and all the writers, cast and crew for sharing this story about the incredible women of GLOW with us and the world."

This isn't the first time Netflix has reversed their renewal decisions because of the coronavirus. Last month it was revealed that I Am Not Okay With This and The Society, two Netflix originals that had been renewed for second seasons, were now canceled. The coronavirus has shown no signs of going away, and as a result, productions now have complications involving insurance and scheduling, all of which inflate budgets. Netflix can either shell out the extra money or pull the plug.

GLOW, which stars Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron, had already completed filming on one season 4 episode when production had to shut down in mid-March. It would be nice if everyone involved managed to work out a deal for some sort of special, or even a movie, in the future to wrap things up, but at the moment that seems very unlikely.