The gambling trope is rife on television. There’s something about gambling that, ahem, raises the stakes, in a show. The stakes might be financial, they might be personal, they might be something else. There’s a lot to play with there, making for a fun time no matter the genre. Find out all our favorite picks here.
Friends – The One with All the Poker
When you think of Friends and gambling, no doubt you’ll think of The One in Vegas, the two-part episode where a couple of the famous Friends got married. Not the ones you’d think, either.
And, as fun as that is, a personal favorite that isn’t nearly as appreciated is The One with All the Poker. It’s the old-fashioned rivalry of The Boys against The Girls as the latter ask to get in on the boy’s poker game, only to learn what losing feels like.
But not for long. The girls soon learn how to “bluff” from the most upfront aunt in TV history, and Rachel, armed with her knowledge and a new determination from a lost job opportunity, raises and raises against Ross, until he folds.
It’s a telling moment, despite the premise, as the boys all scramble to see Ross’s hand after he folds. Did he do it because he couldn’t beat a full house, or did he do it to make Rachel smile? Suddenly a lot more bluffing is on the table and a rivalry becomes an act of kindness.
Glow – all of the 3rd season
GLOW – the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling – follows the 80’s trend of women wrestlers, …wrestling their way into the spotlight. There’s misogyny afoot, there’s battles to be picked, not all entirely within the ring, and there is campy glamor everywhere!
But the third season of GLOW sees the lovely ladies finally “make it”, having landed a contract to perform in Las Vegas, where the entire third season is held.
If you’re missing the bright lights and fun atmosphere of Vegas, especially a nostalgia for a Vegas that isn’t really there anymore, you should watch GLOW. Failing that, you can check out a live dealer casino online.
GLOW is a risqué fun time, much in the spirit of Vegas itself. And unfortunately, we’re not likely to see anymore, since the fourth and final season was canceled by Netflix. It leaves us with a nail-biting cliffhanger – several, in fact – that can never be resolved. It’s almost cruel.
Bob’s Burgers – The Kids Run the Restaurant
When you look at it, you’d think Bob’s Burgers was for kids – and then you watch. The story of a grumpy but good-natured burger restaurant owner and his household of kids might sound like something from the days of The Honeymooners, but there is something so fresh about the way it’s executed.
Take the season 3 episode, The Kids Run the Restaurant. A lesser sitcom would have the kids trash the place and serve candy burgers to customers, but fan favorite Louise is craftier than that. Instead, she and her siblings change careers when Bob has to go to the hospital with a “finger-crotch” cut, and turn the basement into an underground lounge, complete with singers, bar staff serving soda, and gambling on rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
