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10 reasons to watch “Bomb Girls” TONIGHT!

This article was co-written by Elaine Atwell and Heather Hogan.

Have you been thinking about watching Bomb Girls but putting it off? Maybe you’re already too committed to other shows or history isn’t your thing. Well now is not only a good time to jump on the bandwagon, it may be the last; the show’s producers have said that the show’s renewal hinges on tonight’s episode getting good ratings. Need another reason to tune in tonight? Here are 10. 1. Betty McRae This is not an exaggeration: You have never seen a lesbian character like Betty McRae on your TV. A lesbian Rosie the Riveter who can’t be open about her sexuality without risking her career, her relationships, even her safety- but who also refuses to stuff herself into the heterosexual box 1940s society demanded of her. She knows her life would be easier if she could date a nice guy, keep her head down, and force her gob shut. But like history’s very best women, Betty McRae just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Whether she’s marching to a suggestion (hat)box to make her demands for workplace equality or fist-fighting the layabouts who mouth off to her girlfriend, Betty is a bona fide hero, even though she’s really only trying to live her life. She’s got swagger. She’s got style. She’s got our hearts on a string, flying our feelings like her own personal kite. 2. Rosie O’Donnell Tonight’s special guest star is Rosie O’Donnell. She may not be the “queen of nice” anymore, but her character definitely seems to be channeling the A League of Their Own days we all remember so fondly. Her character, also named Dottie, is a hard-nosed reporter, uncovering inequality in the workplace. 3. McAndrews Betty McRae spent most of season one pining over Kate Andrews, her lovely but fragile best friend. This season it seems the tables have turned, with Kate throwing a lot of longing looks Betty’s way. Agonizing over whether this pairing will/should happen is some of the most fun you can have with a television. 4. Vera Burr In the series premiere, Vera was the victim of a dreadful workplace accident, leaving her disfigured. But did she sit around moping about it? Well, OK, she did for awhile, but after that she became the spunkiest, sassiest, most unabashedly sexual character on television. Along with the other characters, Vera takes feminism from being a dry academic concept and gives it a strut, a sway, a swagger. Whenever she walks into a scene, magic ensues. 5. Lesbian universe crossovers In addition to Rosie O’Donnell’s guest appearance, the show is like an Easter egg hunt for gay film and TV lovers. Peter Outerbridge (Bob Corbett) was Judy from Better Than Chocolate. I mean, the show would be worth watching just to look at him as a man and be like, “Wow. WOW.” Also, Ali Liebert had a cameo in The L Word pilot and Antonio Cupo (Marco Moretti) was the guy Bette and Tina tried to “steal” sperm from, which was apparently a thing in LA at that time.

6. Tumblr has spoken Gladys Witham is Spencer Hastings’ grandmother. The two Ravenclaws have too much in common not to be related. They both fancy themselves super sleuths, they are both fiercely protective of their friends, and both of them have this face/hair/voice combo that make angels turn their eyes from God. 7. McBond If you think a TV show set in the ’40s would use its time period as an excuse not to explore the ecstasy and heartbreak of lesbian relationships during World War II, that’s because you’ve watched too much American TV. When Teresa the Bond Girl appeared on the scene, flirting with Betty and pursuing Betty and seducing Betty, we were just as shocked and giddy as Betty was. Teresa leaves Betty speechless, and together they leave us breathless. Betty wonders how it could happen so fast. Teresa says it seems to her like Betty’s been waiting an awfully long time. So have we, you two. So have we. 8. The Bomb Girls girls love their fans  

The cast and crew live-tweet along during the show, answering fan questions and swooning over each other’s performances. Oh, and Ali Liebert loves her some McBond. (More food to come? She’s talking about strawberries. And sex.) 9. Bomb Girls is Feminist Heaven Bomb Girls is one of the most empowering female-driven TV shows in the history of the space-time continuum. These writers are not afraid to put their ladies through the wringer (or string them up by their scalps), but they continue to triumph over their adversity by finding strength in one another. The heroes aren’t the women who are buttoned up and boxed in by the patriarchy; the heroes are the women who are in the trenches, fighting battles to embrace their sexuality, to knock down class barriers, to beat back oppressive religion and live a life of faith – all while building bombs to destroy Hitler. 10. The Mad Men comparison You know how you wish Mad Men was all about Peggy Olson? Bomb Girls is like eight Peggy Olsons. And you know how Mad Men is about the slow march toward death? Well, Bomb Girls is about the beautiful dance of being alive.

Bomb Girls airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. on Global TV. Watch it live. Let’s make season three happen!

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