Bomb Girls 204 Recap: Something Gay In German

This week on Bomb Girls and arguably the best episode of the show thus far, we discover that Betty did not, in fact, get pickles, and Gladys can sing, too? Petition to change the direction of this show to a Josie and the Pussycats-esque dramedy, with Kate and Gladys doing vocals, Vera on bass, Betty on drums, and Lorna as beleaguered manager/tambourine player.

Gene is back and has brought with him yet another haircut for me to covet. Seriously, I don’t need any more excuses to go back to my barber and keep asking her to make me look like an early 20th century gangster. Lorna wants to give Gene the VIP treatment but he just wants to dance around in his underwear. They overhear that three German prisoners have escaped near Toronto and are on the lamm. Lamm is the German word for lamb. It took me about ten minutes to realize that German does not have feminine/masculine nouns.

shit turn it up it's tracy chapman

shit turn it up it’s tracy chapman

Over at Ye Olde Ladies’ Locker Roome, Gladys is bummed that her man is gallivanting in London and not gallivanting in her pants. Betty is bummed because she has to make like me every time I go out in public in the Greater Philadelphia Area and hope she doesn’t run into her burnt-to-a-crisp ex, Ivan. Kate is bummed because everyone is complaining about their vagina issues and she is so not getting any in the history of ever.

THEATREKIDSBROGAYGAYSTORYLINE

Kate storms off and Betty gives a longing look in her direction that is capable of ripping hearts out of chests and then smashing them with hammers. You know what? I am putting Ali Liebert on watch. Because her face situation has done too much damage to my heart, and I’m done. I am going to start keeping track of the moments in which my body physically hurts from the way she looks at Kate, and those are going to start adding up. It’s for the good of all of our hearts, okay? I would rate that last look as an “oh god.”

aliliebert

Vera wrote an article on Veronica Lake because Vera is just really awesome and continually the wisest person on this show. Gladys’ Minion, or the Secretary Formerly Known As Carol, is being a super bitch about the article because she is the editor of the school newspaper and VicMu High is not the kind of school where nobodies get to become somebodies through choreographed dance numbers and tokenism!

don't pretend like you weren't the one who wrote "VERA BURR 4 #1 SLUT" on the washroom door

don’t pretend like you weren’t the one who wrote “VERA BURR 4 #1 SLUT” on the washroom door

Gene comes to give a talk to the ladies because Lorna is one of those moms who really likes to show off her kid. $20 says that if they’d had bumper stickers in the 1940s, Lorna would have had a “My Son Can Shoot The Nazi Kneecaps Off Your Honor Student” on her minivan. Mostly Gene talks about how he went to a burlesque show and they dropped a bomb on the square and he thought the girls should finish the show first. Gene is kind of a dickhole. Betty rolls her eyes so hard that the movement could be seen from the space station. Betty’s continued level of unimpressed with anything any male does on this show is EPIC.

DESESNUTSMISANDRY

Gladys thinks he’s an asshat,  but Kate is already singing “Someday My Prince Will Come” with a pair of talking birds. It’s okay, Kate. We all go through these confused stages where we think we’re supposed to want what society tells us to want, but then we realize that our prince has boobs. Maybe Kate is just reacting to the note from Leon that told her she should show at his choir practice, since she is in Rebellious Mode.

snowhite

Marco introduces himself to Gene as That Guy Who Knocked Up Your Mom. Kidding! But Lorna’s face looks like Marco just challenged Gene to a Penis Sword Fight. That’s a thing people with penises do, right? I mean, that’s a thing I’d do if I had a penis.

hey chief! good to meet ya, sport! heard great things about you from your mom when she was reverse cowgirlin' me!

hey chief! good to meet ya, sport! heard great things about you from your mom when she was reverse cowgirlin’ me!

Kate goes over to talk to Gene, and maybe flirts with him, but it’s hard to tell because Disney Princesses don’t flirt so much as sing their feelings while accompanied by woodland creatures. The reactions of the other girls to this flirting is priceless, especially Betty’s silent death wish upon seeing the love of her life try to hit on a dude.

silk blue kerchief: $99 import from paris. white jumpsuit: $20 standard issue. watching your best bro's girl get hit on by a dude you are definitely gonna punch out later: priceless.

silk blue kerchief: $99 import from paris. white jumpsuit: $20 standard issue. watching your best bro’s girl get hit on by a dude you are definitely gonna punch out later: priceless.

The Secretary Formerly Known As Carol needs Gladys to help with the soldier relief party she is putting together, but Gladys is having poker night with the broskies and the brewskies. Vera says she’ll help, and Gladys said she forgot to mention it’s for Popular Girls Only. Vera is like, honey, let’s just say I’m popular with the boys.

oh i'm sure you're *very* popular

oh i’m sure you’re *very* popular

Every time I see Carol, I just want to say:

tumblr_m6195a5gK11rrs3li

Lorna is putting on an extremely intense dinner for Gene, but Gene doesn’t really seem to care. Gene, I can already tell you are a Grade A Buttface. Bob thinks maybe Lorna is going overboard but 1940s Version of a Helicopter Mom, okay? Also their neighbor Ellie is incredible and needs her own spinoff.

it's not that hard bob you'd think you never fisted a girl before

lift and turn, lift and turn! it’s not that hard bob you’d think you never fisted a girl before

Vera shows up to the Popular Girls Relief Effort Party, which is being run by a MRS. BEAVERTON. You cannot make that shit up. If that was a shoutout for the lesbians in the audience: thank you, we got the message loud and clear, carry on.

you're gonna need to stop making jokes about being "elbows deep in beaverton"

you’re gonna need to stop making jokes about being “elbows deep in beaverton”

Betty and Gladys are about to sit down to Bro Poker Night, but it’s probably about as freezing in their house as it is my house right now. I’ll give you a hint. I am wearing an electric blanket as a poncho and can see my breath when I’m in the kitchen.

ROCKHARDMINETOO

Sheila brings her date to the dinner and surprise, it’s Dr. Ned Patel! Lorna is like, really, you brought the only other man who has seen my vagina.

if it helps, mrs. corbett, it's a very nice vagina!

if it helps, mrs. corbett, it’s a very nice vagina! definitely didn’t notice the baby that was not your husband’s!

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Kate

Full-time writer, part-time lover, freelancing in fancy cheese and cider.

Kate has written 130 articles for us.

48 Comments

  1. Hilarious and spot on! Kate needs to quit whining about her lack of romance, though – she HAD her chance with Betty, dammit, and she blew it! I swear I’m in love with Betty – she’s AMAZING in every way!

  2. Bravo yet again for these hilarious recaps. Having you and Elaine Atwell AND this perfect show with all of the perfect faces ever is such an embarrassment of riches :)
    Also amazing capping skillz – The misandry one looks like Gladys’ face is actually formed by a magical primate only found in the houses of well to do Canadian ladies. Well done!

  3. I’ve been waiting for what you would have to say about Betty’s, “I didn’t get pickles,” line. Priceless.

    The Betty Fuckin Mcrae Did Not Get Fuckin Pickles picture is gonna be my new background.

  4. Im scared to actually watch the show because Kate is so funny and I dont know if the show can live up to her amazing vernacular.

  5. okay when kate and betty were having that “do what you have to to survive” conversation i thought they were gonna kiss and that it was gonna be revealed that they have been secretly getting it on ever since kate came back. look i know i was grasping at straws but i need SOMETHING

    • I definitely thought they were going to kiss and/or at least talk about Betty being gay maybe. THEN THE SCREEN WENT BLACK and the show moved on to other things.

    • omg no during that scene I DEFINITELY got the impression that they’d been sleeping together. but probably not. *sobs*

  6. Kate, you are killing me with these captions.

    I was freaking out as well when the Nazi grabbed Betty in the basement, but then she did some shit-hot self-defense and I was like: “what was I thinking? this girl is fucking badass”.

    I didn’t feel like this was the best episode to be honest, but that may have had something to do with the fact that I watched it in 5 minute bursts while it buffered on my phone on the train because I was too impatient to wait till I got home that evening (obviously I watched it again in one go when I was back). Probably because Gene is horrible and Betty and Kate weren’t in the same room as each other enough for my liking. BUT that hand holding moment you drew a heart around kinda made up for it.

    I’m hoping with all the “What are you afraid of?”, “When we’re finally safe it’s okay to stop fighting” talk, the door is opening to Kate admitting her flaming homosexuality and running off with Betty into the sunset. If this hasn’t happened by the end of season 2 I will not be amused.

  7. This was a fantastic recap! There are actual tears in my eyes. Half of those were because the recap was so funny and half of them were because of Ali Liebert’s face.

    My little shipper heart squeed so loud at that background hand-hold!

    Also I’m really jealous of Jodi Balfour because not only does she pull off a flawless Canadian accent for Gladys, she can also keep that accent perfectly when she sings!

    and OMG how exciting was it that Charlotte Hegele tweeted that I Am No Church Mouse picture?

  8. Great re-cap as usual. So torn between watching the HABS! and watching BG next Wednesday!

    BTW Isn’t Eugene supposed to have a twin brother? Doesn’t anyone find it weird that Mystery Twin wasn’t mentioned once this episode?

  9. So, I always look forward to these recaps, but I was especially looking forward to this week’s after the introduction of Mrs. Beaverton. Also, I need more of the Corbetts’ neighbor, Ellie, who apparently stashes bottles of rye in her neighbors’ attics?

  10. Did anyone else notice that even when Betty and Gladys were jonesing for some alcohol while they were playing cards together, Betty didn’t offer up that bottle of lime cordial we know she keeps for Kate?

    Also, I wonder what all of Canada would think if they knew a German-born lesbian was the one who really captured the escaped Nazi prisoner instead of that dickhead Gene.

    And maybe Gene is a dick because he looks like Will Schuester. You can’t have that hair and a weird chin/jaw situation and not be a dick, I guess.

    • I wish I could read into the withheld cordial as a sign of undying love as much as the next person, but I’m pretty sure lime cordial isn’t alcoholic :P

      • For sure? Because I thought cordial was what Anne Shirley served to her bosom friend Diana that got her good and drunk on accident in “Anne of Green Gables.”

        • anne thought it was raspberry cordial but it was homemade currant wine

          /grew up on sullivan entertainment

          • OMG…I thought the same thing – when I read ‘lime cordial’ I IMMEDIATELY thought of drunk Diana when Anne Shirley was allowed to be hostess for her first grown up tea! Anne thought it was cordial since she’d never actually tasted it before, lol! Led to some brilliant scenes, hehe….

            LOVED the Sullivan Entertainment movies…that IS the Anne Shirley I will always picture in my mind. So jealous of her gorgeous hair…and I would have found it PERFECTLY reasonable if Diana and Anne had allowed friendship to turn into love, lol! I’m fond of Gilbert, but he could be a friend. ;-)

          • I’m pretty sure that I, too, was under the impression that cordial was alcoholic because of Anne of Green Gables. Good thing we have Kate to remember the details there! I didn’t remember/know that it had actually been wine. Also I love how so many of us associate cordial with Anne of Green Gables.

          • ANNE: Marilla, look at the puffs.

            MARILLA: They’re ridiculous. You’ll have to turn sideways to get through the doors.

  11. I can’t get over how flawless Vera is. She and Betty need to get together because no one else could possibly be badass enough for either of them.

      • Get in line! I’m very stubbornly insisting that I’ll be first in line at Betty’s door, dammit! OMG…she looks SO good in the pants/slacks of that era.

        And someone else commented that Kate is hopeless about flirting with guys, but she sure as hell flirted like crazy with Betty. It’s not fair or fun to have someone experiment and play with your heart like that!

  12. Omg that bit about Josie and the Pussycats killed me! These recaps just get better and better. God I love this show. But wait, you missed the part where Vera gets flowers sent to her by Mrs. Beaverton!

  13. this episode is making me have a lot of feelings!
    I wish I could drown them in onion cake&federweißer(new wine/young wine) right now. thats what onion cake’s all about, the alcoholic beverage that goes along with it

  14. I totes agree that this was the best episode of the show yet. Also, last night I dreamed that Kate and Betty got married and it was perfect.

  15. oh my god i love these recaps so much i dont even know. and unlike most other recap shows on AS, this is one that is acutally worth watching on the tv AS WELL as reading your recaps

  16. Loved the recap, hilarious as always…but I really didn’t like this episode at all. It might be because the sound seemed a little screwed up when I watched it and shit like that always throws me off and I was in a bit of a bad mood but I def thought this was the weakest episode thus far…Yay for the pickles line though! That shit was amazing.

  17. I’m okay with Kate awkwardly flirting with guys if we get more commentary from Gladys and Vera about how terrible Kate is at flirting.

    • We know that Kate is hopeless at flirting with guys. But we also know that Kate is really really good at flirting with girls.

      “Hey Betty, let’s go to the dance!” “Hey Betty, want to try a twirl?” “You’re a treasure, Betty.”

  18. Lord Beaverbrook was born in Canada and became a media baron and peer. Possibly the Lady Beaverton character is a riff on that. The name is genius. And sending flowers to Vera? That would be a story line worth pursuing.

  19. “I LIKED WHEN SHE TOOK OFF ALL HER CLOTHES AND DANCED ON THE TABLE TO ROBYN”

    you would really like me at karaoke

  20. Ugh so annoyed that Gene got all the credit in the newspaper, although Betty was the one who actually nabbed the prisoner of war.

    I hate that Leon is the Magical Negro of this show, his character needs some fleshing out.

  21. Finally got around to watching the episode. So great but WHAT? Even as a native speaker I had problems understanding the guy. So dearest Bomb Girl people, next time you cast a German, remember that both his German & English accent should actually sound German?

  22. Bomb Girls episodes are such a treat that I save them until I see the Autostraddle recap posted and then I have to watch the episode right away so I can read the recap afterwards.

  23. What is the song that Gladys and Gene sing together? It’s been driving me INSANE not knowing!!

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