On every occasion, Tim does the heartfelt and wonderfully-worded write-ups to each of our our beloved Bomb Girls episodes. So close to the end, now, I feel it is only proper that he should also do the final two posts of the series. However, upon learning yesterday that our girls will not see a Season 3, I’ve found I can’t sit quietly by and let my own love for the show and the people who created it for us go unspoken. or…unwritten, as it were. I know I won’t be able to capture everything I want to put into words with this one post – which will likely mean that I’ll write another later on – but it is my intention to at least give voice to my passion for the series, and pray that all of our communal efforts don’t go completely unnoticed.
It seems silly now, looking back. When I first started seeing commercials for Bomb Girls, I was intrigued by its premise, and I was excited that Meg Tilly was involved. I also wanted to support Ms Brittany Allen, because she also stars in Dead Before Dawn 3D – the latest film from our good friends, Tim Doiron and April Mullen. But the point is, I settled in to watch that first night with very little going on in terms of expectation. So I was mildly surprised to find myself immersed so completely in a different time, with characters who were so beautiful and so fully realized that, by the time Vera got hooked, so was I. My hand was over my mouth in horror, my eyes much wider than usual, and I knew from that moment that I wasn’t going anywhere. These were my girls, and I loved them already.
Flashforward to the end of season 1 – and I was walking around with a sick knot in my stomach leading into the finale. We hadn’t heard yet whether there would be a second season, or not, and I could not breathe. I couldn’t fathom a world without these amazing women, and I didn’t know how I was even going to watch the season finale without knowing that there would be more the following year. Luckily, I didn’t have to. Word of a double-sized season two spread like wildfire, and I smiled and wept my way through the finale, as proud of those girls as if they’d been my own family. Because that’s how they feel – like family.
Tim and I were blessed enough to have been able to interview Charlotte in person (poor girl was running a fever and sinking into her mug of hot tea that night, but what a trooper for coming out, anyway), as well as Jodi and Ali over the phone. But when we got to speak with Meg via phone, as well, just in time for the finale – well it was more than a dream come true. Like everything about this show, it was more than either of us could have ever hoped for, and I went home that night feeling like I’d actually gotten to know myself a little better, just through listening to Meg’s thoughts on a number of issues. Incredible lady, that one.
So the end of season 1 was pretty victorious, all in all, and we settled in to wait patiently for season two’s inevitable return to VicMu. I’m not going to go into everything that happened in the meantime – suffice it to say, Tim and I both grew even closer to not only the show and its characters, but also to the amazing folks behind the scenes (and in front of the cameras) who bring the world to life for us each and every week. I’m even following the Ajax Bomb Girls on Facebook. It’s all just a part of me now.
Which is why I can’t quietly just say goodbye. I couldn’t even sleep last night. I feel like I’d be letting my girls down – not because the show hasn’t been renewed, but because I haven’t done all I could to hold onto it. Because I haven’t fought for it. Because I haven’t said the words, “Don’t let go.”
So here’s us, crying out on Twitter and on Facebook and anywhere and everywhere – all around the world, asking for someone, somewhere, to help us hold on. Bring back another season. Bring back a shorter season. Bring a miniseries. Put it on Netflix. Embark on a Kickstarter campaign. Something. Anything. Just please don’t let go. Not of them. And not of us.
I’ve known fan outcry to work in the past, and already we’re at least getting a two-hour movie to close off the series. Which is fantastic, but I still feel like it’s not really enough. The war is not even over yet, let alone all of the upheaval that comes when the men return and the women are told to go back home. What will become of Betty’s dream of owning a home? Will Gladys continue to run her own affairs after the war? Will Kate marry Ivan and break Betty’s heart all the more? Will Vera and Marco stop pushing one another away and start making pretty babies already? Will Lorna and Bob’s boys make it home safe, and will they enjoy their happily ever after as a married couple (omgIwassohappytoseeBoblastnight)? Will our ladies remain close to one another, or drift away into separate lives when all is said and done? Will WE ever see them again – see ourselves in their stories again? Please – don’t let go.
There is a site that’s holding everything together in one place, to make it easier to find, and to keep us all connected. Please go sign up and then sign any and every petition you can find (so far I’ve signed this one and this one). Contact Global at the links below and let them know you need more Bomb Girls in your diet. Be repetitive. Be persistent. Be polite. Be courteous. And be strong. Because that’s how they would do it. Spread the love.
And don’t let go.
That still amazes us, and from the bottom of our hearts, I thank each and every one of you. You read what we write, you retweet it, you respond to it, you tweet us your thoughts about what we’ve shared, you’ve helped us chase down interviews, and we’ve been lucky enough to meet some of you in person.
