Bomb Girls s01e02 Episode Script

1 That's a movie star? Just a poor little rich girl on a field trip.
First broken nail, she's out of here.
You should see the girls that work the factory floor.
They make something that matters.
You're going to burn sister! Whatever you're running from, you're safe here now.
An Italian building Allied bombs? I say two words about this? You're gone.
You can't let her leave here deformed.
It will destory her future.
Laugh or cry you're not working the floor.
You're in the office, that was the deal.
I wanna do more.
They don't need you.
OK.
Fire in the hole! I love a a sunny test day.
- Good job.
- Very nice! - Carol.
- What're you doing here? Gladys Your parents will never let you work the factory floor.
Absolutely right, Carol.
That's why I'm never going to tell them James won't tell them, who will? Unless you spill the beans at dinner tonight.
What do I say if they ask about work? They won't.
They don't care what I do.
Besides we're just there to make evens with James and his old Harvard chum.
They're trying to get into business with him.
Well if I crack like a cooked clam at dinner, don't blame me.
Don't be such a girl.
Hand me my turban.
This may hurt No.
I can't feel anything up there.
Is that normal? Your nerves are still recovering, you'll start to feel things in a couple of weeks.
I get the picture, Doc.
I nearly forgot.
Yes! The girls at the factory chipped in.
Now Vera they'd love to have a visit.
Well I wouldn't.
It would pinch something fierce.
Not me.
I can't feel a thing.
I know I should be sad for her and all, but maybe now she'll get off her highhorse and let me take her out.
Sorry, Archie, Vera may have lost half her face but she didn't go blind.
Knock it off guys.
It's no joke, what happened to her.
Okay, girls, let's have a look at you Miss Andrews, you're got enough lipstick on to paint a battleship.
I didn't realize make-up was a safety hazard.
You spark a fire in the gents? They could end up distracted and dangerous.
It's okay Edith.
Looking good McRae.
Next's up are Blue Shift's 25- pounders.
Artillery's magic bullet.
Blows Jerry's tanks sky-high Fix your laces there, Darcy.
Ready for my shift, Mrs.
Corbett.
With this flapping thicket of hair? You wanna to see a conveyor belt snap your neck off, do it on your own time.
We don't have time to mop up bloody bits of rich girl.
Understand? It's just, it's not easy if we can't use hair pins.
You think the rules don't apply to you? I'm the same as any other woman here.
Ladies, is that right? Do you find Miss Witham here to be one of you? laughing, sniffles Oh you can be sure she's up for a roll.
Lorna Corbett? She's got like three kids! Yeah and wound tighter than a store-bought smoke.
We all know how those burn.
Maybe the enemy bombed us out.
I heard German carriers can launch fifty planes.
Oh for crying out loud.
I think we'd know if Fritz were floating up the Great Lakes.
That's a lot of smoke though Marco! The boys need our help! Stop them.
They can't see this Edith! Stop them! You can't go there.
Hold on, girls, we gotta get ourselves back inside.
We'd only be in the way.
Ambulances I gotta to take them to the test-field.
Was it a bad test-bomb? One of Blue Shift's 25-pounders.
Misfire.
Shrapnel hit Archie.
We built a bad bomb, girls.
Back on the floor and be quiet about it or you'll all be on the hooks.
What do you think went wrong? Just shut up and keep working.
I will not shut up.
They want us to keep building bombs we need to know how to avoid making mistakes in the future.
They got an ambulance to the field.
Good.
Any of that blood yours? I should've done something.
It was only a split-second.
Archie There was so much blood.
He's alive.
That's the most important thing.
You watch.
Someone will hang for this.
I know.
It's St.
Christopher's.
My father says if you trust him, he'll keep you safe from accidents.
I'm thinking Archie needs this more than I do.
I hate thinking we might've hurt our own workers even by accident.
Likely a new girl.
If you think about it, any of us could be slipping up, the way they got us working.
Some times a girl needs a break, you catch my drift.
It's can be hard to breathe, with all the amatol.
I gotta admit, there's times I can't see if I'm filling these right.
The light's all wonky.
Yeah.
Never noticed that before We could be building bad bombs right this minute.
God's hands doing the devil's work.
Bad enough the enemy's trying to kill us.
Now we can't be trusted.
Ladies Today's mishap is classified It does not get discussed outside these walls.
Understand? Now one of you overfilled the amatol again.
This kind of incompetence will be the ruin of Victory Munitions, and lose us this war.
So we're retesting all you Blue girls tomorrow, same exam you did to get in here.
Fail it? You're fired.
Are the men being tested? Our men here don't fill the bombs.
So the explosion's our fault? How do you know for certain? It could be how this place is set up.
Factory's only eight months old, right? There's always room for improvement.
Edith, you had some ideas on how to make the place better.
No idea what you're talking about.
Betty? You were saying about the, the trays? It was just talk, sir.
Like women do.
Yeah chittering gossips, the lot of you.
Keep your lips zipped and pass the test or we'll pass on you.
Compree? Now he knows we "talk.
" Great.
He'll be all over us even worse now.
I barely passed my first test! I just wanted him to see things the way we do.
"We?" It's not your butt gonna be kicked out the door.
And who feeds my kids then? Why don't you take a hike, see if there's a Girl Guide troop somewhere that's short a patrol leader.
So he wants to retest us.
I know my job inside out.
- Take a few weeks off.
- No, I need the money.
Besides, it's good to be around the girls, doing something Writing letters to your own kids? From Doug.
But Daphne and Skip, they recognize their dad's handwriting.
I can't copy it worth a darn.
Edith, you need to tell them the truth.
Could you break your kid's heart, tell them Daddy was shot down and died? They live for his letters.
And right now, that's what I can give them.
You need to focus on what matters: keeping your job.
So you see, James brings his contacts and entrepreneurial vision While Rollie brings his grocery empire.
Witham Foods has unparalleled food supply contacts.
Together we'll make millions on this war.
I get why you want me, Jim we've got the region's only factory big enough to deliver your quotas.
But our profit's bigger on retail projects.
We earn a lot more canning for folks here.
Except this deal offers volume.
We'd feed an entire branch of the military.
Who says they'll ever eat it? Our army's loafing around the English countryside eating bangers and clotted cream! You think that's all our soldiers do? Well they sure as heck aren't fighting.
Our troops are sinking Axis ships in the Atlantic and protecting Britain from Luftwaffe raids, Mr.
Treleven.
Sacrifices are being made here and overseas every day.
I don't much see it.
You don't.
So maybe it's not something you're qualified to talk about.
My daughter is lending her efforts in a munitions factory office.
Yes, up there with the secretaries.
And very good at it, aren't you dear? I'd love to see a factory full of sweet-faced gals We're too busy building bombs that will destroy the enemy.
An enemy you'd happily see go to battle and fed their own men Gladys It was a long day, please, excuse me.
How many bad bombs have we built? What if one blew up overseas, in Gene or Stanley's face? Come on now, you know that's not going to happen.
All the ways something can go wrong I'll tell you what's going to go wrong These fake letters.
Their father died, it's just plain cruel to drag it out any further.
He has your penmanship, Bob.
You could copy out what Edith's written.
Cost you nothing.
You know I'm not going back there.
Since when does pouring coffee for a factory manager entitle you to behave like an impudent brat? I clearly have nothing to contribute.
There are other ways, our ways to affect an outcome.
So you powder your nose and walk downstairs.
You'll titter at jokes, compliment tie-clips, and charm Tank Treleven's cold, crass heart.
That, dear Gladys, is your job.
Hey! They told me to come on through.
Go away Marco, I'm tired.
Brought these for Archie, but he's doped up through Sunday.
They're cannoli.
Ever had one? Go on, we don't want to see you lose your curves.
It's a soft cheese.
Sweet.
Cheese in a doughnut? It's disgusting.
Easy now, they're my mother's.
Vera I've been feeling kinda bad I might have distracted you It's terrible what happened to Archie.
Being caught up in a blast like that.
Last I remember was black smoke all around us.
Smoke shouldn't be black.
Your mother.
Tell her they're good.
And you? Don't flatter yourself.
I've had better.
I'd bet you're belle of the ball around here.
I haven't left my room yet.
Vera.
There's first impressions and then there's what you make after that.
Believe me, I know all about it.
No offence, Jimmy, but you found yourself one heck of a sleepy town I'd kill for some kicks.
Well there's the symphony tomorrow.
This town's got five girls to every guy.
You think I want some stale solo viola? If it's lovely ladies you're after, Mr.
Treleven, there's an open dance at the Sandy Shores Pavilion on Friday.
- That's hardly a good area of town.
- Actually it's not so bad.
All right then.
Let's meet Sandy.
One benefit to this war, Mr Treleven.
It's bombed out your competition.
You're writing the minister, telling them my girls are "Subpar female employees"? This is total fabrication! It could've easily been one of the men.
Two men were sent to hospital Marco Moretti nearly had his head blown off.
We need to find the weak link, now.
We can't be sending bad bombs to our boys.
Alright ladies.
It's test time.
Let's begin.
Is there a problem, Miss Witham? Hunky-dory, Mrs.
Corbett.
Problems Do you think you'll get away with this? If anyone finds out about this, there's big problems for both of us.
Get back to work.
Miss.
Andrews, Your file here.
Shows training papers, birth certificate, but no security clearance.
Must be an oversight.
I can bring in my copy tomorrow.
Please do.
I wouldn't want to have to bother the authorities.
No.
I wouldn't want that either.
I heard they're suppose to relax you.
Sure wasn't easy in there with Lorna breathing down our necks.
Yesterday I was only helping out.
Except noboby put you in charge.
My father, he says God gives grace to the humble.
So we're just supposed to stay quiet and take the blame, when the whole system here could be the problem? Nobody wants a Joan of Arc to lead us to battle.
Let's just put our heads down and work.
I'm not protecting anyone! Look at the results, every woman met our standards.
Of course you'd say that Mr.
Moretti and George Dawson had a confrontation today over somebody's mistake.
Perhaps the mistake.
Marco may be a tetchy Italian, but he knows how to do his job.
If nobody's off the mark, I can't just toss you a scapegoat.
Someone on that list tested the lowest.
That's who we are firing.
Gladys Witham.
Sir, she doesn't need the job.
You can see, all my girls passed.
Right here, Lorna.
Your lowest score.
That's my girl.
Unless you'd rather it be your name I put on the letter.
Seems you can't get out of here either.
They had me run the coveralls to laundry if you can believe it.
So how was testing? No laugh-riot I bet.
Some girls did better than others.
Oh dear.
Are we canning a tenderfoot? I'm afraid Gladys Witham did fine.
Even Kate Andrews scored high.
No.
No.
No.
Don't you dare say it.
Harold Akins needed someone and And you picked me to fire?! I'm only Shift Matron here, Edith you think I can control You and I started on the line from day one.
If you'd done better in the tests Yeah I wonder why I didn't.
Aside from not sleeping a wink since my husband was blown to bits, or worrying how I'll raise two kids, or how I still can't tell them Daddy's never coming home? Aside from that, I can't imagine what took my head out of the game.
You're gotta get another job easy.
Yeah as the gal blamed for blowing up our men? I'm sure the offers will flood in.
Look I'll try and fix this.
You know I feel sorry for you, Lorna.
You're lost in this place without me.
Darn it! Darn it all to heck! I'm guessing crafts aren't your bag? Me either.
Should've seen the one potholder I ever crocheted.
I've seen fried eggs with better edging.
Who said you could come in here! Is this your security report? Please, Betty.
Don't look Kate, you need this to work.
It's not real Why? Because Kate Andrews doesn't exist.
How did you get your other papers? My mother helped me buy false ones.
But no security report, too hard to forge.
They've got raised seals, watermarks, If my father finds me he'll make sure I can never leave again.
I may know someone.
Oh Betty The thing is I'd need to know how much you were willing to offer up.
I'll borrow, pay what it costs.
It might not be money he wants.
This man can forge me decent papers? He could get Satan a visa through the Pearly Gates.
Then let me worry about the price.
Just take me to see him.
Please.
You hand the son of a a silverplatter deal and this is how he repays us? He's taking a meeting.
That's it.
With our competition! Your bastard friend's gone across the street, taking our pitch to bloody Steinham Foods! Hello, Father.
A thrilling day at the office? Don't worry, we'll get him back.
That overgrown weasel can go hang.
I will find somebody else.
Sir, we will not win this bid without his involvement.
Nobody else has his scale of operation or his access to metal.
Don't tell me how to run my business.
You and James are in this together, Father.
He brought you this deal Gladys, I'll see you in the garden Why do you even want to be in business with a lout like Tank Treleven? He doesn't give a fig about our soldiers, it's all the bottom line with him Advice from the girl who ruined last night's dinner.
"Ruined?" Rollie, that's a bit rich.
Well what else do you call it? Your daughter reminded us all why we're in this business to help win a war.
Well I'm sure as hell am not in this to lose.
You will if you only fight for yourself.
And who are you fighting for, my dear? It's all just a chance to play dress-up for you.
This week it's Hepburn? Next it's Crawford or Greer Garson? Gladys believes in the cause.
Yes.
So long as the cause features her in a starring role She proved last night she's not much of a team-player.
Useless, Stupid, Vera Aren't you the little candy-striper, doing the rounds here.
Archie.
I heard you were Uh So.
Feeling better? Be up and at-em, no time.
Your face.
It's not so bad.
You watch, you'll be right as rain.
I mean it's like she made out with a cheese grater, but hey, I don't mind the look of undercooked bacon.
Can't wait all night to shoot you.
Let's get moving doll face.
That's it.
Try try leaning forward.
Toss your head back.
Toots, you want this security report by tomorrow, you gotta do better.
I can work with your up front assets and a pretty smile, but first you gotta show it to me.
It's okay.
You can do this.
I've never even worn one of these before.
Well? You're Kate Andrews now.
New name, new job, new life.
Look at me.
Don't worry about him.
Just focus on me.
Yeah.
Kate Andrews is going to comfort a lot of lonely soldiers tonight Father? This our daughter is stubborn and rebellious, she will not obey our voice.
All men shall stone her so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
Fire? How could they? From canned Edith, nobody's safe.
You know who they should have fired.
A hat box Hoping to improve on our turbans? Our turbans are perfect.
But some things aren't.
And the women who work here know that better than anyone.
A suggestion box? We can tell them what's wrong, no repercussions.
But that just means no We know what "repercussions" means.
Yeah.
Getting fired for opening our traps.
But this is anonymous.
If every one of us makes a suggestion to improve the line, what can Mr.
Akins do? I dunno, why don't you go back upstairs and ask him? So I spent the last couple of nights going over my notes on these 25-pounders.
Amatol needs to be sixty-forty ammonium nitrate to TNT.
Too much TNT in the mix means disaster.
A disaster, sir, like the one we had.
Interesting theory, Moretti.
It's not a theory.
The smoke from that bomb was black.
That means too much TN What are you saying? I'm saying George Dawson's on the bottle again.
We've taken care of that problem.
You fired a mother of two.
These women are not your holy madonnas.
They make mistakes! Sure, but they don't mix our amatol.
I'm stuck hiring yapping dames who think darning socks sets 'em up to fight a war.
I'm not losing another man.
You think you can win a war with lies? Whose side are you on, Moretti? You better make up your mind.
Because I'm not the only one starting to wonder.
So you buying a record-player or a bicycle? Neither.
My first payday may be my last.
No sign of your photographer.
Chet's a man of his word.
That man's a a pornographer.
That filth will be out in the world now and I can't ever take it back.
I never should have let you force me into this.
Force you? I tried to help you! Mrs.
Corbett needs my papers today.
If she goes and calls the police? She'll find out my whole life is a lie.
Left this in the change-room.
What's it doing out here? So get any suggestions? A box-full! Now this is practical: "Stop wrapping your hands around those bomb caps and wrap them around my" Here's another suggestion: "Quit your job so a man can do his.
" You think this is funny? How about this one "get out of your trousers and back in the kitchen.
" Or better yet, get into my trousers! What do you say, little Miss Fury? We got you a whole box of solutions, easy enough, even you could pull 'em off.
Got no right talking to us like that.
It wasn't us they were aiming at.
So they bully the Princess.
Then who's next? They were just having a laugh.
Well I ain't busting a gut.
These pinheads think we should work six days a week and never have an idea in our pretty little heads about how we do our own damn job.
You got a suggestion there for me, Betty Boop? Who's next? What, you got nothing to say for yourself, Witham? A suggestion box.
Who here's playing this stupid game? We all are.
We're the ones who work the line.
Why not have a say in how to make it better? Why go looking for more trouble? Sometimes bad things there's a way to find something good out of it.
Wisdom from a girl who can't even deliver me her own security report.
Mrs.
Corbett, I know you're nearly management here, but even you couldn't stop them firing Edith, one of the best workers we got.
We don't want bad bombs any more than you do.
Regular powder breaks to allow for greater focus.
Discourage the men's crass talk, as it is disrespectful and distracting.
Yeah, then hoof it somewhere else! You're playing with fire.
That's dangerous sport in this tinderbox.
Back to work.
I hope I didn't just get us all fired.
Footstools for some of the shorter women.
Better ventilation to disperse amatol fumes.
Allow singing to offset the drowsy effects of cordite My letter's already on its way to the Ministry of Defence.
You want to salvage your reputation? Type up twenty of these suggestions, the "Akins Report," full review of productivity and safety.
You could easily trade a little glory for Edith Mcallum's job.
That ship has sailed, Lorna.
Get back to work.
So you're writing the letters of a dead man You got the guy over the English Channel.
Detail like that'd never make it past the censors.
Plus your handwriting looks like a poof's.
So I'm not suppose to try? Edith's lost everything.
Her husband, her job There's something not right with that.
Geroge Dawson got a strip torn off him for that bad bomb mishap.
What? Who told you? Horse's mouth.
Well George was down at the legion spouting off how some Italian so and so finked him out for taking a few nips on the job.
Apparently your boss laid down a final warning on him - They're all the same - Where you going? It's ten o'clock.
I know where to find that "so and so" and I can't have that conversation at work.
You think I enjoy doing this? Yes Lorna yes I do.
See what I mean? It's good people.
You swank them up.
Of course, there are exceptions.
He's got nerve, showing up here after stealing my ration pitch.
So make like Jimmy Cagney and sock him before he leaves town.
I'd happily cram a grapefruit in his face, but we have to play it cool.
If we want that contract.
You and Father practically begged him for his metal.
He acts like he calls the shots because you told him he does.
It's time to show him your moves.
We had a deal, Chet.
My friends needs her papers.
You girls don't like a fellow who wastes his time, do? Except I incurred a few further expenses on the job.
Oh for crying out loud How much? Two tenners oughta cover it.
You're a weasel, you know that? Hey these days, security reports are tougher than passports.
- You're a little light.
- It's my first paycheque.
You wanna bleed me dry, you did it.
I'm sure it's a wonderful career that you're got, but like my daddy used to say, go gentle when you're choking the golden goose.
Wish I'd seen fire like that last night.
Here, gift with purchase.
People are going to see this? This report is going to get Lorna off your back.
Though now you meant have a few soldiers wishing they were on it.
So you've got your mints and your cola and a new toothbrush, since I can't stand to see you come out of here with your teeth rotted out of your head It's the mother in me, can't help it.
Speaking of which, I should shove off.
Thanks for the visit.
Yeah, It's nice to see a friendly face Actually, there's one more thing if you don't mind.
It's kinda of riduiclous.
Try me.
I was wondering if you might sit with me and let me brush your hair for a spell.
I gotta warn you, gets ratty back there.
It's how I would settle myself before bed.
I guess the war pretty much kicked the girly girl out of us, didn't it.
You okay? Yeah, yeah I'm just feeling things coming back.
You'll excuse us.
You're raining on my parade, Lorna.
George Dawson is the only person responsible for that accident.
You knew it.
You protected him, same as Harold did.
You think I rolled over and watched the wrong person get punished.
Well, if you didn't, then, I'm an outsider Lorna, Just like you.
You think I got any more sway than you do? Then we circle the wagons too.
In twenty-four hours, every woman who works the line is going to know that the drunken sod who got us into this mess, got off with just a warning.
You watch Harold's quota go down the tubes.
You think your girls would do that? After today? I know they would.
You tell him that in the morning.
You're still a man, aren't you? You asking for proof? I want you to talk to our boss for some ridiculous reason you're the only person Seeeing how you nearly got your brains blown out, Mr.
Moretti? I'll forget this ever happened.
I'll talk to Harold, get your friend her job back.
I wouldn't want you to feel this was a wasted trip.
You were splendid.
Our Joan of Arc! Gotta admit, Princess you handled that rat like a pro.
Jimmy.
Wish I could've given you a firm answer while I'm here, but you're not the only game in town.
No hard feelings.
We've already started tendering other potential partners.
I thought you said you couldn't find anyone better.
You're not the only man who can make a tin can.
Because make no mistake, Witham Foods has the contacts and reputation to win this contract.
Not these little companies you've been talking to.
Relax, Tank, you'll get a wedding invitation, no matter what happened.
She's a firecracker, that one.
Yeah when you add it all up, this war's the best thing that ever happened to us.
I barely recognise myself.
This is the new you.
And this is for you.
Oh Betty, it's the hair pin.
Thank you.
It's nothing.
I'm so lucky I met you.
You know those nighmares you're having.
If you ever want to sleep over here.
That's very kind.
But I think I'll be having better dreams now.
Well that's just grand.
It was a fun dance sure were some dreamboats.
Yes.
Definitely.
G'night.
Good night.
Bob.
Come on.
Bob wake up.
I got Mr.
Moretti to talk with Harold, give Edith her job back.
And I hope she'd build a bomb better than she writes letters.
You copied them out.
No I wrote new ones instead.
That was very nice of you.
So the Eyetie? Is not quite the enemy you thought he was.
I don't like him.
A man like Mr.
Moretti should not be working the factory.
It's a disaster waiting to happen.
Well then Lorna? You get him out.
Yeah I will.
Just gotta figure out how.