# Chicks Who Kick Ass on TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895 "2013-05-21T02:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/21 "2013-05-21T22:48:25Z")
Well… didn’t see _that_ coming… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/22 "2013-05-21T23:21:20Z")
On reflection, I’m reminded of one major reason I didn’t like the new _Bionic Woman_ (there wasn’t much _to_ like, but whatever). The directors kept having Michelle Ryan engage in the same ridiculous pseudo-kungfu that had become cliche, when if anything, her character _had_ brute strength and should have been just punching her way out of trouble instead of resorting to dance-like acrobatics. I can see her getting martial-arts training just to be able to keep her balance after throwing a brick-smashing punch but keep the wire-fu out of it, please. It would have been fun in the early episodes to see her throw some wild massively powerful punches and kicks and getting tumbled over by Newton’s laws. Well, that and everyone being surprised that a woman of her normal-looking physique weighed ~180lb (and was thus able to throw heavier punches without toppling over) because her nano-bionics were far denser than human tissue, but why inject realism when you can just sneer in its direction? And for some reason, I looked at a few Olympic hammer-throwing vids, and I admit I’m impressed by how the athletes can put a lot of energy into giving the hammer momentum and yet near-instantly stop in place the instant after release. I know if I tried, as soon as I let go of the hammer, I’d fall over, and if I kept practicing to _not_ fall over, I’d never get any distance on the throw. ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/23 "2013-05-22T00:05:26Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Interesting that this thread was started on the 10th anniversary of the airing of the final episode of _Buffy_. Really, that is so cool…but totally coincidental, I swear! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/24 "2013-05-22T10:45:13Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Olivia Dunham on _Fringe_. > [@Alessan](#): > > You could say that again. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/25 "2013-05-22T10:58:56Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Okay, I’m old: > > Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel on _the Avengers_ > {snip} > Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in _Goldfinger_ Also, Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale in the earlier seasons of _The Avengers_ ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/26 "2013-05-22T11:45:52Z")
> [@TPWombat](#): > > I see what you did there. I was hoping somebody would. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/27 "2013-05-22T13:18:42Z")
Keri Russell on _The Americans_ Sonja Sohn on _The Wire_ Robin Weigert on _Deadwood_, cocksuckers Danai Gurira, on _The Walking Dead_ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/28 "2013-05-22T20:22:45Z")
Big Bang’s Penny has shown some fighting skills (hitting Sheldon in the nose, kicking a guy in the crotch) and talk about others. ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/29 "2013-05-22T20:33:36Z")
Angelina Jolie in almost anything. Lara Croft and Mrs Smith come to mind, but I think her hottest, bad-assest was Fox in _Wanted._. oh boy. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/30 "2013-05-22T21:13:38Z")
Look for a Steven Seagal movie called _Half Past Dead_. Nia Peeples is beyond awesome in it. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/31 "2013-05-22T21:53:31Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Personally, I’d like the pattern to be broken now and then with a 110lb woman delivering a roundhouse kick to a 250lb man, who shrugs it off and flattens her with one punch. > Because, y’know… physics. They seem to sort of do this on “Beauty and the Beast,” at least in the ep or three I saw. They established that Kristin Kreuk’s character is quite skilled and agile at hand-to-hand, but she still gets thrown around like a bean-bag since she only weighs about a hundred pounds. The annoying bit is how they got to the fight scenes, which is her assailants knock the gun from her hand constantly. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/32 "2013-05-23T15:19:41Z")
River Tam, Firefly Samantha Carter, Stargate SG-1 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/33 "2013-05-23T15:30:44Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Personally, I’d like the pattern to be broken now and then with a 110lb woman delivering a roundhouse kick to a 250lb man, who shrugs it off and flattens her with one punch. > > Because, y’know… physics. I do usually enjoy the ass-kicking girls trope, unrealistic though it often is. But one thing I liked about the TV series _Veronica Mars_ was in the first season ( I think ) they showed her being disarmed ( stun-gun ) and without her huge dog and suddenly she reverted to what she realistically was - a particularly tiny blond teenager that was pretty physically helpless when up against a much larger thug. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/34 "2013-05-25T08:09:51Z")
P.S. Buffy does it for me as well as Faith. Not to forget Kendra too. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/35 "2013-05-25T12:49:56Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I do usually enjoy the ass-kicking girls trope, unrealistic though it often is. I got tired of it much in the same way that I got tired of 80s action movies. By the time _Serenity_ came around I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when River Tam started beating up the horde of space zombies. But then I also had a hard time buying Echo going toe to toe with Agent Ballard in _Dollhouse._ ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/36 "2013-05-25T13:21:57Z")
[Batgirl!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwM0z8wkn2g) (a.k.a. the Domino Daredoll of Gotham City!) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/37 "2013-05-25T13:28:51Z")
Wrangler Jane on F-Troop Ellie Mae on the Beverly Hillbillies ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/38 "2013-05-25T14:54:39Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I do usually enjoy the ass-kicking girls trope, unrealistic though it often is. But one thing I liked about the TV series _Veronica Mars_ was in the first season ( I think ) they showed her being disarmed ( stun-gun ) and without her huge dog and suddenly she reverted to what she realistically was - a particularly tiny blond teenager that was pretty physically helpless when up against a much larger thug. I liked Veronica Mars and I agreed with Rob Thomas’ decision to not make her a super-powered bad-ass but to me they always went too far in the other direction once she was disarmed. She always became a mewling wimp which was out of character, and she never had an alternate weapon or strategy once her stun-gun was gone (unless crying all over someone’s fists can be called a strategy). Someone Veronica’s size with a cop for a dad would have been taught at least some street/dirty-fighting techniques. And someone of her intelligence who’d been disarmed before would carry back-up weapons - once the stun-gun was gone, she’d move to collapsible baton, then small knife. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/39 "2013-05-25T15:28:44Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > And Tasha Yar, on Star Trek: TNG was also a lot of fun. It’s been ages since I saw her on that show, but shipboard security on _Trek_ shows has always been pretty incompetent. For plot reasons, it has to be. Whatever threat comes aboard the Enterprise has to escape confinement or somehow become serious enough for the captain to have to deal with it. If their security was any good, the episodes would be 10 minutes long. We’re told that Klingons are the baddest mofos in the galaxy, but Worf got beat up more often than Tonto. ---
**Author:** ![Anduinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Anduinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduinel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895/40 "2013-05-26T08:08:31Z")
Susan Ivanova from Babylon 5. Na’Toth from Babylon 5 (first incarnation only). Major Kira from Star Trek: DS9. Gaia from HBO’s Rome. Karen Milner from The Sandbaggers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicks-who-kick-ass-on-tv-shows/658895.md?page=3)