HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

‘The Girls on the Bus’ Episode 1 Takeaway: Black journalist Kimberlyn tackles racism during presidential campaign

In 'The Girls on the Bus' Episode 1, female journalists, including Kimberlyn, prepare to cover a presidential campaign

Contains spoilers for ‘The Girls on the Bus’ Episode 1

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO Max has premiered the first two episodes of  'The Girls on the Bus', which stars Melissa Benoist, Natasha Behnam, Christina Elmore, Brandon Scott, and Carla Gugino in pivotal roles.

Based on Amy Chozick's 2018 memoir 'Chasing Hillary', 'The Girls on the Bus' follows four female journalists who cover every move of a parade of flawed presidential candidates.

Through its characters and storylines, ‘The Girls on the Bus’ explores themes of gender, politics, and the media.

Kimberlyn prepares to cover presidential campaign in ‘The Girls on the Bus’ 

In 'The Girls on the Bus' Episode 1, viewers are introduced to Kimberlyn (Christina Elmore), a female journalist who works for Liberty Direct News.

Kimberlyn, driven by a passion for journalism and a deep-seated desire to make a difference, is eager to cover the presidential election campaign.

She travels to Iowa, United States, to attend a crucial political campaign event and report on the candidates' strategies. However, she faces racism and discrimination while covering the presidential campaign because she is the only Black woman present there.

Despite her professionalism and dedication to her work, Kimberlyn encounters prejudice from her female colleagues, some of whom try to steal her story.

During the campaign event, some presidential candidates also choose not to reply to Kimberlyn's questions. Additionally, some people who support these candidates throw things at Kimberlyn, ruining her dress.

Kimberlyn faces workplace struggles and racism in ‘The Girls on the Bus’ 

As the only Black woman among her colleagues, Kimberlyn encounters bias and discriminatory behavior that make her job difficult.

During the presidential campaign event, another female journalist named Nellie Carmichael from Liberty Direct News attempts to steal her interview with Caroline, the presidential candidate. She undermines Kimberlyn's efforts and tries to take credit for her work.

Her boss also asks her to follow Nellie’s instructions and let her cover breaking news. He believes that people will pay more attention to Nellie's story because she is white.

Kimberlyn faces a tough choice: follow her boss's directive and let Nellie cover the big story, potentially missing an opportunity to advance her career, or challenge the decision, risking potential backlash.

In the last scene, she is shown to be grappling with a myriad of challenges that leave her frustrated and disheartened about what to cover.

‘The Girls on the Bus’ Episode 1 is now available to stream on Max