8 of Television's Most Badass Women

Women are badasses.  If you don't believe me, turn on your nearest television, if you don't find Congressman Maxine Waters dragging Captain Cheeto with finesse that makes even the Atlanta Housewives jealous, you'll find others organizing protests, saving lives and handling all the things. 

Television is filled with nasty women, kicking ass in their own special ways.  On International Women's Day, it's an empowering reminder to do the same in whatever way you can.  

Here are 8 nasty women television would be lost without...

Michonne, The Walking Dead
It's one thing to kill thousands of zombies with a super-cool katana, it's an entirely different thing to find 'pick me-chose me-love me' love while doing it. Michonne (Danai Gurira) has slaughtered her way into the hearts of TWD fans as well as Rick Grimes, giving us glorious beauty amidst all that apocalyptic brutality. 

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Jody Mills, Supernatural
She's not leading her own spin-off or even a series regular, but she should be. Since Supernatural's fifth season, Kim Rhodes' Jody Mills has been a mother-figure to America's hottest orphans, a love interest for the late Bobby Singer, and a superb hunter in her own right.  Let's hope it's not another seven seasons before the showrunners realize that.

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Erin Lindsay, Chicago Fire
Husky-voiced and impeccably armed, Chicago PD's Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) is a watchable combination of sultry, lethal and caring.  Until this season, she was the sole women in Voight's dangerous Intelligence Unit, and she didn't just hold her own, she wields guns almost as big as she is and saves the day her damn self!  

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Erika Jayne, The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills
She's calls herself a pretty mess; SSG calls her a shero.  At 45, this dual-monikered glamazon is becoming a legitimate popstar, and she's doing it on her own dime.  Beyond that, the newest Dancing With The Stars celebtestant, has avoided ALL of the typical and somewhat tired  Housewives pitfalls, except one.  Erika doesn't start drama for drama's sake or talked behind someone's back and feign amnesia later, but she's always fabulous and the coolest one in the room (with or without underwear).

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Claire Fraser, Outlander
In season 2's breathtaking finale, Outlander's Claire Fraser (the woefully Emmy-less Caitriona Balfe) takes ride-or-die to a stratospheric level by traveling back to 18th century Scotland to reunite with Jamie, the husband she presumed was dead.  As if that wasn't enough, Claire is also a pioneer in her own time, becoming a doctor in 1950s Boston.  Sometimes, heroes don't wear capes, they wear scrubs, corsets and two wedding rings.

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Cookie Lyon, Empire 
There would be no Empire without Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson), and I'm referring to the company AND the TV show.  After 17 hellish years in prison, Cookie Lyon emerged from the big house, took what was hers and rolled with the insane, the Shakespearean and the hilarious punches ever since.  And she's only gotten sassier, prettier and pettier.  Empire returns with new episodes on March 22 to continue her slayage.  

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Ginny Baker, Pitch
What do you get when you combine Beyonce's work ethic, one of Gabrielle Union's dimples, and the pitching prowess of Sandy Koufax?  Answer: Ginny Baker, the first female (and black female) MLB player.  While Ginny Baker waits to find the diagnosis of her potentially career-ending (and season finale-ending) injury, Pitch fans and star Kylie Bunbury are left in painful purgatory of their own as we wait for Fox to decide the underrated drama's fate.  Here's how to tell Fox you want to keep this badass in the game.  

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Jane and Patterson, Blindspot
There are infinite ways to be a badass, and the women of NBC's Blindspot embody a few important ones.  Jane (Jaimie Alexander) is a tattooed Navy SEAL with a wiped memory, a proficiency in all types of combat, and selfless need to do good no matter what the cost.  Analyst Patterson (who definitely knows her way around a street fight and a firearm) relies on her immeasurable smarts.  Patterson (Ashley Johnson) puzzles out meaning buried in archaic references, symbolism and dead languages sometimes in a matter of seconds.  This just proves that you don't have to but able to throw a punch in order to kick some ass.

Who are your favorite lady badasses?  Hit up the comments below!

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