Let’s take a deep breath and try to unpack some of what happened on Mom Season 7 Episode 8.
The episode starts with some witty Bonnie and Christy banter about smoothies and fights and asking the ultimate question: what if Bonnie’s been a ghost this entire time? In the middle of the call she hits a parked car, leaves a note, and then takes it back.
This decision doesn’t feel like Mom Season 7, law school Christy. This feels like Mom Season 2 or 3 Christy.
It’s often a staple of comedies and lots of TV shows in general where a character, at their core won’t change, but that model doesn’t work for Mom.
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I’ve discussed previously how the strength of this show is in how it allows for change, and having Christy be eaten up by hitting a parked car, doesn’t feel significant enough.
Christy hitting the parked car is meant to be the running gag, but there is nothing funny about the scenario. It’s very real and very serious, and while she may have had a brief meet-cute with the couple’s son, it isn’t enough of an investment in them working out.
It’s becoming harder to get invested in just about anything that Christy does, because while she’s made great strides over seven seasons she’s also getting profoundly annoying.
Her lament as she drove away from her second fender-bender hit-and-run that she was going to die alone feels hollow. She has so many great things going for her that I wish she would just focus on that.
The more well-constructed thread of the episode is Bonnie and Adam’s marital problems. The honeymoon period is over, and Adam is worried about death. Rather than talk about it though, Bonnie and Adam are just having a lot of fights.
Allison Janney does very well with physical comedy and she excels at it here. Bonnie’s sarcasm has always been a hallmark of her character, but some of the more silent moments are where she generates the real chuckles.
For example, the bit where she pays Trevor and slowly counts the bills, then pulls money out of her pockets, rummages through her purse, and finally produces a lifesaver is hysterical.
The way she ducked to the floor and tried to hide after hearing Trevor and Sandra fight was another great moment of physical comedy.
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Even the scene in the kitchen when she was fighting with Adam was made all the more interesting for the physicality within the scenes. The shouting was one element, but the nearly pulling Adam’s hair out elevated it just a little, and none of that scene looked comfortable.
It almost makes me want to see the potato fights, but from the sounds of it, those are too outlandish in contrast to some of these more classic moments.
Bonnie’s conversations with Trevor were also full of great back-and-forth. The idea of Bonnie going to therapy last season was something I wasn’t entirely sure that I could see, but now that she’s eight months in therapy seems like a natural extension for her.
The fact that she interprets their relationship as one of friendship too, is a very Bonnie comment. The thing is, Bonnie isn’t wrong!
Trevor’s function is a lot like what her AA friends do. They listen, and then they go to the bistro where they often help each other through their problems.
It makes sense that Bonnie would apply that logic to their relationship in the room and that Trevor would maintain that boundary.
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This episode highlights more growth on Bonnie’ .s end. We’ve seen plenty of strides on Season 7 already, but the fact that Bonnie seems genuinely concerned and manages to turn the tables on Trevor is interesting.
It means she’s learning.
Bonnie from several seasons ago wouldn’t have cared about Trevor and his wife. She wouldn’t be asking all those questions. She would have been too wrapped up in her head to ask about Trevor and Sandra.
I’m starting to think that if anyone needs a fictional case study concerning if empathy could be taught then they need look no further than Bonnie Plunkett.
At the end of it all though, Bonnie ends up having a very frank talk with Adam, who is worried about death.
Mom is really hitting some very serious notes with its episodes as of late, and Adam’s fear of death is another one.
It’s a very real fear and it’s something Adam is coping with now that he feels like he has a future and a woman he loves. Even when
Bonnie reassures him that she can take care of herself, he says that doesn’t make him feel better.
Adam’s concerns are real, relatable, and hard to communicate, but having them out in the open and being able to have a genuine conversation about them helps. Bonnie’s able to provide that, which shows just how much she’s matured over the years.
Stray Thoughts:
- At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we need more of Wendy! Damn, they finally dropped that tidbit of her marriage to a guy who needed a green card and brush it over so fast. What else has Wendy done.
- So, are Christy’s glasses gonna be making more appearances now.
- Tammy is a giant child and I love her for it. That logic that she’d dance throughout all of Footloose because the other people in the town couldn’t is precious.
What did you think of this episode of Mom? Share your thoughts on this episode in the comments below.
And don’t forget to watch Mom online for more hijinx from Christy, Bonnie, and the rest of the Bistro bunch.
Lauren Busser is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.