S08.E17: A Community Hero and a Wide Turn

[jewel21]

The women attend a gala honoring Marjorie, but Bonnie’s speech doesn’t go as planned.

Airdate: 05/06/2021

[ams1001]

I was going to say "why on earth would anyone pick Bonnie to introduce her at a fancy event?" but then I thought, if she picked someone else Bonnie would have made that all about her, too, so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[Snow Apple]

I would be happy and satisfied if this was the series finale. Everyone is in a good place, there are several new beginnings, and life goes on.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Snow Apple

[ch1]

20 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I was going to say "why on earth would anyone pick Bonnie to introduce her at a fancy event?" but then I thought, if she picked someone else Bonnie would have made that all about her, too, so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

The person that would have made the most sense would have been Christy.  Plus she would have called Bonnie out on making it all about her. 
 

[Grizzly]

Tammy is developing good taste in men. And I loved her gold suit. Actually everyone looked great. Wish Wendy could have a better ending than flashing a nun. Maybe they could do a spin off around her and her job.

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

I would be happy and satisfied if this was the series finale. Everyone is in a good place, there are several new beginnings, and life goes on.

Yes, I agree. Tammy gets a new beau or two, Jill gets her guy and a baby, Marjorie is lauded and her son shows up and is incredibly sweet to her. Even Bonnie behaved (for Bonnie). Wendy is, unfortunately, once again, the butt of a joke. Well, you can't win 'em all.

I just hope next week doesn't return to the insufferable Bonnie and things take a downturn. I may wait for the reviews to roll in and if they are unfavorable, I'll just take this as the finale.

 

[marymon]

Throw Wendy a bone, give her a job promotion something anything..

[Mr. Meatball Man]

"Ugh. Whoever made them sing 'Man in the Mirror' is going to hell."

Even without recent events, this joke doesn't work at all.

The only thing I'm hoping to get from next week's episode is Christy returning, but there's a good chance she won't, so it's going to be very uncomfortable for the whole half hour. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, marymon said:

Throw Wendy a bone, give her a job promotion something anything..

That dress storyline was so stupid and mean.

I loved Tammy's storyline this week.  

[Bastet]

Of course Jill is pregnant; could this have been more telegraphed?  But it kind of works; as annoyed as I am by the various stereotypes on display, in a vacuum this is something she has long wanted but has no intention of roping him into, and he surprises her by being ready and thrilled.  Maybe it's just that I've had an extra couple of drinks since I'm off tomorrow, but good for her.

I thought Bonnie's speech was lovely, that she'd planned to say something different - and less respectful - but Marjorie being with Jill instead of taking the stage made her speak from the heart.  And I loved Marjorie's son's appearance, when she asked if he was okay.  And Marjorie rolling with the original speech in the limo.

I hope they don't try too hard with the finale; this was a good episode, but cramming in "happy endings" often leave me wishing the penultimate episode was the finale.

What is this award event that it's black tie?  I missed the details, coming in a couple of minutes later, but they're all dressed for something much swankier than what Marjorie would likely be honored for.

 

[Harvey]

I feel like the mood and vibe of this episode was very different from any previous episode of mom. The way the characters talked to each other in the limo and at the gala was just different, maybe more close to life and less focused on making us laugh.

I really liked Jill's line about suffering through Margerie's night, that was funny.🤣

Does someone know why it was a problem to make a kindergaten choir sing "man in the mirror"?

[possibilities]

1 minute ago, Harvey said:

Does someone know why it was a problem to make a kindergaten choir sing "man in the mirror"?

Maybe because MJ was a pedophile?

[Harvey]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

Maybe because MJ was a pedophile?

Oh I see thanks. I am not familiar with the song so I didn't know it was by that person.

[Kiddvideo]

I found the first half insufferable, but Tammy’s crush on the driver turned it around. I’m glad Bonnie realized how poorly she treats Marjorie, but Marjorie wasn’t getting the Napa Valley Community Award for saving Bonnie Plunkett.

I hope Christy doesn’t come back. The cast and writers did a pretty good job of writing around her absence, and why should Anna Faris get the honor of returning? She left right before filming started — how many hours had the staff spent mapping the season or even actively writing episodes. I’d be ok if they didn’t even mention her. She lives in DC and will be a big lawyer. The end.

Everyone but Wendy has gotten their moment/living their best life. C’mon, Wendy!

[ch1]

1 hour ago, Kiddvideo said:

I hope Christy doesn’t come back. The cast and writers did a pretty good job of writing around her absence, and why should Anna Faris get the honor of returning? She left right before filming started — how many hours had the staff spent mapping the season or even actively writing episodes. I’d be ok if they didn’t even mention her. She lives in DC and will be a big lawyer. The end.

Anna Faris was a part of the show for 7 of 8 years.  Leaving the last season doesn’t erase what she brought to the show for the majority of time it was on the air. 

 

 

 

 

[Kiddvideo]

1 hour ago, ch1 said:

Anna Faris was a part of the show for 7 of 8 years.  Leaving the last season doesn’t erase what she brought to the show for the majority of time it was on the air.

Ymmv, of course. I’d tired of the character before Anna left, and I feel like I feel about how (and likely why) Anna chose to do it. I’m not suggesting Chuck Lorre should drop a piano on her like he did Charlie Sheen.

[MarthaEllisanne]

Kudos to the wardrobe and hair/makeup departments. The outfits the women wore to the banquet were beautiful, simple & elegant, and perfect for each actor. Wendy's dress was pretty - too bad it was used for a gag. It was nice to see the ladies out of their jeans and hoodies for a few moments. They were lovely.

[Irlandesa]

I think this episode is a reason why I don't want Christy back.  This was a wonderful episode to wrap Marjorie's story on a happy note with her son being the one to nominate her.  It was an excellent and satisfying conclusion to her story which often focused on how her alcoholism cost her a relationship with her son.  And Jill's story is starting to wrap up with the one thing she really wanted which was a child.  We're getting a vision of their future.

The finale is only a half an hour.  Unless Bonnie's wrap up is Christy related, I don't think there's going to be much room for her with things needing to be wrapped up in an emotionally satisfying way for Tammy and Wendy and Bonnie and maybe Adam.  I think any Christy appearance at this point would be shoehorned in which wouldn't be satisfying in the way I think this episode was.

[bad things are bad]

Christy comes home for the summer with a fabulous boyfriend, Violet and Roscoe come over to see her, and Wendy moves to Detroit for a big promotion at the same hospital as Abishola. No pianos were harmed in the filming of this episode, although my husband would be much in favor of one dropping on Bonnie

The End. 

[LucyEth]

Loved this episode even the cliche of Jill getting pregnant.  I hope the finale does not disappoint.  

[Callietwo]

6 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

I hope Christy doesn’t come back. The cast and writers did a pretty good job of writing around her absence, and why should Anna Faris get the honor of returning? She left right before filming started — how many hours had the staff spent mapping the season or even actively writing episodes. I’d be ok if they didn’t even mention her. She lives in DC and will be a big lawyer. The end.

Oh Please... I am so hoping you're right!  She was an anchor in the show the last season or two and not in a good way.  Christy specific storylines just weighed the show down.  I get why AF left but I don't want to see her back.

6 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

Everyone but Wendy has gotten their moment/living their best life. C’mon, Wendy!

Indeed!

31 minutes ago, bad things are bad said:

Christy comes home for the summer with a fabulous boyfriend, Violet and Roscoe come over to see her, and Wendy moves to Detroit for a big promotion at the same hospital as Abishola. No pianos were harmed in the filming of this episode, although my husband would be much in favor of one dropping on Bonnie

The End. 

Then a large part of the final show would dedicated to an actor that had a contract and bailed at the last minute. Why reward her for that?  Again, I get why she left but they could never mention her again and the show wouldn't suffer at all.  

[illdoc]

38 minutes ago, Callietwo said:

Then a large part of the final show would dedicated to an actor that had a contract and bailed at the last minute.

Of course, that might still be better than devoting a portion to

Spoiler

two new actors (based on the photos that have been released, several contain new people and look like they will be in several (Bonnie) scenes).

 

[Mr. Meatball Man]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

Maybe because MJ was a pedophile?

 

8 hours ago, Harvey said:

Oh I see thanks. I am not familiar with the song so I didn't know it was by that person.

The joke was low-hanging fruit at best. MJ was an alleged pedophile and the Wade Robson case was recently thrown out. Leaving Neverland was exposed as having inaccuracies and falsifications days after it came out, to which even the director had to admit to it on Twitter. It was a one-sided melodrama meant to sell a narrative that's not even widely accepted. 

I would have laughed at an R. Kelly joke, because that's at least based on something that we all know happened. Referencing the MJ allegations in 2021 just seems cheap and can easily be disputed. 

[treeofdreams]

I loved the ending with Tammy driving the limousine!

[Callietwo]

53 minutes ago, illdoc said:

Of course, that might still be better than devoting a portion to

  Hide contents

two new actors (based on the photos that have been released, several contain new people and look like they will be in several (Bonnie) scenes).

 

Except those would move the storyline forward for the actors that didn't bail.  (presumably anyway) 

[mammaM]

" Hey, did I ever tell you I was a 14 pound baby? Most of that was my head."

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Yes, it was cliche and predictable, but that line made me snort tea thru my nose😂😂😂

[iMonrey]

I'm just glad Bonnie had a moment of self awareness and maturity, no matter how temporary. What she was planning for Marjorie was completely childish and uncalled for. It was nice to see her honoring her for a change. 

Still not crazy about Jill's pregnancy, it's too cliche. But overall I agree this would have been a good stopping point for the show.

[nodorothyparker]

While I'm not wild about Jill getting a slapped together happy ending when she was actively stalking and talking about the beauty of setting fires just a few episodes ago, an ending is an ending and I guess this one will do for her. It's at least not coming completely out of left field but tying up a thread that's popped up periodically throughout the seasons.

 I liked this one a lot more than I've liked the last several as it was more of ensemble episode that gave everybody a little something to do without forcing us to watch them all spend the entire episode talking Bonnie out of being terrible. She did come to appreciate Marjorie almost entirely on her own, so that's progress, I guess. This show really is at its best when it's not just the Bonnie story.

Tammy's enthusiasm for everything, whether it's banquet food or driving a limo, always makes me smile.

 

[MissLucas]

That was quite lovely. Although I have no idea why Adam stopped recording once Bonnie went off-script. And when it was revealed that 'Lorenzo' had nominated Marjorie it got a bit dusty in my room. Jill's pregnancy was predictable but I was still happy for her and for Tammy whose enthusiasm for life is just a joy to watch. Too bad Wendy did not get a decent plot.

As for the man in the mirror I blanked on the allegations against MJ and thought it was supposed to be inappropriate for kids because the lyrics clearly reflect the thoughts of an adult 🤷‍♂️

[possibilities]

8 hours ago, Callietwo said:

I get why AF left

Do we know why? I thought it was a mystery, but if you have more info, I'm curious!

[treeofdreams]

3 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Tammy's enthusiasm for everything, whether it's banquet food or driving a limo, always makes me smile.

 

2 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Tammy whose enthusiasm for life is just a joy to watch

I wish Tammy could get a spinoff, but since she and Bonnie are partners in the business I suppose that would not be possible.

I would love to see Tammy and Chef Rudy together in a third series.

 

Gosh, remember when Tammy first joined the show and people really didn't like her?  How far we have come!

[Callietwo]

33 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Do we know why? I thought it was a mystery, but if you have more info, I'm curious!

In a previous post of mine at was quoted, I mentioned her character had become an anchor weighing the whole show down with lousy SL's so that was why I said I get why she chose to quit while she still had a year of her contract left but I also think she she shouldn't be any part of this last episode.  She chose to leave and they wrapped it all up neatly already.  

[Sarah 103]

@treeofdreams When Tammy first joined the show, she was too big, too loud, too annoying, but the writers realized that very quickly and toned down her character. They found the right level and what her role in the group was, and the character dramatically improved. I would love a spin-off of Tammy and Bonnie's business. I'd like for this hypothetical spin-off to also include Adam's bar. It's thier hangout when they're not working or at home. Unless one or both of the actresses has something lined up, there's no reason it couldn't happen. 

[treeofdreams]

15 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

@treeofdreams When Tammy first joined the show, she was too big, too loud, too annoying, but the writers realized that very quickly and toned down her character. They found the right level and what her role in the group was, and the character dramatically improved. I would love a spin-off of Tammy and Bonnie's business. I'd like for this hypothetical spin-off to also include Adam's bar. It's thier hangout when they're not working or at home. Unless one or both of the actresses has something lined up, there's no reason it couldn't happen. 

Yes, they did a good job of adjusting her character.

I like your idea, but since I am still puzzled about why Mom was canceled, I suspect they would not continue with something so similar to the original.  They would need a complete re-set.

Edited to add:  I would prefer to see a Tammy spin-off without Bonnie - I am tired of Bonnie's character.  Maybe they could find a reason for her to not be there (shouldn't be too hard) and give Tammy a crew of other women who have been in prison to help with the business.

Edited May 8, 2021 by treeofdreams

[Sarah 103]

16 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Yes, they did a good job of adjusting her character.

I like your idea, but since I am still puzzled about why Mom was canceled, I suspect they would not continue with something so similar to the original.  They would need a complete re-set.

Edited to add:  I would prefer to see a Tammy spin-off without Bonnie - I am tired of Bonnie's character.  Maybe they could find a reason for her to not be there (shouldn't be too hard) and give Tammy a crew of other women who have been in prison to help with the business.

I love your idea for the spin-off. Tammy and a crew of women who have been in prison would be fantastic. Bonnie becomes Maris in Fraiser. We hear about her and what she's doing, but we never see her. Bonnie still exists as part of the business, we just never see her anymore. Tammy could also have her businesses in a new location far away, which would explain why Bonnie is no longer there.  

My understanding of why it was cancelled had to do with Anna Farris. At the last minute when she decided not to do the show, the network decided to cancel it after season 8. 

[JeanJean]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:04 AM, Kiddvideo said:

I found the first half insufferable, but Tammy’s crush on the driver turned it around. I’m glad Bonnie realized how poorly she treats Marjorie, but Marjorie wasn’t getting the Napa Valley Community Award for saving Bonnie Plunkett.

I hope Christy doesn’t come back. The cast and writers did a pretty good job of writing around her absence, and why should Anna Faris get the honor of returning? She left right before filming started — how many hours had the staff spent mapping the season or even actively writing episodes. I’d be ok if they didn’t even mention her. She lives in DC and will be a big lawyer. The end.

Everyone but Wendy has gotten their moment/living their best life. C’mon, Wendy!

I tend to think Anna is the reason there was a show in the first place. She was probably attached to the project at the start.
I also would like to see something happy for Wendy. And I kind of wish there would be some little mention of the kids, Baxter, Ray, etc. It's as if the kids never existed and I thought the kids really grounded Christy's character. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Although I have no idea why Adam stopped recording once Bonnie went off-script.

I thought the same thing. It was just a nice presentation, it would have been nice if Marjorie could have seen it.

Quote

Do we know why? I thought it was a mystery, but if you have more info, I'm curious!

Anna Faris said on her podcast she was worried about Covid 19. She does have a six year old son she has to take care of. They'd probably be hard-pressed to force someone to work during a pandemic so you could give her the benefit of the doubt and say that's why she chose not to return. Or the more cynical take is that she used Covid as an excuse not to return. I really couldn't blame her after the way the show degraded her character. 

[bichonblitz]

Wow, they really turned Jill's boyfriend in to an annoying doofus. He was not like that when they met. He was cool, yet sweet and he knew how superficial Jill was and had no problem pointing that out to her. 

How stupid for Marjorie to not be seated at the table. She was cheated out of hearing Bonnie's heartfelt (for once) speech and I thought that really sucked. Instead they all hovered around Jill in the bathroom waiting for her test results. Like a bunch of high schoolers. So badly done.  

It must have taken the writers all of 30 minutes to put this episode together. They could have thought of a better way to announce Jill's pregnancy and highlight Marjorie's achievement.  

Edited May 9, 2021 by bichonblitz

[treeofdreams]

18 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

How stupid for Marjorie to not be seated at the table and cheat her out of hearing Bonnie's heartfelt (for once) speech. Instead they all hovered around Jill in the bathroom waiting for her test results. Like a bunch of high schoolers. So badly done.  

I guess the point of all that was to show how selfless Marjorie is - she chooses to support her friend rather than focus on receiving an award.  Although I agree it would have been nice if she had heard Bonnie's speech, since what she usually hears is Bonnie putting her down.

[SmithW6079]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Anna Faris said on her podcast she was worried about Covid 19. She does have a six year old son she has to take care of. They'd probably be hard-pressed to force someone to work during a pandemic so you could give her the benefit of the doubt and say that's why she chose not to return. Or the more cynical take is that she used Covid as an excuse not to return. I really couldn't blame her after the way the show degraded her character. 

Except she had a two-year deal, so her salary was locked in, even if she had one line in an episode. 

Bonnie is such a horrible person. Why are they friends with her? She was even mocking Marjorie for her son's name. It's too late now, but the next time Bonnie called Marjorie "old," she should have reminded Bonnie that Bonnie is a great-grandmother. 

Plus, it was another episode where Bonnie is a POS but then realizes the error of her ways (until the next episode).

I liked the rest of the women together in the bathroom. I would watch a show called "The 12," about them as they work the 12 Steps. Maybe Bonnie relapsed after Adam dumped her because he got tired of her BS, and now she is living on the streets and no one knows where she is.

Edited May 9, 2021 by SmithW6079

[bad things are bad]

Quote

I tend to think Anna is the reason there was a show in the first place. 

yeah, she got Fonzied, or Barbarino'd,. IIRC, there was a category on TWOP for shows where a secondary character took over.

Christy was THE Mom the first few years if you look at the opening credits, then she got pushed aside and progressively became more of a sad sack. 

[ctlady]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:20 PM, iMonrey said:

I'm just glad Bonnie had a moment of self awareness and maturity, no matter how temporary. What she was planning for Marjorie was completely childish and uncalled for. It was nice to see her honoring her for a change. 

Still not crazy about Jill's pregnancy, it's too cliche. But overall I agree this would have been a good stopping point for the show.

Agree with all of this.  I thought the entire episode was a cringe fest.  Right from the moment Tammy tapped her glass at the Bistro and said she had some news to where Bonnie chimed in, "Is it about me?" I wanted to shut the tv off.  Do the writers really think it's funny to make her a serial narcissist?  It's about as annoying as Jill's hoity-toityness.  But alas - only one episode left and I'm not going to miss it because there is nothing 'MOM' about this show anymore

 

On 5/9/2021 at 12:30 PM, treeofdreams said:

I guess the point of all that was to show how selfless Marjorie is - she chooses to support her friend rather than focus on receiving an award

Or maybe....having someone go into the bathroom and get her to come out for a moment to receive her reward.  It's not like someone relapsed and got drunk.  Jill thought she was pregnant.  Oh my God - stop the world!  This was Marjorie's night.  Tammy and Wendy could've coddled Jill in the bathroom

The best part of the episode, IMO, was Adam's reaction/facial expressions during Bonnie's honest and emotional words about Marjorie.  I was so dreading what she had  planned.  This was not a 'roast' or another vehicle to make fun of her age.  Enough!

Wendy looked smashing in that dress - only for the d-bag writers to turn it into a way to humiliate her

 

[Sarah 103]

8 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

yeah, she got Fonzied, or Barbarino'd,. IIRC, there was a category on TWOP for shows where a secondary character took over.

You can't compare Fonize and Barbarino, but not Christy. On Happy Days, Fonzie, for the first season or two, was a minor character that became a fan favorite and then one of, if not the central character of the series. Welcome Back Kotter started off as an esemble show with Kotter at the center, but then the focus slightly shifted to Barbarino. What happened to Christy is the opposite. She started off as one of the central characters and then over the course of the series got pushed to the sidelines. 

[nodorothyparker]

Bonnie is the Fonzie of this series. She wasn't even in the opening credits first season.

[bad things are bad]

Quote

 

 What happened to Christy is the opposite. She started off as one of the central characters and then over the course of the series got pushed to the sidelines. 

 

I wasn't clear, sorry. IMO Christy was the victim of being Fonzied;  as nodorothyparker said, Bonnie is Fonzie in this scenario. 

[Stats Queen]

I felt that Wendy’s whole dress falling down was sort of an inside joke are observation. Wendy was always there, was great comic relief, had an incredibly interesting backstory, but she was always put in the background, but “now we see all of Wendy” but we never did.

There were so many lost opportunities throughout the series to leverage Wendy’s backstory (and the excellent actress). Maybe the writers were making fun of themselves - I don’t know.

As another post suggested, a spin-off with Wendy and her nurse friends could potentially be awesome.

[possibilities]

On 5/16/2021 at 7:19 PM, Stats Queen said:

As another post suggested, a spin-off with Wendy and her nurse friends could potentially be awesome.

I would like that. It would certainly make up for having given her the most neglected character of this show's ensemble.

[proserpina65]

On 5/6/2021 at 11:29 PM, Mr. Meatball Man said:

"Ugh. Whoever made them sing 'Man in the Mirror' is going to hell."

Even without recent events, this joke doesn't work at all.

The only thing I'm hoping to get from next week's episode is Christy returning, but there's a good chance she won't, so it's going to be very uncomfortable for the whole half hour. 

I laughed out loud at that line, so I guess whether or not it worked was a matter of opinion.

I loved this episode, everything in it worked for me.

 

[kitkat343]

Rewatching this show, I have to say that the episodes with Violet were some of the funniest (and I think the highlight was her college professor boyfriend's mom coming to dinner).  I don't think Roscoe added much to this show, but its disappointing they didn't at least give us an update on Violet.  I could have skipped the fighting new drunks in favor of that.