My long and complicated relationship with Bonnie Plunkett
When I mean long… I actually mean 5 seasons long. And when I mean relationship I mean weekly anticipation and subsequent watching of every single episode of Mom.
Right. First things first. The long awaited 5th season of CBS’s sitcom Mom is set to premiere on November 2, 2017 and with thus we (the fans) get 22 more episodes of the outstanding series starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris.
The two actresses play a daughter mother/daughter duo who after getting sober is trying to rebuild their lives. With their newly fund sobriety they will attempt to amend and fix all the relationships in their lives and become responsible members of society. And while I genially love and adore most of the characters I’m most baffled and conflicted with Bonnie Plunkett’s (Allison Janney). The elder of the Plunkett women is street smart, tough and resilient women who had a lot of heart-ache and disappointment in her life. A product of the notorious foster system she’s been in and out of foster homes most of her life and in her adulthood was forced to be a single parent to her daughter.
And while I sympathize about her lack of luck I cannot for the life of me bring myself to like Bonnie. Yes Janney is doing a fantastic job in Mom. Yes she has some qualities I admire (she’s smart, sarcastic, free-spirited, realistic, confident, down to earth, open-minded and supportive of her family’s poor decisions) she’s also deceitful, untrustworthy, unkind, rude, selfish she’s not a good friend/mother to have and she’s in general not a nice person. Yes, it’s been said throughout the series from the characters around her and her horrible character is even made a source of humor but is it enough to make you want to be invested in her character?
Hence, the complicated nature of my „relationship“ with Bonnie you see. Like so many fictional characters before her I couldn’t help but wonder… If she would be real, would anyone want to be around her? As a friend or as a partner? I often wondered about this conundrum to be frank. Do the good qualities as small and as little as they may be, really out way the dominant flawed side of one’s character? Is it possible to find redeeming qualities and the look pass the terrible day to day instances of poor judgment in one’s character?
Season 4 ended with her in a bit of an IRS trouble, and I can’t wait to find out the consequences of that in the season 5. I’d like to explore the relationship mending activities with her half-brother/lawyer in the upcoming 22 episodes. Who knows maybe this time around I’ll find my self, really loving Bonnie Plunkett as a character. Maybe the show runners will evolve her character and make her even tolerable just like they did with for instance Amy Farrah Fowler from the Big Bang Theory (but in totally different direction and with totally different approach).
The first episode of Season 5 airs on November 2nd.
I cannot DISAGREE loudly enough. Bonnie Plunkett is the backbone of Mom. Without her the show has no backbone and spotty humor. Allison Janney is GENIUS as Bonnie and honestly the main reason I tune in. I can identify with hrer because she portrays a character in the way that MOST PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEHAVE. The average person lies 15 times a day and or is deceitful. We call them “little white lies” but they’re untruths nonetheless. Allison Janney STEALS EVERY SCENE whether she’s in said scene or simply walking through/in the background. I appreciate your point of view and opinion but I cannot concur and or echo your thoughts because to me they make no sense. Hopefully you’ll snap out if it and be able to see Bonnie as the PIVOTAL character that she is.
I agree with Robert. Bonnie’s character is very real and endearing due to her quirky, witty character…., brilliantly acted.
I agree with Robert. Bonnie’s character is very real and endearing due to her quirky, witty character….so brilliantly acted.
what was Bonnie Plunkett doing for a living before managing the apt bldg?
I don’t really know. Maybe selling drugs, or living on benefits 🙂 Please let me know if you find out. I was wondering that myself 😉
Presumably she was scamming people. She is still doing that! Bonnie is Mean, rude, self absorbed, a liar, cheat, and a thief. I cannot understand why anyone–including her AA friends–would want to associate with her!
I couldn’t tolerate Bonnie Plunkett as a friend. she’s condescending and mean to her daughter, a terrible friend, I’m waiting for the day Wendy slaps her silly.
And Violet is a nightmare–obviously her genes are from Bonnie .Of course Christy was a bad mother–Bonnie was worse and how dare Violet–who is a truly obnoxious, rude person–call her grandmother her life preserver. Her grandmother is why she is the way she is.
I love this show. But I don’t like Bonne Plunkett.and I dislike Violet even more. How dare Violet say Bonnie is her “lifeline” when Bonnie destroyed Christie? I’m glad we’re not seeing Violet anymore. And please–give Wendy a break and let her be liked some of the time! I’d take her over Bonnie as a friend.
Glad you love Mom as well 😉
I binge watched this show and was horrified at how abusive she is to Adam.
If this were a man treating his disabled wife in such a manner, including hitting her, that show wouldn’t last five minutes much less five seasons.
Hate is a strong word for a sitcom character but I really, really dislike this character.