When it premiered in 2013, Mom was primarily positioned as a traditional sitcom that focused on Christy Plunkett, a recovering alcoholic who struggles to rebuild her life while also repairing her frayed relationship with her mother Bonnie. Despite being in the title, Bonnie was at first a supporting character on Mom who frequently supplied comic relief before ceding the spotlight to Christy.
Yet as the series progressed, Bonnie quickly became one of the central characters of the show. When Anna Faris left the role of Christy in season 7, Mom seamlessly continued without her, focusing more on Bonnie and her misadventures. It is testament to Bonnie as a character that the show not only survived without Christy but achieved comedic success over its eight seasons.
Career Opportunities
One of the qualities that makes Bonnie so memorable is her uncanny ability to lie to get what she wants. She almost succeeds in “Forged Resumes and the Recommended Dosage,” which depicts her quest to find a job to help her daughter pay the bills.
She first interviews for a job at one of Silicon Valley’s top marketing agencies, insisting she can “sell veal to a vegan.” When that doesn’t work, she interviews for another job at a local stock trading company. Although she impresses her potential employer by claiming her childhood kitten was named “Nasdaq,” Bonnie is ultimately undone by her lies and is once again jobless. A serendipitous bump from a stranger on the street leads her to apply for a job as a building manager, which becomes her primary source of employment for the rest of the series.
Off The Wagon
One of Bonnie’s chief defining traits is her sobriety. A loyal member of her local AA group, Bonnie helps her daughter through her recovery and serves as a positive if cranky example of the good that rehab can do.
In “Dropped Soap and a Big Guy on a Throne,” Bonnie’s sobriety is tested when she throws her back out in the shower and is prescribed pain medication. Bonnie eventually succumbs to temptation and relapses, which leads to her arrest for driving under the influence. It’s Bonnie’s worst moment that ultimately shows the strength of her character. She quickly restarts the recovery process and doesn’t relapse again.
Terms Of Endearment
One of the primary relationships explored in Mom is the bond between daughter and mother. Throughout the first seven seasons, Mom examined all the intricacies and emotions that occur between a mother and daughter who are both in recovery.
In “Terrorists and Gingerbread,” it’s Bonnie’s role as a daughter that is highlighted when her long-lost mother contacts her out of the blue. Abandoned to a lifetime of foster homes, Bonnie is still bitter when her mother unexpectedly reaches out to see her. Bonnie eventually agrees to meet with her but can’t bring herself to embrace her. In the end, Bonnie realizes she couldn’t do what Christy did for her: forgive her mother.
Crossing Borders
Bonnie isn’t above breaking the law to get what she wants. In “Sticky Hands and a Walk on the Wild Side," she convinces Christy and their AA group to smuggle a “pure, uncut” substance across the Canadian border: maple syrup.
What results is a road trip that combines group bonding, an impromptu Bonnie Tyler sing-along, and a heart-to-heart between mother and daughter that allows Bonnie to show a softer side than she normally does. Even when she is doing something illegal, Bonnie still manages to do the right thing by being there for her daughter and AA friends.
Weak In The Knees
A key aspect to Bonnie’s character is her confidence. In almost every interaction, Bonnie exudes a belief that she is right about everything. Her self-belief is tested in “Caperberries and a Glass Eye,” which depicts Bonnie being stood up on a blind date.
Through Christy’s involvement, Bonnie finds out why she was stood up: her blind date, Adam, is paralyzed from the waist down and was intimidated by her beauty. Challenged by Christy, she begrudgingly agrees to give him a second chance. Although her pride was momentarily wounded, Bonnie was strong enough to recover and date Adam, eventually marrying him in season 6.
Be Careful What You Wish For
One of the highlights of Mom is Bonnie’s antagonistic relationship with Marjorie, the cat-loving den mother of their AA group. Warm, motherly and always available to anyone who wants to talk to her, Marjorie is everything Bonnie isn’t and she hates her for it.
When Marjorie suddenly decides to take a break from her leadership role in "A Cricket and a Hedge Made of Gold," Bonnie is unexpectedly thrusted into the position she had always mocked. While at first thrilled with the power of responsibility, Bonnie soon realizes she doesn’t want the burden of being the group leader and begs Marjorie to return to her previous role. She also learns just how valuable Marjorie is to her, even if she isn’t quite ready to admit it publicly.
Sibling Rivalry
After her birth mother dies, Bonnie is left to pick up the pieces of her mother’s former life in San Francisco. Among the leftover boxes and family memorabilia, Bonnie discovers a secret her mother never told her about: she has a half-brother named Ray. Ray is seemingly everything Bonnie isn’t: rich, successful and evidently drug-free.
Yet in “Fish Town and Too Many Thank Yous,” Bonnie quickly discovers Ray’s perfect life is just a façade. He’s a drug addict who almost gets Bonnie and Christy arrested for possession. After Ray refuses to admit he has a problem, Bonnie does the only thing that will truly help him: she tells him she loves him and kicks him out of her apartment so that he can realize he's hit rock bottom.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (And Got Caught By Bonnie)
In "An Epi-Pen and a Security Cat," after leaving an AA meeting on Christmas Eve, Christy and Bonnie return to discover their apartment ransacked and Christy’s laptop missing. After some sleuthing from Wendy, both Christy and Bonnie make a shocking discovery: the “grinch” who stole their Christmas presents is a fellow member of their AA group, the seemingly benign Mary.
In the spirit of Christmas, Bonnie forgives Mary and stages an impromptu AA meeting at Mary’s apartment to help her deal with both her addiction and her thievery. Bonnie’s forgiveness inspires her to make amends for her own past transgressions by returning to a house she robbed while she was still addicted to drugs.
Analyze This
Throughout Mom, virtually every character who has ever encountered Bonnie has begged her to see a therapist. In “A Dark Closet and Therapy with Horses," she finally relents and seeks out professional help by seeing Dr. Trevor Wells. While at first tasked with helping Bonnie’s ADD, Trevor eventually establishes a tentative friendship with Bonnie that transcends the traditional role of therapist and patient.
As the series progresses, Bonnie gradually turns the tables on her shrink by counseling him through his divorce and helping him rebuild his life. Through her relationship with Trevor, Bonnie becomes the mentor to someone who needs her help without asking for it. At this point in the series, she is too stubborn to refuse helping others, even if they don’t necessarily ask for it.
My Name Is Bonnie And I’m A Grateful Alcoholic
In Mom’s series finale, everything comes full circle. Jill gets married and prepares to have a baby. Tammy finally lands herself a man and makes amends to the judge who sentenced her to prison for seven years. Marjorie finally gets the recognition she deserves by accepting a reward for her humanitarian efforts throughout the years. Even Wendy gets a brief but notable spotlight by speaking the show’s final line.
For Bonnie, her key moment is embracing the reality that her life will always be bittersweet. Her husband Adam has cancer, but the doctors caught it early enough to be hopeful. Her daughter Christy is still absent, but she is pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer. Above all else, Bonnie accepts that she will always be an alcoholic, but one who has grown and matured throughout the show’s run. “My name is Bonnie,” she proclaims at the end of the finale, “and I’m a grateful alcoholic. And if that pisses you off, then keep coming back. Thank you.”