This new sitcom centered around three generations of women living in the same household—starring Allison Janney (in an Emmy-winning role) and talented comic actress Anna Faris—hails from Chuck Lorre, creator of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. Like those shows, Mom revolves around dysfunctional characters, but uses humor to explore more serious issues. Janney plays Bonnie Plunkett, whose daughter Christy (Faris) is—like Bonnie—a single mom and recovering alcoholic. Representing the next generation is Christy's hard-working teenage daughter, Violet (Sadie Calvano), who finds out that she's pregnant by her sweet but stupid stoner boyfriend, Luke (Spencer Daniels). Over the course of the season, Christy confronts her resentment over Bonnie's failures while struggling with her own sobriety and guilt. Janney gets the more caustic role, slow to take responsibility. As time passes, both deal with the complicated emotions of reconnecting with Christy's absent father (and Bonnie's ex-boyfriend), Alvin (Kevin Pollak). Set in the world of working-class jobs, unemployment, and deadbeat dads, the humor is rooted in failure and humiliation, but the narrative is really about slow steps to self-improvement and family support. Unfortunately, this is not to say that Mom is edgy in any way; in fact, it hews rather closely to the Lorre style of insult humor and raunchy one-liners. But it does feature two of the funniest women on TV. Compiling all 22 episodes from the 2013–14 first season, extras include a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
Mom: The Complete First Season
Warner, 3 discs, 459 min., not rated, DVD: $44.98 Volume 30, Issue 1
Mom: The Complete First Season
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