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‘Mom’ Meeting: 3 Major Takeaways from Christy’s Courageous Confession

By Reed Gaudens

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Photo Credit: Mom/CBS, Acquired From CBS Press Express

In an important episode of ‘Mom,’ Anna Faris adds more layers to a complex and strong woman as Christy comes to terms with her rape.

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As if Chuck Lorre somehow heard my cries about the previous episode’s problematic dialogue, Mom straightened its shoulders for an emotional, impactful, and political half-hour. It’s a strange side effect of post-2016 entertainment that heavy storylines now bear a greater sense of urgency and timeliness. But as the great Carrie Fisher said, “Take your broken heart, make it into art.”

Mom takes Christy’s broken heart and makes it into a beautifully written and acted episode recalling the rape that Christy repressed 16 years earlier. When she incidentally sees the man who assaulted her during a meeting, all of the emotions she never dealt with return to the surface in one massive tidal wave. Coming off a string of episodes that played it rather safe, Mom thankfully takes a political swing, and it’s about damn time. This is the show that needs to incorporate cutting social commentary. Don’t think that Christy’s italicized use of the word “grab” didn’t ricochet and resonate—we understand where Mom stands. And remember back beginning of Season 4 when I, in no uncertain terms, argued that Anna Faris’ stellar work demanded an Emmy nomination? Different episode, same argument. Here are three major takeaway’s from the latest episode.

1. Marjorie’s sponsor relapsed, and it hits her hard.

When Marjorie arrives late and emotionally disheveled to a meeting, you know something’s up. She makes a beeline for the lectern and announces that her sponsor, who had been sober for north of 50 years, relapsed. Mom has always been strikingly honest about the ups and downs of sobriety, and never more so than with this storyline and how it penetrates the entire group.

Marjorie is shaken by her sponsor’s relapse and opts for a sabbatical from meetings and being the backbone of the group. Everything she knows about the one person she trusted the most with her sobriety changes in an instant. What becomes of her strength? And because Marjorie has such a large heart, she’s probably most concerned about her sponsor. By separating herself from the group, Christy in turn loses her most valued sounding board.

Photo Credit: Mom/CBS, Acquired From CBS Press Express

2. Christy encounters her rapist in her safe space.

One of the most monumental lessons Mom has taught us about addiction recovery and sobriety is the vitality of having a safe space. Christy, Bonnie, Marjorie, Wendy, and Jill gather at their meetings daily, as often as they need, to talk through their struggles. Christy finds her safe space tainted by the appearance of the man who raped her 16 years ago. She immediately rushes out of the meeting and, despite Wendy and Jill’s insistence, refuses to talk about what happened.

The night of her rape, Christy had followed Viceroy Lights (she never got his name, only knew what he smoked) into a room to do lines of cocaine. She had been too high to push him off or tell him to stop and ultimately blamed herself for what happened. Because of this shame, she didn’t report it. Just this week, Abigail Breslin opened up about why she didn’t report her rape. It’s the same weight Christy still carries around with her, and the issue the episode sheds light on.

Next: 'Mom' Meeting: Was Christy's New Boyfriend Treated Fairly?

3. Christy releases the cricket.

For the majority of the episode, Christy’s driven insane by the sound of a lost cricket in her home. It chirps here, it chirps there, but she can’t crawl to it fast enough to catch and release it. Go with me here, but is it too far fetched to assume Mom went poetic? Even for a multi-cam sitcom, a character frantically chasing down a rogue insect cannot be without metaphorical or symbolic subtext. I see you, Mom, and I like where your head’s at.

Anna Faris’ strongest scene yet, the one that will mean so much to so many women, occurs when Bonnie finds her on the floor in the wreckage of her unrelenting search for the cricket. She’s torn apart the house to look like a break-in and instructs Bonnie not to touch her when she tries to help. The cricket has become about more than the cricket. It’s about been triggered by one small thing. It’s about listening to the pain that she has silenced. It’s about letting go of the shame that should have never once weighed on her mind.

Of course, the cricket dies and a cat eats its body, but it’s the ceremonial intent of release that counts, right? Christy’s final speech at the meeting, directed entirely toward Viceroy Lights, finalizes her guilt and concludes Season 4’s, and perhaps the series’, best outing. What did you think of the latest episode? Let us know in the comments!

Mom airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

NOTE: If you or someone you love has been the victim of sexual assault, you can reach out to RAINN.org for resources or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline free of charge and 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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