S5E21 "Phone Confetti and a Wee Dingle"
The episode begins with Bonnie in a dilemma, unsure if she should tell Christy that Patrick is getting married, because that could ruin weekend vacation plans she had with Adam. However, Christy finds out anyway. The mother and daughter end up going on vacation, but Bonnie gets herself in trouble when Christy goes into Dairy Queen and a police officer asks Bonnie why the car doesn't have license plates. Bonnie is funny as always in this scene, getting herself into trouble.
Bonnie spends some time in jail as Christy attempts to get bail money together for her. Bonnie and the police officer have an entertaining dynamic, and there was one exchange I especially liked: "You do know you have the right to remain silent?" "Yeah, that was never my thing." Meanwhile, Christy struggles with the fact that the ATM she has to go to is in the middle of a casino.
I feel like the seriousness of Christy gambling away Adam and Jill's money was glossed over in favor of comedic moments. The moments worked, but I would have liked there to be more weight to this. In the end, the police offer lets Bonnie go after bonding with her, which was a fairly nice ending. The very end of the episode has a funny moment, as Christy and Bonnie get pulled over, and Christy wonders if she has done anything illegal in Nevada that could get her into trouble.
S5E22 "Diamond Earrings and a Pumpkin Head"
While the first half-hour didn't go very deep into Christy's gambling issues, the second half delivered on that front. In the early parts of the episode, Christy is focused on paying Jill and Adam back for the money of theirs that she gambled away. However, things take a turn for the worst one night after Christy got off work. Chef Rudy makes an appearance, as entertaining as he always is, but a seriously bad influence, convincing Christy to join a poker game, where Christy loses money as well as the diamond earrings her friends got her.
At Christy's graduation party, the group notices that she isn't wearing the earrings. After trying to lie her way out of it, she admits what happened, and it infuriates Bonnie. This moment is intense, and Allison Janney is wonderful as usual. Christy leaves, and when Bonnie gets home she finds that Christy isn't there, even though her car is. Bonnie finds Christy walking, and it's another great scene between the two, with Allison Janney's talent on full display. Christy makes amends to her friends, then attends a gamblers anonymous meeting. It is wonderful to see Christy making this decision to better herself on her own, and this must be similar to her first day at AA. The end of the episode has some great news: Christy got into law school. Paying for it will be a challenge, but as Bonnie says, "one day at a time."
Also, throughout the episode, there is a great running story about Marjorie's jealousy of Christy's sponsor Nora (played by Yvette Nicole Brown). Marjorie being bitter at the diner is funny, as is when the two of Marjorie and Nora speak simultaneously at Christy's party. Nora is a great addition to this show (her response to Christy's favorite color line was hilarious), and if Yvette Nicole Brown's ABC pilot is passed on, I hope that Mom considers bringing her on full time by adding her to the main cast. As can be seen, her and Christy are getting closer, despite Nora's insistence on not being friends with those she sponsors.
This strong hour was a great way to wrap of this season of Mom. It did a great job of having Bonnie be her crazy self, but also motherly, and showing Christy dealing with serious issues in the form of gambling, plus there was a happy ending with Christy's law school acceptance. I cannot wait for this show to return in the fall.
Score: 9.5/10
Score: 10/10
What did you think of "Phone Confetti and a Wee Dingle" and "Diamond Earrings and a Pumpkin Head"? Leave your thoughts in the comments!