Thoughts on Workin' Moms

Courtesy of Film Daily

When my friend Sara told me to watch Workin' Moms, I was skeptical at first, thinking it would be another sitcom like American Mom. I'm so glad I was wrong about that. I  was drawn in from the first episode and couldn't get enough! Initially, I had also worried that I wouldn't be able to relate since my kids are not babies anymore. However, one of the moms has a daughter who starts off close in age to my daughter, even though they have completely different personalities. 

For those of you not familiar with this series, it's about these women who are in a playgroup together with their babies and they all have a variety of stressors that come with balancing motherhood and their career. Something always has to give, whether it is their romantic relationships, their friendships, their jobs, etc. Toss in some humor and mature content (do NOT watch when kids are anywhere in the vicinity of your TV) and you're all set! 

I didn't know when I started watching this series that I'd be going through withdrawal by the end of season four. The show and characters are so relatable and also quirky. The dialogue is snarky and it just works perfectly for this series. Thankfully, season five is already on CBC and should land on Netflix this spring or early summer. I can't wait! 

Workin' Moms has some actors from two of my favorite shows: Degrassi: The Next Generation and Schitt's Creek! Side note in regards to Degrassi, one of the main characters is named Frankie Coyne. It always makes me think of Frankie and Declan from Degrassi getting married. There's also a character named Bianca on both shows.

Degrassi actors who were on Workin' Moms: Paula Brancati (Jane) played a mom and news reporter. Jonas Chernick (Wesley's uncle) played one of Kate's clients. Elisa Moolecherry (Sydney) played someone interested in buying a house. Dayo Ade (BLT from Degrassi High) played the love interest of a side character. Two actors from Degrassi Goes Hollywood were on, as well: Paul Amos (Mick) played a client at Gaze and Mary Ashton (Hailey) played Kate's sister. A few other people from Degrassi on Workin' Moms are Jane's mom, who played a rich woman who was interested in Frankie; Mr. Hollingsworth, who played a client of Kate's; Ms. Dawes, who played the principal of a preschool, and the teacher in France, who played someone Kate was helping. 

As for Schitt's Creek actors, I only recognized three, but perhaps there were more that I missed. Richard Waugh (Herb Ertlinger) played a love interest for one of the grandmothers, Tennille Read (Golf Club Manager) played Bianca (a character who comes about in season three), and Vanessa Matsui (Lisa Chung, lawyer for The Blouse Barn) played a lawyer on Workin' Moms, as well.

Jann Arden, whose music I really like, played a small role on the series as well. I had no idea it was her until I checked IMDb. Dan Aykroyd had a guest appearance too!

I'm sharing the season one trailer here and will then discuss some spoilers below that. If you haven't watched the series (seasons one through four) yet, stop at the trailer (and start watching the show, if it interests you). If you have, then keep going!

Thoughts on the main characters:

Kate: There is something utterly relatable about Kate Foster. While I can't say I would be as much of a workaholic as she is, even with my kids being much older than hers, I do appreciate what she wants for herself. And when she experienced a huge betrayal, I felt sadder about it than I usually do when someone has that happen to them. I could just feel the hurt emanating from her. Kate is someone I could easily see becoming friends with, as long as she makes time for the friendship. Since Catherine Reitman is the writer of the show, she fits in some humor about an aspect of her appearance. I can appreciate how Kate is self-conscious about it though. I can relate in some ways, as I also don't like how I smile in pictures. 

Anne: Anne Carlson is probably my favorite of all the moms on this show. I love how snarky she is and how she tries to balance being a good mom with laying down the law. She's a good friend to Kate, even when she's getting the short end of the stick. I also love how she took down her nemesis. 

Side note: Kate and Anne's friendship reminds me of my relationship with my best friend. 

Frankie: It took me a while to warm to Frankie, but then I found her to be easily lovable. And those curls! I like that she represents the LBGTQ faction of the show. 

Jenny: Jenny can be cute and charming, but then she's also manipulative and self-serving. I never know which one we're going to get and whether I should like her or not. I found out that the actress who plays her was Evie Cho on Orphan Black. It's been ages since I last saw it, but after seeing pictures, I remember her. 

Thoughts on the spouses (or ex-spouses):

Nathan: Even after what he did to Kate, he still finds a way to be likable, so much that I was glad they got back together and found a way to make things work. He complements Kate really well. The fact that the actors are married in real life adds to that chemistry. 

Lionel: Initially, I found him annoying, but then he grew on me and became a good support for Anne. I definitely prefer him over her first husband.

Ian: Another one who took some time to grow on me. I like how he became part of the moms group in season two. I also like how good-natured he is. I don't like how Jenny treats him.

Gisselle: I really don't like how she was so unsupportive of Frankie during her post-partum depression and then just ended up wanting a divorce. Even after that, she's rude to Frankie most of the time.

Characters I don't like:

Brad: I hate him and his dick face. It was disturbing how he abused his powers and I'm glad he finally got caught for it. I don't think anything was resolved with that situation since his lawyer put Anne in the hot seat. 

Mean Nanny: For what she did to Kate, obviously. But I also couldn't stand how much she was judging Anne. Even if she was good with Alice, her job was to be a nanny, not tell Anne how to live her life. 

Sean: I knew he was trouble even before Frankie did. What a scumbag!

Steve Malk: I think he was there to satirize a certain former leader of a certain country, but I still couldn't stand him anyway. I think the fact that the same actor was Mr. Hollingsworth on Degrassi aided in that. 

Kate's doctor: He just has the worst bedside manner. She needs to switch doctors!

Characters who annoy me:

Juniper: She was okay in season two, but then she had to show up again in season three with that stupid haircut and a somewhat lower IQ. And screwing Frankie over was the tip of the iceberg. I'm glad she was able to help Bianca, but then she should have just moved on. 

Val: She's the playgroup leader, but somehow she seems to glom onto the other moms. She had her somewhat helpful moments and I felt bad for her because her sons were such jerks, but she still annoyed me a lot. 

Forrest: He was just embarrassing most of the time. I'm glad Nathan convinced him to drop his lawsuit against Kate, even before his father told him to drop it. 

Disappearing characters:

Alicia: She was on during the playgroup scenes and then disappeared in season three. I always wished that she would have more time on screen instead of Jenny. She came off as this perfect mom, so it would be fun to see how flawed she is "behind the scenes."

Sonia: I thought she and Ian were going to be in a committed relationship and then she just disappeared starting in season three. What's up with that?!?

There were so many characters between all four seasons that talking about each one would keep me working on this post forever. I also didn't know where to fit some in, such as Mike, the guy who was helping Kate with her PR business and was really hot, but then turned into a bit of a jerk. Or Rosie, the assistant at Gaze, who later became Kate's assistant. She could be helpful but also really annoying, as well. Just not enough to make it to the annoying list. 

If you have made it this far, what are your thoughts on Workin' Moms?