Mom – Fingers Guns and a Beef Bourguignon

By starrymag | May 9, 2019

By: Sammi Turano

 

 

The episode opens with Bonnie (Allison Janney) hitting the snooze button on her alarm clock. Adam (William Fitchner) says this was her third snooze and she says she is trying to sleep. He says he is as well, but some jerk’s alarm keeps going off. She explains she doesn’t have to move her car until seven and he wonders why he has to wake up at 6, 6:08 and 6:16.  She needs a slow transition from sleep to wakefulness and she thinks she isn’t allowed to ask for her needs to be met. Adam says no therapy speak before coffee.  Bonnie says some people are threatened by their partner’s growth and he says Trevor is lucky he only sees her for an hour a week. She thinks his level is completely out of proportion to the situation and this is transference. She wonders what he is angry about and he says he is looking at it. She explains the correct answer is “your mother.”

 

Bonnie walks into the living room to see Christy (Anna Faris) prepared for her first day of work at the law firm. She organized her briefcase and has a power bar for power. She says she will probably get killed in a freak accident (like being squished like a bug by a plane) on the way because that is the way her life works. Bonnie says she will miss her and asks her to move her old car parked by the scary house. She leaves looking for scary planes while the alarm goes off again. Adam yells at her to turn it off.

 

Christy is being given a tour of the law firm by Russell (Andrew Ridings). He shows her to her office, which is actually the copy room.  He introduces them and tells her to make copies for the 11:00 meeting. She thinks he wants her to go to the meeting and he does….to drop off the copies.

 

Bonnie talks to Trevor (Rainn Wilson) about moving her car every morning and how Adam is complaining and perpetuating his own victimhood. He says she is good at remembering therapy terms, misusing them and blocking out things she doesn’t want to hear. She sarcastically says he is filled with compliments today and she will use a second parking space if she had one. She thinks Adam should respect that and the fact that she still has her old car. Trevor is concerned that she cannot let go of the car and wonders why she is holding on to something that is causing her problems. She says she loves him. He says he meant the car. She says she hasn’t gotten around to getting rid of it, even though it has been a month. She wonders why he is attacking her and if she reminds him of his mother. He talks to her about procrastination and she says boring her is a common symptom of him. He lets her know that her assignment is to get rid of the car and she continues to argue. He tells her she is being deliberately obtuse and she thinks it is transference. He says he never should have taught her that word.

 

At the bistro Bonnie asks Wendy (Beth Hall) to pass the salt. Jill (Jaime Pressly) tells her to do it quick before she rants about her needs not being met. Bonnie tells her she is passive aggressive and goes into what Trevor thinks of her friend group. Jill says that if they were still boozing it up “Trevor Says” would make a great drinking game. Tammy (Kristen Johnston) says they would be so hammered so fast. Bonnie talks about her homework assignment of getting rid of the car and says her procrastination is because of her ADD. Wendy says that “because I have ADD” would be another great ranking game. Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy) notes with that phrase they would be dead. Jill says you don’t have to have ADD to procrastinate and says she has had a package meant for her neighbors. For the past three years.

 

Marjorie says she has been putting off listening to Victor’s last voicemail because she is afraid that he was mad at her and she doesn’t want that to be her last memory. Wendy says she has a “Wed-alender” to prevent procrastinating and Bonnie says that is so boring it makes her want to wen-dal-e-die.

 

Tammy talks about her love of checklists. Marjorie says she thinks Tammy should get her license and she is tired of being her chauffeur. Tammy says they promised not to discuss roommate things in front of the group. Marjorie states they didn’t and Tammy says they should.

 

Christy comes in talking about how she had a great day but can’t say why due to confidentiality. Tammy says that she got screwed by that once by talking to the wrong lawyer. Christy continues to pretend to be happy, but starts complaining when she is called out on it. They joke that it is the Christy drinking game and pretend to take a shot.

 

Bonnie goes into the bedroom to yell at Adam over a parking ticket and he tells her it is because she has two cars.  She says she is getting rid of the old car and he says he will believe it when he sees it. Bonnie promises to do it first thing that day, but instead goes around seeing if people need things repaired, going to the dentist and making a beef dish that takes 8 hours to cook.

 

Christy is at the restaurant and tells Chef Rudy (French Stewart) she had the wrong order. Paul (Reggie De Leon) whispers something to him and Chef Rudy says she is still not good at this after all these years. She says this might be her only good tip of the night and he sarcastically announces that she needs money so they all need to pull together. She then gets a text from the law firm asking her to come in because they need all hands on deck. She goes to leave and Chef Rudy says she is in the middle of poorly serving customers. She goes to leave and falls, causing Chef Rudy to say that was worth seeing.

 

At the law firm, Christy asks Russell what to do and he sends her back to the restaurant to get everyone food. She goes back to have the guys there staring at her and smirking.

 

At the meeting Bonnie talks about how she did a lot of things she didn’t want to in order to avoid getting rid of the car, including texting Wendy to say “what’s up.” Wendy is like that’s why and Bonnie says that others struggle with procrastination.

 

Tammy says she got her license and says it was fun going to the DMV because she got to go to fun stations and got a great photo taken. Jill returned her neighbors package and found out she is a dermatologist who helped. He found a precancerous mole on her. Marjorie says her last message from Victor was a butt dial ending with him asking the nurse to make him look nice for Marjorie. she says she is going to keep it forever. Bonnie says it is a load of crap and leaves.

 

In therapy Bonnie takes about getting onions on her hot dog and how it is the smell of growth. Trevor is more concerned that she is too attached to her car. She chooses to focus on his sweater vest and he helps her realize the car represents the old her and that is why it is hard for her to get rid of it. She resists his assistance and he helps her place an ad on Craigslist. He warns her that no patient files are on her and she ends up sending a picture of him on a camel to herself.

 

Christy tells Russell an idea she got from reading the case she was copying. She suggests and explains a case they should cite and he goes into the meeting to take credit.

 

Bonnie finally sells her car to a student (Kale Caulson) who plans on pushing it off a cliff for his student film. She freaks out and cancels the sale. She tells him to take his man bun and go to hot yoga. Adam tells her it is his car now but she keeps freaking out. The guy decides to use his dad’s car and leaves. Adam tells her she is being even Bonnier than usual. She finally admits she is attached to the car and how it is hard to let go – of it and the old her. Adam asks if she discusses this with Trevor and she says that they discuss him and how he can make more of an effort in several different areas.

 

At the bistro Jill has a face peel that will make her look three months younger thanks to her new bestie, the dermatologist. Christy walks in, thrilled her ideas are good enough to steal by professional lawyers. She says she is taking the high road and thinks doing something might be micro aggression. Marjorie is impressed. Tammy says she would have stuffed his trunk with rotting fish….for any of them. She even has a fish guy.

 

Bonnie asks Tammy for a dollar and gives her the keys to her car. She knows Tammy wont push the car off of a cliff and says she can tell her therapist to suck it. The ladies get all teary and Christy wonders what kind of fish Tammy would use.

 

The episode ends with Bonnie dreaming that she is kissing Trevor and waking up to realize she understands transference.