Mom – Wile E. Coyote and a Pretentious Douche

By: Gladys Luna

While Bonnie (Allison Janney) and Adam (William Fichtner) are unpacking the man’s boxes she discovers quite a few self-help books that Adam claims were only part of a phase he went through. She also finds a few VCR action movies and one that particularly draws her attention is Street Racer 2. Adam immediately explains that said tape doesn’t exactly contain the movie., but actual footage of himself and some friends of their days as stunt men. Bonnie quickly suggests that they should watch it and it is grateful that she had kept the VCR machine that everyone made fun of. Right that moment Christy (Anna Faris) shows up running down the stairs looking for her phone, but Adam helps her realize that she has been holding it in her hand all along. Then, she starts looking for her keys while Bonnie invites her to watch the tape with them. She declines since she has to go and pick up her boss’s dry cleaning. While heading to the door Christy also makes sure that she’s actually wearing a bra. Bonnie is surprised to see Adam walking and pacing around the set while watching the tape and the man says that he used to do all that and also dance like a white man, a charm that he still has. He packs a new box with things he doesn’t need and decides to take them to their bedroom and put them under their bed. Bonnie tries to follow him, but then sees the younger Adam talking directly to the camera and decides to stay a while and watch the full tape. Just a few minutes later Christy runs into the house saying that she is wearing a bra but forgot to wear panties.

Veronica (Paget Brewster) starts yelling Christy’s name, demanding her to deliver her dry cleaning. As usual, the woman runs into her office while trying to explain her boss why she has arrived late. Veronica doesn’t seem to care. Christy helps her dress while the woman moves around the office. When they are done Veronica asks for her coffee, but unfortunately for Christy she doesn’t have the time to get it. So, her boss asks her to get her one before she returns to the office after her meeting.

Bonnie arrives to her therapy session claiming that she has nothing to talk about for the day; however, her therapist Trevor (Rainn Wilson) stares at her while saying that is okay. They stare at each other while sharing an awkward silence until the woman breaks it by asking if that is the way it’s going to be as long as she doesn’t have anything to say. She receives a positive confirmation from Trevor. After a while Bonnie confesses that she saw a video of Adam before his accident and it felt weird for her because it made her realize that they don’t talk about it that much. She explains that the way he once described the moment he flew off a cliff on a snowboard and snapped his vertebrae was not serious, so she allows herself to make jokes about it but hadn’t thought about it until she saw the tape. Trevor says that maybe Adam is not really interested in talking about it and she should respect that, but Bonnie doesn’t seem to be willing to accept it just like that since she believes he needs to open up more to her.

Christy is in line at the coffee shop where she usually gets Veronica’s beverage and realizes that she has been skipped by Sean (Mario Cantone), the barista. She asks him to hurry up since she is in a rush, but the man says everybody is so she must wait. Christy appears to be losing her patience and raises her voice while explaining that if she doesn’t deliver that coffee soon she will be yelled at in a terrible way. Right that moment Jill (Jaime Pressly) walks in saying that she has been waiting so long outside for her that she had to circle the block, double-parked and even had time to buy a pair of shoes. Christy explains to her about her current situation. Sean finally delivers Veronica’s coffee, but has made a mistake about the order. So, Christy loses her mind and yells at him while he says that she needs to be careful since she’s about to go viral and she is not having a good hair day.

Bonnie returns to her home and while sharing breakfast with Adam she tries to get him to talk about his accident but fails since her husband doesn’t seem to be in the mood for it. They continue to have breakfast in “silence” while Bonnie tries to calm down and convince herself of not being intrusive with him. Later that day she meets with the girls at the bistro. Christy and Jill enter the place in a rush while the first one accuses them of ordering without waiting for them to arrive. Wendy (Beth Hall) assures her that they haven’t. Bonnie asks Christy what is wrong with her and Jill suggests not to poke the honey badger. The woman explains that she got kicked out of the only place her boss likes the coffee from because she yelled at the barista who was actually rude with her. When she is told that is an uncharacteristic behavior of her, Bonnie confesses that since she has started working with Veronica it’s like living in a horror movie. Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy) says that everyone seems to be angry recently and Tammy (Kristen Johnston) says that even Marjorie hit her in the head with an orange while trying to hit the TV.

Bonnie is still watching Adam’s video when she hears the keys at the door. She turns it off when he enters the place and asks her about what she is doing but she lies. Then, his videotape comes out of the VCR and he finds out that she had just lied to him. Adam believes that Bonnie wants him to be the man he used to be. She tries to explain to him that is not the case, but she hurts him by saying that she just feels sad for him. As a way to retaliate Adam tells her that watching her stumble through her life makes him feel sad for her too and leaves the room. She goes to Trevor and tells him about what happened between her and Adam and expresses that she was hurt by his words, but Trevor says that maybe he only said it because he was hurt as well. She says that Adam must miss that part of his life since he seemed to be having fun, laughing, full of life and always surrounded by gorgeous women. Trevor asks her if she thinks that her real fear is that if Adam was still that guy he wouldn’t have chosen her. And, unfortunately for the therapist, she quickly comes up with her own conclusion saying that old Adam wouldn’t be with someone like her and that she is in now in a pity marriage. She confesses that she thought he was a fraud, but he has proven her wrong.

Christy shows up to the coffee shop trying to make amends with Sean, but the guy refuses. He calls a customer for his coffee and as a way of revenge Christy takes the coffee and runs away followed by the barista. Adam and Tammy are getting ready to open the bar, but in the meantime he is having a drink which makes the woman question if he is celebrating something or is it just a cry for help. He explains what happened with Bonnie and his thoughts about it, but Tammy tries to get him to reason as she explains that his wife is crazy about him and she’d love him even if his head were the only thing left of him. She raises her voice as she tells him that the only thing that Bonnie wants is for him to open up to her and, ultimately, that is what every woman wants from men. She gets suddenly angry and walks away while kicking some chairs and tables on her way.

Christy returns to Veronica’s office and places a squeezed and almost empty cup of coffee on her desk. When Veronica attempts to drink it she questions Christy about it. When she tells her that a trained poodle could do her job, Christy opens up to her about her feelings and how she plans on asking to be transferred to another lawyer. Veronica suggests she go to a gym and release her stress instead, but the blonde says that she cannot afford it. Veronica gives her a raise.

Adam arrives home and Bonnie is waiting there for him.She tells him about what she managed to figure out in therapy and how he would not have chosen her if he could still walk. Adam confesses that the reason he doesn’t speak about his past is because he was not a good man and didn’t treat women well. He also assures her that old Adam would have not deserve her as he does now and that he believes that if they have met back then their marriage would have not worked. They agree they have met just at the right time.

In the meantime, and as a way to help each other, Veronica and Christy are sharing some time together while boxing and punching each other. Meanwhile, in the corner of the gym, Trevor can be seen hitting a punching bag while saying that he is not a fraud.