| By Lauren Taglienti |
Catherine Reitman never disappoints. The Season 5 of Workin' Moms finale left my jaw dropped—as did the Season 6 finale, but we'll get there—and I was so eager to see how it would unfold. So when the season started right where Season 5 ended, I was very appreciative. I didn't want to miss any scenes in their story.
Something I really appreciate about Workin' Moms is that not only is it hysterically funny and totally inventive, but the seasons are released quickly compared to many other shows. So before I know it, a new season is already out, and I'm saying "Fuck yeah! Thank you Catherine Reitman and Netflix" alone to myself in my room. Workin' Moms is quality TV that makes me laugh out loud—and cry out loud— and releases new episodes often. The first season premiered in 2017, and since then, over the course of 5 years, 6 wonderfully quirky and funny seasons have been released. That's more than one season per year. That's pretty impressive.
What's also impressive is that the show spotlights women being successful in business and in their personal lives, navigating obstacles along the way. "Likable" female characters are often a topic of discussion because of sexism, but being "likable" isn't a part of the conversation about these characters that I want to have. The audience roots for each of these characters in the show, regardless of whether the audience likes them or not, because they are complex characters who do favorable and unfavorable things, just as any person would. People aren't perfect, and characters shouldn't be either.
All the characters are really unique, and no one really falls into any sort of played out character archetype, and they are almost all heroes. However, in Season 6, Jenny does irritating things to other characters in the show that are irksome for the audience to watch, but by the end, the audience is rooting for her again, as she overcomes her insecurities and bonds with the rest of the group. I'm also not a fan of the way Anne treated her husband, but it was clear that that was her lowest low with her anger and that such behavior was necessary for her character to become willing to change.
Anne and Kate encourage each other to make obvious bad decisions, and they end up cosigning on each other's bad decisions, which doesn't end well for them. However, I never found myself rooting against them. It always just felt like something that they had to work through. Kate learns that she has to work through her workaholism and Anne has to work on her anger, two issues that are shown in previous seasons but come to climaxes in this season. Both climaxes of these issues are shocking in different ways, despite these issues being evident throughout their lives in past seasons.
Similarly, Sloane being a powerful executive in publishing is incredible. I love seeing a powerful woman of color represented in publishing, and her character is simply fabulous in so many ways. She's a woman who can accomplish anything, and yet still has some obstacles. And I love watching her overcome them because I know she will overcome them because she's just that determined and resourceful; I just want to see how she's going to do it. Enuka Okuma delivers a perfect performance as Sloane.
The bottom line is that the characters for the above actors deliver wonderful performances, performances that are so believable that I often forget they're acting. The main characters in the show drive the plot forward, and the way the narrative pushes them to their breaking points is fascinating, hilarious, heartwarming, and concerning (if you saw the final scene of the final episode, you understand why that cliffhanger left me very concerned with my jaw dropped). I have a couple friends who love Workin' Moms too, and if you like laughing, quirky characters, a roster of strong powerful females, and a show that has the perfect balance between serious scenes and comedy, then you'll love Season 6 of Workin' Moms.
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