Emmy Episodes: Mom

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the third year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Mom: Season 5, Episode 21 “Phone Confetti and a Wee Dingle” (B)

Looking back at my reviews of star Allison Janney’s submitted episodes for the past two seasons, it appears that I’ve grown much fonder of this show over time. I didn’t have high hopes for this half-hour other than this show is perfectly harmless, an entertaining break from the seriousness of other shows and the often repetitive nature of “Saturday Night Live.” There are parts of it that I don’t love and that don’t feel necessary, but this was a fun installment. I don’t remember William Fichtner being a member of this cast last time I checked in, and this probably isn’t the best use of the breakout “Invasion” star who went on to do great things in season two of “Prison Break” before that show went way, way downhill. Fortunately, he’s still funny, and he complements the two wild women well, who of course had an encounter with the police very shortly after crossing into Nevada. I wasn’t sure where I recognized Officer Blankenship from, and it turns out Max Adler was Karofsky on “Glee.” I enjoyed Bill Fagerbakke as Sergeant Reubenzer, who built a great rapport with Bonnie as a fellow parent. Having to stare at the parking lot as punishment for gambling away $4000 doesn’t seem entirely fitting, but I guess that’s just the kind of plot point I’ll have to disregard if I want to find this show fully entertaining. Janney feels totally comfortable and in charge here, even if this is hardly the best work she’s done on television. Add this to the list of Emmy-nominated shows I don’t mind watching each year.