This was not the dream. This week on Mom, Bonnie has a bit of a career crisis when a new building owner takes over.
Christy is lounging around the apartment, much to Adam and Bonnie's dismay (They've got plans.), when the doorbell rings. It's a woman inquiring about one of the vacant apartments. "Ah great. Two bedroom, two bath. First and last, you know the drill," Bonnie says. (If she slips Bonnie a 50, she can even keep her dog there despite the building owner not allowing dogs!) Unfortunately, this is the building owner - the new one, that is.
Rita is the ex-wife of Tony, whose apparently run off with the dry cleaner. And unlike Tony, who only came around to give Bonnie her Christmas bonus, Rita means business. She has a list of things she wants Bonnie to fix so she can raise the rent on everyone and get more profit. (Also, she makes Bonnie look like the friendliest person in the world, so there's that!)Bonnie sets out to "fix" (i.e. there's a lot of holding things together with duct-tape and chewing gum involved!) a few small things around the apartment complex to get Rita off her back. Unfortunately, Rita comes back. She's found even more things she wants Bonnie to fix and if she doesn't have them done in 3 days, she's kicking the Plunkett women to the curb.
At the bistro, Bonnie complains to the girls about Rita and they all bring up the obvious - why doesn't she just do her job? Bonnie decides she doesn't want to hear it and takes off for the bathroom. ("Waitress, I'd like my taco bowl in the bathroom!") Of course, Marjorie goes into mom mode and follows in after her.
Marjorie asks her why she's so resistant to doing the job that puts a roof over her head. "Cause I hate it! It's humilating. I'm in my 50s and I'm plunging toilets! This was not the dream, Marge!" Bonnie says.
Not to worry. Marjorie has some sage advice to get her back on track. "The job isn't who you are. It's just what you're doing on the road to what you're gonna be," she tells Bonnie.
Realizing she's gotta shape up or ship out, Bonnie pulls Christy and Adam in to help her make the last minute repairs. Rita shows up. (Christy knows she's coming because "all the birds just flew out of that tree!") Although she seems to be satisfied with the repairs, she's got another task for Bonnie now. Collect the rent from everyone who's behind or give them the boot.
Unfortunately, one of the people who's very behind is Mr. Munson - blind, Vietnam veteran, and now-has-cancer Mr. Munson. Although the doctors caught it early and are treating it, they've put him on medicines not covered by the VA, so he has no money to cover his rent.
Bonnie tells Christy and Adam that there's no way she's kicking out Mr. Munson. (Because, even Bonnie has standards, ya'll.) Bonnie asks Rita to reconsider Mr. Munson's case and she refuses. "I can't afford to know these people as people. I'm running a business here," she says.
"But they are people!" (Score one for Bonnie!)
Rita still refuses, saying she needs to make a living now that her husband's gone. At that, Bonnie does something truly un-Bonnie like. She quits. "I may hate my job, but I don't have to hate myself. And by the way, whatever part of you that's comfortable throwing a blind man out on the street is maybe the part your husband ran screaming from!" (Another point for Bonnie!)
This declaration seems to wake Rita up a bit. She insists she's not a horrible person, she's just alone and scared and unsure how to make a living for the first time in 32 years, but this isn't the person she wants to be now. At this, Bonnie remembers Marjorie's advice. "It's not who you are. It's just what you're doing on the road to who you're gonna be." Bonnie tells her that she's sure they can find a way to let Mr. Munson keep his apartment and still find Rita the money she needs. And Rita's in! Bonnie finds a discount card to help lower Mr. Munson's new prescription costs, sets up a GoFundMe, starts driving him to his errands so he doesn't have to take a cab, and Rita's allowing him to pay back his late rent over time.
Random Thoughts:
-Bonnie trying to send Rita pictures of the "work"...Oh Bonnie...
- I just about busted out laughing when Adam said that he and Mr. Munson accidentally made money just for hanging outside the front of the building once.
-Is Christy desperate enough to get fro-yo with a magician named Mr. Mystero? Apparently.
-Best quote goes to Bonnie. "I have some experience shaking down people for money....It's part of my extensive...charity work."
Will we be seeing more of Rita? Is Christy ever going to have any luck with online dating? Let me know what you think below!
