This is a Canadian television sitcom that follows a group of friends as they deal with the challenges of being working mothers. You will find sexy bosses, mean nannies, reversed gender roles, paranoid women and crazy office affairs. The show was written by Catherine Reitman who also stars in the series as Kate. I think she does a fantastic job demystifying marriage, parenthood and gender roles. The story revolves around Kate and Anne (two best friends since college) who share a very strong bond, no bullshit between these two. They don’t hold anything back and this is shown from the first episode, as they stare at each other’s bare chest and engage on a debate about the ‘sogginess level’ of their boobs after motherhood. 😀
Another very particular thing about this show is that all the women are the bread winners, unlike stereotypical gender expectations where the man is expected to be the ‘provider.’ They are not only intelligent but also strong, they stand up for each other and are very compassionate. Yet, one of their biggest frustrations is having to navigate a world that treats them as second category citizens, where they are required to prove their worth on a daily basis. Their determination and ambition often gets in the way of their relationships, exposing the hardships of motherhood, while doing so with humor. The primary driver behind the humor is the indifference shown by society and partners who have no idea of how hard it is to make it all work. Husband’s get jealous of the time moms spend with their children and use it as an excuse to cheat (while helping around to give their spouse more time to be spontaneous never crosses their mind). Employers expect women to go back and work 60 hours a week (while also taking care of the family and the house) to compete with ambitious single males, who throw themselves into work because they have no hot dates for the night nor any friends to hang out with. Society demands and criticizes so much from us that it is hard not to lose your shit as a new mother. You social life is practically dead and even going out on a romantic date with your partner seems like a herculean task.
The show also has a few characters that depict the hypocrisy of gender role expectations, showing that the desire to nurture has nothing to do with gender, warning about the tension that is created when people get too caught up on stereotypes. We also learn that a high sexual libido is not exclusive to men and that women can be ‘players’ too! 🙂 I will not get too much into all the seasons but it shows how mothers are people too. Catherine Reitman did a great job writing a show that advocates for women’s rights in a very subtle but powerful way. Go Kate!
Below is a synopsis of the first three seasons. Enjoy!
Season 1 Trailer
Bear with me on this one. The trailer for season 1 does not make any justice as to how funny this show is, but I am positive that you will get hooked after the first episode! Kate returns to work after her maternity leave, only to find out that two people have been hired during her absence. She was the highest producer at the office prior to having her baby (that’s why they needed two people to do her job) but now she finds herself having to prove her worth once again. She is expected to compete with the new employees while pumping milk in her crystal clear office. The worst part of being a mom? People don’t understand that women wish to continue being looked at as sexual beings and not just as someone that just gave birth. Kate gets all worked up while sharing her X rated movie preferences with the mommy and me group. All these topics and more are introduced in this season. Buckle up!
Season 2 Trailer
Kate’s internal battles leave her exhausted. It is a constant war between her ambition and the needs of her family. Nathan is not an understanding partner at all. He wants to have more kids and in his view, she is being selfish for choosing a career over full time motherhood. She messes up at work, so she struggles with an identity crisis after getting fired. Although, she gets hired at a new hip start up, she has a lot of trouble adapting to the culture. Later on she gets, rehired by her old firm and she struggles to balance the two jobs plus her marriage. Meanwhile, Lionel and Anne explore their new found sexual freedom after he gets a vasectomy. Lots of hot steamy encounters between these two. Anne makes some startling discoveries about her daughter’s sexual life. She becomes controlling and aggressive creating a rift between the two. So Kate comes to the rescue! I like how they depicted the conflicts between mother and daughter. The thoughts that go through Anne’s head and fears are portrayed very realistically. Having two teenage daughters myself, I felt very identified with Anne. As a result, Anne and Lionel have a rough year, so after they make up, they decide to renew their vows. It is during this celebration, that Kate makes a startling discovery about Nate. I was not able to find a clip for this season but here is a synopsis narrated by the writer herself.
Season 3 Trailer
Kate explores her new found romantic freedom after separating from Nate. This season shows her womanly side while hunting for some “D” and opening herself up to new experiences. She ends up sleeping with her boss’ son who suddenly wants to marry her. This is a very common occurrence when boys get to date a mom whose confidence contrasts so strongly with the insecurities of a young girl. If you think social media embarrassment could get you fired, imagine what could happen when your boss finds you naked on his son’s bed? 😀 Have you ever heard of moms doing LSD? Well, if you have not, you will see what happens when they do. I really love how Catherine Reitman portrays the very human side of moms that sometimes just wants to unwind and not be ‘On Duty’ all the damn time. Society has grown to expect women to act like love giving robots who have no needs of their own. And when they do express their needs, society and partners point fingers at them for not fulfilling their duties. No wonder the divorce rate is so high! Wake up people! Moms have needs too! If you are feeling overwhelmed by motherhood and guilty for wanting time for yourself, please don’t, you are perfectly human. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and say NO, whenever you need.
After watching this show I feel a lot less weird. What did you think of this show? Feel free to leave your comments and share your experiences about motherhood.
What is your favorite episode? Leave your comments below 😀
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