Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Mom on CBS.
Mom has come to an end after eight seasons on CBS, and the final episode was an emotional endeavor that included an emotional speech from Allison Janney's Bonnie that surely tugged at the heartstrings of many fans. What the finale didn't include that certainly would have brought some emotional outpouring was the return of Christy, but Anna Faris remained absent. The finale didn't even deliver an update on Christy at Georgetown, but fortunately, showrunner Gemma Baker has opened up about what's happening with Christy beyond the series finale that didn't feature her.
Anna Faris' surprise departure from Mom between Season 7 and Season 8 was explained away by saying that Christy went to Georgetown for law school, off-screen and on a full scholarship. Christy had gotten a few mentions here and there since, but any hopes for a surprise appearance in the finale were dashed. The good news? According to showrunner Gemma Baker speaking to Deadline, Christy is doing fine in her own way:
I think that Georgetown probably presented a lot of struggles for Christy but that she has in her what it takes to ultimately succeed. I don’t think that it as easy for her in any way. I like to think that she also got into a happy and healthy relationship and that she is very much still a part of her mother’s life and her friends’ life. We didn’t see her in the finale but she is still part of that group.
No fan is probably surprised that Georgetown would present some struggles for Christy, as both the workload and the new surroundings had to be tough on her after spending so much time with the same group and her mom. Still, a happy and healthy relationship isn't something that Mom always had for her, and moving to Georgetown didn't mean cutting all ties with the people she left behind. Fans just didn't get to see her.
And according to Gemma Baker, fans were never likely to see Anna Faris back as Christy for the series finale. The showrunner shared if there were discussions about a return from Christy and weighed in on any loose ends that weren't quite tied off by the final episode:
I think first of all we really just wanted to honor Anna’s decision to leave the show. So, that wasn’t a discussion. But there were so many things that we wanted to address that we didn’t get a chance to. Perhaps, if we had a little more time we would have gotten a chance to address those things. But I do think we addressed the big questions that our audience has in the last few episodes.
So, it wasn't a matter of a plan to bring Christy back that fell through, but the Mom team sticking with the surprise decision that Anna Faris made ahead of Season 8. Of course, she wasn't the only absence from the finale, with characters including Roscoe and Violet nowhere to be seen. Still, in an era of off-screen pandemic production challenges where some shows weren't even able to come back at all, Mom delivering the emotional and impactful finale that it did is impressive.
Now that Mom has come to an end, fans can only look ahead to the future, and the good news is that the summer TV lineup is packed with some solid options. Then again, if you're in the mood for a Mom blast from the past when Christy was still in the mix, you can find the first seven seasons streaming on Hulu now.
