Workin' Moms: a comedy that shows what being a mom is really like

In April 2023, streaming began for the last season of a wonderful series about four friends and mothers. If you haven't followed the daily ups and downs of Kate Foster, Anne Carlson, Frankie Coyne, and Alicia Rutherford yet, we can recommend it, because it's very funny!

'Workin' Moms' made its debut in Canada in 2017, and when Netflix picked up the Canadian hit sitcom in January 2019, the show found massive success.

The main reason for 'Workin' Moms' success most likely lies in the raw, honest, and just plain hilarious views on motherhood.

Nearly every mother watching the show can relate to at least one of the problems or difficulties the characters face while juggling partners, careers they love, and children.

The main characters are Kate, Frankie, Anne, Jenny, who are almost like the new Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha...but for moms. We all have one that we like best and relate to the most. Join us now as we take a look at the main characters and what we consider to be some of the best takeaways from the show.

Kate Foster is played by Catherine Reitman, who is also the sitcom's creator. Kate is a PR executive and mother of two. She is highly driven and seems to be the glue that holds her group of friends together.

Dani Kind plays Anne Carlson. Anne and Kate are best friends. Anne is a therapist, author, and mom to a teenager and a baby.

Juno Rinaldi plays Frankie Coyne. She isn't quite as pulled together like Kate and Anne. She struggles with postpartum depression in the first season, keeping her wife happy and maintaining her career in real estate.

Actress Jessalyn Wanlim holds the role of Jenny Matthews, who probably has the most difficulty with the whole mothering gig out of all the moms. Jenny seems not to be super interested in all things babies, and her main focus is much more on her career.

Valerie "Val" Szalinsky, played by Sarah McVie, is probably the most hilarious character on the show. She brings an element of wacky comedy to the show that is just priceless. Val runs the 'Mommy & Me' group, where the four main characters of the show vent and share their difficulties.

Sloane Mitchell is a newer character on the show, first appearing in season 5. Enuka Okuma plays Sloane, who is a publishing executive who quickly becomes friends with Kate, causing some friction between Kate and her bestie Anne.

Photo: Netflix

The show's main characters are all connected by the mommy group, which in theory is meant to serve as a support group for new mothers. In reality, these groups can actually serve more as a place to snark on and judge other parents. They can also make new moms question whether or not they are doing enough when they hear other moms humble-bragging about their parenting accomplishments.

For example, in the episode where the group shames Kate for her preferences in um..."adult films." Kate, however, is quick to dish out her judgment on another mom who brags about how much her baby loves her new homemade diaper bag.

The struggles Kate faces while going back to work in season one are comical but also a sad reality. Canada does have a long maternity leave, but that doesn't mean all mothers want to take it. Kate is very career orientated and wants to get back to her job but still be a good mom.

However, she quickly discovers that her office isn't very conducive to helping her do so. She is expected to pump in a glass-walled office, for example. Her bosses also expect her to work extra hours at the office even though she is sleep-deprived and missing her new baby.

'Workin' Moms' isn't afraid to make fun of all expectations put on new mothers by so-called parenting experts. These days, new mothers are bombarded by advice and often feel shamed if they aren't participating in ALL the activities.

An example of this is in season one, when Anne, who is often pretty cynical, goes out on a limb and asks the other moms..."Can't we all be adults and just admit that babies don't actually need yoga?"

In season one, viewers can see that something is a bit "off" with the character of Frankie. Throughout the season it becomes apparent that Frankie is dealing with postpartum depression, a topic that needs a lot more exposure.

While this is a serious topic, the sitcom manages to tackle it without depressing us. Whether it be making only giant balls in a pottery class to dunking her head in the swimming pool while showing a house to potential buyers, Frankie manages to tickle our funny bone without taking away from the severity of the issue.

The babies and the characters have grown over the last seasons, and with each year, the characters face new challenges. If you haven't seen it yet, it will make for a wonderful binge session.