Warning: Spoilers ahead! If you haven’t seen the Thursday, February 18, episode of Mom, do not read on.
Well, we were not expecting this, and neither was Twitter. CBS’s multicamera comedy Mom had a tragic twist on Thursday, February 18, when an otherwise happy wedding episode was overshadowed at the end of the show when it emerged that Jodi (Emily Osment) had died from a drug overdose.
And the fact that the teenager had almost become a surrogate daughter to Christy (Anna Faris), who also worked as her AA sponsor, made the death all the more unbearable.
Taking on the topic of addiction, especially in such a heartbreaking way, was a bold move for a sitcom, reminding viewers that not all journeys have happy endings.
And while Twitter went wild in the aftermath of the revelation about Jodi’s death, fans were impressed with the network’s bravery at tackling the issue and still making the show one of laughs as well as tears.
“#Mom was heartbreaking tonight. I loved her character. But sadly, that is real life sometimes,” one Twitter user wrote.
#Mom was heartbreaking tonight. I loved her character. But sadly, that is real life sometimes.
— Rebecca Diane (@FunPsychopath) February 19, 2016
“I love the way @MomCBS can make you both laugh & cry all in the same episode. #mom #momaholics,” added another.
#Mom had me tearing up tonight :'( I didn’t expect that
— Stephanie (@09StephE) February 19, 2016
Mom co-creator Chuck Lorre told the Hollywood Reporter that although it was tough killing off Jodi’s character, that had been the plan for the teenage addict all along.
“It was made more difficult when the time came because we all fell in love with Emily,” Lorre said. “But the idea was all along to keep the show with at least one foot in the real world, where these things happen.”
“From the very beginning, we’ve tried to make this show about recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction, and to do that without ever acknowledging the harsh reality of it seemed to be a cheat,” he added.
Tell Us: What did you think of the sudden twist into tragedy in last night’s Mom?
