Top Five Ways Mom’s Bonnie Can Survive Without Her Daughter Christy

Mom’s Bonnie Plunket has had her share of challenges through the years, as viewers know the character’s backstory includes several stints in rehab, time spent in jail, and going off the wagon more times than she would like to admit.

What Will Bonnie Do Next On Mom?

But over the last few seasons of the show, Bonnie (Allison Janney) has pulled her life together pretty well. She now manages the apartment building where she lives, she got married to Adam (William Fichtner) and she’s even learned to be a bit more pleasant and a better friend to her support group.

However, now that it’s been announced that Anna Faris won’t be on this season as Bonnie’s daughter Christy, how will that impact her life going forward? Here are the top five things that can help Bonnie get by without her daughter by her side:

1. Follow That Dream

Bonnie has been watching her daughter set her sights on a new career; maybe it’s time that she herself starts to think about doing something new for a living. She must have had a dream job at some point in her life. This season could open up some new adventures for Bonnie—as well as bring in some new characters—by putting her in a workplace atmosphere.

2. Healing The Healer

Last season, Bonnie saw her therapist’s life start to fall apart, and her interactions with Rainn Wilson were some of the funniest of the season. Having her become a shoulder for Dr. Trevor Wells to cry on could help fill the gap of her constantly listening to Christy’s whining. And just like for her daughter, her involvement will probably be a catalyst for a lot of those whines.

3. Mom A New Kid

Adam has a dog that he treats like his own kid; wouldn’t it be great to see Bonnie and Adam’s time occupied by raising an actual child? Maybe one of Christy’s kids—Violet or Roscoe—comes to live with them. Maybe Adam has a nephew out there we’ve never seen. Perhaps there’s a teen who Bonnie meets at an AA meeting who needs a place to stay. A new mother/daughter-type relationship could be just what Bonnie needs.

4. The Fixer

Bonnie always likes to know what’s going on in everyone’s life, even if she doesn’t really seem to care about anyone’s problems. Still, having her become more deeply involved in the lives of Jill (Jamie Pressly), Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy), Wendy (Beth Hall), and Tammy (Kristen Johnston), offering advice and trying to fix their lives will surely provide some laughs.

5. Fall Off The Wagon

Regardless of how Christy is written off the Mom canvas, it’s going to be tough on Bonnie. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her deal with her loneliness by turning back to booze. When people lose someone close to them—whether it’s because they’ve moved away or a more serious reason—it’s often a trigger for alcohol. The show is great at balancing laughter and dark moments, and Janney would be sure to earn another Emmy nod if she had to deal with this serious issue all season.

Production on Season 8 began last month and the show is expected back on the primetime lineup sometime in November. Mom airs Thursdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.