#How will Anna Faris’ Christy leave the show?

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“#How will Anna Faris’ Christy leave the show?”

Entering the premiere of Mom season 8 on CBS, there is obviously a greater sense of curiosity than usual. Anna Faris’ character of Christy is leaving, and this leaves us all pondering one central question — how is that going to play out? We know Faris herself wants to pursue other opportunities, but removing her character from this show is no easy feat. You have to find a way to do it that makes sense, plus also one that won’t make viewers aggressively angry and/or disappointed.

Luckily, early indications do suggest that the departure for the character won’t be an overly sad one. Speaking to TVLine, show co-creator Gemma Baker notes that there will likely be a happy conclusion to Christy’s story, which has been in part about recovery and healing:

“One of the beautiful things about recovery is that quite often people’s lives get bigger and better than they could have imagined … And that will be Christy’s experience. We are pretty sure that our audience, many of whom have been rooting for Christy since the pilot, will be happy for her and satisfied by her new path.”

Baker also does indicate that Christy’s absence won’t just be wrapped up quickly — instead, it will be a key factor in the story of Allison Janney’s Bonnie for some time to come:

“Christy’s absence will have a ripple effect on Bonnie throughout the season,” Baker says of Allison Janney’s character. “Part of Bonnie’s journey this year will be to figure out what she wants to do now that she’s actually grown up.”

Do we think that Mom can persevere without Faris? It’s not easy, but it’s certainly feasible with some smart stories and plenty of humor. Just remember that Two and a Half Men, another show executive-produced by Chuck Lorre, managed to proceed for a while without Charlie Sheen on board. It can be done, and it can be done well.