How ‘Mom’ Season 8 Premiere Explained Anna Faris’ Exit

Anna Faris‘ tenure on CBS sitcom Mom has officially come to an end. Last night, Mom aired its first episode without Faris, who stunned fans in September when she announced that she would be leaving the show after seven seasons. The Mom Season 8 premiere wasted no time before addressing Faris’ departure, and it seems like her character, Christy, is in a good place, even as she’s now living apart from her mother Bonnie.

If you didn’t watch the Mom Season 8 premiere — or if you’re even just mildly curious about the comedy — you may be wondering what exactly happened to Christy. How did Mom explain Anna Faris’ exit? And why did Anna Faris leave Mom in the first place? Here’s everything you need to know!

DID THE MOM SEASON 8 PREMIERE ADDRESS ANNA FARIS’ EXIT?

It did, indeed. The Mom Season 8 premiere begins with a scene of Bonnie (Allison Janney) and her husband Adam (William Fitchner) in the car heading back from the airport, and it’s clear that they’ve just dropped off Christy, who’s moving on to bigger and better things. But to where…

WHAT HAPPENED TO CHRISTY ON MOM?

As we learn in the minutes that follow, Christy is heading to law school at Georgetown, and she’s received a full scholarship for her scholastic efforts.

Bonnie assures Adam that she’s actually doing okay given the circumstances, as she knows she has prepared Christy for a life of success. “A lot of parents would be a puddle of tears, but you know what I think of them? Selfish,” she says, the tears beginning to flow. “Not me. ‘Cause I’m focusing on what she’s going to get, not what I’m going to lose, which is the most beautiful little girl a mother could have.”

IS ANNA FARIS STILL ON MOM?

As of now, Anna Faris’ days on Mom have come to an end. However, Christy is just a plane ride away, so it’s possible that she could return home in the future.

WHY DID ANNA FARIS LEAVE MOM?

This is the golden question. When Faris announced that she was leaving the CBS sitcom, she did not provide a specific reason for her decision. “While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family,” she said at the time.

However, sources close to Mom have since said that Faris’ departure “was sudden and unwelcome,” and it left producers “scrambling” to come up with an explanation for Christy’s absence from the show. Janney also said that her exit is a “huge loss” for the show, but she declined to provide additional details about what went down.

“I think I’ll miss the most, for me, the relationship between Bonnie and Christy, even though that will still continue,” Janney told Entertainment Tonight early this week. “But she won’t be present. That’s what I’ll miss.”

Mom airs every Thursday at 9/8c on CBS.

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