Workin’ Moms, one of the best shows on TV IMO, returns to CBC tonight for its third season. Season 2 ended on a shocking and heartbreaking note, and the new season begins during a season of change for our mommy trio.
I sat down with Catherine Reitman, Dani Kind and Juno Rinaldi to chat about some of the big changes in store for Season 3 of Workin’ Moms. Here’s what they shared. (Warning: Season 2 spoilers ahead if you’re not caught up, and some minor Season 3 spoilers, too.)
I had such a visceral reaction to the Season 2 finale which included cry-screaming at my television. I didn’t see Nathan’s infidelity coming at all, and experiencing that reveal through Kate’s eyes was shocking. In the Season 3 premiere, Kate is adjusting to her new reality, and showing a different side of that character.
Catherine: It’s a lot of fun to see Kate, a character we’re used to seeing have her shit together, see the wheels come off and have to reinvent herself, particularly after infidelity. Conversely, I was so excited to see the character Frankie come into the season in a power suit and have her shit together. And Anne, as a character, has been through the hardest journey. She was so wounded in Season 2, and experienced an abortion in Season 1. She really has had some incredible highs and lows. Dani can speak to this better than I, but seeing her have to take that trauma and forward it into helping others with trauma seemed like a really rich environment for story.
Dani: Anne runs on a logical level. That’s how she navigates, and now in this manic state that she’s in from post-traumatic stress of everything she’s been through,she’s out of the driver’s seat. It’s all coming out now. One of the interesting things for me was to go back to the other seasons and track the little moments of that stuff bubbling up; reading her storyline, asking where this is all coming from, and then finding that story through all the seasons.
It’s a different world for Frankie this season, too. She’s on top of the world in her career and her life.
Juno: It’s a role reversal in a way where Frankie gets to be the provider. For one, she can pay for her daughter’s care versus Giselle had been picking up all that stuff. It’s such an empowering feeling. Even for me personally, I know that providing for my family is a very empowering feeling, and that translates to Frankie and how she’s feeling. She leads with her heart, so you’re always thinking how this is going to work with her because sometimes you need a bit more logic to rein her in. I sure loved wearing that pant suit! She looks so hot this season. Everything’s a little bit tight.
One big change is the move from the “mommy and me” group to a very regimented pre-school, and Kate is definitely the chief rule breaker.
Dani: We have a whole new headmaster of the school who is played by an incredible actress, and she does a phenomenal job with it. She adds a whole new dynamic and a struggle for all of us. When you enter into the school system with your kids, it opens up a whole new learning curve of other parents and playdates. Obviously, Kate and Nathan are both going to attend those meetings together, and that creates a whole other dynamic and struggle. And it’s very fun to shoot with all the kids. It’s crazy, but fun.
Another interesting shift is Kate relying on her mother, Eleanor. Their relationship has definitely grown and changed.
Catherine: Eleanor’s fantastic. Mimi Kuzyk is so fabulous because there are not many true, experienced sitcom actresses who can operate in any kind of show. You can put her in a drama like UnReal, and she works constantly because of this, to her credit. She can match any tone, and she still knows how to get a laugh but also make a moment of drama feel real. She’s unbelievable, and we rely on her. Kate and Anne scenes always take longer because there’s lots of air. It’s actually the romance story of the show, so it’s a little slower. But an Eleanor/Kate scene is like math. She’s right to the second with it because Mimi is that reliable. Giving Mimi an upgrade on the show was the easiest thing I ever did.
In the midst of building her new company, Kate is thrown into a world that really challenges her fundamental values. What can you share about that?
Catherine: Part of the luxury of writing a satire is you get to speak to things that make you crazy. Hearing a group of men speak about how the women’s rights movement has gone too far, it’s something that not only is a explosive topic and very polarizing, it was a way for us to tell comedy but also show exactly what Kate is up against. For a lot of us working in our jobs, we feel we’re up against a degree of that almost every day. It’s actually a little on the nose, but we were able to dive into that. It’s a choice Kate makes that she’s going to have to suffer the consequences. You’re going to see a lot with these guys.
Photos Courtesy of CBC
