The show went on to have five more successful seasons, winning numerous Canadian Screen Awards and a passionate global fandom. But the magic of Season 1 is that it feels like a discovery. It is raw, unpolished, and dangerous. Later seasons became more polished and sitcom-y, but Season 1 retains the jagged edge of a woman screaming into a pillow because she hasn’t slept in 72 hours.
Frankie, an eccentric real estate agent, provides the emotional heartbeat of the first season. She suffers from severe postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety. While television historically sweeps PPD under the rug or treats it with extreme melodrama, Workin' Moms utilizes Frankie's character to portray the condition with painful accuracy, showing how it strains her relationship with her wife, Giselle, and detached her from her newborn. 4. Jenny Matthews (Jessalyn Wanlim)
The maternal wall bias is a central antagonist in Season 1. Kate’s boss assumes she can no longer handle late nights or travel because she has a baby. The season exposes how corporate environments penalize women for taking maternity leave, forcing them to overcompensate to prove their worth. 3. The Shift in Marital Dynamics
The best dramedies know when to make you laugh and when to make you cry. Season 1 has a perfect balance. You will howl at Kate’s PR disaster involving a "tampon baby," and ten minutes later, you will weep as Frankie admits she feels nothing for her daughter.
If you're searching for a show that feels both like a comfort watch and a wake-up call, here is your complete guide to the groundbreaking first season of Workin' Moms . Workin- Moms - Season 1
The most divisive character in Season 1, Jenny is the "frenemy." A high-strung marketing manager, Jenny initially looks like she has it all together. But she is deeply insecure and ultimately selfish. In Season 1, Jenny shocks the group—and the audience—by engaging in an emotional (and nearly physical) affair with her old flame while her devoted husband stays home with the baby. She is the least sympathetic of the four, but she serves a vital purpose: not every new mom is a victim of circumstance; some are just making bad choices.
First broadcast on Canada's CBC Television before finding a massive international audience via Netflix, Season 1 explores the structural flaws of the "having it all" myth. The season captures the profound identity crisis that occurs when maternity leave ends and the workplace calls. The Central Premise: The Mommy-and-Me Group
If you are looking for a show that balances absurdist comedy with deep emotional honesty, Workin' Moms Season 1 is the perfect place to start. It is a show about imperfect people doing the best they can, and it will leave you both laughing out loud and feeling profoundly seen.
An IT professional who discovers she has absolutely no desire to be a traditional mother and feels alienated from her baby, challenging the notion of natural maternal instinct. Season 1 Highlights and Themes The show went on to have five more
Frankie’s mental unraveling in the middle of a shoe store while her baby screams is a gut punch. It transitions from dark comedy to pure tragedy without missing a beat.
Whether you’re a parent looking for a cathartic laugh or simply a fan of sharp, character-driven comedy, Workin' Moms Season 1 is the perfect starting point for a series that champions the beautifully chaotic reality of everyday life.
Workin' Moms Season 1 doesn’t provide easy answers, nor does it pretend to. It presents four flawed, messy, and deeply human women who, despite their frequent missteps, are simply trying to be the best parents they can be while remembering they are also individuals.
The transition from maternity leave back to the corporate world is a turbulent period that television historically glossed over. In 2017, the Canadian sitcom Workin’ Moms changed that narrative. Created by and starring Catherine Reitman, the series premiered on CBC before finding a massive global audience on Netflix. Season 1 establishes the show’s signature blend of razor-sharp humor, raw vulnerability, and unapologetic honesty about modern motherhood. Later seasons became more polished and sitcom-y, but
Frankie reaches her breaking point. Left alone with her baby while her wife goes to a conference, Frankie has a panic attack so severe she ends up walking out the front door, leaving the baby crying in the crib (only for a few moments, but the implication is terrifying). This episode handles postpartum depression with unflinching realism, earning the show critical praise for not turning mental health into a joke.
Frankie (Juno Rimer) offers the season’s most explicit medical narrative: with psychotic features. After giving up her real estate career, Frankie experiences intrusive thoughts, dissociation, and reckless behavior (e.g., buying a puppy impulsively). Her hospitalization marks a critical turning point, as the show normalizes psychiatric intervention. Notably, Frankie’s partner is supportive but ill-equipped—highlighting the need for systemic PPD screening. Season 1 refuses to resolve Frankie’s PPD quickly, subverting the sitcom trope of a single-episode cure.
The season constantly interrogates the myth of "having it all." Creator Reitman famously commented on this: "You can have degrees of it all as long as you’re willing to compromise. You can have a foot in motherhood and career and relationship, but there are going to be days when your relationship is stronger and others when you feel like you’re killing it as a mom. In my experience, women don’t tend to get everything on the same day". This honest perspective permeates every episode.
The show’s success kicked off a seven-season run. Looking back, Season 1 feels raw because Reitman was still figuring out the tone. There are shaky camera moments and jokes that land awkwardly, but that amateur energy fits the subject matter. These women are new to motherhood; the show was new to television. They grew up together.
Must-watch for: Fans of Catastrophe , The Letdown , SMILF , or anyone who wants to laugh and cry within the same 22-minute episode.