33 TV Moms Who Really Have This Whole Parenting Thing Down (or Not)

13. Alicia Florrick (The Good Wife)

Alicia Florrick is more than just a good wife; she’s also a good mom. She goes back to work in the pilot in order to provide for her children while her husband is in jail and she never looks back from that independence.

14. Victoria Grayson (Revenge)

Victoria Grayson made our list of 17 TV Characters We Love to Hate, but it’s hard to deny the love she has for her three children. As much as we hate what she did to David Clarke and her ongoing loyalty to her crooked husband, she really did have her kids best interest at heart, most of the time.

Okay, maybe arranging a prison brawl isn’t the best way to get your son out of prison and placed under house arrest, but, in some twisted way, you have to give her kudos for being able to plan that.

15. Kristina Braverman (Parenthood)

We really can’t say enough about the amazing family portrayed in Parenthood, but when it comes to grace and unconditional love, Kristina takes the cake.

Kristina has dealt with many of the same things real life moms deal with, from navigating her son Max’s Aspergers diagnosis to daughter Haddie’s secret boyfriend.

But one of Kristina’s greatest triumphs was putting her energy towards starting a magnet school for Max and kids like him. She’s the mom that goes the extra mile, and for that, she gets a standing ovation.

16. Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans)

The Jennings are not your typical family–they’re KGB spies, and that job gets in the way of a normal family life sometimes.

When their daughter Paige puts together who and what her parents are, it strains Elizabeth and Paige’s relationship. However, Elizabeth is determined to help Paige understand, going as far as taking a risky trip to West Germany to see her dying mother (and Paige’s grandmother).

So, Elizabeth may not be the warm and fuzzy mom, but when it comes to Paige, she supports her daughter. True, her job as a KGB spy gets in the way of that support, but it is there, and their activism colors their mother-daughter bond.

17. Jessica Huang (Fresh Off the Boat)

Sometimes Jessica Huang just doesn’t get why her kids do what they do. A Chinese-American who prefers the Chinese customs to western values, she’s held on to her Taiwanese heritage and culture including several superstitions.

Her relationship with her oldest son Eddie is often challenged by her desire to see him do well, and hang on to his Chinese-American roots, but she’s not above playing Super Mario Brothers with him so they can bond.

18. Abigail Bartlett (The West Wing)

 

Although her daughters are grown and independent women, you can see the dedication Abigail has for them during Zoe’s abduction in The West Wing Season 4 Episode 23 “Twenty-Five.”

During the episode, she puts her role as First Lady aside and becomes a mom, insisting she make a direct appeal to Zoe’s kidnappers. In the end, CJ Cregg stops her explaining that she can’t be a mother, she has to be the First Lady, a realization that deeply upsets Abigail.

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