8 Badass Women Who Give Your Mom a Run for Her Money

No matter how awesome your mom is, you’ll always have a soft spot for certain fictional matriarchs. Let’s be clear: Your IRL mother trumps all, given that she, you know, gave birth to you. But in a sense, TV moms brought you up, too, teaching you life lessons and dropping major wisdom while keeping their own families in check. In honor of Mother’s Day on May 10, let’s celebrate the badass moms who helped you discover the kind of woman you wanted to be.

1. Kristina Braverman on Parenthood
Kristina had a lot to juggle. To start, she had a teenage daughter Haddie, a younger son Max who had Asperger’s, and a surprise baby Nora later on in the show. She also suffered through a scary breast cancer diagnosis, followed by treatment that tested the entire family. Through it all, though, she cared the most about how her illness affected those she loved. She downplayed it when Haddie was off at Cornell so as not to worry her, and she tried to keep things at home running smoothly, even when her body just wasn’t up to it. Thankfully, she made a full recovery and went on to do applause-worthy things like run for mayor and open a charter school for kids with disabilities.

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2. Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights
Known affectionately as Mrs. Coach, Tami wrangled a baby and her daughter Julie, who was clearly suffering from a case of the terrible teens, while always being a steadfast source of support for her husband, football coach Eric Taylor. She was more than just his rock, though; Coach Taylor often seemed to weigh Tami’s opinion more heavily than his own. It makes sense because she always knew what to do, no matter how tough the situation. In pursuing her own career in education, Tami proved that no matter how great your family is, it’s okay to find fulfillment elsewhere. She also gave the best sex advice ever.

 

3. Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince
While her husband Phil had the temperament of a volcano, Vivian was more of a calm stream kind of lady. She was always the voice of reason when Phil’s pulse started pounding (thanks to the antics of his crazy nephew), and most times, Phil had no other option but to admit his wife was right. A renowned dancer, she was another example of a mother who tried to find herself outside the home. This led to one of the best moments on the show: her audition for a dance company where she proved that she more than still had it.

 

4. Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls
Lorelai and her daughter Rory’s lightning-quick banter and super close bond is what mother-daughter relationship dreams are made of. Although much of Lorelai’s time was spent eating unbelievable amounts of cheeseburgers, drinking way too much coffee, and squabbling with her own mother, her top priority was always Rory’s happiness. After having Rory when she was 16, she was committed to giving her daughter every opportunity. That included having Friday night dinners with her parents in exchange for them funding Rory’s fancy private school, which eventually got Rory all the way to Yale. At the same time, Lorelai had a string of lovelorn guys who professed their affection for her. Not too shabby!

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5. Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives
While this show was full of certified mama bears, Lynette might take the cake. She often ratcheted every mother’s innate sense of protection up a notch, like when she got a little physical with the woman who was having an affair with her teenage son (clearly, this show brought the drama). Beyond that, Lynette managed to return to her advertising job at some points in the series, struggled with miscarrying a twin, and when the news came out that her husband once fathered a baby with another woman, she accepted the child in stride. That child turned out to pretty much be evil incarnate, but that’s beside the point.

 

6. Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones
Daenerys might not be a typical mom, but the Mother of Dragons still belongs on this list. Although at first she was exceedingly timid, scared to stand up to her awful brother Viserys, she eventually went on to conquer cities in a mission to reclaim her family’s honor. As for the mother part, although dragons were thought to have died out, three dragon eggs she’d gotten as a wedding gift hatched under her ownership. With her dragons by her side, she freed a group of slaves, who immediately honored her as their leader and pledged their allegiance. 

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7. Kirsten Cohen on The OC
On the outside, Kirsten’s life at the start of the show was pretty perfect. Wonderful husband, sweet and geeky son, and boatloads of money. While at first she was a little icy with Ryan, a bad boy with a heart of gold, she eventually welcomed him into her home and family. Kirsten definitely went through some trials, like alcoholism and various issues with her husband, but she made it through it all with her family intact. Not only that, she was so much stronger at the end of the show, having gone through rehab and opened up about some secrets of her past, namely her abortion.

 

8. Claire Dunphy on Modern Family
There’s a reason the other characters often turn to Claire for parenting advice. In the hopes of preventing her kids from having the same wild-child adolescence she did, Claire does her best to run a tight ship. Although her overprotective nature can lead to rifts with her family, she tries to step outside herself and admit that she screws up sometimes. And from campaigning for a spot on the town council to joining her father Jay at Pritchett’s Closets Blinds, Claire does a ton in addition to raising three kids (or four, if you, like her, consider her husband Phil a child).

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