Is more ‘Mom’ in the cards for Allison Janney?
Q: Since she got an Oscar nomination and has been winning many awards for “I, Tonya,” will Allison Janney stay with “Mom”? – Kate Johnson, Warren, Ohio A: We’d expect so, should the CBS comedy be renewed again. Janney has been continuing her movie work throughout the run of the series, which also has brought her a bounty of honors – and the television role of Bonnie has given her plenty to do, in both comedic and dramatic terms. She’s an actress who clearly appreciates good writing, as her “I, Tonya” acceptance speeches indicated, so it would surprise us if she didn’t stay with “Mom” for as long as the show is around. Q: Are Barba and the actor who plays him really gone from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”? – Todd Dimmick, via e-mail A: Yes ...though, with the way that franchise works, we’d never rule out a possible guest appearance down the road. (Consider that Sam Waterston returned as the mother ship’s Jack McCoy in that same episode.) The NBC series successfully kept under wraps the fact that Raul Esparza would be leaving until the early-February story aired. It had been announced that Philip Winchester would transfer his “Chicago Justice” character to the show, but supposedly on a recurring basis rather than as a full replacement. However, that “SVU” tale gave his Peter Stone a considerable amount to do – including in the opening scene that literally laid his father, Ben Stone (represented by a portrait of actor Michael Moriarty), to rest – so eagle-eyed viewers might have suspected something more was up before the hour’s final scene confirmed Barba’s (and Esparza’s) exit.