Stream It Or Skip It: ‘sMothered’ On TLC, A Docuseries About Mothers And Daughters Who Are Uncomfortably Close To Each Other

Do you know someone — a friend, a spouse, an SO — who you feel is a little too close to his or her mother? You should sit down with them and watch sMothered. It’s a TLC docuseries that follows four mother-daughter pairs that act more like couples than parent-and-child. And some of them are so close they trade bodily fluids in very weird but innocent ways. Read on for more…

SMOTHERED: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: “A mother and daughter share a special bond. But how close is too close?” That graphic plays among scenes of the mother-daughter couple on the series sMothered (yes, that’s the correct capitalization).

The Gist: This docuseries will take a look at four mother-daughter pairs who aren’t just close, but they act like they’re significant others to each other, almost to the exclusion of everyone else in their lives. Yes, this includes various husbands, boyfriends, fiances and co-parents, who just look at these relationships with shrugs and faces that have both traces of dumbfoundedness and resignation.

We’re introduced to three mother-daughter “couples” in the first episode. Cher, 28, and Dawn, 59, look so much alike that they’re often mistaken for sisters. Even though Cher lives in New York and Dawn in Florida, the two talk and FaceTime constantly, and the first scene we see is that the two of them are wearing the same yellow shirt when Cher FaceTimes her mom right before coming down for a visit. Cher and her husband Jared have great news to share: Cher’s pregnant with their first child. But Cher tells Dawn everything! How can she keep it a secret from her? Jared wants all of the parents to find out at the same time at dinner in Florida, but Cher just can’t resist; she tells Dawn ahead of time and even gives her the positive home pregnancy test as a gift (ewwww!).

In Las Vegas, Sunhe, 51, and Angelica, 31, are so close they share bath water (ewwww!), and as far as Sunhe is concerned, Angelica is her boo, despite the fact that she has a fiance that lives in another state. Angelica has been dating her boyfriend Jason for two years, and she seems to have a winner; he doesn’t even mind Sunhe going on dates with the two of them. But on one of the few dates where it’s just the two of them (Sunhe did not approve), he asks her to move in with him. She’s so nervous to ask Sunhe, and her mother has doubts about Jason, ones that need to be resolved before she approves.

Finally, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Mariah, 21, and Sandra, 45 (at least that’s what she said), like to party and dress sexy — together. They live with Sandra’s ex-husband Adrian and Mariah’s sister Chanel (who’s still a teenager but seems way more mature than both her mother and sister). Sandra used to be a conservative dresser, but as Mariah has decided to dress more provocatively, she’s encouraged her mother to do so, too, and Sandra has embraced it. They’ve even gotten boob jobs together! Adrian is horrified that Sandra isn’t acting more parental, but Sandra just thinks he’s overreacting. Chanel vows that she’ll never dress like either of them.

Our Take: When you watch sMothered, it plays out like just about every other TLC docuseries you’ve seen over the years that focuses on multiple couples and families. You don’t get overwhelmed right off the bat; we end the first episode still not being introduced to “trashy Italians” Kathy, 59, and Cristina, 33, who seem like they’re the show’s “secret weapon”. Every TLC show like this has one: In Rattled it was Mars and Doug; in 90 Day Fiance, it was Danielle and Mohamed. It’s the couple that you are completely weirded out by but can’t look away.

But that doesn’t mean that the other three mother-daughter “couples” aren’t worth watching. It feels like Dawn/Cher is the one where the producers have to the milk the most drama from. They don’t live close, and the “big” conflict is if Dawn finds out about the baby a day before the rest of their families do. They just seem like a really close mother and daughter.

Sunhe/Angelica and Sandra/Mariah are more compelling, especially the creepy way Sunhe talks about Angelica like she’s her girlfriend, not her daughter. Angelica looks like she’s really going to want to break away from her mother a bit and move in with her lovable lump Jason, and that’s where we think the rubber will hit the road for the show. Sandra and Mariah just feel like they’ll be drama, with Mariah’s friends hating the fact that Sandra isn’t acting her age at Mariah’s birthday party in Vegas. Not that pure drama isn’t fun, but it’s fairly low stakes.

Sex and Skin: Sunhe and Angelica are quite nude when they get in and out of their tub, with selective parts strategically covered. Also, we see way too much of Sandra’s ample badonkadonk in the sheer dress Mariah picks out for her.

Parting Shot: Before the “this season on…” roll, Jason and Angelica tell Sunhe that they want to live together. Sunhe brings up a concern: “Aren’t you still married?” After a dramatic pause, he dejectedly says “Yes.” That was truly shocking.

Sleeper Star: We want a reality show about Mariah’s sister Chanel, who just looks like she’s over her mom and sister’s shtick and isn’t exactly siding with her overly-ranty father, either.

Most Pilot-y Line: Like many TLC shows, the “scenes” between the cast members aren’t exactly all that natural. We’ve seen these “recreated” discussions on their shows so many times it’s become more a style than anything else, knowing that these people aren’t exactly professional performers. Still, it takes you out of the “reality” a little bit.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Sure, sMothered is a bit of a trainwreck, but it’s a trainwreck in all the best ways. Watch it with your significant other, especially if he or she is way too close to his/her mom. It’s a good way of realizing that things could always be worse.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, VanityFair.com, Playboy.com, Fast Company’s Co.Create and elsewhere.

Stream sMothered on TLC