25 incredible TV moms we love to watch

Jessica Huang – Fresh Off The Boat

Jessica Huang’s sass is unmatched. Never wrong about anything, ever, Jessica rules her house with an iron fist, and this includes her husband. No one will challenge her, no matter how strident or absurd her rules are.

Jessica is also based on a real-life character, but she is obviously an editorialized version of the original. At least I hope so. There is never any question that she loves her children and always wants what’s best for them. It’s just her tactics that are questionable.

She has three very different sons, but her oldest Eddie needs the most nudging and guiding. All Eddie wants is to listen to hip-hop, watch MTV, and talk about girls. He has little interest in school or succeeding academically. This is the bane of Jessica’s mothering existence, and instead of backing off and letting Eddie find his own way, she tightens the leash and doubles down on the authority and control.

Her other two sons, Evan and Emery, are much more compliant than their older brother, and so much of the comedy comes from the interaction between the four of them. While Emery and Evan do a lot of kissing up and batting their eyelashes, their similarity to their mother (and their difference from their brother) makes for quite a bit of tension.

Although Jessica feels about as immovable as a boulder, she’s intensely loving and protective. Her kind of nurturing might not be for everyone, but she has three pretty cool kids to show for it.