A show a about single mom who is down on her luck and also horny is about as taboo as TV gets, but the Showtime series SMILF is the rare gem that manages to disrupt with unapologetic verve. Set in Boston’s historically blue collar Southie neighborhood, the show centers on Bridgette Bird, a young, struggling mom of a toddler, who is totally lost, troubled by a traumatic past, but doing her best. In the iconic pilot episode, she’s seen at a bodega running into an old friend while buying cookies, chips, popcorn, and more cookies for a binge. Back at her one-room apartment, Bridgette demands he strip so they can get down to business. Only there's someone else in the bed — Bridgette’s 2-year-old son, Larry Bird. The dude spooks, and Bridgette is pissed — with him but also with herself. It’s a moment where Brigette realizes she’s being reckless, while viewers of SMILF get a window into a gritty reality that’s not often seen on TV. For Frankie Shaw, the creator, showrunner, and star of SMILF (as in "single mom I'd like to fuck”), the scenario isn’t as far-fetched as you'd think.