This lady was an absent mother to her child and left him with the trauma of growing up without a protective/loving mother. He adapted and grew up accordingly. They have a very limited relationship now. She has no place shitting on his current relationship because she dislikes the way Mary treats him. This is some major dysfunctional projection.
Also, Brandan made some comment that he hopes Mary is nice to his mom and doesn’t trigger any sort of relapse. Mary should not have to walk on eggshells or put up with his mom’s nasty attitude because his mom has an addiction.
Also, her comments about the Phillipines and the poverty made her look like such an ignorant, arrogant American. I doubt she made an effort or took any interest to learn anything about the culture or language prior to her visit - even though her grandchild is from there.
I would cut her slack if she and Brandan were really close and/or she had been a supportive mother to him. But literally all she brings to the table in his life is negativity. She failed him as a mom, and now she seems to want Mary to let him down as well.
You don’t get a grown man away from the mother of his children. Then his kids get abandoned too. What an odd take
Splitting up from Mary is a different thing from abandoning his kid. Many people are divorced and coparent. It’s considered healthier than modeling a toxic relationship for the kid.
Brandan has lived most of his entire life without the care or help of his mother. He certainly does not need her to dive in and save him from his wife like Liam Neilson in Taken.