The Conners Finally Acknowledged Roseanne's Legacy (Despite Her Exit)
While The Conners has struggled with Roseanne’s exit before, one season 4 episode saw the sitcom finally acknowledge her legacy and impact the show. The Conners has never been entirely comfortable with the exit of former series star Roseanne Barr. In its original 90s incarnation Roseanne, Barr was the heroine of the sitcom and the central creative voice behind the series.
Barr starred in 2017’s Roseanne revival, but was fired for racist remarks made on Twitter before the series was renewed. Roseanne was then retooled into The Conners, with the character of Roseanne herself being killed off-screen via an opioid overdose. While the series showed that her husband Dan was affected by Roseanne’s death, The Conners did not mention Barr’s character often after her demise, leading some to find certain episodes awkward.
Related: The Conners: Why Ben & Darlene’s Reunion Makes Perfect Sense
For example, Dan’s wedding to his new love interest Louise would have been an obvious chance for The Conners to address Roseanne’s death since her widower was remarrying. However, The Conners episode made no mention of her — something that felt inauthentic to many viewers given the show’s focus on family. However, The Conners season 4 has since made up for this misstep. In “Messy Situation, Miscommunication and Academic Probation” (season 4, episode 15), Dan’s long-time friend (and notably, Roseanne co-star) Chuck was worried about his wife Anne-Marie dying before him after she suffered a stroke. This led Dan to an atypically candid conversation about how much Roseanne meant to him and just how much his late wife held the Conners family unit together.
It was one of the first heartfelt tributes The Conners has made to the character of Roseanne
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