The Conners Season 6: Avoiding These 6 Critical Roseanne Season 9 Mistakes

Summary

The Conners

season 6 should avoid replicating

Roseanne

season 9's mistake of making the Conners family rich, as it ruined the show's appeal as a blue-collar sitcom.

The spinoff should steer clear of becoming as cartoonish as

Roseanne

season 9, which featured absurdities like an

Under Siege

parody and a meta-episode about TV producers.

The Conners

season 6 should not indulge in self-indulgent and smug storytelling like

Roseanne

season 9's failed attempt to mock network TV producers, but instead stay true to its relatable depiction of working-class family life.

Content must be written in English:

Although Roseanne season 9 was exceptionally bad, that doesn't mean The Conners season 6 won't make the same mistakes. The sitcom, which debuted in 1988, quickly gained popularity for its honest and humorous portrayal of working-class life. As the show progressed, its star Roseanne Barr became both famous and notorious. In season 9, the series took a bizarre turn with increasingly implausible storylines, including Roseanne's family winning the lottery, her husband's infidelity and subsequent death, and even Roseanne herself saving Hillary Clinton from terrorists.

Given the disappointment of season 9, it was no surprise when the 2017 revival of Roseanne corrected its biggest misstep by bringing back Roseanne's husband Dan from the dead. However, the revival faced its own set of challenges during production. Despite its success, Barr was fired after season 10 due to her racist tweets. In the wake of her departure, her character was written off and the show continued as The Conners, focusing on the surviving members of Roseanne's family. As The Conners season 6 could potentially be the spinoff's final installment, it is crucial for it to avoid the pitfalls of Roseanne season 9.

6 Roseanne Season 9 Made The Conners Rich

In Roseanne season 9, the show made a major misstep in the second episode by revealing that the Conners family had won the lottery and become millionaires. This decision significantly detracted from the show's appeal as a blue-collar sitcom. However, in The Conners season 6, there is a better opportunity for the family to come into money through a more believable means. It is likely that Bev will be written off the show due to her age and dementia, and there is a possibility that Roseanne's mother has been secretly saving money over the years.

As seen in The Conners season 2, Bev still held the deed to The Lunchbox despite claiming to be without money. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if her will revealed additional assets that the family was unaware of. This twist wouldn't necessarily be a negative development, as Bev's money could provide Mark with an inheritance that would allow Darlene to return to her previous job. However, The Conners season 6 should not take this revelation as an opportunity to make the family wealthy again. Roseanne season 9 already demonstrated that this idea is a terrible one and goes against the original premise of the show.

5 The Conners Season 6 Shouldn’t Get More Cartoony

The Conners has successfully avoided the exaggerated elements that were occasionally present in earlier seasons of Roseanne, ensuring that the show doesn't become as over-the-top as Roseanne season 9. However, in The Conners season 5, there were appearances by forgotten characters like Bobo that featured the same broad and silly humor that made Roseanne season 9 difficult to watch. This suggests that the spinoff is not immune to making this mistake. Roseanne season 9's absurdities included a parody of Under Siege, a crossover with Absolutely Fabulous, and a meta-episode centered around TV producers attempting to acquire the rights to Roseanne's life.

4 The Conners Season 6 Doesn’t Need Roseanne’s Meta Humor

It is difficult to envision The Conners season 6 dedicating an entire episode to a self-indulgent narrative about the family obtaining their own TV show. However, while the later seasons of Roseanne drifted from the show's roots, Roseanne season 9, episode 21, "The Truth Be Told," came as a surprise. This flawed episode aimed to satirize network TV producers for disregarding the harsh realities of working-class life. Unfortunately, it fell short, as Roseanne itself had already abandoned those very themes. The absence of Roseanne brought about improvements in several aspects of The Conners, notably the avoidance of such smug and self-satisfied storytelling.

3 Roseanne Season 9 Broke Up Roseanne and Dan

2 Roseanne Season 9 Killed Off Dan

Naturally, it is imperative that The Conners season 6 does not repeat the colossal error made in Roseanne season 9, wherein Roseanne and Dan's relationship was severed. Nevertheless, the beloved family sitcom has the potential to infuse some thrilling intensity by jeopardizing Dan and Louise's marriage. As exhibited in The Conners season 5, Dan and Louise already endured a significant period of separation due to Louise's touring commitments. Furthermore, in The Conners season 4, their relationship endured some turbulent moments sparked by Dan's struggle to establish proper boundaries with his children. Despite these challenges, it is crucial for The Conners season 6 to refrain from splitting Dan and Louise apart. Such a decision would be both disheartening and superfluous, reminiscent of the bleak dissolution experienced by Roseanne and Dan.

Dan's death in season 9 of Roseanne was swiftly undone in the show's revival, as John Goodman's beloved character was an integral part of the series. Thus, if The Conners were to kill off Dan in its sixth season, it would be even more devastating following Roseanne's demise. The original death of Dan in Roseanne was a misstep, albeit coming after the actor's absence for a significant portion of the final season. In that season, Dan played a lesser role and had already ended his relationship with Roseanne, making his death less surprising. Conversely, if The Conners were to kill off Dan in season 6, it would leave the series without its central hero.

Dan is the heart and soul of The Conners, having taken on that role after Roseanne's passing. Although Jackie is undeniably the show's funniest character, her strained relationship with Roseanne made it unlikely for her to assume the role of the show's protagonist. Similarly, while Darlene receives considerable attention in the storyline, it is Dan who remains the glue that holds the three generations of the titular family together. Hence, for The Conners season 6 to thrive, it is imperative that Dan remains at the core of the show.

1 The Conners Season 6 Can’t Drop Roseanne’s Original Story

The primary issue with Roseanne season 9 was not a particular storyline or joke, but rather a broader problem with storytelling. It failed to remember that the show's original purpose was to depict relatable working-class family life, a mistake that The Conners season 6 must avoid repeating. Essentially, both The Conners and Roseanne revolve around a struggling family supporting each other through tough times. Despite its exaggerated silliness, Roseanne season 9's true blunder was losing sight of this fundamental theme. The Conners season 6 can succeed where Roseanne season 9 stumbled if it remains faithful to its origins.