The Impact of Roseanne's Passing on The Conners

Article Overview

Becky's story gained stakes as her drinking problem became more significant after Roseanne's death, making the storyline sadder and more impactful.

After Roseanne's passing, Dan flourished as a father and caretaker, offering profound guidance and uplifting his children and grandchildren. The Conners shifted their attention to Darlene, making her the key figure in the narrative following Roseanne's exit, delving into her romantic endeavors and professional challenges.

Although Roseanne's character was beloved by fans of the sitcom, it is undeniable that The Conners' storyline improved after her departure. Roseanne initially premiered in late 1988 and quickly became a hit, thanks in large part to Roseanne Barr's cynical protagonist, Roseanne Conner. Despite Roseanne's sometimes abrasive and crude behavior, she had a kind heart and always supported her children, husband, and sister Jackie. Roseanne was so well-received that even though the ninth season was critically panned, the show's 2017 revival received high ratings and positive reviews.

However, the show took a different direction when the offscreen behavior of its main character proved to be less agreeable. After a career marred by numerous public controversies, Barr was fired from the Roseanne revival in 2018 due to racist comments made on Twitter. As a result, the network transformed the eleventh season of Roseanne into The Conners, a spinoff that focused on the rest of the Conner family. In order to establish this spinoff on a strong note, Roseanne's character needed to be permanently removed. The show accomplished this by portraying her death as a result of an overdose of prescription painkillers, a situation that had been hinted at in earlier episodes of the tenth season revival.

8. Becky’s Story Gained Stakes

(The Conners Seasons 2-3)

The decision to kill off Roseanne on The Conners caused a significant controversy when the show debuted in 2018. However, the creators found a way to cleverly incorporate this dramatic change into the show's other storylines. While there was initial consideration to replace Roseanne with her daughter Darlene, it was actually Roseanne's other daughter, Becky, who benefited from the tragic event. In the revival of Roseanne's 10th season, Becky had a minor role and her main storyline revolved around a clever meta-joke involving her serving as a surrogate for Sarah Chalke's character, who had temporarily replaced Becky's original actor in the earlier seasons of Roseanne.

7. Dan Became A Better Father

However, Becky's narrative in seasons 2 and 3 of The Conners introduced higher stakes by revealing her hidden struggle with alcoholism following a series of personal challenges. Addressing Becky's drinking problem would have been a challenging storyline for any family sitcom, but the untimely passing of Roseanne due to untreated substance abuse issues cast a shadow over this subplot. The Conners further explored this theme in season 4 when Mark was caught misusing ADHD medication to enhance his studying efforts. In both instances, Roseanne's death amplified the poignancy and impact of the storylines.

(The Conners Seasons 1-4)

While Dan was always a solid father in Roseanne's original run, he was also typically portrayed as a hands-off sitcom parent. One harsh reality of re-watching Roseanne is the realization that, despite both parents working and Roseanne being an outspoken feminist, most of the child-rearing responsibilities fell onto her shoulders rather than Dan's. However, following Roseanne's death, Dan had an opportunity to step up as a caregiver and he exceeded expectations. Throughout the early seasons of The Conners, Dan proved to be a dependable source of wisdom and encouragement for his children and grandchildren.

6. The Conners Focused On Darlene After Roseanne Died

(The Conners Seasons 2-5)

While Darlene remains one of Roseanne's most beloved breakout characters, she was never the star of the original series. Though her sardonic humor endeared her to fans, her pessimistic outlook and mean-spirited nature prevented her from carrying the show on her own. Thus, the decision to replace Roseanne with Darlene on The Conners was seen as a risky move. Fortunately, The Conners was able to give Darlene more prominence in the narrative following her mother's offscreen passing. Darlene's relationship with Ben and her subsequent work difficulties became central storylines of the show after Roseanne's departure.

5. Roseanne’s Death Improved Harris

(The Conners Seasons 2-4)

Harris initially started as a portrayal of Gen Z children, often coming across as obnoxious, while the supporting character in Roseanne's season 10 revival mainly served to utter nonsensical remarks, serving as a catalyst for Roseanne's frustration with the younger generation. However, following Roseanne's passing, Harris evolved into a more well-developed character, gaining agency, her own perspective, and even inheriting some of her mother's brooding disposition. This transformation was a refreshing departure from her earlier portrayal, where her refusal to clean dishes existed solely to provide Roseanne with an excuse to dunk her head in the sink.

4. The Conners Got More Consistent

(The Conners Seasons 1-5)

3. Roseanne’s Death Finally Fixed Jackie’s Story

The previous illustration suggests that Roseanne's tenth season revival lacked a coherent tone. On one hand, the sitcom addressed the pressing issue of income inequality in small-town America, only to swiftly shift focus to Roseanne and Jackie's tiresome debates about Trump and Clinton in the very next scene. However, with the absence of Roseanne's character, The Conners season 6 managed to achieve a greater level of consistency, although there are still certain storylines that need to be eliminated.

(The Conners Seasons 3-5)

Speaking of Jackie, her character in Roseanne's original run was constantly the target of jokes and criticism, and unfortunately, the season 10 revival continued this trend. The revival completely disregarded the fact that she had a child and once again depicted her as unlucky in love and uncertain about her career. This repetitive and depressing storyline quickly became tiresome. Thankfully, The Conners took advantage of Roseanne's demise to give Jackie a chance at a new and likable romantic relationship, reconcile with her mother Bev, and reopen The Lunchbox after all those years.

2. Roseanne’s Death Made Roseanne’s Most Tragic Character Sadder

(The Conners Season 5)

Roseanne’s mother Bev was always a tragic character, consistently inflicting verbal abuse upon her daughters. Additionally, Bev deceivingly withheld money from them, lied, and expressed disapproval towards their life decisions. Despite her darkly humorous yet immensely sorrowful nature, The Conners presented an unexpected twist in redeeming Bev. With her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in season 5, Bev's tragic persona was further emphasized, but it also granted her a sweeter and more empathetic disposition, subsequently transforming years of anger and resentment.

1. The Conners Became Darker

(The Conners Seasons 1-5)

After the show's former heroine was killed off, The Conners took a darker turn. Any family sitcom that eliminates a main character would naturally experience some shifts in tone, but in the case of The Conners, the series fully embraced its working-class realism and intensified the tragedy of this storyline. As the seasons progressed, the show bravely tackled the challenges of the pandemic, Darlene's unemployment, Becky's substance abuse issues, Harris's miscarriage, Mark's financial struggles to afford college, and various other weighty subjects. Fortunately, by demonstrating its ability to handle these somber themes with both grace and humor, The Conners proved it was up to the task after bidding farewell to Roseanne's beloved character.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I have mixed feelings about the impact of Roseanne's passing on The Conners. On the one hand, I understand that the show needed to address the death of its main character in order to move on. On the other hand, I feel that Roseanne's death was a bit too abrupt and could have been handled better.

I think that the show did a good job of exploring the impact of Roseanne's death on the other characters. Becky's storyline, in particular, was very powerful. Her struggle with alcoholism was made more poignant by the fact that her mother had also struggled with addiction. I also appreciated the way the show handled Dan's grief. He was always a bit of a bumbling father, but he really stepped up after Roseanne's death. He became a source of strength and support for his children and grandchildren.

Overall, I think that The Conners has done a good job of dealing with the death of Roseanne. The show has not shied away from the difficult emotions that come with losing a loved one. However, it has also found ways to show the resilience of the Conner family. I am excited to see what the future holds for The Conners.