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Warning: SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 6, “The Truck Stops Here.”
It’s difficult for a show as big as The Conners to address all of its lingering questions with only half a dozen episodes in the final season, and it sadly didn’t get to all of them. Considering the sheer size of The Conners cast, there were a lot of storylines to address before the final curtain fell. Roseanne’s death in The Conners accounted for one of the largest overarching stories in season 7, but previous seasons set up plenty of smaller plotlines that hardly got any breathing room in the lead-up to the finale.
That’s not to say that The Conners series finale was entirely disappointing. Plenty of characters did receive happy endings, and the last episode exemplified more than any other that the series has always been about embracing family in the face of tough times. But it’s difficult for a show with themes like that to end on a note that feels truly conclusive, and it would have been nice to see at least a few subplots wrapped up a little more decisively than they were.
9
What Ever Happened To Beverly Harris?
Her Departure Always Seemed Problematic
Jackie’s fraught relationship with her mother, Beverly received significant screentime over the years, but they hammered things out before Beverly left in The Conners season 6. Although she developed worsening dementia, Beverly ultimately receives a happy ending when she boards a train to see the world while she still has time. It was a heartwarming moment, but there were also terrifying implications when realizing that she could be prone to forget where she was while stranded far from home in unfamiliar territory with no familial support.
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The Conners’ Sets Up A Horrible Death Trend With Bev
The Conners writes out Estelle Parsons’ Bev in season 6 while also setting up a horrible trend with how the Roseanne spinoff handles deaths.
In fairness to The Conners, Beverly’s exit from the series was followed by a bit of reassurance when Jackie revealed that she was tracking her mom’s phone. If Beverly wound up somewhere dangerous or became hospitalized, Jackie would presumably know. Unfortunately, Jackie declares in the final scenes of the series finale that she has no idea where her mother is anymore. This is treated like a punchline, but it also means that Jackie can’t speak to whether her mother is even still alive. Ultimately, fans will have to write their own ending for Beverly depending on their own preference.
8
Will David Ever Step Up As A Father?
Mark Doesn’t Seem All That Hopeful
Johnny Galecki’s David was a major character in Roseanne, but he only appeared a few times in the first two seasons of The Conners before disappearing entirely after the end of his affair with Darlene. After that, Darlene made multiple references to dealing with Harris and Mark’s issues without David’s help, implying that he unfairly punished his children by becoming a deadbeat after he and their mother broke things off for good.
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David’s The Conners Season 7 Absence Gets Worse After This Shock Johnny Galecki Appearance
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The producers had originally planned a storyline for David in The Conners season 7, but Johnny Galecki’s absence led to David’s story being cut. They assured fans that David would still be part of the conversation, but the only reference to David in the finale season is when Mark blames Darlene for David leaving while running away from home. That doesn’t mean David will never make amends to his kids in the future, but it’s tragic that we didn’t get to see it happen.
7
What Happened To Chuck & His Wife, Anne-Marie?
Chuck’s Too Busy At The Hospital To Appear
Dan’s friend Chuck didn’t appear on much of The Conners in the first place, likely because James Pickens Jr. is generally too busy playing Richard Webber on Grey’s Anatomy. Sadly, Chuck’s last storyline on The Conners mirrors Webber’s Grey’s character arc in one particularly sad way. In Grey’s, Webber loses his wife Adele after she develops Alzheimer’s and experiences a heart attack in season 9. The Conners season 4 gives Chuck’s wife Anne-Marie a stroke.
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The Conners Chuck Plot Proves The Show Can Honor Roseanne’s Memory
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Although Chuck and Dan had some great bonding moments over this, considering Dan knew firsthand what it feels like to lose a wife after watching her struggle, it’s never actually established what happened to Chuck and Anne-Marie after her stroke. Chuck had fallen into a deep pit of depression and let his entire house go to shambles, and the fact that Dan never mentions him afterward leaves open whether Chuck still has support during a time of crisis. Hopefully, his absence in The Conners season 7 means that everything turned out as well as possible for now.
6
Does Dan Still Talk To Jerry?
He Just Blipped Out Of Existence
For years, the only three kids in the Conners clan consisted of Becky, Darlene, and DJ. But a surprise pregnancy announcement in season 7 led to baby Jerry earning one of the most complex storylines on Roseanne. Not only did Roseanne Conner stay pregnant for more than 12 months in order to overlap with Roseanne Barr’s real-life pregnancy (which was announced slightly later), but the Conners also announced a girl before ultimately giving birth to a boy because Barr wanted Jerry’s sex to align with that of her new son.
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The Conners has teased the explanation for Jerry’s continued absence in the Roseanne spinoff sequel, but the ABC sitcom has yet to pay it off.
In the reboot, however, Jerry’s put on a fishing boat from which he never returns. Dan only even references having three kids after Roseanne’s death in The Conners, which showrunner Bruce Helford suggested was due to a rift between Jerry and his father. It’s possible Dan resented Jerry for not being present at the time of Roseanne’s death, but whether Helford intended this or not is unclear since Jerry never comes up in the final season. Whether Dan or Jerry maintain any contact at all will forever remain a mystery.
5
Will Ben’s Magazine Actually Be Successful?
He Still Hasn’t Finished Getting It Off The Ground
Aside from Dan’s deposition in his lawsuit against the opioid manufacturers that he and Jackie blame for Roseanne’s death, the second-biggest storyline in The Conners season 7 is that Darlene feels abandoned by Ben when he starts spending all of his time trying to launch his hardware magazine. By the end of the series finale, however, it remains unclear how close he’s gotten to really putting things in motion. There’s no denying that he’s hard at work, but he’s also taken on a lot of extra help that he presumably can’t afford to pay for yet.
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Jay R. Ferguson’s Ben surprisingly shaved his beard for The Conners season 7, but it would have been better if he’d done it a full season before.
Technically, the start-up funds came from the insurance payments after Ben’s store burned down. But that money won’t last forever, so the series could have used a progress report if we’re meant to assume the magazine will ultimately launch successfully. Additionally, Ben lost his first publication because he lacked the business sense to properly gauge the corporate owners he sold to, a problem that could occur again when seeking sponsors for his magazine. With Ben absent from so much of the season, we simply haven’t seen whether he’s grown enough as an editor to fare better this time.
4
Will Darlene & Chad Continue To Be Friends?
Things Are At Least Going To Be Awkward Now
Chad’s introduction in The Conners’ final season was a bit worrisome, considering Ben and Darlene have already had two separate issues over her relationships with other men. For a while, it seemed like Chad’s story arc was going down that same road. Although everything seemed platonic on the surface, Becky rightfully calls out Darlene upon learning that she’s been keeping her friendship with Chad a secret. In the finale, however, Darlene rejects Chad immediately when he tries to ask her on a date.
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That’s good news for Darlene’s marriage, and she did tell Chad that they needed to stop hanging out. But despite Ben’s pledge in the finale to spend more time at home, the fact that he’s still working on the magazine means there will still be late nights when Darlene has to occupy her time. Assuming that she won’t simply stop going to the Lobo altogether, there’s a good chance that Darlene run into Chad again. We’ll never know if she’s truly ended their relationship or if they can eventually work things out to stay friends.
3
Are Becky & Tyler In It For The Long Haul?
Joining Finances Led To A Rare Fight Between Them
There’s little denying that Tyler has given Becky her healthiest relationship of the series. It looked for a time as if things might work out between her and Emilio, and she had that awkward “friends with benefits” relationship for a while. But whether it was a lack of romance, illegal immigration, or the rules of dating a college professor, every prior relationship Becky’s had on The Conners has been rife with extraordinary red flags. Tyler is just a nice, polite pilot who loves Becky and knows how to cook.
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The Conners season 7 episode 4 seemingly repeated an earlier Darlene story with Becky, but Roseanne’s spinoff gave the story a new, better ending.
Unfortunately, The Conners has rarely explored their ability to overcome differences. Their first fight occurred early on, when Becky took issue with Tyler paying Beverly Rose to behave so that she’d like him more. But their last fight of the series occurs because they can’t agree on how to share finances. They simply haven’t navigated enough ups and downs to tell whether their relationship is on truly solid enough footing to go the full distance.
2
Will The Conners Ever See DJ Again?
They Don’t Even Mention Him Anymore
It wasn’t Michael Fishman’s fault that DJ was written out of The Conners in the first place. Fishman was told by the producers that DJ wouldn’t be returning, but that he’d instead be joining Geena overseas after she re-enlisted. As much as his loss was felt to fans of Roseanne, the reality is that The Conners never really seemed to utilize DJ in a lot of major storylines that didn’t involve Geena or Mary.
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Ahead of its anticipated return, it has already been confirmed that 1 The Conners character isn’t coming back for season 7, and that’s a travesty.
DJ could have had great story potential, having been in the military and developed PTSD. But his absence from season 4’s mall shooting episode missed the best opportunity to really incorporate that into the storyline. Saddest of all is that, after his departure, The Conners season 7 stops mentioning DJ’s existence at all. Much like Beverly and David, it would’ve been nice to receive some positive news about his character in the show’s final moments. Much like Beverly and David, fans will have to imagine his character’s ending for themselves.
1
Can Harris Keep The Lanford Lunch Box Successful?
She Had To Fire Her Only Help Besides Louise
DJ could have had great story potential, having been in the military and developed PTSD. But his absence from season 4’s mall shooting episode missed the best opportunity to really incorporate that into the storyline. Saddest of all is that, after his departure, The Conners season 7 stops mentioning DJ’s existence at all. Much like Beverly and David, it would’ve been nice to receive some positive news about his character in the show’s final moments. Much like Beverly and David, fans will have to imagine his character’s ending for themselves.
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By ignoring one pivotal character’s plot from season 6, The Conners season 7 risks forgetting a huge part of Roseanne’s legacy as the sitcom ends.
Now that both Jackie and Becky are gone, Louise appears to be the only one helping outside of the kitchen. Harris hired Riley in The Conners season 7, but all she got out of the deal was a new boyfriend and so much lost business that she had to fire Riley without ever having time to find a replacement onscreen. Worst of all, Harris says less than anybody else at Roseanne’s grave in the series finale, so we have no idea how well the restaurant’s actually doing. But at least she says the food is good.
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