The Conners

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I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but it wasn't until watching season 4, episode 2, that I noticed that Sara Gilbert is now the executive producer for this show, which as much of television history has proven is the beginning of a show's downfall. MASH became a crashing bore once Alan Alda became executive producer, but I really don't want to see the same thing happen here. This episode was kind of all over the place, but had its moments. First of all, were we really supposed to believe that Becky is only three years younger than Patton Oswalt's character. And I really hate going here, but I don't believe for a minute that Roseanne kept a Bible in a kitchen drawer for nine seasons and I don't believe that when she was going through her knee pain and her addiction that she turned to God. This reveal just went against everything we know about Roseanne Conner...there, I said it. I hope Darlene doesn't give up her struggle for answers or her struggles with Ben. And I'll be the first to admit that I didn't understand Mark's statistics
joke either.



First of all, congrats to Michael Fishman (DJ) for making his directorial debut with ep 3, but my issue's with last night's episode had nothing to do with the direction. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I found the glossing over of Becky's recovery process offensive. I know it's just a sitcom, but even a sitcom has the responsibility to portray a program that millions struggle with on a daily basis with a modicum of accuracy. First of all, Becky has no sponsor and there has been no mention of her getting a sponsor...this process is impossible to do by oneself. Becky said she was working on step four, a fearless moral inventory and then she said she was up to making amends. Between the moral inventory and making amends are four other steps. I also don't think Becky working at the Lunch Box turned sports bar serving alcohol is a great ides for her recovery. I know it's just a TV show, but recovery is a serious thing for a lot of people and I am of the opinion that the only way to legitimize the mistakes in last night's episode is to have Becky relapse sometime before the season is out.



Ep 4 featured strong work by Katey Sagal and John Goodman as Louise began to crack under the pressure of wedding plans. Well, Becky did relapse, but the way they did it was a cop out, not to mention how it was all of a sudden conveniently mentioned that Becky has an invisible sponsor. We need to say Becky's sponsor work with her for this recovery process to be believable. Ben and Darlene acted like children, but I think they still love each other and that kid playing Mark really needs to eat a cheeseburger.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Ep 4 featured strong work by Katey Sagal and John Goodman as Louise began to crack under the pressure of wedding plans. Well, Becky did relapse, but the way they did it was a cop out, not to mention how it was all of a sudden conveniently mentioned that Becky has an invisible sponsor. We need to say Becky's sponsor work with her for this recovery process to be believable. Ben and Darlene acted like children, but I think they still love each other and that kid playing Mark really needs to eat a cheeseburger.

When Becky relapsed, it reminded me of the episode of "Mom" when they all ate Adam's brownies and got high. Marjorie explained to them that they didn't go back to "step 1" because they didn't intentionally get high, so it didn't really count as "falling off the wagon". It seemed like Becky did the same thing here because she didn't know that she was drinking alcohol, but here she said that she was back to step 1. So which one of these is accurate in this situation?

And about Ben and Darlene, I never thought that Darlene deserved Ben, so I'm kind of glad that they broke up, but the way they did it made it awkward for him to stay on the show. He's one of my favorite characters on the show, so I hope they find a way to work it out so he stays on the show without them getting back together.
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Ep 5 was kind of strange and not terribly funny...John Goodman provided the majority of the laughs in this episode. He's one of those actors who can read the phone book and be funny and he almost was here. The return of Emilio was a pleasant surprise but what happened with him and Becky was just kind of squirm-worthy and just seemed to put the kibosh on them ever getting back together. I hate the guy who owns the bookstore, hope we don't see anymore of him. I like Aldo, but not sure if I like him with Harris. And is it just me, or is Darlene starting to act a lot more like Jackie, while Jackie is starting to act a lot more like Bev? I hope this episode wasn't the beginning of the "star becomes the executive producer" curse that has plagued so many shows.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Ep 5 was kind of strange and not terribly funny...John Goodman provided the majority of the laughs in this episode. He's one of those actors who can read the phone book and be funny and he almost was here. The return of Emilio was a pleasant surprise but what happened with him and Becky was just kind of squirm-worthy and just seemed to put the kibosh on them ever getting back together. I hate the guy who owns the bookstore, hope we don't see anymore of him. I like Aldo, but not sure if I like him with Harris. And is it just me, or is Darlene starting to act a lot more like Jackie, while Jackie is starting to act a lot more like Bev? I hope this episode wasn't the beginning of the "star becomes the executive producer" curse that has plagued so many shows.

I think this show is just going down. With the exception of Dan moving on with his life after losing Roseanne, and getting together with Louise, I don't like what they're doing with most of the characters. While there are a few laughs left, most of the episodes just aren't very funny. I'd like to see the show find its footing again and get back on the right track, but I don't have high hopes for it. I think it's running on the reputation of the original show right now.



matt72582's Avatar
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In 4 seasons, I finally heard a good line. Mark asks Dan why their insurance won't cover tornadoes.


"I didn't read the fine print, because the insurance doesn't cover vision, which I didn't know, because I couldn't read the fine print"



Ep 6 was a little better than ep 5...bringing Mark and Logan together and having them both be gay just seemed a little pat and contrived, but why do it all if Logan was only going to be here for one episode? It was nice to see Darlene gain a little perspective regarding her relationship with Mark and I have to wonder why Ben is still hanging around the house so much if he and Darlene are over? They need to bring Darlene and Ben back together or give Ben a new girlfriend. Jackie continues morphing into Bev as she continues to throw cold water on Backy's dreams. On the other hand, I would have preferred to see Becky working on her recovery than a college degree. I also need to say that I'm not feeling John Goodman and Katey Sagal being reduced to glorified extras.



Ep 7 opened my eyes up to where Sara is going wrong with this show...this episode worked because, for the most part, it concentrated on the Conner family unit. For months now, the show has been introducing tons of new characters for single episodes who disappear as quickly as they appear. Whatever happened to Brian Austin Green? Sara had some viable chemistry with the guy and he just disappeared with no explanation. Or how about the black guy who Becky lied to about her recovery? They gave Mark a love interest for one episode. They changed the title from Roseanne to The Conners, so let the show be about the Conners. Everything that happened between Darlene and Harris was wonderful and long overdue. Loved the post-it scene, but not feeling this new character Nick at all. As executive producer, Sara needs to go back to the basics, go back to the Conners. If she wants to introduce new characters, go back to the treasure trove of characters from the original show that could be brought back, like Fred or Darlene's little brother, Jerry, or now with her relationship with Ben over, why not bring back Johnny Galecki as David?



The Xmas finale featured a big goof in continuity that I just couldn't let slide. In this ep 8 Dan decides to sell his bedroom furniture and there's a big discussion about how everything in that bedroom was bought right after Dan and Roseanne got married. Apparently Sara forgot that Dan and Roseanne bought a new mattress in season 4 of the original series. And when did Becky start mentoring single mothers? Talk about the blind leading the blind. I really can't stand this Nick guy and I hate the way he talks to Darlene, like he is such a superior human being to her. And I also hate the way Jackie still seems to be turning into Beverly...annoying and slightly insane.



Thanks to some clever writing and yes, some surprisingly smart direction from Michael Fishman, ep 9 provided some solid entertainment value, beginning to get this show back on the right track. Glad Sara and Michael figured out that Darlene and Nick won't working and broke them up. The scene with Darlene, Ben, Nick, and Heather showed flashes of brilliance and I loved that Nick and Heather's brains weren't removed for the sake of keeping Darlene and Nick together. And I guess I must have missed something somewhere, because I don't remember Neville having a son, not to mention his hottie mother (Andrea Anders), but I loved the way it brought the Alex Forrest out of Jackie. Loved Dan's sorting of the bills and how to pay them and now that Ben and Darlene might be on their way to reconciliation, can we please clean up that beard? Jay R Ferguson looked like a drunk Santa Claus.



Ep 10 was surprisingly good. This thing with Mark seemed to come out of nowhere but it made for some pretty compelling scenes between Mark and Darlene. Interesting that Dan kind of stayed on the sidelines, considering what happened to Roseanne and that mentioning what happened didn't seem to phase Darlene. Apparently, Mark has been burying some feelings for a long time and watching them all bubble to the surface in one episode was a little startling, but this is the kind of edginess that I've always expected from this show. Ames McNamara really needs to eat a cheeseburger though, that kid looks dangerously thin. Laurie Metcalf was very funny as Jackie finally decided to be honest about Helen...loved when she was searching the cabinets in the doctor's office. And it's nice to see Harris finally suffering some consequences for her actions, but now that Dan and Becky know, I hope it doesn't stop. Good show.



OK, at the end of ep 10, Dan and Becky just found out that Harris was living in the trailer out back and at the beginning of ep 11, Harris is already back in the house? Looked like a real opportunity for some effective family drama just glossed over there. And that whole thing with Darlene in the movie theater...that was so NOT Darlene, were we actually supposed to buy that? This story is just not working for me, it's time to put Ben and Darlene back together. I'm just not buying that these two have absolutely no feelings for each other anymore. Aldo needs to grow a pair and get away from Harris. Joe Walsh was just creepy as Jessie, hope we've seen the last of him.



matt72582's Avatar
Please Quote/Tag Or I'll Miss Your Responses
OK, at the end of ep 10, Dan and Becky just found out that Harris was living in the trailer out back and at the beginning of ep 11, Harris is already back in the house? Looked like a real opportunity for some effective family drama just glossed over there. And that whole thing with Darlene in the movie theater...that was so NOT Darlene, were we actually supposed to buy that? This story is just not working for me, it's time to put Ben and Darlene back together. I'm just not buying that these two have absolutely no feelings for each other anymore. Aldo needs to grow a pair and get away from Harris. Joe Walsh was just creepy as Jessie, hope we've seen the last of him.

I knew the "new guy" wouldn't last. Regardless of what happens, they're going to get back together (unless there's some contract dispute, firing, etc)... I don't find it necessary to throw in DJ and his daughter (and even less, Gina) for 5 seconds for "legitimacy" and "diversity"..



And yeah, that was definitely NOT Darlene.. Then again, I don't like her character since the first re-boot. But, because she's one of the money people, she's going to be the center of the show. I'd also guess this is why Becky's character is the "loser", despite her being the smart sister for the first nine seasons. I'm actually glad they haven't brought back Sarah Chalke, because she's just not "Becky" to me.



Harris is a very unlikable character, and is only digestible when she shows some vulnerability. Aldo is just a dope, and it's just too bad they're wasting the few minutes each week on him, or Joe Walsh, who can't even talk. I think his talking voice is even worse than his singing voice! Someone told me about him being on the show, but I thought it was going to be some return of Katie Segal, with them in the same band or something (similar to the cameo by David Crosby).



Jackie has been relegated to being a hysterical lunatic, when she was more rounded in the original show. Is her son with Fred ever going to appear? I'd prefer him over her new boyfriend, who's name has escaped me, but another unlikable character, despite him being a very friendly guy.


I noticed Mark being absent, but I was actually glad, because I'm tired of the recycling. Anytime there's a space for conflict, they bring something back. Mentioning Roseanne, or Becky's back to drinking.


I'd like to see more Dan.. He was featured a little yesterday, but mostly as a statue.......... I've seen every episode, and back in 2006/7, I would watch "Roseanne" every night on my couch until I passed out. It was on about 4 channels. Hell, it was on three different channels in The Netherlands! So I'm going to watch regardless, since it's only about 16 minutes, but I think the show needs new writers. I'm tempted to watch old episodes one day just to compare.



Just watched ep 12 and loved the unexpected turn Mark's story took. I didn't believe for a minute he was selling drugs, I thought he was selling term papers but loved the way the story played out, though, if the truth be told. I'm continuing to be distracted by Ames McNamara's physical appearance...he looks sick and the three or four inches that he's gained in height only make it look worse.. Sure would like to know exactly what's going on there. Not really feeling the instant romance between Becky and her professor (Matt Walsh).



Just watch ep 13...LOVED that Ben offered to co-sign for the house for Darlene and I LOVE even more that she turned him down. Did you see the look on Dan's face? I don't think he's ever been prouder of Darlene. What was with that girl being so obsessed with Becky and the professor? And who holds a singles event in a cemetery? Matt Walsh is a talented actor, loved him on Veep, but he has absolutely no chemistry with Lecy and it's time break these two up.



In terms of intentions, I liked that ep 14 tackled a very edgy subject that is topical and hasn't really been addressed on a sitcom before, but Lecy Goranson's first attempt at writing an episode was filled with melodrama and inconsistencies. I was mostly troubled by the scene where it was revealed who the shooter was...we were informed that Mary, Harris, Darlene, Becky, and Dan all knew who this kid was. In terms of generations, that really didn't make sense to me. Though I understand her motives, Harris had no right to sell Dan's gun and that's another thing...was this gun always hidden away somewhere during the first nine seasons of Roseanne? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Goranson wrote the episode, but this was the first episode of The Conners that implied that Becky might have a brain. I'm also troubled by the fact that Mary was allowed to stay home from school...if she wasn't going to school, then she should have gone to a counselor, one or the other. On the positive side, it was great to see Katey Sagal return as Louise. Loved after Beverly Rose got home that Becky didn't want to put her down and it was a little squirm-worthy to learn that Jackie spends nine hours a day on her phone watching violence. Might explain why Jackie has been such a basket case this season. It was definitely something different for this show and it all didn't work for me, but I appreciate the intention.