The Conners

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Watched the live episode last night, and, honestly, if they hadn't announced that it was live, there was no way to tell. Same polished performances as always, no flubbed lines, no late entrances, as professional as ever. If they hadn't included a shot of the studio audience at the end, not to mention the absence of the opening credits, there was no way to tell that the show was performed live. It was nice to see Mark and Harris reconcile and I hope this wasn't the end of Dan and Louise (Katey Sagal), there's some real chemistry there.



A month ago I posted here that this show should think about bringing back other characters from the original series that we haven't seen. Well, lo and behold a past character was introduced in ep 13 but it was one that I had forgotten about. The reunion between Dan and his half-brother, Little Ed (played by Noel Fisher of Shameless) was beautifully bittersweet, a reunion I should have seen coming when we learned that Dan's dad had died. Ironically, Ned Beatty, the actor who played Dan's father, is still alive. Really didn't see Ed's anger coming and my mouth fell open when he chastised Dan for having lived a life of leisure the past 20 . Dan handled it like the champ he is though. It was so cute seeing Ben dealing with kids, but I still have a feeling that having a child with Darlene could still end up being a dealbreaker for the pair. The Dwight having stage fright in the kitchen story was only saved by Laurie Metcalf's involvement because this Dwight character is a total snooze.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
A month ago I posted here that this show should think about bringing back other characters from the original series that we haven't seen. Well, lo and behold a past character was introduced ep 13 but it was one that I had forgotten about. The reunion between Dan and his half-brother, Little Ed (played by Noel Fisher of Shameless) was beautifully bittersweet, a reunion I should have seen coming when we learned that Dan's dad had died. Ironically, Ned Beatty, the actor who played Dan's father, is still alive. Really didn't see Ed's anger coming and my mouth fell open when he chastised Dan for having lived a life of leisure the past 20 years ago. Dan handled it like the champ he is though. It was so cute seeing Ben dealing with kids, but I still have a feeling that having a child with Darlene could still end up being a dealbreaker for the pair. The Dwight having stage fright in the kitchen story was only saved by Laurie Metcalf's involvement because this Dwight character is a total snooze.

Didn't Dan's father marry Roseanne's friend Crystal, or am I remembering wrong? If I'm right, is Little Ed their child, and if so, do we know what happened to Crystal?

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
A month ago I posted here that this show should think about bringing back other characters from the original series that we haven't seen. Well, lo and behold a past character was introduced ep 13 but it was one that I had forgotten about. The reunion between Dan and his half-brother, Little Ed (played by Noel Fisher of Shameless) was beautifully bittersweet, a reunion I should have seen coming when we learned that Dan's dad had died. Ironically, Ned Beatty, the actor who played Dan's father, is still alive. Really didn't see Ed's anger coming and my mouth fell open when he chastised Dan for having lived a life of leisure the past 20 years ago. Dan handled it like the champ he is though. It was so cute seeing Ben dealing with kids, but I still have a feeling that having a child with Darlene could still end up being a dealbreaker for the pair. The Dwight having stage fright in the kitchen story was only saved by Laurie Metcalf's involvement because this Dwight character is a total snooze.

Another question: Didn't Dan have a friend named Dwight in the original show? Is this the same guy, or a different guy named Dwight?



Didn't Dan's father marry Roseanne's friend Crystal, or am I remembering wrong? If I'm right, is Little Ed their child, and if so, do we know what happened to Crystal?

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Yes, Little Ed is the son of Dan's father and Crystal.



Ep 14 had some fun moments. Loving the development of the relationship between Dan and Little Ed. That was so sweet when they threw in that flashback from season 4 at the end. The idea of Jackie being part of a "thruple" was fun, perfectly played by Laurie Metcalf. Also loved Darlene calming Mark's fears about her having a baby.



Even though ep 16 wasn't centered around her at all, Laurie Metcalf provided the majority of the laughs in this episode. She was absolutely hysterical whether dealing with Becky's extended family or looking for validation from Darlene. Speaking of Darlene, it just seems out of character the way she was coddling Harris in this episode. The teenage Darlene that we met back in the 1990's never would have allowed Harris to just sit around the house all day feeling sorry for herself. And can we please bring Emilio back to take care of Becky and Beverly and to save Becky from his family?



Ep 17 was a cruel reminder of why Beverly Harris made my most hated TV characters list. I can't stand the way she strutted in that house flaunting her money and playing puppet master with the family she supposedly cares about. On the other hand, I'm not sure Darlene had the right to demand that Beverly give Harris money too...don't understand Darlene's pampering and coddling and overprotecting of Harris at all, considering Harris treats her like dirt most of the time. It was great to see James Pickens Jr back at that poker table as Chuck and the Dan/Louise reunion was a heartbreaker...didn't see that coming.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Ep 17 was a cruel reminder of why Beverly Harris made my most hated TV characters list. I can't stand the way she strutted in that house flaunting her money and playing puppet master with the family she supposedly cares about. On the other hand, I'm not sure Darlene had the right to demand that Beverly give Harris money too...don't understand Darlene's pampering and coddling and overprotecting of Harris at all, considering Harris treats her like dirt most of the time. It was great to see James Pickens Jr back at that poker table as Chuck and the Dan/Louise reunion was a heartbreaker...didn't see that coming.

Darlene didn't demand the money for Harris. She asked about it, but when given the choice of only one child getting the money, she chose Harris because it was finally going to put her on the right track for her future. While I don't agree with Darlene's choice of taking the money away from Mark, I understand it.

Either way, Beverly was a b!tch for the way she played Darlene, and hurt both kids.

And I loved the way Dan just kicked Beverly out without even having to hear anything about the dispute between Darlene and Beverly.

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I guess my point is that Darlene didn't really have the right to say anything to Beverly. As nasty as Beverly was, it was her money and she had the right to do with as she pleased. I was even further repelled when Darlene actually was going to steal money from Beverly using her power of attorney. That really would have been crossing the line. On the other hand, this kind of questionable behavior has always been a staple with these characters.



A master acting class in acting by John Goodman was definitely the highlight of ep 18. I especially loved his drunk scene with Zack the keyboard player. Goodman nailed the secret of playing a drunk scene...a drunk scene is most effective when the person is trying their hardest to appear sober. I also need to say that Ben is the best TV boyfriend since Smith on Sex and the City. I've never seen anyone in the history of these characters who knows exactly how to deal with Darlene at all times. The final scene with Goodman and Katey Sagal was a winner.



The Ben/Darlene dance was definitely the highlight of Ep 19. In reality, I think any other guy would have walked away from Darlene by now, but Ben is still in there swinging. Love that they're going to live together, but living at that house is going to do them more harm than good. It was kind of weird seeing Dan with that sleep machine...Dan has always been so energetic and had such a youthful spirit always made Dan seem young, even though he has definitely aged physically, but it was a realistic thing to address. And is it me or have TPTB not been able to figure out what to do with Little Ed? They've brought the character back to the show and he is being wasted the same way Michael Fishman is. Noel Fisher is a very talented actor who deserves better.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
The Ben/Darlene dance was definitely the highlight of Ep 19. In reality, I think any other guy would have walked away from Darlene by now, but Ben is still in there swinging. Love that they're going to live together, but living at that house is going to do them more harm than good. It was kind of weird seeing Dan with that sleep machine...Dan has always been so energetic and had such a youthful spirit always made Dan seem young, even though he has definitely aged physically, but it was a realistic thing to address. And is it me or have TPTB not been able to figure out what to do with Little Ed? They've brought the character back to the show and he is being wasted the same way Michael Fishman is. Noel Fisher is a very talented actor who deserves better.

As much as I liked the original show, I think Ben is my favorite character on the new show. I'm not sure why he stays with Darlene, but she doesn't deserve him.

I don't really like most of what they're doing with Dan. He used to be one of the strongest characters on the show, but he seems to be too much of a wimp now. It just doesn't feel like he's even the same person anymore.

I don't know what their plans are for Little Ed, but I hope they find something interesting for him to do. We don't need him to be one more of Dan's poker buddies.

Michael Fishman was a terrible actor as a child, so if he hasn't gotten any better over the years, that might be why he's being wasted on this show.



matt72582's Avatar
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As much as I liked the original show, I think Ben is my favorite character on the new show. I'm not sure why he stays with Darlene, but she doesn't deserve him.

I don't really like most of what they're doing with Dan. He used to be one of the strongest characters on the show, but he seems to be too much of a wimp now. It just doesn't feel like he's even the same person anymore.

I don't know what their plans are for Little Ed, but I hope they find something interesting for him to do. We don't need him to be one more of Dan's poker buddies.

Michael Fishman was a terrible actor as a child, so if he hasn't gotten any better over the years, that might be why he's being wasted on this show.

Completely agree about Dan. It was always nice to see different points of view, different generations. To me, he's still the strongest character, and would like more emphasis on him.



Michael Fishman is awful, lol.. He was better as an 8-yr old.



OK, just finished ep 20 and I'm a little confused...during the first show when the Conners won the lottery, wasn't there an episode where they paid off the mortgage? Roseanne put a little grill in the living room and gave Dan lighter fluid and a lighter so that they could burn the mortgage? Did I miss something somewhere? I'm absolutely loving Emilio...I actually got choked up when he saw his daughter for the first time, but he took a real risk leaving Mexico. I wouldn't mind he and Becky returning to Mexico because I've never really gotten into this airhead alcoholic that Becky has been turned into for this reboot. And they just can't have Dan lose that house...that would be so wrong on all kinds of levels...that house is like another character on this show, the show would not be the same with the Conners living somewhere else.



matt72582's Avatar
Please Quote/Tag Or I'll Miss Your Responses
OK, just finished ep 20 and I'm a little confused...during the first show when the Conners won the lottery, wasn't there an episode where they paid off the mortgage? Roseanne put a little grill in the living room and gave Dan lighter fluid and a lighter so that they could burn the mortgage? Did I miss something somewhere? I'm absolutely loving Emilio...I actually got choked up when he saw his daughter for the first time, but he took a real risk leaving Mexico. I wouldn't mind he and Becky returning to Mexico because I've never really gotten into this airhead alcoholic that Becky has been turned into for this reboot. And they just can't have Dan lose that house...that would be so wrong on all kinds of levels...that house is like another character on this show, the show would not be the same with the Conners living somewhere else.
Yes, they did pay off the house, and Roseanne and Dan did do that little celebration, but I think they don't care about the inaccuracies, similarly to how Dan came back to life.

I also don't care for "airhead Becky", especially since she was the great student, and Darlene was the jock. Taking addiction seriously, and then moving on would be my preference as opposed to the constant alcoholic jokes which kind of minimizes the conflict it used to be.

I also think they'll keep the house, but I think it would be creative to see them trying to live as homeless people, because they are the most marginalized group in society, especially noticeable during this pandemic. Of course, with every conflict, they can have a few episodes of them getting back the house with a various amount of ways.


I wonder if Season 3 will be renewed.. I used to look at the ratings, especially after the Roseanne reboot did well, and was curious about the comparisons. Part of me wants to go back and watch the old episodes, but in the mid-2000's, I would watch episodes throughout the day, since it was on 4 channels (and it was very popular in Europe, also appearing on multiple channels).