The Conners‘ upcoming 100th episode may include a Roseanne tribute, 6 years after she passed away. Despite its rocky start, ABC’ Roseanne spinoff sequel is now about to cross a huge broadcasting milestone in its shortened year. Premiering in 2018 with a record-low of 11 episodes for its freshman season, The Conners is now about to cross the 100th episode mark. Given this, the writers are pulling all the stops to craft a story worthy of such accolade, and a part of that may be honoring the late family matriarch.
According to the official synopsis for The Conners season 6, episode 7, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day,” from ABC (via Futon Critic) Becky’s daughter, Beverly Rose, will learn about the concept of death. The brief doesn’t mention Roseanne, but it’s difficult to imagine that the show will tackle the idea without including the family matriarch’s legacy. Elsewhere, Dan and Jackie team up for an adventure of their own. Read the full synopsis below:
Why The Conners Still Needs To Honor Roseanne Despite Barr’s Controversial Exit
Roseanne’s death in The Conners was born out of a dramatic exit from Roseanne Barr. ABC had just revived the original Roseanne show to much acclaim, but they were forced to fire the actor for her racist tweet against former Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett. That led to the cancelation of the revival, but it proved to be far too popular for the network to simply shelve. This resulted in a sequel spinoff, The Conners, which essentially continues the family’s story, but just without Roseanne. As it turned out, Roseanne died because of an opioid overdose.
In its first few years, The Conners limited its references to Roseanne, which coincided with the family’s attempt to move forward after the massive loss. In recent seasons, however, it became more comfortable bringing her up, setting up what may likely be a tribute episode for the late character. Regardless of what happened to Barr and the fallout from her firing, Roseanne is still beloved by her family, with the clan fondly remembering her. Beverly Rose never got the chance to meet her maternal grandmother, so it makes sense that she is at the center of the upcoming narrative.
Ultimately, The Conners is about family, and for the longest time, Roseanne anchored the clan throughout the good and bad times. It’s only fair that the newer members of the Conners are taught who she was and what she meant to them. Currently, the chances of Barr making a cameo or being involved in any kind of way are slim to none, but it doesn’t mean that The Conners doesn’t have to acknowledge her character’s impact on the show.
Source: ABC (via Futon Critic)