Although season 7 promises to be the show’s final outing, bringing the 36-year-old sitcom franchise to a close in March 2025. According to TVLine, The Conners season 7 will be a “Six-episode farewell event” that brings back Becky, Jackie, Darlene, Dan, Harris, Mark, and Beverly-Rose for one more story. Already, I’m skeptical about the prospect of season 7 providing a meaningful ending to the franchise as a whole.

While Roseanne characters The Conners season 7 must bring back in some form or another, from Dan’s stepmother Crystal to the late Leon Carp. Thus, I can’t see the show having enough screen time.

The Conners Is The End Of The Roseanne Franchise

Roseanne Originally Began Airing Back in 1988

Since The Conners season 7 has no planned spinoffs, its finale marks the end of the entire franchise. The Conners season 7 marks the end of the Roseanne story that began back in 1988, so it worries me that the show barely even has time to wrap up the storylines left open by season 6’s finale. When viewers last saw them, the Conners were celebrating Jackie and Dan’s retirement. However, Louise had just taken up a position on the school board, Tyler and Becky’s relationship was only beginning, and Harris was struggling with the responsibilities of running The Lunchbox.

As if this weren’t enough, Ben imperiled his family’s finances by buying Hardware magazine with an insurance payout after his family hardware store burned down. Meanwhile, Mark took a job with sketchy email scammers in an attempt to save up college tuition after he was accepted into the University of Chicago. The Conners season 7’s ending can’t ignore any of these plot strands but, even if the season devoted an entire episode to each storyline, it wouldn’t have a moment to spare for Roseanne’s legacy.

I'm Worried The Conners Season 7 Can't Do Justice To Ending The Franchise

The Conners Has Only Six Episodes To Wrap Up A Story Spanning Four Decades

The Conners season 7 will end one of the biggest sitcom franchises ever, but the sendoff seems unlikely to do justice to Roseanne and its spinoff. It would be tough for any ordinary sitcom to wrap up its story in only six episodes, but The Conners also has to contend with the legacy of Roseanne. The show should bring back pivotal characters from Roseanne to acknowledge their importance in the original show, from Dan’s friend Chuck Mitchell to David Healy. However, on a more practical level, the spinoff should also explain what became of characters like Beverly and Crystal.

Although The Conners’ banned Christmas episode made this plot more confusing, season 6 revealed that Dan had been lending Crystal money after his father’s death left her destitute. This plot point hasn’t been addressed since and season 7 is unlikely to have sufficient screen time to focus on Crystal. This storyline is a microcosm of the show’s broader problem, which is that a sprawling sitcom universe like that shared by The Conners and Roseanne can’t be tidily wrapped up in only a half dozen short episodes.

What The Conners' Ending Needs To Focus On To Get Things Right

Harris and Mark’s Stories Should Shape The Conners Season 7

Since the show has only six episodes to work with, The Conners season 7 should prioritize Mark and Harris’s storylines. This could seem counter-intuitive considering characters like Jackie and Dan have been around since Roseanne began and characters like Beverly and Crystal barely get any screen time as is. However, the show’s 2017 revival was ostensibly intended to update viewers on the family. The series is called The Conners for a reason, and the next generation of the titular family represents its future.

The Conners should center the younger generation of Roseanne’s cast to highlight the family’s future, as there isn’t enough screen time to give everyone a moment in the spotlight.

Although The Conners’ highest-rated episode focused on a fight between Jackie and Darlene, the show’s final outing should instead center on Darlene’s children. Mark’s job as an email scammer and Harris’s attempts to save The Lunchbox are both compelling storylines that can show what is in store for the family’s future now that Jackie, Louise, and Dan are all retired. The spinoff should not forget about Becky, Darlene, Dan, Louise, and Jackie. However, The Conners should instead center the younger generation of Roseanne’s cast to highlight the family’s future, as there isn’t enough screen time to give everyone a moment in the spotlight.

The Conners season 7 is set to air in March 2025.

Source: TVLine