Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 1, "It's Gonna Be A Great Day”

Although I think I know where Jackie’s The Conners’ large cast of characters is tough to keep track of, even for the show’s creators. There are so many major players in the lineup that almost every episode inevitably ends up leaving someone out. Darlene’s son Mark didn’t appear in the first few episodes of season 6, while his screen sister Harris didn’t appear in The Conners season 7, episode 1, "It's Gonna Be A Great Day.”

Fortunately, Mark did get a role in "It's Gonna Be A Great Day” and it was one that immediately addressed his dramatic season 6 storyline. A few seasons earlier, Mark accidentally brought up the subject of The Conners killing off Roseanne when he began abusing prescription ADHD medication to study harder. Since then, he has been relentless in his pursuit of his ambition, namely the ability to attend a prestigious institution of higher learning. This comes with a high price tag, and Mark has proven he is willing to do anything to get the money.

Jackie Reing The Police Will Likely Lead Her To Raid Mark’s Job In The Conners Season 7

Jackie Confronted Mark About His Work As A Hacker Already

After an abortive stint as a repo man in season 6, Mark took a lucrative job as an email hacker, unbeknownst to his family. When Jackie got a look at a few of his paychecks in "It's Gonna Be A Great Day,” she immediately knew he was making much more money than a high school graduate without a diploma could earn even in the tech industry. Her suspicions were confirmed by a note from one of Mark’s co-workers calling him a great hacker, and she confronted her nephew about his sketchy job.

Jackie’s past as a police officer in Roseanne is likely to intersect with Mark's plot later in season 7.

Credit to her, Jackie gave Mark a chance to quit his illegal hacking job and come clean, but he turned it down because the money was too promising. Unfortunately for Mark, Jackie’s past as a police officer in Roseanne is likely to intersect with this plot later in season 7. In "It's Gonna Be A Great Day,” Jackie struck up a conversation with a cop about reing the force now that she is retired. The dismissive cop's ageist attitude left Jackie determined to re the force to prove her wrong, which can’t be good for Mark.

Jackie reing the police force will almost certainly lead to her busting up Mark’s illegal hacking scheme for two reasons. For one, Jackie will want to impress the police by uncovering something they have missed, thus upstaging the younger officer who mocked her. For another, Jackie will want to ensure that Mark doesn’t continue partaking in this illegal scheme and running the risk of eventually getting caught by a cop he doesn’t recognize from home.

Mark Getting Caught By Jackie Is A Better Fallout For His Illegal Activity

Mark’s Fate Would Be Better In His Aunt’s Hands

Jackie’s police past from Roseanne lightens up this potentially dark story, as her dynamic with Zoe Perry’s new The Conners season 7 character ensures the plot has a fun “Fish out of water” feel to it. This is just as well, because the part about Mark getting caught is apt to be a lot less funny. Mark’s job was vaguely described as an email scam ring in season 6, and the amount of money he is making seems to imply that he could face serious criminal charges for the ill-advised scheme once it is uncovered.

Mark’s bullish refusal to listen to his aunt’s advice doesn’t bode well for him.

It would be better for Jackie to raid Mark’s job than a random police officer, since she could warn him about the sting in advance and potentially even shield him from charges. However, Mark’s bullish refusal to listen to his aunt’s advice doesn’t bode well for him. Jackie might not risk telling Mark about any planned raid on his job lest he inform the rest of his coworkers, and she may not be the one to arrest him once the raid happens. Thus, Jackie might not be able to help her nephew thanks to his myopic attitude.

How This Jackie & Mark Arc Can Impact The Conners' Ending

The Conners Season 7 Episode 1 Set Up A Tragic Ending For Roseanne’s Spinoff

While The Conners season 7 mentioned Roseanne’s death sooner than many viewers might have anticipated, this could be linked to Mark and Jackie’s shared story. Even if the eponymous family takes the pharmaceutical company to court and wins over Roseanne’s wrongful death, as Jackie hopes to, the money from the suit could be lost to Mark’s legal fees if he is arrested.

It would be easy for that settlement to be eaten up by Mark’s lawyer fees if he is charged with something serious, leaving the family even poorer than before. This is arguably the saddest twist that The Conners season 7 could use to end Roseanne’s story, but it would be plausible after the events of "It's Gonna Be A Great Day.”

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