This review contains mild spoilers for The Conners Season 7, Episode 1

After an extended hiatus, The Conners season 7 has its work doubly cut out for it to be able to send off its titular family for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, its ending is also responsible for wrapping up the whole Roseanne franchise, and secondly, ABC will have to do that in just six episodes. While it definitely poses some storytelling challenges, the good news is that it can still wrap up in a great way. That's partly because of how the new year is being set up, as revealed in The Conners season 7 premiere, "It's Gonna Be A Great Day," which spends the majority of its time laying the groundwork for what lies ahead for the Conner family.

The Conners Season 7, Episode 1 Revisits Roseanne's Death

Jackie Convinces The Family To Partake In A Class-Action Lawsuit

Officially, it's a spinoff, but at its core, The Conners is simply a continuation of Roseanne. The re-brand was forced upon after Roseanne Barr's firing from the show and Roseanne the character was killed off-screen due to an opioid overdose. Through the years, the sitcom has periodically brought up the tragedy, but for the most part, its storytelling shifted its focus to the family dealing with their day-to-day life. So I didn't expect that Roseanne's death would once again be at the center of The Conners' storytelling this season.

The narrative stems from Jackie convincing the family to partake in a class-action lawsuit that would hold big pharmas able for their role in the crisis. Dan being torn about participating is a grounded depiction of grief, explaining to Louise that he is afraid that going through this process would undo his healing. It's a perfectly fair argument, and something that those who have followed their marriage would understand. Meanwhile, Jackie's intentions for pushing this agenda are totally acceptable. In the end, it creates a compelling narrative that is able to incorporate Roseanne years after she is gone.

All The Remaining Storylines In The Conners Are Set Up In "It's Gonna Be A Great Day"

Everybody Has Their Own Plots (Except Harris)

It's safe to say the class-action lawsuit will be the primary storyline of The Conners' final season, but "It's Gonna Be A Great Day" makes it clear that there will be other narratives concurrently playing out. Surprisingly, the comedy set up separate storylines for all of its major players. Both Darlene and Becky are figuring out their respective relationships, albeit in very different ways. Meanwhile, Mark continues his under-the-table hacking job that will surely amount to something in a few episodes.

Louise standing up for her husband, but also understanding that the decision about the class-action lawsuit ultimately rests on him perfectly encapsulates why she was the perfect second wife for Dan.

There seems to be an increased focus on Dan and Louise's relationship, which is odd to say since Roseanne's death is looming large in The Conners season 7. However, considering how much of their dynamic was sidelined, it's great to see the show trying to make amends, and doing it correctly, too. Louise standing up for her husband but also understanding that the decision about the class-action lawsuit ultimately rests on him perfectly encapsulates why she was the perfect second wife for Dan.

Interestingly, however, Harris is nowhere to be found in The Conners season 7, episode 1. While the show does tend to miss some characters from time to time, it's odd to open the show's final season with an incomplete ensemble, especially since it only has six episodes left. I'm curious if this is an indication of how big her role will be in the sitcom's final season.

The Conners' Strength Remains Its Characters (Specifically Dan & Jackie)

Roseanne's Legacy Characters Continue To Be The Conners' Best Players

ittedly, some of the jokes in The Conners season 7, episode 1 don't land effectively. However, those that do are from scenes that involve either Dan or Jackie. The physical comedy that both John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf bring to the sitcom continues to be unmatched — whether that's Dan being unexpectedly animated while being his mocking self or Jackie when she becomes surprisingly agitated, as if she's in her 30s in the early years of Roseanne. The next generation of the family is totally fine, but ultimately, seeing where they end up is my main investment in the show.