Although The Conners, the Roseanne spinoff’s ending was always guaranteed to be somewhat controversial. Like any ensemble sitcom, the show couldn’t hope to satisfy every viewer with the fate of every cast member. At least one star’s story was always going to be a comparative letdown.

That said, Dan’s emotional goodbye to Roseanne was central to the events of the finale, and John Goodman’s character dominated the action of the entire final season. Initially, Dan struggled with the idea of taking a pharmaceutical company to court for manufacturing the opioid painkillers that caused Roseanne’s overdose. Eventually, he took the advice of his daughters and fought the corporation with all he had.

Why The Conners Season 7 Only Has 6 Episodes

The Conners Season 7 Brought Back Almost No Original Roseanne Characters

Tragically, Dan lost his fight against the pharmaceutical company in The Conners season 7’s finale, getting no compensation from the corporation for Roseanne’s death. Similarly, Darlene’s The Conners season 7 story ended up feeling bizarrely pointless. She got close to Seth Green’s barfly Chad in the absence of her husband Ben, but then immediately returned to Ben without any real conflict or resolution in the finale. Everything about these plots felt rushed, which was exacerbated by the season’s absurd brevity.

In November 2024, TVLine announced that The Conners season 7 would be a “Six-episode farewell event,” in contrast with the 13-episode season 6 and earlier seasons, which had over 20 episodes each. The Conners season 7’s biggest ending problem could have been avoided with one change since the Roseanne spinoff’s final season should have had 22 episodes, or at least 13 like its immediate predecessor. Anything other than the meager six that viewers got would have been better, as it would have allowed more time for the show’s story to unfold.

The Conners Season 7 Having A Full Season Could Have Allowed It To Properly Pay Homage To Roseanne

The Conners Season 7 Already Revealed Many Roseanne Stars Wouldn’t Return

Technically, Roseanne Barr’s late sitcom character Roseanne is central to The Conners season 7’s storyline, as the court case over her death is the outing’s main plot. However, with no ing characters from Roseanne’s original run returning, no mention of the characters who have ed away, and no nods to the show’s legacy that go deeper than its title character, season 7 felt like a thin tribute to an iconic character and a half-hearted goodbye to a TV family who have been around for decades.

This was epitomized in Jackie’s last lines in The Conners season 7 finale, wherein she noted that she had no idea about the location of her and Roseanne’s mother, Beverly. A season earlier, in season 6, episode 3, “Moms and Rats,” Jackie and Beverly buried their decades-long beef when Roseanne’s elderly mother took her daughter on a trip around Chicago. After touring the city, Beverly announced she was off to ride trains around America, and the character was never seen again.

The Conners Season 7's Final Story Could Have Been Stronger With Roseanne Cameos

The Conners Season 7’s Storyline Centered Roseanne's Death But Not Her World

Beverly’s fate was left unnervingly open-ended, with viewers having no idea where she went or what happened to her. In an ordinary season with 20 or more episodes, this storyline would no doubt have merited an episode of its own, if not a multi-episode arc. However, like Harris’s struggles taking over The Lunchbox, the plot was entirely ignored in season 7 as the show rushed through its final episodes.

When Roseanne’s friend and Dan’s stepmother Crystal was last seen in season 6, a cash-strapped Dan was paying for her medical treatment because she was left destitute by his late father’s bad investments.

The Conners season 7 didn’t have enough screen time for comebacks from Roseanne characters, and this was a real issue for the sitcom’s attempts at closure. Crystal, Chuck, and Anne Marie were all absent and all their plots were left worryingly open-ended. When Roseanne’s friend and Dan’s stepmother Crystal was last seen in season 6, a cash-strapped Dan was paying for her medical treatment because she was left destitute by his late father’s bad investments.

Similarly, the last time viewers saw Chuckie Mitchell, he was struggling with Anne Marie’s illness and this prompted Dan and Darlene to try and help him out. That was years ago, and he hasn’t been mentioned since, meaning both Anne Marie’s illness and his subsequent struggles will now never be resolved. Meanwhile, there wasn’t even a mention of the late Martin Mull’s Roseanne character, Leon Carp, even though he was a pivotal figure in the original series and a groundbreaking example of LGBTQ+ representation on network television.

All The Roseanne Characters That Could Have Made The Conners Season 7 Better

David Healy, Beverly, and DJ Were All Absent From Season 7

Before The Conners season 7 even began, the spinoff’s creators were busy managing expectations thanks to its modest ambitions. They revealed that Darlene and Becky’s brother, Michael Fishman’s DJ, Darlene’s Roseanne love interest, Johnny Galecki’s David, and Beverly wouldn’t be returning in season 7 before the premiere. While Darlene’s The Conners season 7 plot was a disappointment, this storyline could have been way less of a letdown if it was David who she rekindled a relationship with instead of a new character.

Since Fishman’s character hadn’t been seen in the series since season 5’s premiere, his return could have been a welcome surprise and a poignant, emotional reunion.

Similarly, Dan’s story could have been strengthened by DJ’s return, as it would have been touching and unexpected if his son returned to tell him he needed to do the right thing and testify against the drug company. Since Fishman’s character hadn’t been seen in the series since season 5’s premiere, his return could have been a welcome surprise and a poignant, emotional reunion. Instead, viewers got new characters played by Jane Lynch, Green, and Young Sheldon’s Zoe Perry, all talented comedic actors who were wasted in the spinoff’s rushed, overly busy final outings.

Beverly’s potential role in season 7 is already outlined above, as are the reasons that Chuckie and Crystal’s comebacks were so important. However, the biggest reason that season 7’s brevity was so disappointing isn't tied up with any one specific character. It is the fact that the spinoff only referenced Roseanne’s death, and not the rich gallery of surviving characters who made her life so colorful, that was a shame. The Conners season 7 could have been a nostalgic, but bittersweet dive into the world of Roseanne and its many memorable stars, but the sitcom’s ending failed to provide this.

Source: TVLine

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