Roseanne's Painful Death Resolves 1 Lingering Issue In The Conners Ahead Of Its Ending

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 3, “Applications, Accusations and a Man-Bag.”

Although The Connersseason 7, episode 3’s references to Roseanne's heroine were tragic, the subplot’s revelations were also necessary as the spinoff nears the sitcom franchise's ending. The Conners’ large cast of characters means the show's truncated final season could have gotten away without mentioning its former heroine, Roseanne Barr's Roseanne. Although Roseanne was the show's eponymous heroine throughout its original nine-season run and its one-season revival in 2017, she was abruptly killed off in 2018 when Barr went on a racist Twitter tirade.

The show was not canceled, but The Conners was reshaped by Roseanne's death. Its title changed, the show’s focus shifted from Barr’s central character to the surviving members of her family, and the series took on a darker tone overall. Roseanne’s original run and its revival were notable for their unflinching approach to depicting working-class hardships, from poverty and unemployment to broader social issues like domestic abuse and addiction. However, The Conners was an even sadder sitcom as the death of Roseanne’s heroine cast a long shadow over the show.

Dan & Becky's Argument Brings Back Old Family Wounds To The Surface In The Conners Season 7, Episode 3

Becky Claimed The Conners Were Responsible For Roseanne’s Death In Season 7 Episode 3

Despite how pivotal the titular character was to the original series and its short-lived revival, it would have been easy for The Conners season 7 to never mention Roseanne. With only six episodes to wrap up the stories of Dan, Louise, Darlene, Ben, Mark, Harris, Jackie, Neville, Becky, Tyler, Beverly, and Beverly-Rose, the spinoff clearly had enough on its plate without bringing up old wounds. Not only that, but The Conners season 7’s new characters take up even more of the final outing’s limited screen time.

In the premiere, Jackie announced that she intended to sue the pharmaceutical company that produced the addictive opioids responsible for Roseanne’s overdose.

However, in a valiant attempt to do Roseanne’s legacy justice, season 7 made the sitcom’s late matriarch a central part of its plot. In the premiere, Jackie announced that she intended to sue the pharmaceutical company that produced the addictive opioids responsible for Roseanne’s overdose. Dan was initially reticent but, after Jackie showed him her final texts with Roseanne, he decided to join this fight. This led to the saddest scene in season 7, episode 3, “Applications, Accusations and a Man-Bag,” as Dan discussed the court case with his daughters and inadvertently tore open an old wound in the process.

Becky struggled with alcoholism when Roseanne died and was convinced she could have seen the warning signs of her mother’s secret prescription pill problem if she had been sober.

While speaking to Becky and Darlene about the timeline of Roseanne’s addiction and overdose, Dan admitted that he knew Roseanne had a problem with pain pills before her surgery. Becky tried to claim that this made him as culpable as the drug company manufacturing addictive opioids, but she later admitted she was just trying to assuage her own guilt. Becky struggled with alcoholism when Roseanne died and was convinced she could have seen the warning signs of her mother’s secret prescription pill problem if she had been sober.

Revisiting Roseanne's Death Allows Dan & Becky To Rehash Their Unspoken Grudges

The Conners Season 7 Episode 3 Made Roseanne’s Death Better In Retrospect

While Jane Lynch’s The Conners season 7 character Jean the lawyer ensures that this plot line isn’t entirely bleak, the family revisiting Roseanne’s death is inevitably a hard, poignant plot for the spinoff. Becky blaming Dan for Roseanne’s death was one of the saddest scenes in the history of The Conners, and her eventual admission that she felt responsible for Roseanne’s death was a reminder of Becky’s characterization in Roseanne's original run. Before she ran off with high school sweetheart Mark Healy, Becky was a straight-A student whose cheery demeanor masked a lot of anxiety and stress.

The Conners Cast Member	Character
John Goodman	Dan Conner
Laurie Metcalf	Jackie Harris-Goldufski
Sara Gilbert	Darlene Conner-Olinsky
Lecy Goranson	Becky Conner-Healy
Katey Sagal	Louise Conner
Emma Kenney	Harris Conner-Healy
Ames McNamara	Mark Conner-Healy

Becky strived to be perfect and this eventually drove her to develop a drinking problem that defined her character arc in the early seasons of The Conners. While Jackie’s The Conners stories were usually funnier and more light-hearted, Becky’s plots were defined by her need for control and the guilt she felt when she failed to live up to her impossible ideals. “Applications, Accusations and a Man-Bag” was a tragic reminder of her self-destructive impulses as Becky, unable to cope with guilt over her mother’s death, blamed Dan for the loss.

Tackling Roseanne's Death Again Is Painful, But It Sets Up The Conners For A Better Future

The Conners Season 7’s Saddest Story Is The Best Part of the Roseanne Spinoff’s Ending

This scene proved that the twist of Roseanne’s death wasn’t as unexpected as some fans and critics claimed at the time. Obviously, the behind-the-scenes stories meant everyone knew The Conners needed to scramble to justify her death. However, the revival had already set up her addiction storyline, and it fit with Roseanne's resilient but brittle characterization, meaning the sudden death made perfect sense in retrospect.

Katey Sagal's Louise sits at a bar table in The Conners season 7 episode 1

The Conners Season 7 Finally Admits The Harsh Truth About Katey Sagal's Louise

The Conners season 7 episode 1 proves that Katey Sagal's Louise never replaced Roseanne, but this created a major issue for Dan's new love interest.

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WhileThe Conners season 7 sidelines some supporting stars, Becky and Dan’s confrontation healed major old wounds. In general, this plot has allowed the spinoff’s final outing to bring grievances that have been ignored for years to the surface, letting the family exorcise a lot of grief ignored by earlier seasons. This feels very appropriate for an ending, meaning The Conners season 7’s saddest storyline doubles as a perfect goodbye to Roseanne’s imperfect family.

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