The Conners Resurrects Jackie & Rosenne’s Tricky Conflict In The Canceled Revival

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Conners season 6, episode 4.

Years after the canceled revival, The Conners revives Jackie and Roseanne’s original conflict. While the famed ’80s family comedy was centered on Roseanne and Dan Conners’ family, there was also substantial focus on Jackie — the other Harris sister. Jackie and Roseanne were very close, brought about by growing up with a physically abusive father and emotionally manipulative mother. Just like in every sisterhood, things weren’t always perfect between them, since they had varying opinions on certain matters, which led to conflicts.

It has been a while since Roseanne’s unexpected death from an opioid overdose that stemmed from the decision by ABC to pull the plug on the Roseanne revival. Admittedly, it was an unfortunate turn of events, considering that the initial project was received positively. Somehow, Jackie and the rest of the Conners family have moved on from the tragedy, although the matriarch is remembered from time to time. Instead of a direct name-drop, however, The Conners season 6, episode 4, “Shrinks Don’t Talk and Kids Don’t Sing,” she is referenced more subtly.

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Jackie Makes Her Liberal Stance Clear In The Conners Season 6, Episode 4

In the outing, the focus of The Conners‘ storytelling shifts to Beverly Rose’s school and Becky’s attempt to launch a musical class despite the tight budget. She recruits Louise for the job, and as a retired touring musician, Dan’s wife is unsurprisingly great in the role. That being said, the class teacher discusses some limitations about the kind of songs they can sing, essentially saying that they are prohibited to perform anything that references queens as some parents may complain about their kids potentially singing about drag queens. Becky is obviously about this and the discussion reaches Jackie back home.

As a proud liberal, the idea of banned songs because of some preconceived notions about drag queens and the LGBTQ community in general understandably annoys Jackie. She goes on a rant about how Becky and Louise shouldn’t let that happen and is even ready to take on the cause herself. Mark even comes in and mirrors her sentiments during The Conners season 6, episode 4 scene. Unfortunately, while Roseanne and Dan’s eldest daughter agrees with her, they get resistance from Louise, which frustrates both of them.

Jackie’s Politics Caused Her And Roseanne’s Conflict In The Revival

Jackie’s stern stance on the matter serves as a reminder of her and Roseanne’s initial conflict in Roseanne season 10. When the famed family sitcom returned, the sisters were not talking to each other — an odd way to kickstart the project, considering that their relationship was such a vital part of the show’s original run. As it turns out, their fight was about their opposing political stance.

While Jackie was a Democrat, Roseanne was an unabashed Republican. The pair even engage in an intense confrontation about the presidential election and their respective picks. It was a great way to reference what was happening in the country at that time while also infusing humor into it. To this day, it’s arguably one of the best sequences in Roseanne and The Conners combined.

The Conners

The Conners is a spinoff of Roseanne, a popular sitcom beginning in 1988 that starred John Goodman as Dan Conner and Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner. After the Roseanne revival was canceled in 2018, The Conners continued the storyline of the lovable middle-class family and their lives in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. The Emmy award-winning series brings back Dan’s children, Darlene, Becky, and DJ, played by Sara Gilbert, Alicia Goranson, and Michael Fishman, respectively.

Cast

John Goodman , Sara Gilbert , Macaulay Callard , Laurie Metcalf , Lecy Goranson , Michael Fishman , Emma Kenney , Ames McNamara , Jayden Rey , Maya Lynne Robinson , Jay R. Ferguson

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Seasons

4

Writers

Dave Caplan , Bruce Helford , Matt Williams

Showrunner

Bruce Helford , Matt Williams