Summary
SinceThe Connersseason 7 will be the last outing ofRoseanne’s spinoff, the family sitcom needs to explain the absence of one major character.The Connershas jettisoned a lot of characters fromRoseanne’s original run over the years.The Connershas a large cast of characters, so it is no surprise that the series doesn’t feel the need to bring back every supporting star from the original series. However, it is still striking to see pivotal figures like Tom Arnold’s Arnie Thomas orMartin Mull’s iconicRoseannecharacter Leon Carpunmentioned in the spinoff.
SinceThe Connersbegan life by killing offRoseanne’s title character, it makes sense that the spinoff wants to distance itself from its predecessor and gain an independent identity of its own. That said, this approach can go too far. Simply ignoring important characters or dropping them without any explanation is a poor replacement for gradually writing out characters who are no longer central to the show’s story. This could prove a problem forThe Connersseason 7which will have to explain the absence of one originalRoseannefamily member who hasn’t been seen in a long time.
The Conners Season 6 Once Again Wasted A Pivotal Roseanne Star, And I’m Sick Of It
The Conners season 6 wasted one of the Roseanne spinoff’s most underrated stars again, and I’m getting increasingly annoyed by this pattern.
The Conners Season 7 Can’t Ignore Roseanne’s DJ
The Roseanne Supporting Star Was Quietly Dropped In The Conners Season 5
Although he was never officially killed off,The Connersseason 5 unceremoniously droppedRoseanne’s DJ by announcing that he had moved out of Lanfordfor a new job. This revelation came after seasons 3 and 4 of the spinoff struggled to give DJ as much screen time as his sisters, Becky and Darlene. Becky’s drinking problem and the birth of her child Beverly-Rose made her one of the show’s main characters during this era. Darlene’s character arc during this era focused on her love triangle with David and Ben, as well as the exploits of her children, Mark and Harris.
DJ needs to return at least once before The Conners ends for good.
SinceMark’sThe Connersseason 7 storycould end up being central to the spinoff’s entire ending, it is fair to say that theRoseannefollow-up needed to devote this screen time to Darlene’s kids in its earlier outings. However, DJ is still one of the three original Conner children, and he played a pivotal part inRoseanne’s original run. Since he was not killed off and his daughter Mary remained a supporting character for a full season after he disappeared, DJ needs to return at least once beforeThe Connersends for good. Unfortunately, this could prove tricky.
DJ’s Role In The Conners Never Really Worked
The Roseanne Spinoff Didn’t Know What To Do With DJ
ThroughoutRoseanne’s original run, DJ’s role in the family was easy to discern. Younger than his sisters, DJ was a rebellious but good-natured kid, while Darlene and Becky were precocious teens. However, whenRoseannebecameThe Conners, the show had no idea what to do with the adult version of DJ. Becky’s character is defined by her impulsivity, with her innate sweetness struggling against her recklessness. In contrast, Darlene was defined by her sardonic, bitter sense of humor, with the character’s pessimistic outlook only becoming more entrenched in the decades sinceRoseanne’s story ended thanks to many disappointments.
Bringing back DJ is difficult.
In contrast,DJ’s adult self didn’t have a meaningful character arc inThe Connersand this made his storylines a slog. WhileJackie’s Lunchbox plot was imperfect, it at least gave Roseanne’s grieving sister something to do. In contrast, DJ was often simply present, with his wife Geena and his daughter Mary getting better subplots since they were more active, dynamic characters. Even then, Mary and Geena’s storylines weren’t as dramatic as those of Becky, Darlene, Mark, and Harris, so it was no surprise whenThe Connersfinally opted to drop them. Thus, bringing back DJ is difficult.
The Conners Season 7 Bringing Back DJ Complicates Its Plot
DJ’s Return Would Necessitate Mary and Geena’s Comebacks
It is hard forThe Connersseason 7 to justify DJ’s return, but what makes this trickier is the fact thatbringing back DJ also inevitably means bringing back Mary and Geena. That would be a lot of extra characters for a show that already has a large family to follow and only a few episodes to wrap up its unfinished storylines. To wit,The Connersseason 7 must focus on Mark’s email scam job, Harris’s takeover of The Lunchbox, Darlene’s search for better employment, Louise’s new school board role, Becky’s Psychology course, and Ben’s takeover ofHardwaremagazine.
Dan and Jackie will also need plenty of story focus since they are two of the most prominent characters.
This rundown doesn’t even mention Dan or Jackie, two of the show’s most well-loved characters. Dan and Jackie will also need plenty of story focus since they are two of the most prominent characters who have been around sinceRoseanne’s original run.The Connersseason 7 must conclude Crystal’s subplot too after season 6 brought back the recurring character. As such, it is hard to see where the sitcom would find the screen time or story focus to center on both DJ and his family in its final outing. Luckily, there is a way to work around this.
One Solution Could Fix The Conners Season 7’s DJ Problem
Roseanne’s Spinoff Should Include DJ’s Family Only In The Series Finale
IfThe Connersseason 7 brought back DJ only for the series finale, then the series might be able to reincorporate him without throwing off the balance of its many subplots.The Connersseason 7 has a lot of stories to tell, but the show’s ending still has to honor the history ofRoseanneand its original heroes.DJ and his family should return for the series finale alone, possibly to attend a major family event. The death of Bev or Crystal, both of which have been foreshadowed by the show, would be good reasons to compel DJ and company to come back.
This return could prove that DJ, Mary, and Geena are all well without derailing the plot of season 7.The Connershas enough plots to worry about in the show’s final outing, so there is no need to reincorporate three more supporting stars from the premiere onward. Instead,The Connersseason 7’sRoseannecharacter comebacksshould be facilitated by the sort of events that reunite families in real life, such as funerals. This would offer DJ a poignant goodbye that proves he is still part of the family, even thoughThe Connerscould never make theRoseannecharacter’s story work.
