Although killing off the Roseanne character seemed like a death sentence for the show at the time, The Conners saved itself by dropping Roseanne Barr.
While Roseanne Barr may have been the original star and creator of Roseanne, The Conners not only improved by killing Barr’s character but saved itself from potential cancelation. It’s never easy for a show to recover after ousting its central character, especially given the fact that sitcom viewers generally don’t want to be reminded of reality’s heavier moments. However, The Conners, like the original groundbreaking Roseanne, doesn’t shy away from life’s darker aspects. Not only did the decision fit in with the sorts of themes the series explores, but it benefited TheConners’ popularity too.
When Roseanne season 9 killed off Dan Conner, it was a major mistake. The sudden death of Roseanne’s husband was tossed into an otherwise wacky season, resulting in the twist feeling like a desperate, transparent attempt to inject some stakes into a story that had gone off the rails. In contrast, when The Conners killed off Roseanne for good in its pilot episode, the twist proved much more successful. While former series star Roseanne Barr’s departure was unexpected, it was the best move for the continuation of the show.
6
Roseanne’s Season 10 Revival Had Serious Problems
Roseanne and Dan in Roseanne season 10 promo
Although Roseanne’s season 10 revival earned great ratings in 2017, the show felt fundamentally different. The humor and drama of the original Roseanne were replaced by broader jokes and poor choices, like Roseanne physically assaulting her granddaughter Harris by dunking her head into a sink full of dishes. While The Conners later recaptured Roseanne’s sitcom appeal, Roseanne season 10 offered cringe-worthy attempts to mock the generational gap between its characters. In harboring so much vitriol toward its younger characters, the series made it impossible to root for anyone.
Despite her flaws, Roseanne was the voice of reason in the original series. Roseanne’s season 10 revival still presented her as a heroic figure, but as seen in the incident with Harris, her actions were a parody of her old self. Even before the series killed its matriarch off, Roseanne had forgotten what made its title character relatable and fun to watch. One of the many reasons The Conners can’t bring back Roseanne is that, in her last on-screen appearance, Roseanne had fully transformed into just another self-satisfied, grating sitcom antihero.
5
Season 10 Undid One of Roseanne’s Best Episodes
John Goodman in The Conners and Roseanne cast
In Roseanne season 6, episode 11, “The Driver’s Seat,” Roseanne slapped her young son DJ after he drove her car. Later, she tearfully apologized, admitting that she was abused by her father and that she’d commit to ending the cycle of abuse. The episode was a raw, daring attempt to shed light on an often-overlooked issue, and the moment made Roseanne feel like a deeply flawed character who was earnestly looking to do better. In hindsight, this moving moment was ruined by Roseanne’s season 10 revival, which plays the title character’s assault on Harris for cheap laughs.
Roseanne’s attempts to face the harsher realities of family life were effectively undone by season 10’s misplaced nostalgia. Roseanne attacking Harris was met with hooting approval from the studio audience, proving that the revival couldn’t be further divorced from the original show’s approach. Where Roseanne once used humor to explore the darker aspects of family and working-class life, the season 10 revival was insidious in its efforts to imply that abuse, for example, is no big deal.
4
Roseanne Barr’s Controversies Outweighed Her Appeal
Roseanne Barr in Roseanne
While some of Roseanne’s returning guest stars like David Healy could have come back for more episodes when The Conners began, Barr proved that her on-screen appearances weren’t worth the trouble. Even if the series hadn’t completely undone Roseanne’s character, the actor was already embroiled in too many public controversies to helm a sitcom. In addition to her racist rants, Barr has publicly denied that the Holocaust happened, among other harmful takes. The decision to drop her was clearly justified.
3
Roseanne Barr’s Recent Comedy Proves She Ruined Roseanne
Roseanne Barr: Cancel This! Teaser
As noted by Pajiba, a promo for Barr’s latest standup special saw her claim that “you gotta hit your kids” in a bit that gave viewers no reason to think the comment was ironic. While Barr may not have written season 10’s problematic scenes, her special made it clear that her perspective hurt the revival. Barr’s attempts to re-brand as a reactionary right-wing commentator flew in the face of Roseanne’s working-class roots. This became increasingly obvious as The Conners continued without her involvement and refocused on the topics that made the original series so compelling and successful in the first place.
2
The Conners Regained Roseanne’s Tone After Her Exit
roseanne fired from the conners
The later seasons of The Conners feel more like the original show’s balance of bit
tersweet and laugh-out-loud family dramedy. While Roseanne season 10 was filled with political gags that felt dated by the time they aired, The Conners focuses on timeless stories, like Darlene struggling to find gainful employment or Mark scheming to pay for college. These plots still had a lot to say about the political realities of American life, but the show’s points were delivered via believable storylines rather than Barr’s embarrassing season 10 one-liners.
1
The Conners Work Better Without Roseanne
Roseanne The Conners season 5 cameo
In Roseanne season 10, the family’s once-infectious chemistry fell flat. Ironically, the unifying grief of losing Roseanne the character allowed the rest of the Conners to connect and feel more like their old selves. While The Conners guest stars help the series feel fresh from week to week, it’s the interplay between the eponymous family that keeps viewers coming back. When Roseanne herself returned in season 10, she was a meaner, more close-minded, and less sympathetic version of herself. With Roseanne’s death, The Conners traded one character to get the rest of its iconic personalities back, further proving the decision to oust Barr was the right one.
