Although The Conners season 6 promised that its 100th episode would address the theme of death, the Roseanne spinoff offering a moving tribute to one late actor was still a welcome surprise. The Conners has a large cast of characters and the family sitcom often struggles to give all its protagonists sufficient screen time. As a result, the show has occasionally left important plots on the back burner for seasons at a time. Few characters have suffered more as a result of this than Becky. Roseanne and Dan’s eldest daughter, Becky had a chaotic time in the early seasons of The Conners.
Becky became pregnant shortly before the father of her child was deported, struggled with alcoholism, went through rehab, and then entered college only to be put on academic probation for dating her professor. This string of wild events proved that Becky was struggling with bigger internal issues, but the show mostly avoided interrogating her past. While The Conners season 7 may revert to ignoring her problems, season 6 has done a good job of turning her life around. The Conners’ 100th episode even offered a poignant explanation for her struggles while addressing a real-life behind-the-scenes tragedy.
The Conners’ 100th Episode Focuses On Becky Losing Mark (After Not Mentioning Him For Years)
The Roseanne Love Interest’s Real-Life Actor Died In 2002
Becky dated her longtime love interest Mark Healy for much of Roseanne’s original run, but Mark Healy’s actor Glenn Quinn tragically died in 2002 at the age of 32. The Irish actor’s passing resulted in Roseanne’s season 10 revival killing his character off-screen, with Becky briefly mentioning that Mark died in an accident. Becky and Mark were married and hoped to have children when he died, which was discussed in Roseanne season 10, episode 4 “Eggs Over, Not Easy,” when the revival’s fourth outing focused on Becky’s surrogacy journey. Since then, The Conners didn’t mention Mark for six years.
“Eggs Over, Not Easy,” was dedicated to Quinn’s memory, but the subsequent decision to avoid addressing Becky’s loss was understandable. The character’s death is one of the show’s biggest tragedies and, since Roseanne’s spinoff is already very dark for a sitcom, it would be a tough tonal trick for the show to talk about Mark. Despite this, after six seasons of the spinoff avoiding any mention of him, season 6, episode 7, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day,” saw Becky explain the death of her first husband to her daughter Beverly-Rose, and the scene was surprisingly successful.
The Conners Season 6, Episode 7 Handles Mark’s Memory Perfectly
Becky’s Explanation Of The Roseanne Star Was Authentically Moving
It would have been easy for The Conners to dismiss Mark’s off-screen death with a glib joke or, conversely, for Roseanne’s spinoff to get overly sentimental about the topic. However, Becky’s talk with Beverly-Rose did an admirable job of balancing humor and pathos. Lecy Goranson’s performance when Becky tried to explain the role that “Mommy’s special friend” played in her life was authentically moving, while Darlene’s attempts to make the topic of death easier to handle were effective comic relief. As Darlene is often the morbid one and Becky is typically more cheerful, switching around the pair’s usual dynamic was a clever twist.
Becky’s touching tribute to Mark was a touching moment and a reminder that her current storyline is one of The Conners season 6’s most promising plots. Roseanne’s spinoff has never been clear on what role Becky plays, which feels somewhat appropriate since the character has often admitted she is at a loose end when it comes to her ambitions. However, Becky’s psychology course should come to an end soon and her relationship with Sean Astin’s Tyler is going well, so season 6 could be the outing that turns things around for her now that she has processed her grief.
The Conners Devoting Episode 100 To Mark Highlights Its Greatest Strength
Roseanne’s Spinoff Can Tackle Heavier Themes With Humor
It is hard for a comedy series to address the untimely death of one of the show’s former stars, but this is particularly difficult for The Conners. Roseanne’s spinoff killed Roseanne Barr’s former title character off-screen after the actor went on a racist rant in 2018, meaning the series has already needed to cut out a central character due to real-life events. While The Conners season 6 isn’t perfect, the spinoff should still be commended for refusing to ignore the legacy of Quinn’s character.
Mark didn’t have as central a role in Roseanne as the show’s title character, but Quinn’s portrayal of Becky’s reckless boyfriend was still a pivotal part of the original sitcom’s success. The strength of The Conners lies in the show’s ability to handle even the darkest subjects with humor, as evidenced by earlier storylines that centered on addiction, unemployment, medical debt, and poverty. As such, Roseanne’s spinoff had a responsibility to address Mark’s legacy, and The Conners managed to take on this tricky task with grace in the show’s 100th episode.
