The Roseanne series finale delivered one of the most surprising and emotional endings in sitcom history. After nine seasons of portraying the ups and downs of the working-class Conner family, the final episode took viewers in a completely unexpected direction. With the Roseanne revival and its follow-up, The Conners, continuing the story, fans have new insights into the Conner family, but questions still remain about the original finale. Let’s take a closer look at where each character ended up in the original Roseanne ending, how it was later revised, and what it ultimately meant for the Conners’ story.
The Surprising Twist of the Roseanne Finale
The final season of Roseanne took the Conner family in a new direction. After years of financial struggles, the Conners won the lottery, bringing them a sudden windfall of $108 million. As the season progressed, viewers watched Roseanne and her family adjust to a new life of luxury, exploring dreams they couldn’t afford before. But in the series finale, the tone shifted dramatically as Roseanne revealed that the entire season had been a fabrication—a fictionalized version of her family’s life.
In a heartbreaking monologue, Roseanne explains that she had written these events as a way to cope with her real-life struggles and losses. The revelation not only shocked audiences but reframed several key plot points and relationships within the show. It left viewers questioning which events actually happened in the Conner family’s world and what had only existed in Roseanne’s imagination.
Major Reveals and the “Real” Ending for Each Character
The finale was filled with surprising revelations about each Conner family member. In Roseanne’s fictional account, she had rewritten her family’s lives to create the best possible outcomes for each member, masking the reality of her family’s struggles. Here’s what Roseanne reveals about the real events that had taken place in her family’s life:
- Dan Conner: One of the most shocking twists was that Dan, played by John Goodman, had died from a heart attack during Darlene and David’s wedding. In the show’s fictionalized narrative, Dan survived and continued to be a major presence in the family, even during the lottery-winning season. Roseanne admitted that she created this story to cope with Dan’s death, which left a deep void in her life.
- Jackie Harris: Another surprise came with Jackie’s character, portrayed by Laurie Metcalf. Throughout the show, Jackie is portrayed as Roseanne’s supportive, quirky sister, and in the last season, she even finds a stable relationship. In the finale, Roseanne reveals that Jackie is actually gay, and her romantic life in the show’s last season was part of her fictionalized writing. This revelation was significant for the time, representing Roseanne’s effort to understand and support her sister’s true self.
- Becky and Mark, Darlene and David: In Roseanne’s fictional account, she swapped the partners of her daughters. Becky, who married Mark, had actually ended up with David in real life, and Darlene, who was with David on the show, had ended up with Mark. Roseanne’s choice to switch the partners in her fictionalized story was a nod to her wish for her daughters’ happiness, though their real lives had turned out differently.
- The Lottery: Perhaps the biggest revelation was that the lottery win never happened. The Conners had continued to struggle financially, and Roseanne invented the fantasy of winning the lottery as a way to escape their ongoing hardship. This twist underscored the show’s focus on portraying the struggles of a working-class family and highlighted the bittersweet reality that financial relief was only ever a dream for the Conners.
Themes of Loss, Resilience, and Family
The finale’s plot twist added layers of depth to the entire series, challenging viewers to reflect on themes of loss, resilience, and the lengths people go to cope with hardship. Roseanne’s decision to rewrite her family’s story through her own imagination is a poignant example of using storytelling as a means of processing grief. By fabricating happier or more idealized versions of her family’s lives, Roseanne illustrates how people may create personal narratives to deal with painful realities.
The show’s focus on resilience was also underscored by the Conners’ ability to face their struggles together as a family. Despite losing Dan, financial stability, and the happiness they had created in Roseanne’s fictional account, the Conners remain close-knit. This theme carried over into The Conners, where the family continued to navigate life’s challenges without Dan, focusing on their shared strength and humor to get by.
The Roseanne Reboot and Its Impact on the Original Ending
When Roseanne was rebooted in 2018, the show’s creators made the decision to rewrite Dan’s fate, revealing that he hadn’t actually died and bringing him back to the family. This decision allowed the show to recapture some of its original dynamic, with John Goodman’s Dan back at the center of the Conner family. The reboot essentially disregarded the final season’s twist, reframing it as just part of Roseanne’s personal writing and creating a fresh start for the Conners.
While the reboot briefly acknowledged the original finale in the first episode by showing Roseanne’s old manuscript, it largely moved forward with a new narrative. Roseanne’s return set up the spin-off series The Conners, which continues to focus on the family’s everyday challenges and, once again, portrays their resilience, humor, and love for one another.
How The Conners Expands the Family’s Story
After the reboot was canceled, The Conners spin-off continued the family’s story without Roseanne’s character. The Conners returned to the show’s roots, exploring the family’s financial difficulties, the complexities of raising children, and the trials of maintaining relationships. Without Roseanne, Dan takes on a central role as the family’s patriarch, and the next generation, represented by Darlene, Becky, and their children, faces the same kind of everyday struggles that defined the original series.
With each new season, The Conners brings back characters from the original show, incorporates modern issues, and keeps the Conner family’s story relevant to today’s audiences. The spin-off highlights that, even in the face of loss and changing circumstances, the Conners remain resilient, sticking together through every challenge.
What the Original Finale’s Legacy Means for the Conners Today
The Roseanne finale remains a powerful and controversial ending, sparking discussions about grief, imagination, and how people deal with loss. Even though the reboot and The Conners chose a different direction, the finale’s emotional impact still resonates with viewers. It left an indelible mark on the show’s legacy, illustrating the profound effect that one person’s creative retelling of their life can have on their own—and others’—perceptions of reality.
By keeping the themes of family, resilience, and humor alive in The Conners, the legacy of the original Roseanne ending continues. Whether through Roseanne’s fictionalized “happy ending” in the finale or the Conners’ realistic portrayals of perseverance today, the family’s story is one of unity in the face of hardship. This lasting impact reminds viewers that, for the Conners and for many working families, hope and resilience are constants, even as life continues to throw challenges their way.
Ultimately, the Roseanne finale and The Conners spin-off emphasize that while circumstances may change, the core values of love, family, and resilience remain the foundation of the Conner family’s enduring story.
