When The Conners season 6 ended one of the sitcom spinoff’s longest running storylines, I was relieved to see this Roseanne call-back finally wrapped up. The Conners is a successful Roseanne followup, but the show sometimes betrays the spirit of its predecessor. I was disappointed when the spinoff focused subplots on Harris’s entitlement, a lazy stereotype about members of Gen Z that betrayed its usual warm attitude toward its heroes. Similarly, I wasn’t impressed with season 6 largely forgetting Louise’s school board campaign even though this was the sort of politically contentious plot Roseanne would have centered on.
That said, The Conners’ large cast of characters mostly feel true to their old selves. There are quite a few episodes, particularly in the spinoff’s later seasons, where I feel I could be watching a rerun of Roseanne’s revival. The tone of the show is largely unaltered, which is a massive achievement considering the behind-the-scenes changes. I was shocked when I heard that The Conners would continue without Roseanne as I’d never heard of a sitcom dropping its title character before. In that regard, The Conners succeeded admirably. Still, there were a few plots that simply never worked.
A composite image of characters from The Conners laughing at the dinner table
The sitcom The Conners was originally slated to end after season 6, but now it seems as if there is a strong possibility that season 7 will happen.
Jackie Needed To Give Up The Lunchbox In The Conners Season 6
Roseanne’s Sister Fought Too Hard To Run The Restaurant
The season 6 premiere of The Conners saw Jackie finally decide to give up running The Lunchbox, and I could not have been more relieved. This storyline had been stagnating for entire seasons and never rang true, even when it was initially introduced years earlier. For one thing, Jackie’s relationship with Bev in The Conners made it hard to imagine her fighting for the restaurant’s deed. Although Jackie had been through plenty of jobs over the years, her failure as a restauranteur made reopening The Lunchbox an obviously bad idea. Despite this, Jackie pursued the plan with relentless vigor.
Darlene refused to let Jackie reopen the restaurant and the ensuing feud drove a serious wedge between the family members.
Inevitably, Bev made things harder for everyone when she left the building’s deed to Darlene. Darlene refused to let Jackie reopen the restaurant and the ensuing feud drove a serious wedge between the family members, resulting in some intense bad blood between Becky, Darlene, and Jackie. This bitterness lasted until season 5’s finale, when the trio were still discussing their anger over The Lunchbox while talking about a venue for Mark’s graduation party. Jackie running The Lunchbox was always bad for The Conners, as evidenced by the family’s inability to make the business work for them over the years.
Instead of hearing failure, I saw real growth in Jackie’s decision to hand the restaurant to Harris.
The Conners Season 6 Ended Jackie’s The Lunchbox Story Perfectly
Jackie Changing Her Dream Fit Her Character Arc
Laurie Metcalf’s Jackie in The Conners beside Roseanne’s RoseanneCustom image by Milica Djordjevic
I struggled to watch Jackie repeatedly make the same mistake, especially given how tough things had been for her after Roseanne’s death. Luckily, The Conners season 6 found a way to address Jackie’s flawed attempts to run the restaurant. Her admission that she no longer wanted to run the place and just wanted to enjoy her marriage to Neville proved just how much she had grown from the high-strung, neurotic Jackie who could never stop and smell the roses in Roseanne. Instead of hearing failure, I saw real growth in Jackie’s decision to hand the restaurant to Harris.
I liked this older, wiser Jackie, and I think her newfound maturity was well-earned.
Some of The Conners season 6’s cameos were a little random, but Nick Offerman’s role as the stern TV chef who pointed out The Lunchbox’s many flaws was perfect. Jackie would never have left The Lunchbox without a push since it was her and Roseanne’s baby all those years ago. However, Morris Chestnut pointing out every structural issue, menu shortcoming, and problem with the place, finally forced Jackie to swallow her pride and accept that her dreams and ambitions had changed with age. I liked this older, wiser Jackie, and I think her newfound maturity was well-earned.
Roseanne’s Death Justifies The Conners’ The Lunchbox Story Ending
Jackie Wanted To Run The Restaurant For Roseanne
Roseanne Barr’s Roseanne beside Laurie Metcalf’s Jackie and Sara Gilbert’s Darlene from The ConnersCustom image by Yeider Chacon
To viewers who don’t remember the intricacies of Roseanne’s lore, it may seem surprising that Jackie was willing to battle her entire family just to reopen a failed restaurant. It is important to remember that Roseanne and Jackie set up
the original Lunchbox together and, for Jackie, the restaurant was a way to reconnect with the memory of her late sister. I could understand that motivation, but it was still too dark a storyline to ground an entire three seasons of the sitcom. The Conner family have enough problems without the stress of also keeping a restaurant open.
Like many of The Conners’ Roseanne comebacks, this subplot was one that the series sometimes ignored when it became inconvenient. Viewers might know why Jackie was so determined to reopen The Lunchbox, but the question of how she kept it financially solvent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was never properly addressed. Even though it tore the family apart, and she had little experience in the industry, her eagerness to get the place up and running again made sense emotionally. However, I still couldn’t excuse the lack of logic as the subplot continued. The Lunchbox’s continued survival simply didn’t add up.
The Conners Season 7 Can Give Roseanne’s The Lunchbox A Perfect Fate
Harris Can Finally Turn Roseanne’s Restaurant Around
In most sitcoms, it would be easy to ignore the question of how one family member’s failing business stayed afloat. The problem is that The Conners and Roseann aren’t most sitcoms. I’ve always valued the show’s comparatively grounded focus on real-life working-class issues like income inequality, unemployment, and the rising cost of living. The Conners’s supporting star Mark has devoted two separate subplots to saving up money for student loans. The series prides itself on not ignoring the complex realities of getting by in middle America, so simply saying that Jackie worked hard and got lucky doesn’t cut it.
Roseanne’s memory would be honored by The Conners if Harris were to finally make the place a success.
As such, The Conners season 7 giving Harris The Lunchbox makes perfect sense. In the process, the show can prove that she is not as lazy as she once seemed and that the Conner family really can save the restaurant. Roseanne’s memory would be honored by The Conners if Harris were to finally make the place a success, much like Jackie honored her sister’s memory by letting go of that dream and living her own life. I’m all for the heroes of The Conners improving their lot in life, but I’m glad Roseanne’s spinoff can now make this feel more real and believable.
