The late, great Martin Mull’s Roseanne character Leon Carp was a pivotal part of TV history, and I hope The Conners season 7 acknowledges this. Looking back on Roseanne’s original run, I’m often struck by how much the sitcom’s story of a working-class family struggling to get by still resonates today. The reason that The Conners’ cast of characters is mostly composed of Roseanne alumni is that few of the show’s heroes managed to leave Lanford despite their grand ambitions, and realistic everyday struggles were the reason they stuck around.
Roseanne handled unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, addiction, financial struggles, and discrimination with a surprising level of tact and grit for a network sitcom. I always enjoyed Modern Family, but the eponymous family’s bottomless bank account was hardly relatable for most viewers. In contrast, the heroes of Roseanne and The Conners faced problems that I could recognize from real life. The Conners season 7 needs to keep this element of the series alive, and that means acknowledging one character that Roseanne’s spinoff seemingly forgot about since its 2017 revival. This pivotal supporting star was part of TV history.
The Conners season 7 could bring back a famous supporting character from Roseanne, but the spinoff has left this guest star with no role to fulfil.
Martin Mull’s Roseanne Character Was Part Of LGBTQ+ TV History
Leon’s Wedding Was A Landmark Moment In LGBTQ+ Representation
Martin Mull, the star of 1985’s Clue and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, passed away in June 2024. The screen veteran was 8 years old. As well as starring in dozens of movies and TV shows, Mull appeared as Roseanne’s boss, Leon Carp, throughout the sitcom’s original run. Leon was initially Roseanne’s nemesis when she worked at Rodbell’s Luncheonette, but she ended up making the experienced manager a partner when she and Jackie opened The Lunchbox together. Although Jackie reopened The Lunchbox in The Conners after Roseanne’s death, Leon was never mentioned in the spinoff series.
This was a shame since Mull’s character was a major landmark in LGBTQ+ representation. Leon was openly gay and married his life partner Scott later in the series. Mull’s character was one of the earliest gay supporting characters in a network sitcom and Roseanne managed to avoid many of the stereotypes associated with ‘90s depictions of LGBTQ+ people. I’ve always found the running joke about Leon’s unlikely fondness for George Bush Sr. hilarious, as this flew in the face of what many viewers expected from a gay character. Leon’s Republican leanings made him atypically complex for a ‘90s sitcom character.
Mull and the creators of Roseanne risked major pushback when Leon was introduced, but the series still opted to make him a pivotal part of the show’s lineup for years.
The Conners Season 7 Needs To Acknowledge Roseanne’s Leon
Mull’s Death Makes A Tribute All The More Appropriate
Both to honor the screen legend’s legacy and to highlight how important the character of Leon was, The Conners season 7 needs a tribute to Leon Carp. Mull’s contributions to Roseanne’s original run were invaluable and remain some of the star’s funniest work, which is impressive considering his roles in Arrested Development, American Dad, and The Simpsons. Moreover, Leon’s role in normalizing LGBTQ+ representation onscreen needs to be acknowledged. Mull and the creators of Roseanne risked major pushback when Leon was introduced, but the series still opted to make him a pivotal part of the show’s lineup for years.
Roseanne’s revival and The Conners never clarified whether Carp still has a stake in The Lunchbox after all these years
While The Conners’ Roseanne character returns don’t always work, that doesn’t mean that the series can simply ignore Leon’s legacy. Since The Lunchbox was central to Harris’s story in season 6, I can imagine season 7 finding a way to reincorporate Mull’s character via this storyline. Roseanne’s revival and The Conners never clarified whether Carp still has a stake in The Lunchbox after all these years, so the character’s off-screen death could impact Harris’s plans for the restaurant’s future. Regardless of how the show pulls it off, I need the series to remember the role that Leon played in Roseanne’s success.
Mark’s Role In The Conners Season 7 Makes Honoring Leon Easier
Roseanne’s Grandson Never Got To Meet Her Old Friend
I still can’t believe Roseanne‘s season 10 and The Conners missed the chance to introduce Mark to Leon since the characters had so much in common. Not only did they both grow up gay in Lanford, a unique experience that could have bonded them, but Mark and Leon were also both seen as aloof and intellectual by the family. The missed opportunity for Roseanne’s grandson and her old boss to meet would make it all the better if Mark learned about Leon in season 7. Mark and Leon’s many shared similarities mean Leon’s story could impact Darlene’s son.
Now that Bev’s The Conners story is over, Mark learning about Leon could shift the show’s focus to him. He spent the first six seasons of The Conners raging against his small-town life and desperate to leave, but finding out that Leon lived in Lanford throughout his long life may lead Mark to reconsider this. I’d like to see Mull’s character have this sort of positive impact on The Conners hero, especially after Roseanne’s revival failed to bring back the late actor’s character.
