The Conners 100th episode promises a character death, leaving viewers to wonder which member of the Roseanne spinoff’s cast will exit the show.
While The Conners season 6, episode 7 promises a character death, it is tricky to guess which of the Roseanne spinoff’s cast members might be exiting the series. The Conners has a large ensemble cast and the show’s lineup has only grown bigger since the death of its former heroine, Roseanne. Roseanne’s season 10 revival became The Conners in 2018 when Roseanne herself was killed off after her actor, Roseanne Barr, made racist comments on Twitter. Since then, actors Nat Faxon and Jay R. Ferguson have joined the show’s full-time cast as Jackie and Darlene’s respective love interests, Neville and Ben.
While The Conners season 7 may get rid of these two relatively recent additions to the cast, both Neville and Ben seem safe for now. However, the synopsis for season 6, episode 7, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day,” promises that Becky’s daughter Beverly-Rose will learn to honor the dead after their passing by reflecting on the memories of their life. This leads to the question of who season 6 of the Roseanne spinoff can kill off midway through the outing. It makes sense for the sitcom spinoff to trim its cast list, but guessing the identity of the deceased character is harder than it might seem.
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Becky
Becky could die, but her death would completely rewrite The Conners
Beverly-Rose’s mother Becky could conceivably die in The Conners season 6, but this twist is incredibly unlikely for numerous reasons. For one thing, Lecy Goranson’s Becky plays a much bigger role in the series than her young daughter, so killing off Becky would have a massive impact on the show’s pace from week to week. For another, this loss would be devastating for Beverly-Rose since her mother raised her almost on her own. Although her father, Emilio, is technically a presence in her life, he is almost never seen in The Conners seasons 4 and 5 and hasn’t appeared yet in season 6.
As such, killing Becky would be too dark a twist even for Roseanne’s spinoff. The Conners has its fair share of tragedies, but Becky’s untimely death would derail the entire series due to its impact on Beverly-Rose. Furthermore, in the event of Becky’s death, the entire family would be overcome with grief, not just Beverly-Rose.
7
Dan
It is possible that John Goodman’s Dan could die, but very unlikely
Although John Goodman’s Dan is more likely to die than his daughter Becky, this twist still seems exceedingly unlikely. Dan has been a central figure in the show’s success since Roseanne’s original run and remains one of the closest links between the ‘90s sitcom and its spinoff. Without Dan, Laurie Metcalf’s Jackie would be the only surviving member of the show’s original generation of heroes. Not only that, but Dan also still plays a major part in the show. He has been pivotal to every episode of season 6 so far, while younger characters like Harris, Mark, and even Beverly-Rose herself have been absent for entire outings at a time.
Killing off Dan would be a foolhardy decision that would completely rewrite the trajectory of the series, however. This twist wouldn’t rearrange Beverly-Rose’s life quite so much as Becky’s potential death would, but it would still reshape the lives of everyone else in the show’s large eponymous family. Considering this, it is both unlikely and ill-advised.
6
Louise
Dan’s wife hasn’t been seen recently and did share a storyline with Beverly-Rose
Since The Conners risked Dan and Jackie’s friendship by reigniting Dan’s feud with Neville earlier in season 6, it seems doubly unlikely that the show would suddenly kill off one of its most important characters by giving Dan a sudden, unexpected exit. That said, Dan’s wife Louise could potentially die in season 6, since Katey Sagal’s role in the series has been cut down in recent outings. Sagal’s character was last seen in season 6, episode 4, “Shrinks Don’t Talk and Kids Don’t Sing.” She began working as Beverly-Rose’s music teacher in that outing, meaning Becky’s daughter now has a closer relationship with her grandfather’s new wife than ever before.
Despite this, the likelihood of Louise dying still seems very low. She is still young and hasn’t displayed any signs of ill health, and The Conners has barely explored Louise’s character during her time on the series. Her death would be a waste of a supporting star who has not yet fulfilled her potential.
5
Tyler
Becky’s new love interest could potentially be killed off early
Becky’s boyfriend Tyler first appeared in a season 5 episode, but he didn’t become a regular fixture until season 6. He spent season 6, episode 2, “Valentine’s Day Treats and Credit Card Cheats,” trying to win over Beverly-Rose with expensive gifts, only to be rebuked by Becky. Despite this, he offers Becky a stable relationship as a truly good guy.
Although Tyler’s death would impact Beverly-Rose emotionally, it would still be odd if he died in “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day.” Tyler is young and his role in the show has only just begun, and Becky has lon
g been overdue for a healthy romantic relationship that brings her happiness and stability. Especially after The Conners season 6, episode 6 saw Tyler bond with Dan, Neville, and Ben for the first time, it would be particularly mean-spirited if the series were to reverse this positive development in Becky’s life by killing him off unnecessarily.
4
Bev
Beverly-Rose’s namesake seemed destined to die earlier in season 6
Beverly-Rose’s great-grandmother Bev is getting older and both seasons 5 and 6 of The Conners both addressed her mortality. It would make sense if the spinoff killed off Bev since she was diagnosed with dementia in season 5, but this would retcon her apparent recovery early in season 6. Bev and Jackie shared an emotional goodbye when Bev’s treatment proved so successful that she was able to regain her agency and take a trip on her own in season 6, episode 3, “Moms and Rats”.
While tragic, Bev’s death would prove that her newfound independence was short-lived, which would be an unwelcome surprise after such a refreshing twist. Bev’s The Conners season 6 exit wasn’t perfect, but it did grant her a level of autonomy that is rare in depictions of elderly characters who have survived dementia. It would be better for The Conners season 6 to let Bev’s holiday last a little longer before killing her off.
3
Emilio
Beverly-Rose’s father hasn’t been seen since The Conners season 5
One character who definitely could die in The Conners season 6 is Beverly-Rose’s largely forgotten father, Emilio. Emilio hasn’t been seen since The Conners season 5 and he only appeared in one episode of that outing, making him a prime target for a season 6 death. Emilio is a lot younger than many of the characters listed here, but the fact that he barely has a role in the series makes his death easier to excuse.
That said, this would still be one of the worst storylines The Conners season 6 could opt to center on. Emilio was always a sweet character when he did appear in the series, and he wished Becky well the last time he was seen onscreen. The fact that Tyler is becoming a bigger part of Beverly-Rose’s life means that she is likely to soon have more parental role models than ever. Thus, it would be cruel for Roseanne’s spinoff to kill off her father just as her mother’s fortunes were starting to improve.
2
Crystal
Natalie West’s Roseanne heroine is very likely to die in season 6
Natalie West’s Crystal was Jackie and Roseanne’s friend throughout the show’s original run, and she went on to become Dan’s stepmother when she married his father. After Dan’s father died, Crystal discovered she had a serious illness that he had encouraged her to ignore for years. Wracked with guilt over his father’s mistakes, Dan began paying for her medication. It was in this context that The Conners season 6 brought back Crystal after she was absent from the series for three years.
Considering her medical challenges, it seems very likely that she will die later in season 6. Even though Bev seemed like the character least likely to survive this outing, Crystal’s financial struggles and her serious medical condition now make her seem like an even more fitting candidate for a series exit. West’s returning Roseanne character is likely to be the death that Beverly-Rose mourns in “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day,” although their lack of shared screen time calls this prediction into question.
1
A Relative Of Emilio and Beverly-Rose
Beverly-Rose losing a relative is the most likely outcome
The episode’s synopsis specifies that Beverly-Rose is the one dealing with grief, not anyone else. It seems likely that the dead character in question will be related to Beverly-Rose and not the Conner family at large, meaning it might be Emilio’s mother or aunt. This would explain why Beverly-Rose is going through this hardship alone, and it would also justify the episode’s B-story.
As its title implies, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day” will also follow Dan and Jackie’s attempts to discover who broke into the hardware store. It is unlikely that an episode featuring the death of a major character would include such a lighthearted subplot. If the outing kills off a previously unseen relative of Emilio’s, then the tonal jump wouldn’t be so jarring. With that context, The Conners is likely to keep all of its Roseanne alumni alive in its 100th episode, even if later season 6 outings aren’t quite so kind.