In The Conners season 6 finale, Darlene made a surprisingly acerbic comment about one of Roseanne’s largely forgotten tragedies. The Conners’ cast of characters have been through the wringer over the years, with the working-class family facing a range of serious issues between Roseanne’s original run, the sitcom’s 2017 revival, and its spinoff, The Conners. The two shows tackled domestic abuse, unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, addiction, overdose, medical debt, and a host of other topics that scarcely seem like fodder for a family sitcom. With any luck, The Conners season 7 might see the family’s luck take a turn.
However, the show’s season 6 finale isn’t promising in this regard. Season 6, episode 13, “Less Money, More Problems,” saw Mark struggle to make enough money to pay for his tuition at the University of Chicago. Darlene’s son first tried working as a repo man before resorting to a job as an online scammer to save up the necessary funds. While this plot was bleak, it was not quite as sad as Darlene throwing Becky’s saddest storyline back in her face during a heated argument between them. Although Becky shook off the insult, Darlene brought up a very personal wound.
When Becky suggested she and Tyler move in together, Darlene told her this would be a repeat of her failed attempt to move in with Mark decades earlier. Darlene insulted Becky and Mark’s attempts to move out despite how hard it was for the young couple, saying that Becky’s plan was just as misguided as her decision to leave in Roseanne season 5, episode 2, “Terms of Estrangement, Part 2.” This was a particularly cutting comment since Mark died in an accident only a few years later as Darlene well knew. Despite this, Becky didn’t rise to the bait.
Instead, Becky told Darlene to cool off and Dan eventually made his daughter realize that she was subconsciously afraid of Becky and Harris moving out. The Conners set up Darlene’s perfect season 7 story when Ben bought Hardware magazine since this means that she can quit her job as a cafeteria worker and work in publishing again. However, Ben’s purchase resulted in him spending more time away from home as he set up the magazine, so Darlene worried that everyone was leaving her behind when Harris and Becky announced their intention to move. This explains her anger at Becky.
The Conners Season 6 Finally Addressed Mark Healy’s Roseanne Legacy
Although Darlene’s fear made sense, her comments were still shockingly callous considering the tragic end of Becky and Mark’s love story. The moment proved that, after years of skirting around the subject, The Conners is finally unafraid of taking about Mark’s death in season 6. The spinoff already mentioned the event before The Conners season 6’s Ben twist in episode 7, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day.” That outing saw Beverly-Rose ask about Mark, promoting Becky to explain her first love to her young daughter. This moving moment let The Conners address Mark’s tragic demise after Roseanne ended.
