When “The Conners” ended its run on ABC last month, it brought an end to a sensational TV story that began in March 2018.
It was the story of the stunning revival of “Roseanne,” its cancellation three months after it premiered in spring 2018, and then the premiere the following fall of “The Conners,” the spin-off sitcom that was created without Roseanne Barr.
“The Conners” would go on to last seven seasons. When it ended in April, it came full circle with an episode that honored the memory of its unseen star and guiding light.
The first episode of “The Conners” in fall 2018 was titled “Keep On Truckin’.” It had a double meaning.
It referred to the way the cast of both the “Roseanne” revival and the original “Roseanne” (1988-97) came together to continue the story of the Conner family without the show’s star.
It also referred to the family situation within the show itself as they mourned the death of their matriarch Roseanne Conner, who was said to have died from an unintentional opioid overdose.
Roseanne Barr never returned to the show. But over time, the missing mom, sister and wife became the subject of fond memories among the family members.
The half-hour, final episode of “The Conners” that aired April 23 was titled “The Truck Stops Here,” a direct reference to the title of Episode One, “Keep On Truckin’.”
In “The Truck Stops Here,” memories of Roseanne Conner were front and center as the family finally seemed to get the closure that had eluded them since her death.
The seventh and final season of “The Conners” consisted of just six episodes starting on March 26.
In that season premiere, Dan Conner (John Goodman) made the decision to sue the pharmaceutical company that manufactured the opioid medication that his late wife died from.
In the series finale, the extended Conner family assembled at Roseanne’s grave to say the final farewells that they had never before been able to make (photo above).
In interviews, the cast members have said that the good-byes were also to each other since the show’s core cast had been members of the Conner family since 1988.
At the graveside, Dan ceremoniously opened the envelope that contained the check for the agreed-upon settlement with the pharma company — just $700.
“We wanted to stay true to what’s really happening in the legal system,” said executive producer Bruce Helford in an interview with People magazine. “It’s about family resilience, and shows that money does not create happiness.”
Roseanne Barr became persona non grata at ABC, and TV in general, after she posted a tweet in May 2018 suggesting that Valerie Jarrett, an African-American aide to President Obama, was descended from apes.
The tweet was interpreted as racist and the new “Roseanne” was canceled the next morning after nine episodes, even though it had emerged from the get-go as the most successful new show of the 2017-18 season.
As for Roseanne Barr’s reaction to the series finale of “The Conners,” her son, Jake Pentland, said last month that his mother was not aware of it. She now lives in Texas.
