The Conners began as a revival of the iconic ’90s family sitcom Roseanne, but it’s once again changing part of an original Roseanne character’s persona to bring things full circle.
Losing the main character Rosanne to an opioid overdose was tough, but she’s not the only The Conners character to be written out of the comedy reboot. With The Conners season 6, fans are anticipating the death of Jackie and Roseanne’s mother, Bev.
After a two-year absence, the Roseanne spinoff welcomed back Estelle Parsons as Jackie’s (played by Laurie Metcalf) mother Bev. But the elderly lady appeared to be suffering from dementia, asking about the whereabouts of Roseanne, years after her death.
In the following, we take a look at why The Conners needed to make Jackie and Bev’s relationship better than it was on Roseanne. We also discuss if Bev’s death is coming up on The Conners and what might happen after her passing.
Why Bev And Jackie Had To Mend Their Relationship On The Conners
During Roseanne, it was clear Jackie and Roseanne had a complicated relationship with their mother, Bev. While she wasn’t physically abusive like their father, Bev was emotionally manipulative. Roseanne was tough and handled things well, but Jackie struggled more with their mother. Bev and Jackie’s struggle carried into their adult relationship.
In season 5 of The Conners, it is revealed that Bev secretly protected her kids against their abusive father, causing Jackie to change her perspective on her mother. Jackie uncovers Bev’s medical history and learns her mother took beatings from their father to shield her daughters from him. Bev also sent Roseanne and Jackie to live with Nana Mary to protect them, not because she was an unfit parent like they suspected.
The producers did admit that they were concerned about revisiting Jackie and Bev’s tumultuous relationship, as well as handling the dementia storyline. “Our thing was, ‘Will Jackie come off like a bully if she is confronting a woman who she believes has dementia?’ But the relationship between the characters is so cemented over all these years that Jackie really was able to launch into it.”
Bev’s dementia helps Jackie start to forgive her mother. She even gets the hug she always wanted, although it’s because Bev doesn’t recognize who she is.
“People as they get older start to look back on their lives and sit with their regrets, and think about things that they could have done differently. There’s something about the later part of your life that gives you that perspective. So we did discuss whether it was too painful for Bev to really deal with, or if it was really the onset of dementia.”
Is The Conners Preparing For Bev’s Death?
Estelle Parsons and Laurie Metcalf on The Conners(1)Via ABC
In season 5 of The Conners, it was revealed that Bev is battling dementia, forcing Jackie to put aside her resentment and care for her mother.
“I don’t know if she can ever make peace with that. I think she is accepting that she is going to be her mother’s caretaker.”
Bev has never been a supportive mother, often playing her daughters against the other, which makes Jackie’s new role in more difficult.
Dave Caplain adds, “I think there’s a really wonderful moment where you see Jackie realize that she is never going to get what she wants from her mother, and decides that she still has the duty and the need to take care of her. It’s all done without dialogue, and it’s powerful as hell.”
In The Conners season 6, episode 3, “Moms and Rats,” Bev invites Jackie to spend the day with her in Chicago in the hopes of mending their relationship. During their day together, Bev reveals that she wants to go on a “grand adventure,” and doesn’t want to slowly die alone in her apartment. Many fans believe her character will die off-screen, like many of ther other lead characters on Roseanne and its spin-off show.
“You’ve never done anything wrong but try to please an unreasonable old woman,” Bev tells her daughter. “Today was the best day we’ve ever had… I wanted your face to be the last one I saw before I went on my grand adventure.”
The rest of the family later express concern that Jackie has let her 96-year-old mother travel alone, but Jackie assures them that she is tracking Bev’s phone. This leaves the door open for The Conners to celebrate her life and commemorate the death of their complicated matriarch.
What Will Happen To The Conners After Bev’s Death
The ConnersVia ABC
Once Roseanne and Jackie’s mom, Bev finally passes away on The Conners, Jackie will be the final member of the Harris family alive in The Conners. After the death of her mother and sister, Jackie is one of the few original characters from Roseanne to appear in the spin-off.
Estelle Parsons was unable to appear in The Conners seasons 3 and 4 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and her long-awaited comeback allowed Jackie to come to terms with her tragic childhood. In season 5’s “Of Missing Minds and Missing Fries”, a newly confident Jackie finally confronts Bev over years of abuse. When she realizes the extent of Bev’s illness, she realizes she needs to act as a caregiver. Jackie finally gets the closure she needs with her mother, albeit in tragic circumstances, a fitting ending for both characters.
Bev’s death may bring back other characters from Roseanne, giving the audiences closure to pre-existing stories. The Lunchbox’s overzealous manager, Leon Carp, may appear to say his farewells to Bev. In Roseanne’s original run, Bev bitterly gives her share of The Lunchbox to Leon. In The Conners season 2, Becky and Jackie discover that Bev still secretly holds the lease to the restaurant. While Bev does give it to Darlene, she hands it to Jackie, who revamps the neglected building.
According to The Conners showrunner Bruce Helford, “It’s definitely a possibility” that season 6 could be the spinoff’s last season. Bev’s death could be a fitting way to end the show and let the characters have some form of closure.
