After lasting much longer than anyone expected it to,The Connerscame to an emotional end last night on ABC with a two-episode series finale that featured a lot of archival footage from the original show – with one glaring omission: no Roseanne. Serving as a direct continuation of the beloved sitcom that began in the late 1980s and dominated the 90s,The Connersmoved ahead without the involvement ofRoseanne Barr, explaining her absence by having her character die of an opioid overdose.
While she was mentioned many times throughout the course of the final season ofThe Conners, she never once made an appearance in any flashbacks. The grand finale featured footage from the original series ofDan, Jackie, Darlene, and Becky, but not the deceased matriarch of the family. That being said, the finale was centered around her character in a big way, as Dan and the family finally got justice for her death in the form of an apropos $700 settlement check after suing the pharmaceutical company that made the drugs that killed her.
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“I’m sure there were a lot of fans who would like to have seen it,” executive producer Bruce Helford told USA Today about Roseanne’s absence: “She’s not there physically, but we wanted to honor something that she really gave birth to and cared for. We did right by her memory. The audience certainly loved her and her family.” As for that measly $700 check? “We wanted to stay true to what’s really happening in the legal system,” he said, adding:
“It’s about family resilience, and shows that money does not create happiness. That comes from the group.”
Fans React to Roseanne’s Absence in ‘The Conners’ Series Finale
While it’s understandable that ABC wanted no part of Barr after they fired her in 2018 following a series of racist and offensive social media posts, some fans were hoping that the network would show a little leeway inThe Connersfinale and at least feature some images of her. After all,the show wouldn’t exist without her. That didn’t happen, and viewers quickly went online to voice their displeasure. “I know Roseanne sucks, but there should have been some highlight with her at the end of #TheConners,” @MikeyNXS said on X. @classicTV2123 added:
“They really should’ve brought Roseanne back for the finale of The Conners. Say what you want, but she was the show. Leaving her out completely is straight-up disrespectful she made that show.”
“They did what they could, I guess,” said user @mzcaramelbunni, continuing: “Perhaps she doesn’t want her image shown as it relates to the show. But it was the perfect opportunity to show that scene when Dan and Roseanne was fake wrestling and it ended with him kissing her.” Then there’s @TimOnTheRadio, who posted: “I REALLY thought they would have brought Roseanne back as a ghost or something.”
Still, even with the omission of Barr fromThe Connersfinale, many agree that it was a fitting way to end the series after seven seasons. She may not have been there in person, but at least they paid tribute to her in what little way they could. Also absent from the finale was archival footage of D.J. (Michael Fishman), who left after Season 4, though that didn’t spark as much conversation. If you missed it live, you can check out the series finale ofThe Connersstreaming now on Hulu.
Source:USA Today/X
The Conners
