Nothing about The Conners was ever conventional, starting with its very birth from the ashes of the abruptly canceled Roseanne reboot in 2018. And as the series closed its curtains after seven seasons this week, the finale pulled off something no one saw coming — not just justice for the Conner matriarch, but a quietly powerful moment that redefined the legacy of both shows.
When ABC revived Roseanne, it banked on nostalgia and the show’s iconic depiction of a working-class American family. It worked — at first. But after Roseanne Barr’s offensive tweet abruptly ended the reboot, the network made a bold pivot: a spin-off without its star, and with Roseanne killed off by an opioid overdose.
That shocking narrative choice — Roseanne’s death — turned out to be the beginning of a longer story arc that would only reach its conclusion in 2025.
A Death Revisited, A Fight for Justice
In a finale arc sparked by real-life events — the Supreme Court’s decision allowing opioid manufacturers to be sued — the writers brought Roseanne’s ghost back into the Conners’ lives in a new way. Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) suggested the family sue a drug company for her sister’s death. What began as a longshot turned into a surprisingly poignant storyline that offered both emotional closure and biting social commentary.
For Dan (John Goodman), reliving his grief was unbearable. But ultimately, the desire to stand up for Roseanne and others like her pushed him to act. With Jane Lynch playing a feisty lawyer working on contingency, the Conners took on Big Pharma — armed with nothing but hope and a cartoon timeline drawn by Darlene and Becky.
“It gave us a great storyline to not just cry out for justice,” said co-creator Bruce Helford, “but for all those people who never got a chance to just yell at somebody about this damn thing.”
Humor in the Darkness
Despite the heavy theme, the finale was laced with humor in true Conners fashion. Darlene joked they were “a two-tragedy family” as they eyed potential financial salvation through litigation. Becky got one of the show’s biggest laughs when she lamented, “That’s the only thing from Mom’s closet I wanted,” after Dan confiscated Roseanne’s secret stash of pills.
This blend of comedy and heartbreak — dark, messy, real — is what set The Conners apart. The writers never chased laughs; they mined real struggles for authenticity, and the funny moments arose naturally, often when least expected.
The Verdict and a $700 Punchline
The climax arrived during Dan’s deposition. The smug drug company lawyer tried to shift all blame to Roseanne — and even to Dan himself. But in one of the show’s most powerful monologues, Dan held his ground:
“You took the love of my life and you killed her. The same as you put a gun to her head. The only difference is you handed her the gun and told her it wasn’t loaded.”
It was a cathartic moment, but the twist came after. The settlement? A mere $700. It was so absurd, Dan laughed out loud. “Now we know how much a Conner’s life is worth,” he said, before using the check to buy pizza and beer. That bittersweet tone — rage, laughter, and resilience — encapsulated the show’s essence.
A Final Goodbye on the Living Room Couch
The last scene brought the family full circle, back to Roseanne’s living room couch. The cast, visibly emotional, said their goodbyes. John Goodman looked directly into the camera and whispered, “Goodnight.” A quiet mic drop on a journey that began in controversy and ended in catharsis.
According to the producers, the final line Dan delivers sums up the heart of The Conners:
“As long as we have each other, we can handle anything.”
Executive producer Bruce Helford put it best:
“The show’s always been about how working-class families survive. They get through with humor, love, and stubborn hope. That’s nobility.”
Conclusion: A Legacy Restored
The Conners didn’t just manage to survive the fall of Roseanne — it thrived by leaning into the very themes that made the original show groundbreaking. With a finale that tackled Big Pharma, grief, financial hardship, and healing — all with gut-punch humor — the series did more than entertain.
It told the truth.
And perhaps most surprisingly of all, it found a beautiful way to say goodbye.
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