As “The Conners” reemerges for its seventh and farewell season, it’s time to say goodbye to the beloved sitcom family who’ve entertained audiences for the past six episodes — and decades in syndicated reruns. The season premiere is appropriately enough called “It’s Gonna Be A Great Day." While this special episode opens the door for plenty of nostalgic moments, it brings some unexpected challenges and changes to the family. The honesty with which the Conners address personal and family struggles is refreshing. They have masterfully balanced humor with heartwarming narrative, which is the hallmark of their three-decade legacy in sitcom royalty.
During the season opener, Darlene receives news of a major promotion — a big step on her career path toward justice. She is managing the expectations of her new career specialized life. Alongside that, she’s dealing with her love-hate relationship with Ben, played by Jay R. Ferguson. Darlene’s work/love balance completely fleshes out her character. It spotlights the depth of challenges people are experiencing in today’s world.
At the same time, Jackie battles her own obstacles as she has to wrestle with a defining moment of her own history. Inside the episode, Jackie learns she has the option to sue the pharmaceutical company that created Roseanne’s addiction. This unexpected development kicks off an emotional family argument about suing them, mixing plenty of humor and heartfelt conversations. Such societal themes are a testament to how the show can address major real-world problems while still having a light charm to it.
Adding to the amazing, complex narrative is Zoe Perry’s unexpected cameo as a beat cop. Perry’s witty but more serious back-and-forth relationship with Jackie as she returns to the police force makes an otherwise routine premise unique. This subplot, the best source of laughs to be found between these pages, provides that! It shows off the talent of real-life mother-daughter duo Zoe Perry and Laurie Metcalf, as they appear together on screen, amplifying the family themes that have been focal points of the show since “Roseanne” premiered in 1988.
