What I’m Watching: The Conners

The Conners: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Separation of Church and Dan” (B)

It’s continually interesting to see how this show is moving past the departure of the lead character that used to anchor this family without really including her. Dan’s grief is extremely present, but it’s not like Roseanne or her ideals are still around. Instead, Dan is as stubborn as ever, determined to move on - or refuse to - in his own way and own time. Naturally, he would resist the notion that he needs some help, and he lasted just a few minutes and a few sentences into another guy’s story when he went to a support group, led by M.C. Gainey, who usually plays much meaner characters. Playing cards with his friends and singing is probably the best medicine, since that represents a return to normal behavior for him which would have happened just the same way when Roseanne was around. Geena trying to get everyone to go to church was an enjoyable exercise, one that elicited many jokes from the unwilling, unreligious clan. Probably the most entertaining plotline in this episode was Mark’s assignment which Jackie, representing everything about liberalism, got way too into and completely ruined by trolling the Republican respondent who had some very prepared answers to each of her pointed challenges. As the only cast member to receive an Emmy nomination for last year’s reboot, Metcalf definitely does a superb job of mirroring the people who likely don’t account for much of this show’s audience in a hilarious and not terribly offensive manner.