What I’m Watching: The Conners (Season Finale)

The Conners: Season 1, Episode 11 “We Continue to Truck” (B+)

It’s strange to see this show signing off so early without any confirmation that there will be a second season. The return of the classic series that spun this one off last year was a ratings juggernaut, and then its swift cancellation following Roseanne’s infamous tweet could have doomed this fictional family, but instead this new show was in the works and on the air very quickly. Like last year, the comedy was prominent but things ended on a real and troubling note as Roseanne and Dan realized that their basement was flooding and they would have to pay a lot to repair it. Now, Becky managed to bond with the father of her child and see what a happy family could look like, only to find out that he had been picked up by ICE and deported. It’s interesting to see this show address illegal immigration in this way, with Dan sadly admitting that he was in the country illegally while Darlene shouted at him not to find that acceptable. Jackie also went through a rough time as she finally got confirmation that Dan’s suspicions about Peter were right all along and he tried to blame her for overreacting to the news of his infidelity. Everyone Darlene told about Ben asking her to move in with him in Chicago seemed all for the idea, and David’s bad timing has now put that in doubt, which is a shame since it’s really probably a good step for the whole family. I’d be excited to watch more of this show, which has substantially improved, and I’m hopeful we’ll soon get a renewal announcement!

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Sara Gilbert as Darlene