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“The Conners” Rises From Roseanne’s Ashes

This is the reboot we deserved all along!

Girl, bye.

That’s what millions of fans are saying to Roseanne Barr after the debut of The Conners, ABC’s Roseanne-less Roseanne spinoff which debuted on Tuesday, October 16.

Glowing reviews from critics and reactions from fans on social media would indicate that like the show itself, audiences will easily be able to go on without the former namesake, and now that the deadweight is gone, the truly talented cast gets to shine.

Giving credit where it's due: We wouldn’t have Roseanne or The Conners if it weren’t for the groundbreaking, “blue collar domestic goddess” comedy routine of Roseanne Barr. The show holds a special place in the hearts of several TV-watching generations, and despite her over-the-top antics off-screen, the show made us laugh, think, cry, and pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on TV and in society.

Which is why so many of us were disappointed when Barr came out as a raging right-winger and Trump supporter, with a taste for conspiracy theories, lying and racism. It felt like a bitter betrayal by one of the most progressive voices in late ‘80s to late ‘90s television.

ABC/Eric McCandless

THE CONNERS - "Keep on Truckin'" - A sudden turn of events forces the Conners to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before, on the series premiere of "The Conners," airing TUESDAY, OCT. 16 (8:00-8:31 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless)LECY GORANSON, SARA GILBERT

From left: Actresses Lecy Goranson and Sara Gilbert.

Barr’s antics caught up with her in late May of 2018 after she posted a racist tweet that led ABC to fire her and cancel her show, putting close to 200 people out of a job. She single handedly burned the entire thing down.

There was a media frenzy and an explosion of cries from the conservative right. At first, Barr apologized for her tweet, but then backpedaled when she realized that she would only be getting sympathy from the bottom feeders who support her for her newfound political standings and racist beliefs.

The loudest of public outcry came from fans who wanted the show to continue without Barr, and ABC listened. Why wouldn’t they? The reboot was often a ratings juggernaut, and even if they snag half of that audience for The Conners they would still be riding high.

Almost five months later, the dust has finally settled and ABC is proud to present The Conners:

Same title font.

Same working-class family.

Same plaid couch.

Different name.

Dead Roseanne.

Even if she wasn’t on screen, this first episode was definitely about Roseanne, or more specifically, life without Roseanne. The episode picks up three weeks after her death, and the Conners are still in a haze of exhaustion mixed with readjustment into the real world. It’s a state that anyone who has ever lost a loved one knows all too well.

ABC/Robert Trachtenberg

THE CONNERS - ABC's "The Conners" stars Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris. (ABC/Robert Trachtenberg)

Above: Actress Laurie Metcalf.

The characters on the show, and perhaps the actors themselves, are mourning the loss of Roseanne. The emotions, especially the anger at what Roseanne (the character and the person) did to get them to this point, felt raw and real.

The truth is, the Roseanne reboot wasn’t all that much about the character of Roseanne to begin with, as it focused more on her daughter Darlene (played to nostalgic perfection by Sara Gilbert) and her struggles as a single mom. Now that Roseanne is gone, Darlene is the de-facto head of the household, and the transitional shift is shockingly seamless, with Dan (Emmy and Golden Globe winner John Goodman) still reigning as the patriarch of the family.

Lecy Goranson is back (again) as the O.G. Becky! Life has thrown her some major curveballs with the death of her husband, Mark, which forces her to move back to Lanford and work in a Mexican restaurant.

ABC/Robert Trachtenberg

THE CONNERS - ABC's "The Conners" stars John Goodman as Dan Conner. (ABC/Robert Trachtenberg)

Above: Actor John Goodman.

D.J. (Michael Fishman) is back with his wife, Geena Williams-Conner (Maya Lynne Robinson) who has been serving in the military in Afghanistan, but took the allotted five days leave to be with family when someone dies.

The grandkids from the Roseanne reboot are back and play perfect foil to the adults in the room, just as their parents, the original kids, did in the first series.

But let’s get to the real star of the show…since it debuted in 1988: Jackie!

Emmy and Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf is a goddess. This is not debatable.

Metcalf once again dazzles as “Aunt Jackie,” and still maintains the complete sincerity, heart and humor of the character we fell in love with all of those years ago. The writers of The Conners do a fantastic job of letting her sparkle without blinding the audience to the other talents that share the screen with her. She is the one who reveals how Roseanne actually died, and her ability to run the range from comedy to grief in neck breaking speed gives the show’s premiere the perfect tone and timing that it needs. She really can do it all…except organize a kitchen.

Metcalf, Goodman, and Gilbert are each bigger stars now than they were during the initial run of Roseanne. Metcalf has been the toast of Broadway for years, and recently conquered the big screen with her critically acclaimed performance in Lady Bird. John Goodman has thrived in films and TV shows for over a decade, including his delicious work with the Cohen Brothers, while Gilbert has been a steady presence on TV as a co-host and producer of CBS’ The Talk. This is why the show works. You have three bonafide stars leading the troops to victory.

As someone who held a deep emotional connection to the original series but could not bring himself to watch the reboot, as explained in my NewNowNext op-ed “Why I Won’t Watch the ‘Roseanne’ Reboot,” this premiere felt like a long overdue reunion with your sarcastic but lovable family—minus your crazy, racist aunt.

The most touching moment for me happened towards the end of the premiere as the family gathered around that famous kitchen table to eat breakfast. For the first time in the episode they all seemed happy, even optimistic. Suddenly, we hear the familiar sounds of a harmonica cry, and in the blink of an eye the scene transforms into the brand new version of the iconic 360 degree opening credit vignette (which was noticeably missing at the top of the show). This theatrical device delivered a powerfully symbolic and emotional message to us viewers that life goes on, and so do the Conners. They are starting again, moving on, and letting their lives get back to the hilariously dysfunctional normal that made us fall in love with them in the first place.

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