Although all six seasons ofThe Connershave their high and low points, a ranking of theRoseannespinoff’s outings uncovers a surprising trend.The Connersseason 7will be the show’s final outing, but the upcoming sitcom season is not just ending the working-class family comedy’s seven-year run.The Connersseason 7 also bringsRoseanne’s story to an end 36 years after the groundbreaking sitcom first aired in 1988.Roseanne’s original run lasted nine seasons from 1988 until 1997 before the series was brought back for a one-season revival in 2017.Roseanne’s revival was a ratings success.
The Conners Season 7 Can’t Get Worse Than Roseanne’s Most Hated Episode
The Conners season 7 will have a hard time ending the show’s story, but it is bound to do better than Roseanne’s infamously hated season 9 episode.
However, original series star Roseanne Barr was fired before the revival’s second season could enter production due to racist comments. Roseanne was killed offscreen andRoseanne’s revival was retooled intoThe Conners, a spinoff that centered on her grieving family.The Conners’ large cast of charactersensured that the show still had plenty of stories to tell, but continuingRoseannewithout the show’s former title character was a strange challenge.The Conners started strong, but a look back on its six seasons proves the spinoff struggled withRoseanne’s legacy as the show’s overarching story continued to grow and evolve.
6Season 2
The Conners’ Sophomore Outing Dragged Out A Few Cartoony Plots
The worst season ofThe Connerswasn’t its first outing, but its sophomore effort. AlthoughRoseanne’s revival was a ratings hit, the show’s critical reception was less unambiguously positive. Reviewers were mostly kind to the revival but took issue with its uneven tone and clumsy political commentary. As such,The Connersseason 1 needed to impress. The show succeeded in this task, only for season 2 of the spinoff to see the creators loosen their grip on what made the series work. Soon, the cartoonish excesses ofRoseanne’s revival and its lack of stakes reared their head, dragging down season 2.
Although one of thebest episodes ofThe Connersarrived in season 2, the outing as a whole was too goofy to resonate. Plots like Harris becoming her mother Darlene’s boss or Jackie entering into a short-lived “Throuple” arrangement were passably funny thanks to the talented cast, but didn’t ring true and felt too over-the-top for the grounded world of the series. Meanwhile, Jackie and Darlene’s extended feud over the fate of The Lunchbox was a storyline that dragged out far too long, particularly when the plot eventually wrapped up exactly as viewers would have predicted after a lengthy wait.
5Season 3
Roseanne’s Spinoff Found Its Footing Again In Season 3
After the disappointment of season 2,The Connersseason 3 was a return to form forRoseanne’s spinoff.The Connersseason 3 tightened up the show’s tone, bringing things back down to earth. Where season 2 included Ozzy and Sharon Osborne as a couple who wanted Jackie to be their third, season 3 featured fights about social distancing and struggles with supervised drug tests. The spinoff felt rooted in the everyday realities of working-class life in middle America, although this season wasn’t perfect. Louise and Dan’s romance began to drag after a strong start, while Jackie’s Lunchbox plot remained underwhelming.
Ames McNamara
Mark Conner-Healy
WhileBen and Darlene’sThe Connersstoryhad some of its strongest moments in season 3, Dan’s relationship with Louise hit a snag when it became clear that the pair’s relationship had little in the way of substantial conflict. While this was nice for the couple, it could be a little frustrating for viewers. Fortunately, Jackie and Neville’s romance ensured that season 3 was still a fun watch. Meanwhile, Harris’s subplot with a professional protester was an early warning of how pointless her future stories would become. The storyline gave viewers little fresh insight into Darlene’s daughter but lasted for half of the season.
4Season 6
The Conners Season 6 Suffered Due To Its Brevity
The Connersseason 6 was one of the show’s shortest outings yet, with only 13 episodes.The Connersseason 7 will reportedly be even shorter, which could be unfortunate considering how much season 6’s brevity injured the show’s overarching storylines. Jackie retired and gave Harris control of The Lunchbox in the premiere, but this plot was barely even mentioned in the dozen episodes that followed. Similarly, Mark’s struggles with attending a small community college were realistic and poignant, but the final two episodes saw him reverse course altogether when he dropped out to attend the University of Chicago.
Ben’s decision to buyHardwareMagazine promised a potential happy ending for the family that feels both believable and exciting.
Although Mark’s decision to change colleges was the right call, it was hard not to feel like season 6 was 13 episodes of Darlene’s son treading water before his real character arc began. That said, there was a lot to like in season 6. Jackie and Bev’s relationship came to a surprisingly sunny conclusion, while Louise’s school board campaign finally provided her character with some purpose. Sean Astin’s Tyler was a fun addition to the show’s lineup, while Ben’s decision to buyHardwareMagazine promised a potential happy ending for the family that feels both believable and exciting.
3Season 1
Roseanne’s Death Gave The Conners Season 1 A Stellar Start
The Connersseason 1 had a lot to prove, but the sitcom spinoff managed to start strong despite the pressure. WhileThe Connersseason 7 endingRoseanne’s storyfor good is a tall order, the fact that the series successfully dropped its original title character and stayed as relevant as ever bodes well for its future.The Connersbegan as daringly as possible, with the pilot episode depicting the titular family’s reaction to the news of Roseanne’s overdose in real time. AsThe Connersseason 1 continued, the show refused to look away from similarly heavy, tragic themes.
However, there were plenty of lighter moments in season 1. Becky’s pregnancy, the beginning of Louise and Dan’s relationship, and Darlene’s first flirtations with Ben all ensured thatThe Connersseason 1 had plenty of fun storylines to offset the sadness of Roseanne’s death. Although the show didn’t ignore Roseanne’s passing,The Connersseason 1 was busy enough to never feel maudlin or excessively downbeat. Season 1 still had its structural issues, such as the show’s inability to give Roseanne holdover DJ a meaningful storyline of his own. However, the spinoff’s first outing remains one of its strongest seasons.
2Season 4
The Conners Season 4 Was An All-Round Strong Outing
Three years after Roseanne’s death,The Connersfound its footing in 2021’s season 4. While the storylines of season 3 were dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, season 4 expanded the world of the series while also feeling closer toRoseanne’s tone. No matter howThe Connersseason 7 endsthe story of the show’s heroes, the spinoff will benefit from season 4 fixing Ben and Darlene’s messy relationship, marrying Jackie and Neville, and fleshing out Mark’s character. Meanwhile, Harris and Aldo’s romance offered viewers a new level of insight into Darlene’s daughter.
Aldo and Harris’s breakup might have been more affecting if the event took place a little earlier than the season 4 finale.
Aldo and Harris ended up calling off their engagement when the older, immature Aldo made it clear that he wanted more children as soon as possible. Despite Harris’s desire for independence, she wisely realized that defying her mother’s advice wasn’t worth the cost of marrying a man with radically different life plans. Admittedly, Aldo and Harris’s breakup might have been more affecting if the event took place a little earlier than the season 4 finale. However, it was still great to seeRoseanne’s spinoff finally give the character the spotlight she deserves, prioritizing Harris asRoseannefocused on her mother.
1Season 5
Season 5 Saw The Conners Finally Outgrow Roseanne’s Influence
Although season 4 saw the series recapture the tone of its predecessor,The Connersseason 5 was the moment that the spinoff transcendedRoseanne. With Dan and Louise comfortably established, Ben and Darlene settled down, and Jackie and Neville happily married, the family sitcom had a chance to focus on Mark, Harris, and the next generation of the Conner clan. Harris’s miscarriage and Mark’s struggles to secure a college scholarship proved that Darlene’s children were compelling protagonists in their own right rather than merely extensions ofRoseanne’s original heroine. Like Darlene inRoseanne’s original run, the kids came into their own here.
Mark’s inability to secure a music scholarship was harsh proof that hard work and talent aren’t always enough to overcome generational poverty. Meanwhile, Harris’s fights with Dan and Darlene saw her gain a healthy distance from her family, transforming from the rebel of earlier seasons into a more independent free spirit. Darlene’s daughter was first introduced as an entitled Gen Z stereotype, but season 5 turned this one-dimensional caricature into a more compelling, rounded heroine. Even Becky’s daughter Beverly-Rose gained her best subplots in this outing after initially being introduced as a cute comic relief figure.
The Hollywood ReporterreportedThe Connersseason 7 may include as few as ten episodes or less.
That said,The Connersseason 5 didn’t lack compelling storylines forRoseanne’s original stars. Jackie accidentally began a feud between Dan and Neville, while the perpetually prickly Darlene had a hard time adjusting to marital bliss. Not everything about season 5 worked perfectly, as proven by Harris’s frustratingly aimless tryst with Kai the drifter. However, this outing was the closestRoseanne’s spinoff has come to firing on all cylinders.The Connersseason 7 might outdothis outing, but season 5 set a high bar.The final outing ofRoseanne’s spinoff will have a hard time beatingThe Connersseason 5 upon its release.
