The Conners series finale is an ending 37 years in the making. The blue-collar family we first met in the 1988 – 1997 sitcom Roseanne and its 2018 sequel now signs off for good on Wednesday, April 23.
And while executive producer Bruce Helford is reluctant to share too many details, he teases, “There’s something that happens in the final episode that I don’t think has ever happened on broadcast television,” which he claims “is going to be really emotional.”
As if parting ways with patriarch Dan (John Goodman, left), his daughters Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) and the rest of the family isn’t difficult enough, Helford adds, “One thing I’ve discovered about life is when you get to the end of things, it’s never what you expected. And I think that applies here.” In other words, buckle up for the final bow of Lanford’s working-class characters.
“The Conners are going to end up in places that are interesting, surprising, but ultimately satisfying,” fellow executive producer Dave Caplan teases. “I don’t think we wanted a kind of ending where somebody turns off the lights and closes up shop. The Conners go on.”
Disney / Justin Stephens
As for the satisfying nature Caplan alludes to, Helford notes that the satisfaction comes from the fact that it’s an ending true to the family’s circumstances. “It’s true to their characters, which I think the audience of this show particularly wants,” Helford says.
For fans gearing up to tune in, The Conners’ series finale will be presented in two parts. The first episode, “Exercise Bands, Money Plans, and Faraway Lands,” will chronicle the time ahead of the deposition surrounding the family’s wrongful death lawsuit as they decided to go after big pharma for late matriarch Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) death.
While Dan gets support from Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), Becky, and Darlene, Mark is presented with an opportunity that leads to a major life decision, while Becky and Tyler consider the next step in their relationship.
And in the second half-hour of the series finale, titled, “The Truck Stops Here,” Jackie prepares for her physical tests to rejoin the police force, Darlene confronts issues in her marriage to Ben (Jay R. Ferguson), and Dan’s deposition stirs up strong feelings fans won’t want to miss.
Catch the final episodes of The Conners when they air on ABC and let us know what you hope to see from the TV family before they sign off in the comments section below.
The Conners, Series Finale, Wednesday, April 23, 8/7c, ABC
