The Conners surpassed 100 episodes last season, which is pretty astounding considering it almost didn’t happen.
The sitcom, after all, technically began as a reboot of Roseanne, the charming and acerbic sitcom about a working-class family in Illinois that initially aired from 1988 to 1997. But that series was canceled after just nine episodes due to a racist tweet from its star, Roseanne Barr.
The Conners rose from its ashes, controversially killing off Barr’s Roseanne Conner via an opioid overdose in order to focus on the extended Conner clan, including John Goodman‘s Dan, Sara Gilbert‘s Darlene, and Laurie Metcalf‘s Jackie.
Tonight, the series wrapped its seventh and final season with a pair of episodes that sought to bring finality to Roseanne’s death, honor the series’ roots, and offer satisfying conclusions to (most) of the characters’ journeys.
Here’s everything that happened on The Conners‘ season finale.
Katey Sagal, John Goodman, and Ashley August in ‘The Conners’ series finale. Disney/Christopher Willard
A storyline threading the final episodes of The Conners finds Dan suing the pharmaceutical company responsible for Roseanne’s overdose. Dan is initially opposed to the idea, but comes around to it after being encouraged by Jackie.
Dan’s biggest concern going into the deposition is that the lawyers will disparage Roseanne. His lawyer, meanwhile, warns him that they’ll try to trap him into saying “Roseanne’s death was her own fault.”
That ends up being exactly what happens, with the pharmaceutical company’s lawyer implying Roseanne had an “addictive personality,” including a “history of overeating.” They also push Dan about his culpability in her death, saying, “You claim to be destroyed by the loss of your wife, so how come you didn’t try harder to keep her from abusing pills that could kill her?”
Dan defends himself by insisting he did everything that he could, then explodes when the lawyers say that her death was “clearly” not the company’s fault.
“She kept taking those pills because you didn’t tell her that they would change how her brain worked and turn her into an addict,” he shouts. “You don’t care how many families you destroy, the only thing you care about is money… But even if i took every penny you had, it wouldn’t be enough because you took the love of my life and you killed her, the same as you put a gun to her head. The only difference is that you handed her the gun and told her it wasn’t loaded.”
Back at home, Dan discovers that the company is offering him a payout, and he wants to celebrate with the family at Roseanne’s grave. All gathered, Dan opens the envelope only to discover the check is for just $700. It’s not an admission of liability, but rather a “tribute to your unwavering commitment to your beloved wife.”
“Well, we always wondered how much a Conner’s life was worth, and now we know,” Dan cracks. He’s disappointed, but soon breaks into laughter, saying they might as well put the money to use by ordering food to the house.
The cast of ‘The Conners’ in the series finale. Disney/Christopher Willard
Before they leave, Roseanne’s kids and granddaughter kneel down by her stone to offer a goodbye. Becky (Lecy Goranson) celebrates her sobriety, Darlene offers an update on her family, and Jackie cracks a joke about not knowing where their mother is. Harris (Emma Kenney) gets the biggest laugh: “I own your restaurant now. The food’s finally good.”
Dan, meanwhile, is left alone to say goodbye. “Well, Rose, we always said that if the kids were still alive at the end of the day, we did our job. I think we did better than that,” he says. “I still can’t believe you’re not here. I know you wanted good things for me, too, and that probably didn’t include Louise, but if you meet anyone wherever you are, I’m cool with it.”
A storm rolls in as he wraps up. Referencing Louise (Katey Sagal), who’s gone back to the car, he warns Roseanne, “Don’t hit her with lightning.”
Laurie Metcalf, Katey Sagal, and John Goodman in ‘The Conners’ season finale. Disney/Christopher Willard
Dan and Louise end the series still married, though Louise’s struggles with feeling like the second banana to Roseanne bother her throughout the final two episodes.
“I know that Dan is having a really rough time, and I wanna be respectful,” she confesses to Jackie, “but i have worked really hard to keep Roseanne from being the third person in our marriage.”
During Dan’s deposition, she bristles at him referring to Roseanne as the love of his life. Later, she confronts him about her feelings. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but when you said she was the love of your life it kinda made me wonder what that made me,” Louise admits.
“She was the love of that part of my life, but when I met you, my life started all over again,” he says.
“But hearing all the stories of you two… you had 40 years together,” she replies. “It kinda made me feel like what we’ll have will pale in comparison.”
He reassures her that there’s “a million incredible things we’re gonna do that I didn’t do with her.” When she asks what kinds of things, he cracks, “You’re gonna be around to see me die. She would’ve killed for that.”
At the cemetery, Louise says her own “crappy” home life has made it hard for her to understand why the Conners are so close-knit. “But now I know it’s because, obviously, Roseanne did something right for her kids and her husband.”
Ames McNamara as Mark, along with John Goodman and Sara Gilbert, on ‘The Conners’. Greg Gayne/ABC
Yes, Mark (Ames McNamara) leaves Lanford, but not for college. This disappoints Darlene, who always dreamed of her son attending college in nearby Chicago.
In season 7, Mark discovered he had a talent for “computer hacking,” leading Jackie and others to believe he was going to end up in hot water. In the penultimate episode, however, Jackie finds a fruitful use for Mark’s technical prowess, getting him into a training program with a cybersecurity firm that guarantees a job. The rub is that the job will take him to New York, far from his mom.
Darlene is resistant, demanding that he go to a college close to him. She even skips his going-away dinner. But she softens after a pep talk from Dan, who encourages her to not do what he did to Becky. “I’m talking about when Becky quit school to move to Minnesota,” he explains. “She wanted to talk to me, but I was so upset I hid in the garage.”
He continues, “Parenting 101 is you cannot stop kids from making mistakes. The worst thing you can do is shut down and make them feel alone and unsupported because then they may never talk to you again.”
As Mark prepares to leave, Darlene admits that she feels as if she failed him. “You grew up poor and without a dad, and it scared the hell out of me,” she says, emphasizing that she tried to save up enough money for him to “start a great life.”
Mark soothes her by saying he feels ready to go out on his own because she “never stopped believing that I could have a great future — and because you believe it, I believe it.”
Darlene is still devastated to see him go, but she’s proud of his independence.
Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf on ‘The Conners’. Eric McCandless/ABC
No, Darlene is faithful to Ben (Jay R. Ferguson), despite his being so consumed with work that he neglects her. Things looked dicey for a bit there, though, as Darlene spent her lonely nights sharing beers with Chad (Seth Green), a charming local at the bar whose marriage is also on the rocks.
Chad even asks her on a date, which causes Darlene to admit that she let their friendship go further than she should have. Becky, having seen Darlene and Chad together at the bar, informs Ben about Chad. Ben then confronts Darlene, who says she and Chad “just needed to talk because both of our partners have abandoned us.”
Ben apologizes, admitting he’s been a “lousy partner.” Darlene does the same, conceding that she made a mistake by getting so close to Chad.
“If I died tomorrow, would you text this guy?” Ben asks.
Darlene cracks, “Why would I text somebody I’m lying next to in bed?”
All’s well that ends well.
Lecy Goranson and Sean Astin in ‘The Conners’ season finale. Disney/Christopher Willard
They do, even if Tyler (Sean Astin) can be a bit clingy. Becky has been dating the puppy-dog FedEx pilot since season 5, and the pair are living together at Darlene’s house in season 7.
Their relationship is put to the test, though, when Tyler proposes they merge their bank accounts. This is a struggle for Becky, who only recently started making enough money to buy nice things for herself. When Tyler suggests they use their collective cash to buy a house, Becky pitches a truck for herself instead.
This worries Tyler, who feels her need for the truck is a sign that she’s not sure about their future. She assuages him by saying the truck represents her ability to climb out of her own self-doubt. “You didn’t grow up like me. Unless you’ve struggled without nice things, I don’t think you can get it,” she says. “I’m ready to believe I deserve good things in my life.”
Tyler accepts this, amiably telling Becky, “You’re my truck.”
Laurie Metcalf and Estelle Parsons on ‘The Conners’. Greg Gayne/ABC
She does. We even see her in uniform.
All season, Jackie has sought to reapply to the Lanford Police Force, but there’s doubt about her capacity to do the job at her age (not just from others, but from herself as well). She’s particularly nervous about the physical exam and obstacle course, which she practices with her husband, Neville (Nat Faxon).
But once she shows up at the cemetery, she’s jazzed to flaunt her uniform and badge. “When the adrenaline kicked in, all the self-doubt left my body and I made that obstacle course my bitch,” she declares.
Lecy Goranson and John Goodman on ‘The Conners’ series finale. Disney/Christopher Willard
In the closing moments of the finale, Dan, Becky, Darlene, Jackie, Harris, and their significant others are gathered in Dan’s living room for drinks and conversation. Dan laments the measly check cut to him by the pharmaceutical company, but nevertheless finds joy in being with his family.
“Going through all this reminds me that no matter how much crap life throws at us, all we gotta do is look around,” he says. “‘Cause if we hang together, nothing can stop us.”
His children, sister, and extended family members tearfully say goodbye. Louise, meanwhile, leaves Dan alone to get ready for bed.
Dan spends a moment alone on the couch, lost in thought. We see flashbacks featuring scenes from the early years of Roseanne, though none include Barr. When we return to Dan, he looks directly into the camera, smiles, and says goodnight.
Michael Fishman as D.J. on ‘The Conners’. Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images
No, the Conners’ son did not return in the finale, nor was he mentioned outside of a brief shot of him in one of the flashback scenes.
Michael Fishman reprised his role of D.J. for the first four seasons of the spinoff, but in 2022 revealed that the character would not be returning for season 5. “Although I no longer have the privilege to portray D.J., my desire, passion, and skill of bringing characters to life as an actor continues,” he said in a statement. “I appreciate all those who support and have supported my work.”
Last we heard, D.J. left Lanford for Germany, where his wife was stationed.
The cast of ‘The Conners’. Disney/Justin Stephens
The Conners is available to stream on Hulu.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
