AlthoughThe Connersseason 7 is almost certain to beatRoseanne’s ending in terms of popularity, this still might not be enough to satisfy viewers.The Connershas a large cast of characters, so it will be tough for the series to give everyone a happy ending as the sitcom spinoff wraps up.The Connersseason 7will be the show’s final outing and, with three generations of the eponymous working-class clan to follow, it might be tricky for the show to find screen time for everyone’s character arcs.
The Conners: 20 Best Episodes, Ranked
The Conners doesn’t always manage to live up to Roseanne’s legacy, but the sitcom spinoff’s best episodes give its predecessor a run for its money.
The Connershas historically struggled to give everyone sufficient screen time, but this was also an issue back when the show was known asRoseanne. Beginning in 1988,Roseanneaired for nine seasons before wrapping up in 1997. LikeThe Conners,Roseannewas a warm sitcom about a blue-collar family struggling to get by. At least, that’s whatRoseanne’s first eight seasons focused on.Roseanne’s hated season 9changed the show’s premise entirely, resulting in a historically unpopular piece of TV.The Connersseason 7 would have a hard time failing as badly as its predecessor, but may still struggle.
What Went Wrong With Roseanne’s Ending
Roseanne’s Original Final Season Was A Tonal Mess
Roseanneseason 9 began with one major, irreversible mistake. Although the show had always centered its storylines on the believable financial hardships faced by the Conner family, season 9, episode 2, “Millions from Heaven,” saw Roseanne win $108 million in the lottery.The Connersbecame absurdly rich overnight inRoseanneseason 9, which completely changed the show’s tone and storylines.Roseannepreviously prided itself on offering a relatively realistic view of family life in middle America that was less glamorized and idealized than the sunny, saccharine worlds ofThe Cosby ShowandFull House.
That all changed when the Conners became millionaires. Overnight,Roseanneseason 9 morphed into a live-action cartoon. One episode sawRoseanneparodyRamboandUnderSiegewhen Roseanne saved the First Lady from terrorists on a plane, while another saw her meet the stars ofAbsolutely Fabulousin a bizarre spoof ofRosemary’s Baby.Roseanneseason 9 felt like a completely different series that happened to share a few cast members with the original family sitcom, abandoning the show’s tone and themes completely. Luckily,The Connersseason 7’s endingis unlikely to repeat this mistake.
Roseanne’s Spinoff Is Almost Guaranteed To Outdo Its Predecessor
WhileThe Connersseason 7 might not end the show’s story perfectly, the spinoff’s final outing is almost certain to fare better thanRoseanneseason 9.The Connersseason 7 almost certainly can’t replicateRoseanneseason 9’s failure, since this would mean changing the show’s style, tone, and storyline entirely. The final outing ofThe Connersmay short-change some characters, but the show has no reason to suddenly drop millions of dollars into the family’s lap. Similarly, the final season’s tone might be a bit more optimistic than the more relatable earlier seasons, but it almost certainly won’t be completely zany.
Very few TV shows in history have gone off the rails as spectacularly asRoseannedid in its final outing.
Roseanneseason 9 was a profound failure because the creators completely misunderstood what viewers wanted fromRoseanneand the show became a totally different beast. No matter what problemsThe Connersseason 7’s storylinesrun into, the spinoff is unlikely to have this issue. Very few TV shows in history have gone off the rails as spectacularly asRoseannedid in its final outing, so it would be a shock if The Connerssomehow managed to repeat history instead of learning from its predecessor’s mistake.
The Conners Season 7 May Still Struggle To Have A Satisfying Ending
The Brevity Of The Conners Season 7 Works Against The Sitcom
That said,The Connersseason 7 is not guaranteed a warm reception. According toTheHollywoodReporter,The Connersseason 7 will be shorterthan its predecessors with only ten episodes or fewer. This gives the series little time to wrap up the character arcs of Becky, Darlene, Dan, Jackie, Mark, and Harris, and that is without even mentioning any of their love interests. Louise also needs more character development, as does Neville, and Becky’s new paramour, Tyler, needs a story of his own. Ten episodes may not be enough time for all this storytelling.
The Hollywood ReporterreportedThe Connersseason 7 will debut in late 2024 or early 2025.
As if this weren’t enough,The Connersseason 7’s long absence also doesn’t help. It will be months before the show returns in late 2024 or early 2025 and, by then, viewers may have gotten frustrated with the spinoff. Fans have to wait almost a year before finding out howHarris’sThe Connersseason 6 subplotpans out and could lose interest in the intervening time. As such, there is no guarantee that season 7 will be a success. However,The Connersseason 7 can be certain that it will almost definitely fare better thanRoseanneseason 9 did.
