Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Conners season 7, episode 1!The Conners executive producers Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan have explained why the sitcom’s season 7 premiere revisits Roseanne’s death in a new storyline. The Conners season 7 returned with major news for the family to kick off its final season: the family has a chance to sue a major pharmaceutical company for Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) death. This leads to a schism in the family, as Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) wants to pursue a lawsuit, while Dan (John Goodman) would rather leave the past behind them.
Speaking with TV Insider, Helford and Caplan explained the importance of revisiting Roseanne’s death in The Conners season 7’s new storyline. They explained how the Supreme Court permitting individual lawsuits against opiod companies was a key inspiration for the story. It was also an opportunity to tell a “the big guys versus the little guys” story during the final season, with Dan in particular becoming emotionally impacted by the idea of the lawsuit. Check out what Helford and Caplan had to say below:
Buce Helford: It was very natural and gave us a way to honor the memory of the matriarch of the family. Despite the things that went on, [Roseanne] was beloved by her family, by viewers, and we really wanted to make sure that there was an appropriate inclusion.
Dav Caplan: It also just fed into the themes that we love to write about, which are the big guys versus the little guys. And the Conners are little guys, and they get what rolls downhill, but not much makes it to the bottom of the hill. And so another opportunity to explore that was kind of irresistible to us…. Going through the experience for Dan is a real roller coaster for him. And we’re definitely going to see some emotional fireworks.
What The Lawsuit Means For The Conners Season 7
The Family Has A Chance For Justice
The characters in The Conners are all going through their own new storylines right now, with Jackie also wanting to rejoin the police force while pushing the lawsuit onto Dan. At the same time, the house’s patriarch is joined by Louise (Katey Sagal), who also doesn’t think opening up past wounds for the lawsuit is a good idea. Meanwhile, Darlene (Sara Gilbert) is dealing with Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) not being around as much while working on his magazine out in Lanford, while Becky (Lecy Goranson) and Tyler (Sean Astin) start discussing the boundaries in their relationship.
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The Conners season 7 effectively brings back Roseanne at the center of its storytelling, and it’s curious how this shapes the rest of its run.
However, as Helford and Caplan’s statements reveal, the lawsuit is going to be the most prevalent element of the season, especially given the rift between Dan and Jackie about how to handle it. Since The Conners season 7 premiere lays the groundwork for its final, six-episode season, the show’s approach to long-term storylines will be more prevalent than ever before. This clearly means emotional moments for Goodman’s character, especially as he wrestles with whether the family should pursue this form of justice.
Our Take On The Conners’ Roseanne Lawsuit
A Fitting Storyline To Round Out The Series
With the lawsuit being a key element of the season 7 premiere, it’s clearly going to be the core focus of The Conners as the final episodes play out. Since Dan’s emotions are going to be at the center of what transpires, he could be swayed to pursue the idea, especially if it seems likely the family will win. For now, though, there’s still a long way to go before he can jump that hurdle and feel comfortable with the idea.
New episodes of The Conners season 7 air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: TV Insider
The Conners
7/10
- Release Date
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2018 – 2024
- Showrunner
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Bruce Helford, Matt Williams
- Writers
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Dave Caplan, Bruce Helford, Matt Williams