Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 2, “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet.”
Although I can see whyRoseanne’s spinoff needs one of its new characters,The Connersseason 7, episode 2 still leaves me uncertain about the rest of the show’s new arrivals.The Connersseason 7 has only six episodes, and it will be the final outing ofRoseanne’s spinoff.The Conners’ large cast of charactersmight lead viewers to assume that the sitcom would focus most of its remaining screen time on the main family members, but the creators went a very different route instead.
Despite the outing’s brevity,Te Connersseason 7 cast numerous new characters, including Jane Lynch’s Jean the lawyer, Seth Green’s Chad, and a police officer played byYoung Sheldon’s Zoe Perry. All of these characters are played by notable comedic actors who, ordinarily, would be a welcome presence in the series. However, as a longtime fan of the show, I was worried when I discovered thatThe Connersseason 7 wasn’t bringing back Michael Fishman’s DJ, Estelle Parsons’ Beverly, or Johnny Galecki’s David to focus instead on these new cast members.
Jane Lynch’s Jean The Lawyer Is The Only Necessary New Arrival In The Conners Season 7
The Sketchy Attorney Helps Jackie Sue A Pharma Company
As of season 7, episode 2, “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet,”only one ofThe Connersseason 7’s new characters justifies their presence in the series. “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet” madeRoseanne and Jackie’sThe Connersstorymuch sadder when Jackie revealed her final messages with her sister before Roseanne overdosed on painkillers. However, there was a good reason for this disclosure. Dan helped Jackie hire a lawyer to represent her in a case against the pharmaceutical manufacturers who made the opioids that killed Roseanne.
The lawyer led Jackie to convince Dan that he needed to join the lawsuit despite his discomfort with revisiting the tragic loss of Roseanne.
Jane Lynch’s Jean soon informed Jackie that, since she wasn’t as close to Roseanne as Dan, her case was unlikely to succeed. Thus, the lawyer led Jackie to convince Dan that he needed to join the lawsuit despite his discomfort with revisiting the tragic loss of Roseanne. Lynch’sThe Connersseason 7 role is important because Jean’s intervention could save the family’s finances beforeRoseanne’s spinoff ends, and do so in a way that ties into Roseanne’s passing and, thus, the show’s very first episode.
Not only didThe Connersbegin with Roseanne’s death, but the aftermath of the traumatic event shaped much of season 1’s storyline. Thus, Lynch’s lawyer has an important role in season 7 as she aids the family in taking on the pharmaceutical company that cost them their mother’s life. Admittedly, Jean’sThe Connerscharacterization is already worrying since Lynch’s lawyer spends most of her screen time drinking beer, so the family really needs their case to be airtight lest their laidback lawyer screw things up.
Both Seth Green & Zoe Perry Barely Do Anything To Move The Plot In A Significant Way
However, while Lynch’s Jean plays a pivotal role in “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet,” the same can’t be said for the rest of the season’s new arrivals. Zoe Perry’s off-duty cop set upJackie’sThe Connersseason 7 character arcin the premiere, but her role was minimal, and she only appeared in one scene. Unfortunately, “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet” introduced another superfluous new character when Green’s charismatic loner Chad defended Darlene from a bully at The Lobo and got a bloody nose as a result.
Ames McNamara
Mark Conner-Healy
Zoe Perry’s cop has a lot of comic potential and Jackie’s plot can intersect with Mark’s arc, so it feels less pointless than Darlene’s new romantic connection. Still, although both actors are great, their characters don’t offer anything new. Worse still, the prospect of Darlene cheating on Ben again mere episodes from the series ending is pretty dire.Zoe Perry and Seth Green’s characters feel like they belong in an earlier season ofThe Connersthat had twenty episodes to explore new characters, not a mere six outings to wrap up the entire franchise’s 37-year story.
The Conners Season 7 Needs To Focus Back On Its Own Characters' Fates
The Conners Season 7’s New Characters Are A Mixed Blessing So Far
While Darlene’s daughter did appear in “Fame, Flying Fists, and Cold Feet,”Harris’s absence fromThe Connersseason 7 episode 1is telling. Sadly, the sitcom seems more concerned with introducing high-profile guest characters than wrapping up the story of the show’s heroes. Harris’s struggles with managing the Lunchbox have so far gone unmentioned even though these defined her season 6 story, and Louise’s role on the school board has been completely forgotten since her season 6 election.
The Conners Season 7 Finally Admits The Harsh Truth About Katey Sagal’s Louise
The Conners season 7 episode 1 proves that Katey Sagal’s Louise never replaced Roseanne, but this created a major issue for Dan’s new love interest.
AsRoseanne’s spinoff wraps up,The Connersmust remember who the show’s main characters are. Green and Perry are always a welcome presence on screen, but it is frustrating to see the show’s heroes take a backseat to these new cast members in its final outings. EvenDarlene’sThe Connerspromotionhas been forgotten as the show centers on her friendship with Chad over her forgotten aspirations to become a writer. To doRoseanne’s heroes justice,The Connersseason 7 must meaningfully center them in its final outings.
