Jackie’s Surprise The Conners Series Finale Reveal Establishes Its Biggest Unanswered Question

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 4, “Danny Boy, the Interview, the New Hire, and the Hanging Chad.”

Although a lot of plots are wrapped up in The Conners series finale, the last episode of Roseanne‘s spinoff effectively states that one plot will never receive closure. The Conners season 7 finale ends most of the Roseanne spinoff’s major plots, but doesn’t bring back many characters from earlier outings in the process. Even The Conners season 7’s new characters, like Zoe Perry’s sardonic cop and Jane Lynch’s heavy-drinking lawyer Jean, are absent from the fast-paced ending.

While this means that Dan’s emotional The Conners season 7 ending gets room to breathe, it also means that the fates of many Roseanne regulars remain a mystery. The Conners originally began life as Roseanne back in 1988 and ran for nine seasons until 1997. The events of Roseanne season 9 were retconned when the show was revived in 2017. 2017’s Roseanne revival was a success, but the show was swiftly canceled thanks to star Roseanne Barr’s racist remarks on X (then Twitter). Roseanne’s painful death started The Conners’ story and, in the finale, ended it.

Jackie Admits That Beverly’s Fate Is A Mystery In The Conners Season 7

Jackie Told Roseanne Their Mother’s Location Was Unknown

Years after Roseanne died of an off-screen opioid overdose, The Conners season 7 saw her family bring the pharmaceutical company to court over her death. In a devastating but tonally fitting ending, Dan lost the case that the family brought against the company as the corporation refused to admit any culpability in Roseanne’s overdose. Dan had brought the family to Roseanne’s grave to open the check the company sent, which turned out to be a paltry amount meant to cover his transportation costs.

After Becky’s uplifting ending in The Conners season 7, it was hard not to feel heartbroken by a powerful, rich company getting one over on the struggling working-class family. However, as the family said their final goodbyes to Roseanne during the episode’s final scenes, Jackie’s last line highlighted a major series plot hole and did so hilariously. After boasting about her happy marriage and her successful return to the police force, Jackie admitted that the whereabouts of her and Roseanne’s mother, Beverly, were a mystery.

Specifically, Jackie said, “Oh, and I have no idea where our mother is” in an incredibly fitting last line for such a consistently chaotic, erratic character. Although Jackie and Beverly historically had a troubled relationship, the pair repaired their bond in season 6, episode 3, “Moms and Rats.” The Conners heroine Jackie finally felt seen and respected by her cold, distant mother, and an atypically cheerful, independent Beverly bid her daughter adieu as she decided to take a train trip across America.

Why The Conners Couldn’t Give Beverly A Definitive Ending

Season 7 of the Spinoff Had No Time To Bring Back Estelle Parsons’ Character

Beverly’s The Conners finale fate made sense since the show’s creators told TVLine that Estelle Parsons wouldn’t return in season 7 before it began airing. It was a shame that her sudden season 6 departure was her final sendoff, but it was better than an unnecessary off-screen death and their final conversation did finally give Jackie closure after years of unresolved opprobrium between her and her mother. That said, although it was undeniably funny and unexpected, the line did highlight an underlying problem with The Conners season 7.

The Conners season 7’s limited screen time meant that the fate of many Roseanne regulars was left unresolved as the spinoff seemingly forgot about their existence. Most notably, David Healy’s The Conners season 7 absence was striking considering the major roles his children Mark and Harris played. However, it was also a major shock that Becky and Darlene’s brother, DJ, didn’t return. Michael Fishman’s character was a regular fixture throughout Roseanne’s original, its revival, and early seasons of The Conners, but left the show before season 5 premiered.

Can Beverly’s Final Fate Ever Be Answered Now That The Conners Is Finished?

The Conners Season 7 Finale’s Beverly Joke Highlighted A Major Series Issue

Meanwhile, season 6 revealed that Dan’s stepmother, Roseanne’s friend Crystal, was relying on him for financial support due to burdensome healthcare costs. However, season 7 forgot all about this subplot and West’s character never returned before her finale. Similarly, Dan’s best friend, Chuckie Mitchell, was last seen in a tricky, uncomfortable position, unlike Beverly. Despite this, his fate was never resolved. Ultimately, season 7’s brevity meant that none of these characters got the definitive closure they deserved despite spending years on both shows.

Related

I’m Afraid The Conners Season 7 Is Already Short-Changing 1 Main Character (& That’s Bad For Its Legacy)

By ignoring one pivotal character’s plot from season 6, The Conners season 7 risks forgetting a huge part of Roseanne’s legacy as the sitcom ends.

Now that season 7 is over, Beverly’s fate is not likely to ever be clarified further by The Conners. The show’s finale brought its plot to a definite end, with star John Goodman even addressing the audience with a poignant goodbye and thank you at the end of the episode. With Roseanne and Jackie’s story from The Conners at its end, there would be little justifiable reason for the sitcom spinoff to bring back Beverly alone. As such, The Conners series finale’s funny line is likely the last viewers will hear from this Roseanne character.

Source: TVLine

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The Conners

7/10

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Showrunner

Bruce Helford, Matt Williams