The Conners Season 6’s Big Roseanne Character Comeback Reversed Season 5’s Major Twist

While The Conners made it seem like one Roseanne star didn’t have long left, season 6 of the spinoff has proven that this might not be true. The Conners has a complicated relationship with its predecessor, Roseanne. The sitcom began life as a revival of that ‘90s hit, bringing Roseanne and the Conner family back to screens after almost two decades to see how they were faring. However, when star Roseanne Barr was fired for racist tweets, the show’s title character was killed off and Roseanne became The Conners. This made it tough for the show to bring back old stars.

Although The Conners’ cast of characters includes plenty of Roseanne alumni, the spinoff was slow to reintroduce further the original show’s supporting characters in its first seasons. Characters from Roseanne reminded viewers of Roseanne herself, drawing further attention to Barr’s absence. However, recent seasons of The Conners have outgrown this problem. Gradually, Roseanne’s aging mother Bev began to play a bigger role in the sitcom as the series came to terms with acknowledging the tragic death of its former heroine. Now, season 6 has brought Bev back again, and the Roseanne character’s role in the spinoff has changed drastically.

The Conners Bev Is Way More Independent Than She Seemed

Roseanne’s mother can still run her own life in season 6

When she was last seen in The Conners season 5, Bev’s dementia was making everyday life a struggle. She required constant assistance from a carer and seemed like she would be killed off before The Conners season 7, eventually even asking Jackie where Roseanne was in one devastating scene. Now, Bev is doing much better in The Conners judging by the events of season 6, episode 2, “Valentine’s Day Treats and Credit Card Cheats.” This outing saw her living happily, buying herself puppies and timeshares, and enjoying her remaining years. If anything, Jackie mostly struggled with convincing her mother to relax her antics.

This was a far cry from the Bev seen in season 5, who had a hard time remembering her family and her daily plans. However, this is a surprisingly accurate depiction of dementia, which is not always progressive and can be worsened or improved depending on treatment. Bev’s newfound independence was a welcome surprise in The Conners season 6 as it seemed like the character was inevitably set to die soon in season 5. While Bev’s death would still not be a major surprise now, it is sweet to see such a historically bitter character enjoying her remaining years.

Bev’s Improvement Complicates Her Relationship With Jackie

The Conners season 5 seemingly sets up Bev’s death with Jackie’s reunion

While The Conners season 6 gave Darlene new purpose in its premiere, “Valentine’s Day Treats and Credit Card Cheats” proved that Jackie’s story could soon become complicated. In The Conners season 5 Jackie made it clear that she was willing to look after her ailing mother, despite years of abuse, since she seemingly didn’t have long left. Surprisingly, Bev doesn’t seem like she’s going anywhere soon, and she’s just as much of a handful for her daughter as ever. Although she didn’t mean to worry Jackie, Bev’s spending led Jackie to fret about credit card fraud for days before confronting her.

Jackie has historically struggled with her mother, so it was sweet to see her finally forgive Bev in season 5 when it became clear that her mother no longer had all of her faculties available to her. The revelation that Bev is still living fairly independently and inadvertently causing chaos could put a whole new strain on her relationship with Jackie. Luckily, The Conners addressed Jackie’s unlikely Lunchbox subplot when she finally gave the restaurant to Harris in the season premiere. As such, Jackie should theoretically have more time and resources to allocate to Bev going forward.

The Conners Handled Roseanne’s Returning Character Perfectly

Bev’s surprising personality shift makes her season 6 comeback even better

The rest of the Conner family racking up credit card fraud on Bev’s card was a hilarious, deeply in-character move for the clan in “Valentine’s Day Treats and Credit Card Cheats.” Furthermore, the series proved that a dementia diagnosis isn’t as linear as some viewers might assume, and Bev’s speech to Dan was a poignant, utterly unexpected tribute to his relationship with Roseanne’s late heroine. All told, Bev’s season 6 return could not have been better handled.

This also means that Bev’s potential death is now perfectly set up in emotional terms, but newly surprising in plot terms since she seemed compos mentis in this outing. Much like The Conners season 6 gave Harris a better role by making her The Lunchbox’s main proprietor, the spinoff gave Bev a more important part in the show by reinstating her agency. Since regaining the ability to recognize Dan and the rest of her family, Bev has seized the chance to bury the hatchet and heal generational wounds. This gives Roseanne’s returning guest star a moving purpose in The Conners season 6.