John Goodman Made a Special Request for ‘The Conners’ Series Finale

Spoilers ahead for The Conners series finale.

The Conners series finale on Wednesday had a special request from John Goodman.

After seven seasons, the ABC sitcom came to an emotional end.

In the final minutes of the episode, “The Truck Stops Here,” after most of the family have exited the living room and said their goodbyes, John Goodman’s Dan Conner was the last one standing. After a montage of moments from Roseanne, Goodman looked at the camera and said, “Good night,” before leaving the living room. Following a few seconds of the camera panned on the empty living room, another brief montage of Roseanne moments closed out the show.

Executive producer Dave Caplan revealed to Deadline that Goodman was the one who came up with the final scene. “John Goodman had pitched to us that he wanted to thank the audience to the camera,” Caplan said. “We knew there was going to be a break in the fourth wall at the end of that scene anyway, so we felt like all together, it wasn’t as jarring.”

Caplan said it didn’t take much convincing from Goodman to let him do the scene, admitting they “try not to say no to him if we can help it. He’s a big guy.” Fellow EP Bruce Helford added, “He’s such a sweet guy. Not all shows have this. Some are very fortunate, but the audience is part of our family, and we’re part of theirs, and we really feel that on this show. You feel the connection with the audience, and 37 years is a long time for these characters to have lived in people’s minds.”

Even though the moment was brief, it was perhaps the best way to close out the series, aside from the montage. Fans have been watching this family for nearly 40 years, they’re as much part of the Conners as the Conners are. It’s unknown what other “breaking the fourth wall” ideas the EPs were floating around, but this one certainly worked out for the better, and it’s all thanks to John Goodman. It’s hard to imagine how else the series would have ended, but it was the right choice.

The series finale of The Conners is streaming now on Hulu, along with all episodes of the sitcom. It may be over now, but as long as it sticks around on streaming, it’s as if the fan-favorite family is still here.