‘Roseanne’ Fans Take Sides as Darlene and Dan Fight About Her Son

Roseanne‘s second new episode dealt with issues of gender identity, and had Darlene and Dan at each others throats at one point.

As Darlene’s (Sara Gilbert) son Mark (Ames McNamara) decides to go to school on his first day wearing a skirt and colorful clothes, Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne (Barr) take issue.

The grandparents are not concerned about Mark’s need to express himself through his clothes, but worry that their grandson will get bullied for being different.

After a heartwarming conversation with Roseanne, where she asks her grandson point plank if he identifies as a girl or a boy — which he answers by identifying as a boy — Roseanne takes him to school.

Later in the episode however, an angry Darlene comes home early with her son after he is suspended for bringing a weapon to school, and has a serious conversation with her father.

“Guess what? I had to pick up Mark from the principal’s office today,” Darlene says.

“I knew something was going to happen,” Dan comments.

“Yeah, he showed a kid a knife at school and he said you gave it to him,” Darlene says, pulling out a pocket knife and showing it to her father. “Is that true?”

“Well … Yeah,” Dan responds. “I gave it to him. I didn’t tell him to bring it to school.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal Darlene, you wanted a knife at that age and I gave it to you,” Dan says.

Darlene tells her dad the only reason he gave Mark the knife was to make him seem more masculine. Dan admits he liked that Mark found the knife fascinating.

Dan admits he is confused by Mark’s tastes in clothes and that he is concerned for what the kids might do to him, he was hoping giving him the knife would steer Mark in another direction.

Fans on Twitter were shocked by Mark’s actions.

Later in the episode, Mark reveals to Darlene that he pulled the knife out to show it to another kid, but that people were making fun of him and refused to play with him.

Heartbroken for her son, Darlene tells him that kids can be mean at first, but that he will find his friends soon enough.

Dan also comes to terms with his grandson’s eclectic style, and the two bond with a basketball match in the backyard by the end of the episode.

Roseanne airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.