Is ‘Roseanne’ Teasing Dan’s Death (Again)

Could Roseanne be leading up to Dan’s death once again?

The ABC revival famously brought back Dan from the dead, resetting the events from its first series final so John Goodman could return in the role for seasons 10 and beyond, but some conversations in Tuesday night’s episode has us worried for our favorite TV dad.

As Roseanne (Barr) and Dan (Goodman) stress over getting the money to pay for her knee surgery, the situation turns more dire as a big storm hits Lanford, Illinois, resulting in the Conner family basement getting flooded.

As Dan works to keep their belongings out of the water, his friend Chuckie (James Pickens Jr.) arrives to confront him for choosing to hire cheaper labor for his next job and not him.

Dan admits to his friend that he can’t afford Chuck’s crew now that he has three more mouths to feed — Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and her kids — and Roseanne’s pill problem forcing them to get her the surgery. And now with the flood damage, things will be even worse.

“I’m going to whatever I have to do to help this family, because I’m old, I’m tired andI’m not sure how much longer I can hold on.”

Chuck leaves feeling disappointed as Roseanne arrives at the basement, she offers to help but Dan tells her to go upstairs and entertain the family while he takes care of it. Despite the damage, it’s still “business as usual,” he claims.

As he continues to put their belongings above water, the shelves collapse and drop much of his work to the flooded floor. Dan becomes frustrated and hits a door with a crow bar.

Things begin to look later in the episode, after Darlene announces the President declared a state of emergency after the storm, meaning FEMA will give money to the Conners that will help them repair the damage and pay for Roseanne’s surgery.

As they celebrate, Roseanne and Dan talk about things finally going their way. He announces Chuck will work with him again, now that the storm has created work for everyone in construction.

Roseanne admits she’s scared of her surgery.

“… I just don’t want to die… you’ve been taking care of me almost my whole life, I don’t want to go anywhere without you,” Roseanne says.

“Oh, come on,” Dan says. “The odds are I’ll go first anyway… and if I do you have to promise you’ll do whatever you can to fulfill the rest of your life, even if it means finding love and companionship with another man. Will you do that?”

The comment did not phase Roseanne as much as it did viewers, with her joking: You just want me to say yes because you want permission to find somebody else when I’m on the ground… Hell no! I want you to die alone and miserable.”

“Whatever Mother wants,” Dan jokes.

While merely a realistic conversation about the older couple’s life expectancy, this wouldn’t be the first time Dan dies on the series, only if it happens again in future season, it might be for good this time around.

Roseanne will return for season 11 in fall 2018 on ABC.