In this week’s episode of The Conners, Dan Conner (John Goodman) remarried after mourning the loss of his wife Roseanne (Roseanne Barr). This is a big step for a spinoff of a sitcom literally titled Roseanne, yet for some fans it felt right. For others, it crossed a line.
The Conners launched in 2018 after one incredibly successful reboot season of Roseanne, which ended abruptly when its eponymous star made racist comments on social media. The Conners kicked off by revealing that Roseanne Conner had died of an opioid overdose after being prescribed pain medication following a knee surgery. Later in Season 1, the show introduced a character named Louise Goldufski – played by Katey Sagal – an old friend of Roseanne’s who seems romantically interested in Dan. As Dan was still grieving at the time, they went on as friends.
Videos by PopCulture.com
In Season 2, Dan finally found himself ready to ask Louise out on a date. Subsequent storylines showed Louise becoming more entangled with the family and chaffing with their personalities at times along the way, while also drawing Dan out of his shell. In the spring of 2021, Season 3 ended with Dan proposing to Louise, and their wedding finally came in this week’s episode, “The Wedding of Dan and Louise.”
Of course, the slow-kindled relationship set the groundwork for fans who have been watching The Conners continually, but for many, it was a surprise to find that Dan was even in a relationship – let alone getting remarried. Fans had mixed reactions to this news on social media. Here’s a look at what they have been saying.
Happy for Dan
Finally, many fans admitted that they had conflicting feelings about Dan’s new romance, but seeing the wedding, they ultimately felt happy for him.
Behind the Scenes
The Conners star and producer Michael Fishman shared several behind-the-scenes clips of this momentous episode, and fans were very grateful.
Louise
Fans appreciated the characterization of Louise as an independent person with her own rich background to bring to the table. Many felt that this was a sign of good writing, and that it could have gone much differently just to create a familiar replacement for Roseanne.
Tornado
In the show, the wedding was interrupted by a tornado, which fans felt was appropriate for the midwestern sitcom. In fact, many marveled that tornadoes have not played a bigger role in the series overall.
Watching
Some fans were surprised to hear that The Conners is still on the air, or that anyone is still watching it, for that matter. After the bad publicity brought on by Roseanne Barr’s political commentary, many believed the show was effectively over.
Jackie
Aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) officiated Dan and Louise’s wedding, and fans wondered if she was really qualified to do so. Many questioned whether this tidbit might come back up in a later episode.ย
Hopeful
Many fans appreciated Dan and Louise’s wedding for injecting an air of hope and optimism into the Conners’ world. The show often deals with some serious subjects, so seeing this triumphant moment for the family meant a lot to them.ย