The Conners finally saw Dan coping with the death of his wife, Roseanne, in the latest episode of the spinoff series.
As the family continued to adapt to their new reality without the family matriarch, Darlene (Sara Gilbert), Becky (Lecy Goranson) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) were concerned for Dan (John Goodman), who continued to drift away from the rest of the family.
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“I wanted to watch TV, and I wanted some fresh air. Also wanted a little alone time,” he says after the women confront him from watching TV from te front porch.
“You’ve been through a huge loss, give it to us,” Jackie says later, when they find him in his garage working on his bike.
“I am having a very strong feeling. My sister-in-law is badgering me and I want her to leave my garage,” he says.
Becky tells him he has to talk to someone, sharing she went to a support group for grieving spouses after her husband died and maybe that could help him.
Things escalate later in the episode when the ladies plan a poker night with Dan’s friends to surprise him, but he does not take it well and tells everyone to go home.
“I thought I made it clear I wanted to be left alone,” Dan tells Darlene in the living room.
“But dad, these are your friends. We thought you could just play some cards, maybe talk about some things,” she says.
“I don’t need my friends feeling sorry for me,” Dan admits, when Chuck (James Pickens Jr.) comes into the room and clarifies their intentions.
“It’s not like that, your daughter is just worried about you,” he says, adding that they know what he’s going through. Dan lashes out and tells them all to leave him alone before storming out.
Later, Dan secretly goes to the grief group — fully intending to just listen — but the group leader motivates him to speak about his feelings about Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) death.
“You know when you’re a little kid and they tell you to live right, be a good person, say your prayers and God will reward you?” Dan says. “I tried. I busted my ass to play by the rules and here’s my reward. I am 66 years old and I get to live the rest of my life without the woman I love. God and I made a deal. He did not come through on his end.”
He is disappointed when the group doesn’t offer any advice, and reveals he doesn’t feel better after sharing what he’s thinking. He awkwardly walks away from the group after interrupting another grieving man.
Dan later announces that he is selling his motorcycle to appease concern Roseanne once had about him dying when they were younger and leaving her alone to raise their kids. He then asks Becky how she coped with her husband’s death, and the two have a touching discussion about grief and wanting to be there for him.
After the rest of the family goes to church, Darlene and Dan talk about how he’s feeling and she tells him that he has to work on coping with Roseanne’s death. He announces he’s going on a motorcycle ride until he feels better.
“Who knows? Maybe God and I will meet up at a bar and he’ll pick up the tap. He owes me,” he says.
Darlene tries to convince him not to go, but since he doesn’t convince him she jokes, “Say hi to Mom for me.”
After the bike ride, Dan appears to be better after he hosts another poker night with his friends.
The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
