‘The Conners’ Thanksgiving Episode Turns Violent After Roseanne Barr’s Character Is Brought Up

The Conners fans were left shouting for Emmy nominations after the ABC sitcom’s Thanksgiving episode, where tensions heated to a boiling point between Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and ended with a slap to the face. During “Slappy Holidays,” the late Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) memory haunted the family in one of the most intense scenes ever on the show.

As Darlene and Jackie continued to fight over ownership of the Lanford Lunchbox, Roseanne’s former eatery, the aunt and niece said a few things to each other that they wouldn’t be able to take back. After a tequila-drinking Jackie slammed Darlene for “sleeping around” with her two exes, she also accused her niece of being power-hungry.

“You think you’re the almighty decision-maker around here? You think you can replace Roseanne as the mom of this family? What a joke!” Jackie screamed at Darlene, who fired back with a shocking retort.

“You want to talk about my mom?” she screamed. “Let’s talk about her because she spent her entire life trying to fix you and every time she picked you up you fell down! You know why? Because you’re a loser and you were the bane of her existence.”

The intense scene ended with Jackie slapping Darlene across the face.

Fans immediately took to social media to react to the physical episode and to praise the actresses for their work, with some saying they were at “their absolute best” during the episode.

“Laurie Metcalf’s performance tonight was nothing short of BRILLIANT and she deserves an Emmy for it!!!” one fan tweeted.

“Laurie Metcalf is a damn national treasure,” another said.

“Many Emmys are flying in this episode,” someone else wrote.

“Holy hell. This Thanksgiving episode of [The Conners] is one of the best. Things get really intense and it reminds me of some of the best [Roseanne] episodes – comedic but can go pretty deep. Props to Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert,” another said.

Despite the ongoing family feud, Becky and Jackie ended things on a positive note, thanks to Dan’s (John Goodman) diplomatic skills, prompting an apology. Darlene even goes a step further and signs off on Jackie and Becky’s Lunch Box gambit.

What did you think of “Slappy Holidays?” Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: ABC/Eric McCandless