The Best Conners Christmas Episode Proves The Show Failed 1 Great Character Pairing

While The Conners has paired up most of its characters over the years, the show’s strongest Christmas episode proves the show missed out on one great duo. Ever since Roseanne’s offscreen death, The Conners has constantly reinvented its lineup. Although most of the show’s main characters have remained the same, the sitcom has paired them up in surprising new ways to keep things feeling fresh. After Michael Fishman’s DJ exited The Conners at the beginning of season 5, Becky and Darlene shared more stories than usual as the two sisters began living in the same house while Becky finished her degree.

However, as The Conners season 6’s release date nears, it has become clear that some duos have been criminally underused by the series. While Jackie and Dan got three hilarious subplots for themselves in season 5, Dan and his granddaughter Harris barely interacted save for a few fights. Similarly, although Becky and Darlene shared a lot of screen time, Becky rarely has any meaningful contact with Darlene’s husband, Ben, despite sharing a home with him. These missed opportunities were unfortunate, but it was a season 4 Christmas episode that highlighted one pivotal pairing that The Conners have since wasted.

Becky & Harris Proved They Were A Great Pairing In The Conners Season 4

In The Conners season 4, episode 8, “Yard Sale, Phone Fail, and a College Betrayal,” Becky finds out Harris has been couch-surfing. Harris is too proud to tell Darlene that she needs help with her newfound independence, but Becky notices her sneaking food from the family’s pantry. Even though they aren’t the closest members of The Conners family, Becky and Harris go on to have an intriguing subplot as Becky helps out a college student around Harris’s age without assisting her niece. Becky offers Harris some advice when she moves out, but Harris still resents her for prioritizing this student over family.

This is a tough quandary for Becky since helping out one family member, Harris, means lying to another, Darlene. However, Becky’s indecision comes back to bite her when it becomes clear that her fellow college student isn’t as interested in fostering her independence as Harris is. Instead, she takes advantage of Becky’s hospitality, proving that Harris wasn’t wrong to criticize her aunt. Even though this plot proves that the duo should get more screen time together, the rest of season 4 and most of season 5 have ignored the pair’s dynamic.

Harris & Becky’s Christmas Story Proved The Conners Wasted Their Potential

After DJ left The Conners, the show had more room to explore Becky and Harris’s shared storylines. However, only one episode has followed through on this. In season 5, episode 3, “Driving, Dating and Deceit,” the two discover they accidentally dated the same guy when Becky tries to do a background check on Harris’s latest boyfriend. Much to her embarrassment, Becky realizes she ruined her date with the guy when she was still drinking heavily. Harris lets her aunt go on a do-over date, but otherwise, this episode of The Conners fails to capitalize on the relationship set up in its season 4 Christmas outing.