The Conners’ 100th Episode Proved Who The Roseanne Spinoff’s Best Power Couple Really Is

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 6, episode 7.

Although Roseanne’s spinoff has a sprawling ensemble cast, The Conners’ 100th episode proves that a surprising pair of characters have emerged as the show’s true power couple. The Conners has a large cast of characters and the show’s attempts to trim this ever-growing list haven’t been entirely successful. Michael Fishman’s DJ was cut from the family sitcom’s lineup before The Conners season 5 began, while his daughter, Jayden Ray’s Mary, was dropped from the series before season 6. However, Sean Astin’s Tyler joined the cast in season 6, while Nat Faxon’s Neville became a permanent fixture a year earlier.

While The Conners season 7 may change this, the show’s cast is currently big enough that it limits the screen time of most major characters. The older generation of the Conner family, Jackie, Neville, Dan, and Dan’s new wife Louise, share the screen with Dan’s children, Becky and Darlene, and Darlene’s husband, Ben. However, Roseanne’s spinoff also has to follow the stories of Darlene’s children, Mark and Harris, as well as Becky’s daughter, Beverly-Rose. Amid such a busy setup, it is understandable that the show occasionally sidelines some of its heroes. However, an unlikely pairing has proven pivotal in recent years.

The Conners Season 6, Episode 7 Centers On Jackie and Dan

A Robbery Lead The Roseanne Heroes To Investigate Their Relationship

In season 6, episode 7, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day,” The Conners proved that the show’s real power couple is Dan and Jackie. While the pair have never been involved with each other romantically, Laurie Metcalf’s high-strung heroine and John Goodman’s laid-back father are the two stars who have anchored the series since Roseanne original began in 1989. In The Conners’ 100th episode, the duo caught a young burglar as she and her friends broke into Dan’s hardware store and attempted to rob his merchandise. The pair questioned the girl and, in the process, their own relationship.

Jackie eventually let the kid go and told Dan that she could relate to the burglar’s desperation for approval. Jackie admitted that she always wanted Dan’s approval, prompting Dan to tell her that he was always proud and never realized that she didn’t already know this. This moving exchange proved that, with Roseanne gone, Dan and Jackie’s relationship is the oldest and most consistent in the show’s history. The Roseanne characters have been through a lifetime together, which meant that Jackie’s embarrassed admission about always looking up to Dan felt rooted in years of storylines from both shows.

Jackie and Dan’s Relationship Anchors The Conners

The Roseanne Characters Have Grown Closer Since Roseanne’s Death

The Conners is a chaotic show, owing to its status as a sitcom, its ever-growing cast, and its penchant for drama. The series began life when Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets led ABC to fire her, resulting in the sitcom killing off its title character and focusing on the rest of her family. For all of The Conners season 6’s problems, it is tough to see how a show with such a messy history could have avoided dramatic twists and shocking storylines. From Becky’s addiction to Neville’s DUI, the Conner family has been plagued by struggles since the spinoff began.

Throughout this time, Jackie and Dan’s consistent chemistry has grounded The Conners. Becky is a tumultuous character, while Darlene’s sardonic attitude means she isn’t very helpful in a crisis. In contrast, Jackie’s neuroses belies a surprisingly resilient personality. Similarly, Dan’s relaxed attitude hide a deep sense of responsibility that results in him consistently bailing out his family members when push comes to shove. Between them, Dan and Jackie have been the ones who solved many of the family’s biggest issues over the years, and they have managed this without ruining their own friendship in the process. This is no small feat.

The Conners’ 100th Episode Pointed Out An Awkward Roseanne Truth

Roseanne and Bev Were Worse Supports For Jackie Than Dan

Much like The Conners season 6 proved Darlene’s Roseanne relationship was much sadder than it seemed, “Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day” pointed out one unfortunate reality about Jackie and Roseanne’s relationship. Jackie admitted that Roseanne would never give her the approval she sought, saying that this was what led her to seek it from Dan instead. While Roseanne was a lovable character, she did have a mean streak that was unfortunately pronounced when dealing with her sister. It is notable that none of Jackie’s relationships succeeded during Roseanne’s life, but she married Neville and found happiness after her sister’s death.

What makes the reality of their flawed relationship even more damning is the fact that Jackie patched things up with their abusive mother after Roseanne died. Throughout Roseanne’s original run, Bev was a blithely cruel presence who could be held responsible for a lot of the bitterness and resentment her daughters carried. However, in The Conners season 5, her dementia diagnosis made Bev a softer, more amenable figure, and Jackie found herself able to forgive her mother’s failings. As such, it is all the more striking that Roseanne and Jackie never saw eye to eye when Jackie did later make amends with Bev.

The Conners Season 6 Proved Roseanne’s Exit Helped Jackie and Dan

Roseanne’s Death Improved Jackie and Dan’s Dynamic

One of the numerous harsh realities of re-watching Roseanne is the realization that Roseanne was the source of some of her family’s problems. This is underlined by the fact that Roseanne’s death brought Jackie and Dan closer, with the pair working together more often after her passing. This is understandable, since both Jackie and Dan were reminded of Roseanne by each other, so it was easier to get over their loss by spending time together. However, it is also unavoidably true that the people-pleasing Jackie and the easygoing Dan were never as abrasive toward each other or other people as Roseanne.

The Conners Season 6’s Jackie and Dan Focus Had A Big Drawback

Focusing On Roseanne’s Stars Limits The Younger Cast’s Screen Time

While it is great to see The Conners acknowledge how important Roseanne’s remaining stars are to the show, the series can take this approach too far. The Conners season 6 largely abandoned Harris’s storyline to focus on Dan and Jackie in episodes 2, 3, and 5, and this gives viewers little reason to care about the next generation of the titular family. Harris and Mark don’t have as much history, so it is understandable for the show to give more of its screen time to Jackie and Dan. However, this means Roseanne’s spinoff also short-changes the rest of The Conners cast at times.