‘The Conners’ Season Premiere ‘Keep on Truckin’ Recap: Grief

Usually, people find it hard to deal with life after an unexpected loss. It reaches a point where people try to distract themselves. Still, the best way to deal with grief is to set it free. Here in The Conners, the family does this, until they learn what acceptance means.

In the season premiere of The Conners, the family members struggle with living weeks after Roseanne’s burial. Dan (John Goodman) looks for someone to blame while Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) preoccupies herself. Meanwhile, Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) desperately tries to keep the family’s finances from falling apart.

Grief

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Three weeks after Roseanne’s burial, casseroles continue to flood the Conner Family home. The third generation Conners seem to deal with their loss quite well. However, the adults hit the ground the hardest. Roseanne’s passing brought them together, but in a sense, they felt lonely.

Eric McCandless/ABC

To add up to their sadness, Dan, Darlene, Jackie, and Becky receive news from the coroner, saying that Roseanne did not die from a heart attack. Instead, the autopsy report revealed a drug overdose as the cause of death. As they cleaned the house from Roseanne’s belongings, they find numerous pills hidden around the house.

Eric McCandless/ABC

Dan could not accept this, so he looked for someone to blame. One of the pills had his neighbor, Marcy Bellinger’s (Mary Steenburgen) name on it, so he put up a sign that blamed her for Roseanne’s death on his truck.

Eric McCandless/ABC

Jackie, on the other hand, preoccupied herself with what Roseanne used to do in the house. She barely went back to her own home. At first, Jackie decides to clean the couch. Also, she rearranges the kitchen to keep herself busy. Meanwhile, Darlene and Becky try to fix their finances.

Acceptance

Eric McCandless/ABC

Eventually, the family gets back on its feet. Dan’s shaming crusade stopped when Marcy went to their house to apologize to them. Also, Jackie finally broke down and cried to Darlene, who encouraged her to go home and get some rest. Lastly, Darlene and Becky laughed off their current state, saying that it is what Roseanne would have done.

Eric McCandless/ABC

As a good start, Dan decides to help Mark (Ames McNamara) pick a seatmate for their field trip. Moments later, the family prepares to have dinner. The scene pans out, showing the family talking with each other happily, the way the previous show’s introduction sequence portrayed them.

The Conners returns on Tuesday, October 23rd with ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ at 8/9c on ABC.