Roseanne Series Finale Review

Roseanne's return to TV has been a fun ride, with multiple great episodes and tons of laughs to be found. The road to this tenth season finale hasn't been all good, but for the most part, I've really enjoyed the return of the Conner family. The penultimate episode of season 10, Netflix & Pill, set up the finale very well, and I found it to be one of the better episodes of the season. I'm hoping that this finale can be just as good.

Roseanne gets stuck on the toilet, because her knee is acting up. This prompts Dan to ask her if she made an appointment for a surgery. She doesn't want to because of the high cost, but Dan wants her to get the surgery no matter what. He's even resorting to cutting costs at work, by using some illegal methods. Roseanne warns that he might be kicked out of the union over it, but Dan doesn't care. The next day, Roseanne asks Jackie for help searching through the basement for things of value to sell. Elsewhere, Becky is giving Darlene waitressing advice, so that she can get more tips. Darlene doesn't appreciate this advice. In the basement, they discover a doll that their mother used to love and they used to still hate. It's worth $5,000, so I guess the doll isn't as awful as Jackie and Roseanne thought it was.

At work, Darlene is having some difficulty being approachable, but she tries her hardest. Elsewhere, Roseanne and Jackie take their mother's doll to be sold. Unfortunately, the doll was repaired, so she's only worth $100. A disappointment to the end! (Jackie's words, not mine.) Dan calls Roseanne with some bad news: their basement is flooding. But that's not the end of Dan's problems: Chuck has found out about his plans to use illegal immigrants instead of him and his workers, and he's very unhappy. Dan tells about his struggles, but Chuck doesn't really understand. Roseanne gets home to discover the damage, and Dan tells her not to worry. When he's finally alone, Dan starts to break down.

The family discovers that the president will be declaring a state of emergency due to the storm, which means that they'll get money from FEMA to pay for their basement. Dan plans to use some fo this money on Roseanne's surgery, so their problems are solved. In better news, Dan has also fixed things with Chuck. In less good news, Roseanne is getting worried about her surgery, though Dan comforts her and she starts to feel better.

Wrap-Up:
I have to say, this was a pretty messy way end to the season. It was much darker than usual, and I didn't really find it all that funny. While it had its moments, it was mostly a disappointment. Darlene's storyline (can we even call it that?) was so short and pretty pointless. It didn't really add anything to the episode and just took away from the main plot. The doll storyline also didn't go anywhere, it was just a dead-end that merely provided a few laughs without actually existing for a meaningful reason. The worst part of the episode, however, was how neatly everything was wrapped up. I typically credit this show for its realism, but this episode didn't really feel all that realistic. The episode's ending felt more like the ending to a Hallmark movie than a Roseanne episode. And that's problematic.
Score: 7/10
Grade: C+

Roseanne Season 10 Episode 7 Review: Go Cubs

Written Demanding More Disclosures by Bridger Cunningham.

Prejudice was the antithesis of the character Roseanne Conner during the first 9 seasons of Roseanne.  Flash forward to 2018, and Rosie is suddenly prejudiced against a new set of Middle-Eastern neighbors.  The opening third of the episode was indeed a departure of character to display these tendencies.  No matter what impact 9/11 had on the public changing their views on other races, Rosie's jarring change abandons her prior stance of all are welcome save for assholes.  Roseanne continues her unwavering standpoint until Mary (Jayden Rey) desperately wants to Skype with her overseas mother.  After making an awkward early morning entrance to request a password, the new neighbors instead offer to allow the Conners and Mary make the call in their living room.

Trite issues consume that scene until the Yemenese couple consents and gives the password, cementing a valid point which children should not be punished because of adults' ignorance.  Elsewhere, this episode continued its legacy of broaching social issues and conflicts.  Dan loses a job due to a company's objection over hiring illegal labor, leaving the Conners in a lurch financially.  In his first wince of a story beyond being a scene filler, DJ revealed the woes veterans face with attaining medical and psychological care.  Fishman continues to be the most underutilized contract character this season (sadly behind the Conner grandchildren), and viewers would enjoy larger helpings of story for the overlooked Conner child.

The closing acts of the episode returned Roseanne to recognition as she encounters her new neighbor in the checkout line experiencing blatant stereotyping.  She kicks back into bitch mode, not only covering her neighbor's shortage of funds but threatening the young cashier with a report to a manager due to her outward wrath to a stranger.  Though Roseanne remained prejudiced the entire episode, she always exhibited manners despite her views, contrasting the cashier making a camel and American taxpayer reference.  The closing credits not only display a comical exchange of neighborly awakenings, but viewers' first glimpse of DJ's wife Geena (Jahmela Biggs).

The 9-episode season has been hit or miss with cameos and balancing the floor for character story, which made Go Cubs an improvement in balance over recent episodes.  It managed to weave Adilah Barnes and (now) Grey's Anatomy regular James Pickens, Jr as Anne-Marie and Chuck.  Always a mild presence with no story, the cameo was fitting as Anne-Marie and Chuck enjoyed more exposure and purpose than the recent cameo blunders doled out to Johnny Galecki, Sandra Bernhardt and Natalie West, all secondary characters whose involvement in the prior seasons involved rich stories.  This episode also welcomed another appearance from Michael Fishman as DJ, as well as all three Conner grandies being present with dialogue.  Keep this balance, and ratings may remain obscenely high.

Episode Score: 9 out of 10.

Roseanne Season 10 Episode 5 Review: Darlene vs. David

Written Demanding More Shelf Space by Bridger Cunningham.

Weaving in returns to a bloated cast is a chore indeed, especially with Roseanne already struggling to keep its cast members front and center.  Darlene vs. David was tasked with adding two more seats in the Conner living room for returning favorites Johnny Galecki (David Healy) and Estelle Parsons (Beverly Harris).  This episode nailed every beat with Bev's abrasive, intrusive presence immediately taxing daughters Roseanne (Roseanne Bar) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf).  In a fitting return, octogenarian Bev gets the boot after another slew of sexual encounters left her not only with her pants down and homeless, but the source of the retirement community's recent STD outbreak.  Appalling, indeed, and right in character.


Sage viewers can chuckle as the episode paid homage to the Season 6 episode where Bev broke her pelvis during a tryst, closing the episode which a dominatrix clad Bev fishing a set of handcuffs.  Parsons enjoyed two solid scenes of banter, followed by a window-dressing ensemble closing scene during a cake eating contest.  Galecki's return, however, felt stifled among the chaos.  Although David's entrance through Darlene's window paid great homage to the Season 5 episode "It's A Boy," the pacing sped through the cameo faster than a cocky teenager.  Inside two tenuous scenes, David and Darlene briefly made up and rekindled their relationship, then broke apart in a double pace.  Galecki interacted with few characters, with Roseanne ironically receiving the most layered scenes vs. Darlene.


Other highlights included an entertaining visit to the grocery store, Becky starting the evening early drinking vodka neat with a celery stick and Jackie and the grandkids sparsely decorating each scene like a houseplant for prop.  Although this episode was entertaining, there is still much to explore with so much story to tell and so little space for the cast.  The last half of Roseanne featured several characters notably absent, and it appears this trend followed the revival without resolve.  In the five episodes displayed, Michael Fishman has been absent for three episodes.  Grandchildren Harris (Emma Kenney), Mark (Ames McNamara) and Mary (Jayden Rey) all missed episode 4, and Jackie has been little more than a scene stealer since the pilot episode.  Roseanne showrunners may want to flesh out creative ways to weave the large ensemble into stories, even if only in an opening and meaningful scene.

Cast space aside, the episode delivered the same crisp dialogue and allotted Roseanne some of her most heartfelt lines of the season.  The brightspot of Galecki's cameo is Roseanne is one of David's continuing champions, playing true to season 4-9's dynamic the two possessed.  Laurie Metcalf and Estelle Parsons crackled with their passive aggressive mother/daughter relationship, and more light is shined on Becky's woes and potential character direction as a lost woman.  Nods to life's simple experiences like a grocery store trip are welcome and may present an ideal returning backdrop.  This episode is the weakest of the season, yet outshines several later seasons' episodes.

Episode Score: 6 out of 10.

Roseanne Season 10 Episode 4 Review

This week on Roseanne, Becky has baby problems, Roseanne has Becky problems, and Jackie has puppy problems. Sounds about right.

Becky brings her new dog Armani to show the family. Darlene isn't quite as supportive as she was expecting, and Roseanne's in a cranky mood. So maybe this wasn't a great time. Becky also is continuing to get pushback from Roseanne about her surrogacy, but Jackie's supportive and goes with her to the appointment. Meanwhile, Roseanne is stalking Andrea online. She doesn't want her to get Becky's baby, so she devises a plan to ruin everything for Becky. Dan puts his foot down, but Roseanne just ends up getting very angry. At her appointment, the doctor informs Becky that her chances of getting pregnant are incredibly low, because her eggs aren't "acting their age." Andrea leaves, and Becky is devastated.

Jackie tells Roseanne and Dan about the appointment, and Roseanne immediately spills the beans to Becky, even though she wasn't supposed to. Becky starts yelling at Roseanne and storms out. Roseanne tells Jackie to get Armani back from the shelter, but the shelter won't give him to her. So now they're going to yell at the shelter. In other words, Roseanne will get to do what she does best.

Darlene tries to comfort the absolutely-hammered Becky at the restaurant she works at, but they both end up thinking about how terrible their lives are. At the shelter, Roseanne starts yelling at the receptionist, who won't give up. They convince her to let Jackie "say goodbye" to Armani, but they just steal it. Totally legal and not at all wrong. Back at the restaurant, Darlene tells Becky that she has to move on from Mark, and then Roseanne and Dan show up. Dan convinces Becky to listen to Roseanne, and Roseanne apologizes for not going to the doctor's appointment with her, and they make up.

Wrap-Up:
This was yet again a solid episode, though it was a small step down from last week's episode. While the plot of this episode was very strong and just as interesting as last week's (perhaps even better), it just wasn't as funny. It still had some seriously hilarious moments, but it wasn't quite as laugh out loud funny as some previous episodes this season. There's a good reason for that though, as the main storyline was a bit more on the dramatic side. I do like that the show took the direction that it did, though, and I'm very glad that they finally acknowledged the original Mark, a route I was hoping they'd take for a while.
Score: 9/10
Grade: A-

Roseanne Season 10 Episode 3 Review

I was very pleasantly surprised with Last week's Roseanne premiere. Revivals are always tricky things, but this show did a great job in recapturing the spirit of the original. I'm excited to see what's in store tonight, when Roseanne gets the chair! And no, that doesn't mean that they're killing Roseanne.

Roseanne discovers that her house is even more of a mess than it usually is, so she wakes Darlene to ask her about it. Darlene blames it on Harris. Later that day, Dan is excited to show Roseanne a stairclimber, which Roseanne doesn't want to use because it's for "old people." Dan tries to convince her to use it, but she still insists that she doesn't need it. Later on, Becky comes to use the washing machine, but she and Roseanne find that Harris has her stuff in it. They tell Darlene to talk to Harris, but she doesn't really want to. In other words, she's not the Darlene she once was.

Harris is going to the mall with people she doesn't know, but Darlene finally puts her foot down. Well, until Harris pushes her around a bit more and then Darlene gives her some money. Roseanne still wants her to put her foot down, but she still won't. That night, Roseanne has to load the dryer so she can actually get clean clothes, but Harris has her stuff in it. That's when Roseanne finally decides to say something. And she also uses the stairclimber. So much progress!

Dan is shocked to find Roseanne on the stairclimber, and he gets a picture of her. Unfortunately, Harris runs right past her so now she has to make her way back down. When Roseanne talks to Harris, Harris talks back to her and Roseanne gives her the talking to that she needs. Harris insults her, and Roseanne reprimands her the best way she knows how: a bit of (necessary) torture. Darlene rushes down, and that's when she finally yells at Harris. And Roseanne. When Harris takes her stuff out of the washing machine, it's discovered that the clothes she's been selling are stolen. Darlene really lays into Harris. That's when Harris tells her that she's been trying to get money to leave and go back to Chicago.

Wrap-Up:
This episode was absolutely hilarious. I just could not stop laughing at it, especially when Roseanne gave Harris the incredibly necessary talk about her behavior. Also, while I wish she was in the episode a bit more, Jackie's few lines this week were hysterical. The episode's story was also a mild improvement on both of last week's, and I appreciate that they're already fleshing out most of the show's new characters. That is something that's absolutely necessary for the show, and I'm glad that they're doing it so early in the season.
Score: 9.5/10
Grade: A