WhileRoseanne’s spinoffThe Connerswill end with its seventh season, season 6’s weirdest subplot makes it hard to see how the show will handle one character.The Connershas a large cast of characters, most of whom also appeared in the show’s predecessor,Roseanne.Roseannewas a successful family sitcom that ran from 1988 until 1997, only to be revived in 2017. WhileRoseanne’s revival was a ratings success, series star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets saw her fired before the series was renewed. Roseanne was killed off-screen, and the series becameThe Conners, focusing on her surviving family.
Now,The Connersseason 7is set to wrap up the family’s story for good.The Connershas added a slew of new supporting stars since Roseanne’s exit in 2018, among them Darlene’s love interest Ben, Becky’s partner Tyler, and Dan’s second wife Louise. However, the series still centers most of its storyline around members of the titular family. Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky, and Darlene’s children, Harris and Mark, are the sitcom’s main characters, although some of the names in this lineup receive more focus than others. In particular, Harris rarely receives the story focus she needs from the show.
The Conners Season 7’s Ben & Darlene Plot Brings The Roseanne Spinoff Full Circle
The Conners season 7 could bring Ben and Darlene right back to the start of their relationship, but this would be good for Roseanne’s spinoff.
Conners Season 6 Wasted Harris’s Lunchbox Subplot
Harris Never Properly Took Over The Restaurant In The Conners Season 6
Harris was introduced as Darlene’s rebellious teenage daughter inRoseanneseason 10, where the character was mostly a mouthpiece for complaints about Generation Z. Disrespectful to her elders, impolite, crude, and impulsive, Harris’s primary purpose in early episodes was acting as a walking embodiment of entitlement. When Roseanne was killed off, Emma Kenney’s character gradually grew more compelling throughout the early seasons ofThe Conners. These outings saw her struggle with romantic relationships, numerous failed career paths, a canceled engagement, and a miscarriage. Although she was directionless, this version of Harris felt more rounded and believably human, rather than cartoonish.
Jackie admitted that she wanted to retire, handing Harris control of The Lunchbox.
However,The Connersseason 6 fumbled a great chance to give Harris a clear goal. In the season 6 premiere, the family stage an intervention of sorts when they convince a TV chef to visit Jackie’s failing restaurant, The Lunchbox. This stern guest star notes that Jackie doesn’t care about her restaurant’s shortcomings, but that Harris has numerous ambitious, compelling plans for the place. Jackie admits that she wants to retire, handing Harris control of The Lunchbox as the episode ends. The series inexplicably preceded to effectively ignore this storyline for the following twelve episodes, barely mentioning Harris’s existence.
The Conners Season 6 Struggled With Harris’s Storyline
An ADHD Diagnosis Complicated Harris’s Character Arc
Her character arc is frustrating, butHarris’s character problems are baked intoRoseanne’s original depiction of Darlene’s daughter.While the revival’s writing wasn’t as bad asRoseanne’s worst season, season 10 did rely heavily on lazy characterization. In the revival’s early episodes, Harris was simply shiftless and lazy, so she needed to get more ambitious and focused. She existed to prove that Roseanne was a better mother than Darlene and a better person than her granddaughter, so she got little character development of her own.The Connersinherited this thin character and never knew what to do with her.
Since Harris is primarily defined by her lack of ambition, her storylines are inherently limited.
The Connersseason 6 handed Harris a restaurant to run, but her next major plot in the series consisted of her getting stoned in her brother’s dorm room. Since Harris is primarily defined by her lack of ambition, her storylines are inherently limited. In season 6, episode 8, “Toilet Hacks and The Management Track,” Harris immediately ignores her work as soon as Jackie agrees to help her fulfill a huge order. However, only one episode later, episode 9, “Manifesting, Marriage Testing, and Cheeseball,” saw Harris receive an ADHD diagnosis that proved that her issues with focus weren’t necessarily her fault.
Roseanne Season 10 Set Harris Up For Failure
Darlene’s Daughter Was Introduced As An Obnoxious Entitled Stereotype
This revelation seemed to set up a sea change in her story, butThe Connersseason 6 never mentioned Harris’s ADHD diagnosis again after “Manifesting, Marriage Testing, and Cheeseballs.”This was particularly galling since the series already set up Harris’s ambitious plans for the restaurant at the start of the season.The Connersseason 7’s endingneeds to explain how Harris can be both shiftless and ambitious at the same time, since season 6 never solved this contradiction. In episode 10, “Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write,” Jackie officially handed over the restaurant to Harris when she retired.
However, the remainder of the episode’s plot focused on Jackie’s boredom over her newfound free time instead of Harris’s new role. Harris is very young to be the sole proprietor of a restaurant, and she has precious little experience outside of her years working for Jackie. Sadly, the series doesn’t seem to care about this plot. This is largely because, ever sinceRoseanne’s season 10 first established her as a Gen Z stereotype,The Connershas never known how to turn Harris into a rounded character.The Connersseason 7’s shorter runnow makes this even harder.
The Conners Season 7 Needs To Give Harris A Satisfying Ending
Harris’s Character Arc Went Nowhere In Recent Seasons
Despite all the dramatic events she has faced in recent seasons, Harris remains a stagnant character. Kenney’s charming portrayal of the heroine makes her easy to root for, but it is clear that the series itself has no plan for her future. As such,The Connersseason 7 must center on Harris’s management of the Lunchbox and the challenges this entails. The sitcom needs to explore how Harris’s ADHD diagnosis impacts her life, both in terms of her work struggles and her growing independence from her family. Harris must finally become self-sufficient, an ambition she has harbored sinceRoseanneseason 10.
The Hollywood ReporterreportedThe Connersseason 7 may include as few as ten episodes or fewer.
AlthoughThe Connersseason 7’s endingcan redeem Harris and make her a character worth caring about, this will not be easy. She needs more screen time and a more clearly defined role in the series, with a character arc that feels complete. This can be achieved by centering her storyline around The Lunchbox. After both Jackie and Roseanne tried and failed to run the restaurant, it would be fitting and sweet for Darlene’s daughter to successfully take over. Thus,The Connersseason 7 could finally make up for the 2017Roseannerevival’s weakest character writing.
