As any sitcom fan worth their salt knows, one fact about “The Conners” is that it started life as “Rosanne” — which survived two different series finales before being reformed into its current state.
In a notoriously controversial series finale, the initial run of “Roseanne” ends with the titular character (Roseanne Barr) revealing that the events of the show’s final season — and indeed, much of the back half of the series — have been reinvented as a writing exercise for her novel. Her son, Jerry, and Jackie Harris’ (Laurie Metcalf) son, Andy, no longer exist — and Jackie is a lesbian. Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) have married different husbands. Even more interesting, Dan (John Goodman) has passed away from the heart attack he suffered at Darlene’s wedding instead of surviving it.
This ending is subverted when the series reopens in Season 10. It’s revealed to be Roseanne Conner’s dream. The series proceeds with a living Dan, Darlene and Becky having married David Healy (Johnny Galecki) and Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn), respectively, and Jerry Conner living on an oil derrick somewhere in Alaska. However, Roseanne Barr’s controversial comments resulted in the series’s sudden cancellation and her firing. In the opening episode of “The Conners,” audiences learn that Roseanne Conner has died offscreen due to an opioid overdose. Hopefully, no further drastic changes will occur when “The Conners” takes its final bow sometime in the future.