‘The Conners’ Brings Pivotal Changes To A Key Character

ABC’s Roseanne spinoff series The Conners Season 5 premiered on September 21, 2022. However, for a long time, it had been dealing with a complicated issue that prevented it from utilizing the talent of its key character. Now, the makers have found a way to make the series more interesting and light-hearted. Who is this character? What changes have they undergone? Keep reading to find out the details!

What Led To Roseanne Barr’s Firing From The ABC Show?

Ever since Roseanne was canceled inspiring The Conners spinoff series, the makers didn’t really know how best to use John Goodman’s character in the series. However, the latest season has successfully reformulated Dan Conner in the family sitcom. For a funny and dysfunctional family, the spinoff series has a really messy real-life history behind the scenes. The series started as Roseanne before its lead and co-creator Roseanne Barr was fired over her racist tweets.

[Source: YouTube]

Given that Roseanne was effectively erased from the series’ history, it caused a disturbance in the cast’s dynamics. With Barr’s central anti-heroine character removed from the show, there was a massive change in the direction and tone of the spinoff series. This especially affected John Goodman’s character. With Roseanne around, John played a patient, level-headed father figure. He effectively counterbalanced her zany, wild, but good-natured antics.

The Conners Has Relied Massively On Dan’s Dramatic Acting

With Roseanne gone, an aging Dan seems a bit too serious on his own. Fortunately, the latest season has fixed this mistake by making Dan a more fun and light-hearted character than he ever was. After Roseanne Season 10 changed the decision on Dan’s death as reported earlier by The Wrap, the show started massively relying on his dramatic acting. He was now a working-class widower who could barely afford to house his children and grandchildren. For someone who lost his wife to addiction and continuing manual labor while in his sixties, the circumstances didn’t seem funny anymore.

[Source: YouTube]

Although Goodman did manage to get a lot of laughs early on in The Conners, his role as the titular clan’s patriarch became more of a burden. Luckily, the fifth season saw an improvement in Jackie’s character and her relationship with the Conner clan. This also resulted in Laurie Metcalf’s wacky aunt becoming an unexpected source of family wisdom.

**Dan Conner Is The Funniest In The Conners Season 5**

Now, Dan has been able to relax and crack more jokes than ever. This welcome switch in Goodman’s character has successfully utilized his legendary comic timing. Season 5 is the funniest Dan has ever been. From his disastrous decision to munch an entire packet of marijuana edibles to making fun of Darlene’s couch rules, the character is no longer a serious family patriarch. This is a better fit for Dan’s character as he continues to hold his clan together.