'The Conners' Cast Previews Landmark 100th Episode

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“It’s pretty shocking, honestly,” says Sara Gilbert — not about the latest struggle to befall her onscreen alter ego, Darlene Conner (a role she’s portrayed on and off more than 35 years, since the first episode of Roseanne), but the fact that The Conners, the spinoff of that groundbreaking sitcom, will soon hit its 100th episode. “I think you never expect to make it that far. I certainly didn’t.”

Though the series has been a staple of ABC’s comedy lineup since premiering in 2018, its journey to that celebration is one for the TV history books. After the highly viewed revival of Roseanne (the original aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997) was canceled in 2018 following star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets, it seemed all hope was gone for the Conners. But you should never count out the resilient blue-collar family, which, thanks to some creative storytelling, would go on to see brighter days — just without its matriarch. (Barr’s absence was explained by the character dying off-camera from an opioid overdose.)

“The idea of the [Roseanne] reboot was to clean up the legacy, because the last season wasn’t really what everybody wanted it to be,” admits executive producer Bruce Helford. Even before the show became The Conners, he thought that the gang would do one season and walk away. Fortunately, the cast and crew started having too much fun — which was a good thing, since renewals kept coming in. “I can’t think of any show that rebooted with the entire cast with the exception of one person,” says Helford.

So, what’s in store for the Lanford, Illinois, household in this milestone episode, airing April 10? “We didn’t want to break the kitchen-sink reality that our audience expects, so it was another day in the life of our characters,” executive producer Dave Caplan says. On this particular day, “some kids” break into Olinsky’s, the hardware store, while Dan (John Goodman) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) are there, says Gilbert, also an exec producer.

The unwelcome experience ends up revealing something about sister-in-law Jackie that even patriarch Dan was unaware of. Hint: Part of this revelation is tied to Jackie’s past from the original series, when she worked as a cop. Helford is proud of this kind of storytelling, which he says contributes to the show’s longevity. “Even after 100 episodes, these characters are still finding things out about each other. The relationships are still evolving, and that’s what makes it fun and rewarding,” he says.

Elsewhere in the episode, Becky’s (Lecy Goranson) inquisitive 6-year-old daughter, Beverly Rose (Charlotte Sanchez), finds a box of old family photographs. “There are relatives we can’t identify [in the pictures], which leads to a discussion about death,” Gilbert says. “Darlene is overly honest, and it creates fear in Beverly Rose and a rift between Becky and Darlene.” That sisterly conflict has existed since the original series began and, according to Goranson, is “the gift that keeps on giving.” It’s also what fans respond to most with the actress. “They say to me, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is me and my sister!’” Goranson notes. “It’s that love-hate thing, that sibling rivalry.”

Another key to The Conners’ success: consistently folding memorable guest stars into the stories. Just a few of the names who have appeared: Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Jason Alexander, Dan Aykroyd, Cheryl Hines, Clark Gregg and wife at the time Jennifer Grey, Peter Gallagher and Mila Kunis. For Goranson, one particular guest goes back to her own childhood. “I was a huge Pee-wee’s Playhouse fan. And actually, Sarah [Chalke, who shared the role of Becky on Roseanne] and I, when we were kids, were invited to have lunch at the Playhouse,” she says. “That was such an incredible highlight for us. I absolutely adored Paul Reubens.”

Getting to make 100 episodes of television for any show is no easy feat — something Gilbert is well aware of. “I am very grateful people have been watching and supporting us,” she says. “It’s a rare thing, and I’m very appreciative.” That prompts an obvious question: Moving beyond 100 episodes, is there a shelf life to how much longer we can expect the family to make us laugh? According to Helford, the limit does not exist.

“We truly make an effort to have everybody evolve. They don’t stay in stasis. They’re always growing and changing,” he says. “Unless the country suddenly turns around and the lower middle class is living in the big house on the hill, there’s a bunch more stories to tell.”

The Conners, 100th Episode, Wednesday, April 10, 8/7c, ABC

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