The Conners Season 2 Premiere Review: Preemies, Weed, and Infidelity (Season 2 Episode 1)

The Conner family is back for another season. The Conners Season 2 Episode 1, “Preemies, Weed, and Infidelity” gets the new season off to a wild start.

At times it feels like the show doesn’t know which story to focus on, jumping from plot point to plot point. There is just too much going on in one episode to really get a grasp of anything solid. 

There should really have only been two plot points to focus on, the added point of Harris selling pot cookies was just too much. The Conners could’ve demonstrated Darlene’s dilemma without the added Harris drama.

That being said, the chaos is very representative of the family in general. It was a little less chaotic when Roseanne was around because she kept people in line. However, she’s been gone for some time now and it shows in just how complacent Dan is.

Dan doesn’t handle his family the same way that Roseanne did, and that loss shows very strongly with no one realizing Harris is baking pot cookies right in front of them. While the episode really focuses on Darlene’s feelings of incompetence as a parent there was a missed opportunity for it to also highlight Dan failing to keep things together.

There is a throwaway comment where Dan states he doesn’t need to raise his grandkids because he already raised his kids, to which Darlene replies that mom raised them and not Dan. 

It could have been a heartfelt moment where Dan opens up to Darlene a bit about how he’s just as lost right now without her as she is. The signs are there under the surface that Darlene wishes she could lean on someone to help her figure out the balance between motherhood, her career, and a personal life.

The moment is especially lost considering what is going on with Becky. Who knows, maybe that conversation will happen once Becky is sitting at the table right there with them. Let’s just hope the show doesn’t fail to create that bonding moment for the patriarch and his daughters.

It is nice that The Conners doesn’t throw away their opportunity to bring up Darlene’s connection to premature birth when Becky goes into labor two months early. But again, the moment could have been more fleshed out instead of being used as comedic timing.

Again, this episode may just be the door opener for Becky and Darlene to have that deeper conversation about being a NICU mom and having a daughter who struggles for the first few moments of her life. It will be nice to see these sisters become even closer now that they have that connecter between them.

It could be nice to also mention how Roseanne was really there for Darlene when she went through the same situation with Harris and now Darlene will be there for Becky. These sisters need to have time to really connect with one another again, post-Roseanne’s death. 

I just hope that the writing evens out as the season progresses. The premiere was just way too choppy and underdeveloped. Everything seemed to be thrown at us and expected to land in a way that makes sense.

From the start of the episode to the end, the characters just jumped from one moment to the next as if there is a fire behind them threatening to prevent them from getting to the next moment. 

The flow just doesn’t make complete sense and lacks the depth needed to really care about the story. I stated earlier that it could’ve done without the Harris drama, but now that I’m thinking about it the premiere should have been Becky’s story and that is it. 

If they’d chosen to only focus on Becky and her dilemma it would’ve made more sense and The Conners would’ve had more time to devote to making that story count.

Darlene’s man drama could have easily been saved for another day. She could’ve been more focused on her sister and also taken that time to really be there with her kids. 

The Conners can make Darlene feel bad about having no balance in her life without making it all about her infidelity. Have Becky’s situation create a moment where Darlene sits down and draws her children in closer — thankful that they are happy, healthy, and hers.

It’ll be interesting to see if the premiere is just a misstep or if the rest of the season will feel just as choppy and under-realized. 

Stray Thoughts

• Beverly Rose? If Becky wants a connection to the family couldn’t she have picked a better name? I’m with Jackie on this one.
• When is the show going to stop ignoring the fact that Jackie has a son? This episode missed their opportunity to even address it
• I love the bond Dan has with Mark, it’s unique and a step up from where they started when Darlene moved back in.

What did you think of this episode of The Conners? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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