The Conners Review: A Kiss is Just a Kiss (Season 2 Episode 2)
After a bit of a rocky start with the season premiere, The Conners Season 2 Episode 2, “A Kiss is Just a Kiss” gets us back on track for what could be a really good season.
With the focus being mostly on Darlene and her family with intermittent moments of Becky, the episode gets back in the stride of its predecessor Roseanne. The family unity of “A Kiss is Just a Kiss” reminds us all of the magic that Roseanne Conner gave to her family.
It’s moments like this episode where the parallels between Darlene and her mother really shine, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Darlene is a mother much like her own, though she would prefer not to admit it.
MICHAEL FISHMAN, EMMA KENNEY, AMES MCNAMARA, SARA GILBERT, JOHN GOODMAN
Darlene may often agonize over not being a good enough mother to her kids, but from an outsider’s perspective, she is hitting all the right notes as a mom. She is present and aware when it matters most, and above all else, she will die on whatever hill her child has been placed on.
Case in point — Mark’s drama at school with his principal and the boy he thought was his boyfriend. Mark has always been encouraged by his whole family to just be himself no matter what anyone else says or thinks, and we’ve never seen him falter from that.
However, the events of “A Kiss is Just a Kiss” really put Mark into a spiral of doom where he thinks that maybe being out, loud, and proud isn’t such a great thing after all. That is until Darlene gets involved.
Unlike her mother, Darlene immediately starts with compassion and reminds Mark that it isn’t his boyfriend’s fault for how the whole thing went down. From the way Mark continues to put himself down and insists on hiding who he truly is, Darlene soon switches gears.
AMES MCNAMARA
Her anger and fight for her son are motivating to anyone who is watching. Full disclosure, it made me want to encourage my kid to never stand down from being who they truly are — and I don’t even have a kid.
It’s a beautiful mother/son moment that the Conner family is famous for. When the going gets tough, the Conners go out fighting.
Watching Darlene really go to bat for her son is inspiring and fantastic to see in its own right, but it’s not even the best part of the whole scene. No, the best part is the presence of David while this whole conversation is happening.
David has really perfected the art of the “absentee father.” So to see him not only be there at the school when his son is getting punished for kissing a kid but also for the fallout after once Mark gets home is like ten steps forward for him.
Darlene: Look at your dad. I thought he was my soulmate, and then he left for 9 years.
David: I’m sure there are other examples.
Darlene: Yes. But you gotta admit its a good one.
The back and forth between Darlene and David gives a glimpse of just how good they could be together as parents if David continues to care as much as he has been. They kick ass as parents — between Darlene’s fight and David’s humor its a win-win.
It’s clear that Darlene telling David he needs to get therapy before she’d consider making things official is merely a ploy to give herself more time to decide between him and Ben. That being said, Darlene and David going to therapy could be just what they need to either mend their broken trust or settle the past enough to move on and be happy apart.
We all want a Darlene and David reunion, but at what cost? What is really the best option for these characters?
Let’s just hope that Season 2 will really dive into them working through things. Who knows maybe therapy will be just what they need to really rekindle their marriage.
JOHN GOODMAN, LECY GORANSON
To be honest, Darlene and David really remind me of a younger Roseanne and Dan. Roseanne was always the tough as nails fighter type and Dan the more laidback humorous type.
Dan has really started to shine ever since Roseanne died, and it is exactly what this show needs to continue to grow and flow. His bond with Mark as well as his own children has continually gotten stronger with each passing episode.
On The Conners Season 2 Episode 2, “A Kiss is Just a Kiss,” Dan leans his more laidback way of viewing parenting to Becky as a source of comfort. His words are just what she needs to hear to remind herself of two things — that she is not alone in this fight and that she doesn’t need to be perfect to be the perfect mom.
Dan: You’re gonna fall short. Everybody does.
Its moments like the one between Darlene, David, and Mark as well as Dan and Becky that steer The Conners ever forward as a heartfelt and lasting show. At its core, the show just needs to hold tight to family and everything will turn out okay, and the jokes will be funnier.
What did you think of this episode of The Conners? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Catch up on our review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 1, “Preemies, Weed, and Infidelity,” right here.
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.