The Conners Review: Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa Action (Season 2 Episode 9)

Sometimes the best thing a comedy can do is take a step back from the humor and focus on the serious for a spell. That is exactly what The Conners Season 2 Episode 9, “Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa Action,” sets out to do.

Sure there are a few funny moments to break things up, but overall its focus is on the drama that sometimes lies just under the surface. Issues such as being forgotten, new members of the family, and losing a life-sustaining job are all usually glossed over with well-timed jokes and quips – not this time.

The greatest thing The Conners could ever do to recover from their missteps is to put the funny to the side for once. It’s a sign that the show really knows what balances out an episode perfectly.

Dan’s fear of being forgotten actually brings a tear to your eye if you sit and think about it long enough. After all, if our family already forgets our special events while we are still around, what’s to stop them from forgetting when we are gone?

It’s a deeper and darker realm than one would initially expect a sitcom to go, but The Conners handles it with the same level of respect and reverence that they’ve shown this family over the past 30 years.

It isn’t often that Dan is allowed to be the main focus of an episode and for that change of pace to come in such a well-constructed way makes fans glad they trust the writing team.

It does speak to a deeper issue that The Conner family has sometimes struggled with and that is showing each other just how much they love and appreciate one another. Sure, the signature of this family is to make jokes and to treat each other abrasively, but what if once in a while they show a little softness and love?

That abrasive nature is certainly always present in Jackie – which can be a bit much at times – but overall it is the show’s funny bread and butter. “Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa Action” is definitely one of those moments where she takes it a bit too far and Dan has to put his foot down.

The dynamic between Jackie and Dan has consistently changed ever since Roseanne passed away. This episode is a fine example of just how much these two rely on one another now.

Dan is frustrated with Jackie’s behavior toward his lady friend, Louise, but instead of simply pushing her away with an exasperated statement, Dan lets Jackie know how he feels and then sets up a custody agreement for time with him over the holidays.

This is major growth for them, and it is always nice to be given an opportunity to see character growth such as that, especially in characters that stay pretty stagnant throughout.

It’s going to be interesting to see in the new year what the show will do with these two characters and with Darlene in regards to finding a job. It’s a tough position to leave our protagonist in going into the hiatus — being unemployed is never a welcome sight.

However, it must be said that good on Darlene for standing up for what is right, despite the personal sacrifice it brings. She is a very talented writer and she does deserve more than 50% of what Ben was making.

Shame on that woman for coming in and offering Darlene a promotion, stating she loved to empower women, and then turn around and say the best they could do was 50% the salary of her male counterpart. That is sadly seen more often than not in the professional fields, so bravo to The Conners for adding their own personal commentary on such an issue.

Maybe this will free up Darlene to help out Jackie and Becky with the restaurant. That is truly what I’d love to see for her and this family. They really need that defining moment that will bring them all together in a more unified way.

Who knows, maybe Ben — now that he is back in her life — will convince Darlene that spending more time with her family is actually a good thing. After all, he has been the one to consistently encourage her to have a more positive relationship with Harris and Mark.

Overall, this final holiday episode for the year really hits home on the true meaning of the holidays — the bonds of family. It’s a stellar move that really allows these characters to expand their emotional depths a little bit further.

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

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The Conners returns Tuesday, January 21st on ABC

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