The Conners Review: Who are Bosses, Boats and Eckhart Tolle? (Season 3 Episode 10)

Sometimes weakness is what makes characters shine. The Conners Season 3 Episode 10, “Who are Bosses, Boats and Eckhart Tolle?,” shows this through Dan and Darlene’s shortcomings as a friend and boss respectively.

Dan is not the type of character to ever show weakness or admit that he has fallen short. However, when Chuck decides to break up their business over what seems like a non-issue, Dan’s vulnerability really comes out.

In true Dan Conner fashion, he shows he is upset by lashing out and making snide comments. He digs in his heels toward Chuck and insists that he doesn’t need his friend of over 40 years.

However, when it comes down to the wire, Dan actually needs Chuck more than he really wants to admit. It’s a nice moment between two older gentlemen about the disparities that life has handed them. 

On the one hand, they are equal in their careers, but it’s clear that things haven’t always been the same for either man. Dan gets upset about the boat because he feels Chuck is rubbing it in his face that they are in different positions financially. 

It’s a very natural way for The Conners to address the racial inequity that is present in our country even when people choose to ignore it. Chuck explains that he is upset with Dan because Dan implied Chuck’s success is because of him.

It’s the opportunity for Chuck to school Dan a bit about how statements like that, while true, are hard to stomach because they shouldn’t be true. He owns that Dan helping him out 40 years ago allowed him to have a boat now, but that doesn’t erase that it’s wrong for a man of color to have so few opportunities afforded to him on sight as Dan does. 

The Conners could’ve passed this opportunity right on by and attributed Chuck’s hurt feelings to Dan’s snappy anger, or to the fact that he is tired and wants to retire. By addressing this issue head-on in a way that isn’t always approached, this show solidifies itself in the ranks of other shows that are taking current issues and helping everyday people better understand them.

This moment between lifelong friends is a moment to show that we are never too old to learn new things. If Dan can learn that his friend has always lived a life with fewer opportunities then who’s to say other people can’t do the same in their own lives?

Dan isn’t the only Conner learning new things and reworking old habits. Darlene has been promoted to the role of manager and she’s thrust headfirst into a world she knows nothing about.

Putting her in a managerial role and having it all be smooth sailing wouldn’t make sense. So of course, we get to explore Darlene struggling a bit. She hasn’t been trained on the proper way to conduct an interview so naturally, she fails epically at that. 

Indeed it is quite comical to watch Darlene become more and more horrified with each passing moment of her new assistant’s time behind the desk. Darlene wants to be a good boss, but part of that is making the tough calls.

She could have avoided the whole Lisa mess if she had vetted her better from the get-go, but then we wouldn’t get to see her grow in real-time. Without Lisa, Darlene never could’ve learned the proper way to hire people as well as protect herself.

As it stands, her learning the proper interviewing technique is that much sweeter to see because we’ve already seen her crash and burn. Growth isn’t growth unless there is changed behavior to back it up. 

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The Conners airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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