The Conners Season 5 Episode 3 Review: Driving, Dating, and Deceit

Sometimes TV episodes are just average and that is completely okay. These episodes serve to move the story along without rising above other episodes.

The Conners Season 5 Episode 3, “Driving, Dating, and Deceit,” is one such episode. It serves the overall plot but doesn’t really bring in the laughs as other episodes have in the past. 

Unfortunately, on a sitcom, if an episode doesn’t deliver on the laughs it tends to fade into the background and become forgettable.

Driving Darlene to Drastic Measures

While the whole story with Darlene and Mark is heartwarming and familiar it ends up being too familiar. How many times have we seen a story centered on a teen learning to drive who is frustrated by the educating parent? 

Because this is a story we’ve seen before, Darlene’s snide comments about Mark going away for college fail to stand out or even come across as funny. To be quite honest, this whole scenario dragged and didn’t hold my interest at all.

Pulling Ben into it just adds to the familiar story we’ve already heard before. Unfortunately, Ben’s lines could’ve been chuckle-worthy if not overshadowed by Darlene’s overly exaggerated reaction to Mark’s college choices.

Not only have we seen mothers react this way since the dawn of TV, but it’s not really the kind of character Darlene has ever been. Of all the mother figures onscreen you would think that Darlene would see her son’s school list and be excited and encouraged by his choices.

It shouldn’t have taken a whole driver’s license fiasco and some lies to get them to the sit-down conversation. Darlene should have sat him down from the start and talked it through with him like the level-headed person she’s always been.

If anyone is going to understand Mark wanting to go to college away from Illinois it’s Darlene.

Becky and Harris — Stealing Dates?

I get that Becky is going through a lot right now — trying to push her life forward and being served divorce papers. However, creating a situation like the one she has with Harris just doesn’t vibe with everything else.

The writers need to give Harris dating options that are more within her age range instead of creating Aldo’s and Steve’s who are better off dating characters like Becky. Sure age differences shouldn’t really matter — to an extent. 

However, in the case of Harris, she needs to work on finding companionship with people her own age. Maybe then she won’t run into one of her older family member’s exes. 

Honestly, it’s a bit weird to have Harris and Becky pitted against each other for a guy in the first place. This is a case of drama for the sake of drama and it’s not fun or exciting.

It truly felt like The Conners wanted to bring up Becky’s past — again — and didn’t know how else to do it. How about we just stick to Becky’s future going forward, that is much more interesting anyway. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Dan really should be utilized as more than just a stray one-line zinger every now and then.
• I really missed Jackie this episode — sure she is there but it’s just in service to Becky’s bland storyline.

 

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

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

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