The Conners Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Book Bans and Guillotine Hands

As any fan knows, Halloween is a sacred holiday in the Conner household. So, Halloween 2022 should be no different, right?

Unfortunately, The Conners Season 5 Episode 6, “Book Bans and Guillotine Hands” details just how disinterested the whole family seems to be with the whole affair. It’s also glaringly apparent that Mark is missing from the family festivities, for some unknown reason.

The Complacent Conner Clan 

For years the Conner family has been synonymous with the best Halloween extravaganzas in Lanford. Every year the family would concoct a haunting even more intense than the previous year.

Even outsiders knew that Halloween was sacred ground for this uncouth family of misfits. So, for the whole family to feel so disinterested in the whole idea is territory no one has seen before.

It doesn’t make for an interesting episode. In fact, as far as Halloween episodes go this one sits lower than dead last — if that is even possible.

Dan being passively upset about the whole lack of enthusiasm isn’t sad it’s devastating — and not in a good way. The fact that it takes Louise threatening the whole family for all of them to pitch in is unheard of for this family with regard to their holiday.

Becky shouldn’t be the only one concerned about the lack of pomp and circumstance this year. Sure, she’s the only one with a small child, but years past have proven that age doesn’t matter when it comes to Conner Halloween shenanigans. 

Personally, I felt the writing for this portion of the episode was sloppy and uninteresting. This move, by The Conners writers, dulls the viewers’ drive to care about the Conner family traditions even more than the family.

Harris Takes a Stand

Harris’ stand against the school board’s ban on classic literature such as The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Scarlett Letter is exactly what we’ve come to expect from her. Harris has always been the first in line to fight against the injustices of the world.

So, what does it feel like Darlene cares more about her stuck-up new neighbors than encouraging her daughter to continue to fight for what she believes in?

It’s another case of really sloppy writing that Darlene wouldn’t be immediately standing by her daughter. The Conners seem to have forgotten that Darlene has always stood up for those that were being bullied.

As Harris aptly points out, Darlene just defended Beverly Rose’s right to be smart and speak up. Now she is encouraging Harris to be quiet and stand down.

It just doesn’t make sense at all for her character or the trajectory her character has always been on. Sure, by the end of the episode she comes around, but the real story should have been Darlene convincing at least one of the neighbors that the Conner women are right.

Stray Thoughts:

• It’s really annoying that they have an answer for Neville’s absence but not Mark’s. Mark really should have been in this episode.
• The costumes at the end were actually pretty genius.
• Bringing Nostalgia into the equation with the ending montage of Halloween’s past is a winning choice.

 

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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