The Conners Season 7 Episode 1 Review: It’s Gonna Be a Great Day

It’s the beginning of the end with The Conners Season 7 Episode 1, “It’s Gonna Be a Great Day.” After almost a year’s hiatus, it is nice to be back in Lanford with everyone’s favorite working-class family.

At the start of the episode, it seems the focus might be on Darlene’s big career win. Soon enough, her joy is overshadowed by Jackie’s bull-headedness and Becky’s anxiety. In true Conner fashion, if we are being honest.

In fact, Darlene’s own situation feels like more of an afterthought compared to the rest of the family.

“Don’t you have any friends you can hang out with?” “No”

While the majority of the episode doesn’t give Darlene the focus she deserves, it is nice to get a moment with just her and Louise. It isn’t often that these two characters have a parental/child type of conversation.

Darlene drinking at The Lobo is a big sign that she needs some advice. Not that Darlene ever asks for it directly, so it is nice to see Louise sit down and give it to her.

On paper, Louise and Darlene are two very similar people, and yet, we don’t get many moments where that is explored. Here, we see them exchange commentary on being in a relationship where one person works long hours away from home.

Sure, Louise was the one always away in that particular scenario. However, she can still guide Darlene toward a solution as she waits out this period. They prove that you don’t have to know exactly what the other is going through to provide help.

When push comes to shove, Darlene and Ben are meant to be. This is just a bump in a very long road ahead for them. Louise’s advice to Darlene to find distractions is helpful and Darlene actually listens.

“Please don’t make me go back and be loved! I wasn’t raised that way!”

Probably the most fascinating aspect of The Conners Season 7 Episode 1, “It’s Gonna Be a Great Day,” revolves around Becky and Tyler. These two lovebirds should be in cohabitating bliss, but Becky can’t just be happy.

Sure, she has a thesis to write, which is important. However, instead of talking to her partner about it, she complains to anyone who’ll listen.

While her argument that Tyler is too sensitive is understandable, it’s not infallible. In fact, I would argue that it’s a thinly veiled excuse so Becky can continue to make her problem everyone else’s problem.

Her discussion with Dan really drives that home when he looks her in the eye and tells her to go home. Here is a very considerate father who willingly helps his children with everything, telling her this isn’t his problem.

Thankfully, Becky does go home and talk with Tyler, but not about her issues, which makes this whole thing even more frustrating. Instead, she allows Tyler to shoulder the blame and convinces him that he would be less anxious if he gave her alone time.

Becky has always done this, so by this point, it’s not surprising. Instead, it’s merely disappointing. Tyler deserves to know the whole truth so that he can better balance his needs with hers.

“Jackie, you are a two-beer relative, and I’ve only had one.”

Finally, we have Dan’s struggle with Jackie’s suggestion to sue the drug company. There are so many layers to this portion of the episode that I must give the writers their flowers.

The way this topic of justice vs. grief and moving forward is handled has a nuance that is often missed. We get to spend some time with Dan talking to Louise about how he’s afraid of what a lawsuit would dig up in his emotions.

And while his response to Jackie’s hounding is more centered on not having the money to win this battle, it’s still centered on his grief. He’s using it as an excuse to avoid what he doesn’t want to bring up with someone who understands completely.

But the discussion with Louise should be what we focus on regarding Dan. He opens up to her about his fears because he hopes that she will fight him and force him to do it anyway, but she doesn’t.

This is the first time he’s really talked about his grief since he wrote those letters and burned them. He’s been happy with Louise for so long that we sometimes forget that grief always exists.

This is the moment we truly realize that Dan’s grief is much closer to the surface than we thought. He is managing just fine, but he knows that one small reminder could break his house of cards.

It’s one of those moments that makes us sit back in awe of how well The Conners balances seriousness with humor. Dan manages to make us laugh and then breaks our hearts in one fell swoop.

Stray Thoughts

• Loved the appearance of Zoe Perry as a Lanford police officer. Even better, we get to see her in a scene with her mom, Laurie Metcalf.
• Jackie’s not wrong; Mark is going to get caught, and it won’t end well for him.
• I am always flipping back and forth between how I feel about Ben. Sometimes, I love him, but then he turns around and becomes so selfish that he fails to truly see Darlene, and I’m frustrated with him.
• I will never be mad at getting more Sean Astin. He fits in with the Conner family so well. Now, the show needs to give us an appearance by Nat Faxon’s Neville.
• It’s a solid episode, but it definitely suffers from too many stories and not enough focus on them all.

 

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

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