Roseanne premiered in 1988 and ran for nine seasons until its 1997 finale. That finale revealed the events of the series to be a fictionalized account of the titular character’s own life. Many fans were unhappy with this ending, calling it the worst series finale in history. However, Roseanne would be revived in 2018 and this initial ending was completely undone.
However, Roseanne Barr would get the show canceled after posting racist tweets. Viewers still wanted to see this family, however. So The Conners spin-off was born later that same year, killing off the Roseanne character. After a successful seven seasons on air, The Conners has come to an end. While most of the original cast were present for the finale, another significant family member was noticeably absent.
Michael Fishman Explained Why He Wasn’t Part Of The Conners Series Finale
Many have been wondering why Michael Fishman was nowhere to be seen in The Conners finale. Michael himself decided to respond to the speculation driven by fans of the series as well as the original sitcom, Roseanne. During his run on the series, Michael starred as D.J. Conner. His character was the only son of Dan and Roseanne Conner. Michael spoke out in a video he posted on Instagram on April 24, the day after the finale aired. Michael initially returned as D.J. for the first four seasons of The Conners. However, he was off the show for the remainder of its run.
He began by saying, “It’s the day after The Conners finale, and I have been inundated with people looking for a reaction.” Michael went on to say, “People seem to want to have there be some kind of conflict or controversy, especially on my part. The reality is, all I really have is empathy and understanding for all of the people on set and for all of our audience that’s grieving.”
“I prefer to be a lighthouse in the dark,” he continued. “It’s for that reason that I’m creating a safe space to build community to process difficult emotions and transitions.” Michael also said that when he thinks about the show’s legacy, “I have only gratitude. I really believe that that legacy belongs to all of you in the audience.”
“I’ve been really lucky to be rewarded for my professionalism and kindness and collaboration by the Carsey-Werner Company, who owns it, who has asked me to keep shining a light on the series,” Michael said of the production studio behind both Roseanne and The Conners.
Michael finished his statement by telling fans, “And it’s been my honor, because I believe it’s a comfort show for many. So in this time, I keep thinking to myself, it’s the perfect time to reconnect. It’s the perfect time to go back and celebrate. And so I’m looking back and starting over and watching from the beginning with a whole new perspective.”
Michael appeared in both the 2018 Roseanne revival and The Conners, but he announced that he was leaving the latter series in 2022. At the time, Michael released a statement using the fictional Illinois town the shows are set in as a way to bid farewell to his time on the show.
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“While I was told I would not be returning for Season 5, Lanford was a valuable place to grow up, learn and develop,” he said. “I was incredibly lucky to return home and demonstrate my expansion. As I venture into the world to build the future, I send tremendous love and success to everyone involved in production.”
Michael Wasn’t The Only Cast Member Who Wasn’t Part Of The Finale
Roseanne Barr’s portrayal of Roseanne Conner in the original series won her an Emmy. That series was a staple in American households from October 1988 to May 1997. The show took place in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois and was revived two decades later in March 2018. It turns out that ABC would cancel the series after just two months following racist tweets by Roseanne herself. ABC’s parent company Disney said her comments were “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values.”
The Conners premiered on October 16, 2018, on the same network. The character of Roseanne was killed off in the pilot episode. Roseanne has said many times that she is not a fan of the show. She even told the Los Angeles Times that she “just can’t bear” to watch The Conners during a 2023 interview.
“When they killed my character off, that was a message to me, knowing that I’m mentally ill or have mental health issues, that they did want me to commit suicide,” Roseanne said. “They killed my character… And all of that was to say thank you for bringing 28 million viewers, which they never had before and will never see again. Because they can kiss my a**.”
Many were surprised that The Conners had lasted as long as they had, considering Roseanne’s absence. Roseanne Barr no doubt helped the original series become a success, and this helped make The Conners possible. There were some who doubted if viewers would still want to watch this family without Roseanne.
The Conners‘ success proves that there are plenty of fans who still care about these characters. Despite the history of Roseanne’s comments, from her racist tweets to her criticism of the series, there were still some who wondered if she would appear in The Conners finale. To the surprise of barely anybody, she did not make an appearance in The Conners finale.
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“I’m sure there were a lot of fans who would like to have seen it,” executive producer Bruce Helford told USA Today. What the episode does do is pay tribute to Roseanne Conner, the character, as the family gathers at her graveside for a farewell. “She’s not there physically,” Bruce said. “But we wanted to honor something that she really gave birth to and cared for. We did right by her memory. The audience certainly loved her and her family.”
The Final Moments Of The Conners Was John Goodman’s Idea
The final episode of The Conners saw the entire family saying good night to each other through tears. Jackie leaves first, saying a very emotional, “Good night.” Darlene and Becky are the next ones to leave, with similar emotions in their exits. These seem beyond what is normal given the fact that, as we are led to believe, the Conners’ lives will go on in this universe despite the show ending.
At the very end, Dan is by himself in the family living room. He then looks into the camera, and says “Good night” as he smiles with tears in his eyes. Bruce Helford spoke to The New York Post and revealed John “had pitched that; it was his idea.”
He continued, “He felt the bond of all those years with the audience. And I think just as a decent guy, his instinct was to say, ‘Thank you.’ How do you argue with that?”
Executive producer Dave Caplan told The New York Post, “I think [Goodman] just felt that was the right way to say goodbye, and acknowledge the bond, because the audience is part of that show. We are so much connected to the audience; we’re not just an entertainment. It’s been a family for 37 years.”
Bruce also spoke with USA Today and said the emotional farewells in that final scene were intentional. “That was ‘goodbye’ forever,” Bruce said. “They wanted to say goodbye to each other. So that’s the actual people saying goodbye, breaking the fourth wall. Once Laurie (Metcalf) said hers at the door, and said it for real, everyone got emotional.”
Of the emotional graveside tribute to Roseanne Conner, Dave said, “The truth is, we never really shied from giving Roseanne Conner her due, because she was a matriarch of the family. And she was the center of that family for so many years.” Dave went on to say that not mentioning Roseanne in The Conners finale would have felt “really wrong, and really shortchanging the audience. She’s a central character in all these people’s lives. So, it felt like the right thing to do.”
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“These actors have been friends for 37 years, playing these characters for 15 of these years,” Bruce said. “Literally, Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson grew up on this show. Just seeing the changes in everyone and the passage of time shows how momentous this is. Roseanne was a very big thing in people’s lives. For many people, this is their family.”
The Conners
- Release Date
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2018 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Bruce Helford
- Directors
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Fred Savage, Jody Margolin Hahn, Lynda Tarryk, Bob Koherr, Gail Mancuso, Jude Weng, Michael Arden
- Writers
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Bruce Helford, Bruce Rasmussen, Emily R. Wilson, Mitch Hunter, Amy Fox, Jana Hunter, Erica Montolfo-Bura, Debby Wolfe, Simone Finch
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Laurie Metcalf
Jackie Harris
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Sara Gilbert
Darlene Conner
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Alicia Goranson
Becky Conner
