The Conners Season 7’s Greatest Tragedy Was Already Set Up In Season 6

While The Conners season 7 has a lot of storylines to keep afloat, the Roseanne spinoff has already secretly set up what could be the show’s greatest tragedy ever in season 6. The Conners’ cast of characters have been through the wringer when it comes to trauma. Although the Roseanne spinoff is ostensibly a family sitcom, The Conners has never shied away from the darker realities of working-class life in modern America. In recent years, The Conners dealt with mass shootings, drug addiction, overdoses, deportation, alcoholism, poverty, unemployment, workplace discrimination, medical debt, and student debt.

By the looks of things, The Conners season 7 will be no different. TVLine reports that the truncated final season will be a “Six-episode farewell event,” which could mean the series will struggle to wrap up its many unresolved plot lines. Six episodes is not a lot of time for the show to address Becky and Tyler’s relationship, Harris’s new role as manager of the Lunchbox, Dan’s retirement, Mark’s sketchy new job and college aspirations, and Beverly’s fate. However, none of these stories are as ominous as the fate of Ben and Darlene in the sitcom’s final outing.

Ben Risked His Financial Future By Buying Hardware Magazine In The Conners Season 6

Ben Used His Insurance Payout To Buy The Struggling Publication

The Conners season 6 finale may have already set up Ben and Darlene’s tragic fate when Ben decided to buy Hardware Magazine on a whim after receiving a massive insurance payout. In season 6, episode 11, “Fire and Vice,” the family hardware store that Ben inherited from his parents burned down in a fire. While Ben’s insurance payout could have covered the cost of rebuilding the store, he found himself relieved by the idea of no longer working there.

As a result, Ben gave Dan enough of the payout to finally pay off his mortgage and properly retire. Dan celebrated his retirement in episode 13, “Flying, Applying and Rassling Gators,” while Ben chose his next career move. After writing a few well-received columns for the magazine earlier in season 6, Ben bought Hardware Magazine from its publishers. While this does give him the opportunity to pursue his dream of working in publishing, it is important to note that this is not the first time that Ben has worked in the magazine business.

Ben and Darlene’s First Magazine Failed Earlier In The Conners

Ben and Darlene Don’t Have A Good Track Record With Profitable Print Media

Ben was first introduced in season 1, episode 5, “Miracles,” as the editor of a crime magazine entitled Lock ‘Em Up. An uninspiring mugshot magazine, Lock ‘Em Up employed Darlene while she was trying to establish herself in the world of publishing. It was here that Ben and Darlene’s love story began, but The Conners season 7’s story should be more concerned with what happened to the magazine. After several unsuccessful attempts to revive the ailing publication, Ben and Darlene failed to save Lock 'Em Up from closing its doors.

Hardware Magazine was only available for sale in season 6 because its owners were already struggling to keep the publication afloat.

To make matters worse, the couple spent most of The Conners seasons 2 and 3 trying to set up a new crime magazine after Lock ‘Em Up shut down. Even though Darlene took over much of the online magazine’s day-to-day responsibilities, the endeavor eventually failed in season 3. As if to exacerbate things further, Hardware Magazine was only available for sale in season 6 because its owners were already struggling to keep the publication afloat. Judging by past evidence, Ben and Darlene’sunfinished The Conners season 7 storyline is almost certain to end in financial failure.

As if all of this weren’t enough, there is another factor complicating the pair’s latest plan. Darlene is currently working as a lunch lady at a university after she lost her job at Wellman’s Plastics since she refused to lie about the company’s history of pollution. Darlene hates this position and clearly wants a more fitting job, and she has always wanted to work in publishing since Roseanne’s original run. While this should be good news, the fact that she and Ben have run not one but two failed magazines together proves that they aren’t necessarily a great fit for Hardware Magazine.

The Conners Season 7’s Mark Story Makes Ben’s Financial Prospects Worse

Mark Took A Sketchy Job With Email Scammers In Season 6

Mark’s legal troubles complicate Ben and Darlene’s The Conners season 7 plot even further, since Darlene’s son is likely to require pretty major financial help soon. Mark has tried all manner of amoral and legally sketchy means of paying for college, from writing admission essays for other students to abusing ADHD medication to keep his grades up. In keeping with this tendency, he took a lucrative job with email scammers operating in a legal grey area in season 6’s finale, “Less Money, More Problems.”

Ben and Darlene’s financial stability is threatened on two fronts at once.

This means that Mark may well have legal bills to deal with if his job gets him caught by the police and charged with a crime. Even if Mark somehow avoids any legal ramifications for his very sketchy employment, he is still likely to need money for the University of Chicago when the job inevitably falls apart. It seems supremely unlikely that he will make it through season 7 en route to university with his illegal job and his savings intact. As such, Ben and Darlene’s financial stability is threatened on two fronts at once.

The Conners Season 7 Shouldn’t Give Ben and Darlene’s Magazine Story A Bad Ending

The Couple Have Already Been Through Plenty of Hardship

While it would make perfect sense for the pair’s future to go up in flames thanks to their choices and Mark’s plan, Ben and Darlene shouldn’t fail financially in The Conners season 7. Darlene always wanted to work in publishing, and this was something she struggled to do while providing for her kids. The Conners season 6 confirmed that Darlene raised Mark and Harris in poverty, while Ben’s inability to keep his earlier two magazines afloat was caused as much by his crippling self-doubt and defeatist attitude as any material professional shortcomings.

The Conners Cast Member	Character
John Goodman	Dan Conner
Laurie Metcalf	Jackie Harris-Goldufski
Sara Gilbert	Darlene Conner-Olinsky
Lecy Goranson	Becky Conner-Healy
Katey Sagal	Louise Conner
Emma Kenney	Harris Conner-Healy
Ames McNamara	Mark Conner-Healy

As such, Ben and Darlene should successfully relaunch Hardware Magazine.The Conners season 7 has many other plots to focus on without dragging out this storyline, and Roseanne’s eternal outcast daughter is overdue a win. Ben and Darlene’s earlier business venture failed despite their best efforts, Mark’s attempts to enter university have been plagued by constant struggles, and Darlene’s dreams were put on hold for her children for decades. For The Conners season 7 to end the Roseanne heroine’s story right, the show must fix this and finally let her family succeed.

Source: TVLine