List of Roseanne episodes
Roseanne is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997 with a revival season that premiered in 2018.[1] Lauded for its realistic portrayal of the average American family, the series stars Roseanne Barr, and revolves around the Conners, an Illinois working-class family. In the ninth season, Roseanne and her family win the lottery and associate with "high society". In the final episode Roseanne reveals not only was she writing a story and they did not win the lottery, but also says Dan had actually died from a heart attack in season 8.
In season 10 it is revealed that Dan did not die. Roseanne fabricated that as well, along with a multitude of other things. This set most things back as they were in season 9, with the exception of the birth of Darlene's daughter. Barr said the lottery storyline was done to illustrate the American Dream philosophy.
Admittedly, life can get pretty strange when your job occasionally involves a $70,000 shopping spree with Mike Tyson, especially if 18 years ago you were a trailer park mom with a bell-hop for a husband."[2]
On May 16, 2017, it was announced ABC would produce an eight-episode 10th season revival of the series, set to air as a mid-season replacement in 2018, with the original cast returning. In November 2017, it was announced that ABC had ordered an additional episode for the new season bringing the total up to 9.[3][4] The tenth season debuted on March 27, 2018.[5] As of May 22, 2018, 231 episodes of Roseanne have aired, concluding the tenth season. On March 30, 2018, the series was renewed for an eleventh season of 13 episodes by ABC,[6] but was canceled on May 29, 2018 due to a racial comment made by Roseanne on Twitter about former-president Barack Obama's aide Valerie Jarrett.[7]
On June 21, 2018, the show was revived as a spin-off entitled The Conners, which has the same cast as Roseanne after her character dies of a drug overdose. The show premiered on October 16, 2018 and comprised 11 episodes.
Series overview
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||||
1 | 23 | October 18, 1988 | May 2, 1989 | 2 | 23.8 | ||
2 | 24 | September 12, 1989 | May 8, 1990 | 1 | 23.1 | ||
3 | 25 | September 18, 1990 | May 14, 1991 | 3 | 18.1 | ||
4 | 25 | September 17, 1991 | May 12, 1992 | 2 | 19.9 | ||
5 | 25 | September 15, 1992 | May 18, 1993 | 2 | 20.7 | ||
6 | 25 | September 14, 1993 | May 24, 1994 | 4 | 19.1 | ||
7 | 26 | September 21, 1994 | May 24, 1995 | 9 | 15.5 | ||
8 | 25 | September 19, 1995 | May 21, 1996 | 16 | 12.5 | ||
9 | 24 | September 17, 1996 | May 20, 1997 | 35 | N/A | ||
10 | 9 | March 27, 2018 | May 22, 2018 | 3 | 10.2 |
Episodes
Season 1 (1988–89)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Life and Stuff" | Ellen Falcon | Matt Williams | October 18, 1988 | 101 | 36.2[8] |
Roseanne is summoned to a parent/teacher conference after Darlene has been barking in class. Stressed from the pressures of coping with home and work, she lashes out at Dan for not doing his share. Note: This episode is the only one in which Sal Barone played DJ Conner. He was subsequently replaced by Michael Fishman. | |||||||
2 | 2 | "We're in the Money" | Ellen Falcon | David McFadzean | October 25, 1988 | 201 | 31.1[9] |
Although Dan and Roseanne agree not to spend any of Dan's $500 advance on themselves, neither can resist the temptation. Note: This is Michael Fishman's first appearance as D.J. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" | Ellen Falcon | Lauren Eve Anderson | November 1, 1988 | 205 | 36.9[10] |
Date night for Dan and Roseanne turns into a brush with divorce, after they run into an old, newly-single friend. Dan begins to fear the worst about their marriage and puts their relationship under a microscope. After a lot of "what ifs" he and Roseanne conclude there is hope after all. Meanwhile, Roseanne's sister Jackie inadvertently forgets she promised to baby-sit the kids, who lock her out of the house. | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Language Lessons" | Ellen Falcon | Laurie Gelman | November 22, 1988 | 208 | 30.7[11] |
Dan and Roseanne agree to take a body language test that proves whether they can physically communicate their thoughts. The plan backfires when Dan's true feelings about Roseanne's sister, Jackie, are laid bare – he thinks she is a meddlesome moocher, especially after she inadvertently comments about his lack of work, inciting a confrontation between the in-laws. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Radio Days" | Ellen Falcon | Laurie Gelman | November 29, 1988 | 206 | 32.2[12] |
As Becky and Darlene bicker over territory, Roseanne encourages Dan to enter a song writing contest (using one of her own poems as the lyrics) in hopes of crooning his way to fame and fortune. The episode features a full length rendition sung by John Goodman. Meanwhile, friction between Booker, the factory manager, and Jackie heats up. | |||||||
6 | 6 | "Lovers' Lane" | Ellen Falcon | Danny Jacobson | December 6, 1988 | 209 | 34.8[13] |
On a night out at the bowling alley, Roseanne sneaks a peek at Becky's first boyfriend. Meanwhile, Booker makes a bet with Jackie for very high stakes; if he wins she has to spend the night with him. | |||||||
7 | 7 | "The Memory Game" | Ellen Falcon | Grace McKeaney | December 13, 1988 | 202 | 36.2[14] |
Dan's enthusiastic plan to take photographs for his and Roseanne's 15th high school reunion yearbook exposes a 15-year-old secret he has kept from Roseanne. His attempt to explain to an angry Roseanne bring hilarious results. | |||||||
8 | 8 | "Here's to Good Friends" | Ellen Falcon | Danny Jacobson | December 20, 1988 | 207 | 35.4[15] |
Roseanne and Jackie console a brokenhearted Crystal after her boyfriend breaks up with her. A night at the Lobo Lounge, reflecting on love and men, help to set her right. While at the Lobo, a miffed Jackie embarrasses Booker when he shows up with another woman after telling her he was spending the evening with his mother. | |||||||
9 | 9 | "Dan's Birthday Bash" | Ellen Falcon | Grace McKeaney | January 3, 1989 | 210 | 38.0[16] |
Roseanne and the kids surprise Dan with an elaborate birthday breakfast. Later that evening, Roseanne throws Dan a party at the Lobo. During the celebration, Dan barely avoids a fight with a loud-mouthed jerk after Roseanne stops him. Afraid of looking like a wimp, Dan vows to beat up the bully the next time he sees him. Becky is invited to Chip's home for dinner. | |||||||
10 | 10 | "Saturday" | Ellen Falcon | David McFadzean | January 10, 1989 | 204 | 36.1[17] |
It is Saturday at the Conners', and Dan plans to spend the afternoon "working on" (that is, drinking beer and talking in front of) an old truck with his friends. Roseanne, having heard Dan make similar claims before, bets him that the guys will not finish the repair work by the end of the day. Dan takes the bet, but soon realizes he may lose. | |||||||
11 | 11 | "Canoga Time" | Ellen Falcon | David McFadzean | January 17, 1989 | 212 | 36.8[18] |
Roseanne proposes a deal when Dan cannot bear to part with his old "junk" that Roseanne wants to donate to a rummage sale. Darlene forges a passing grade on her report card. | |||||||
12 | 12 | "The Monday Thru Friday Show" | Ellen Falcon | Danny Jacobson | January 24, 1989 | 213 | 39.1[19] |
Dan and Roseanne disagree about where to spend a romantic 15th anniversary. Becky has to choose between refusing to dissect a frog in biology class or accepting a lower grade. Darlene finds her paper route is more than she can handle. Jackie solves Dan and Roseanne's anniversary dilemma by taking the kids for the weekend, giving Dan and Roseanne some much-needed alone time. | |||||||
13 | 13 | "Bridge Over Troubled Sonny" | Ellen Falcon | Laurie Gelman | January 31, 1989 | 211 | 38.3[20] |
Crystal still struggles to cope with her first husband's death, Sonny, whose body was accidentally buried inside the bridge that Jackie drove them over on their way to work. Roseanne is unsure whether she should tell Crystal about Sonny's infidelities. Crystal finally confronts her emotions and reveals that she knew about Sonny's cheating and had her own affair to spite him. Darlene decides it is cool to smoke until Roseanne finds her pack of cigarettes. | |||||||
14 | 14 | "Father's Day" | Ellen Falcon | Lauren Eve Anderson | February 7, 1989 | 214 | 38.9[21] |
Roseanne acts as referee when Dan's father, Ed, visits the family bearing gifts. Everyone is thrilled to see him except Dan, who considers Ed's philosophy of "work smart, not hard" as veiled criticism; Ed considers it caring, fatherly advice. | |||||||
15 | 15 | "Nightmare on Oak Street" | John Pasquin | Grace McKeaney | February 14, 1989 | 215 | 34.6[22] |
After Dan lets the girls watch a slasher movie, Darlene has trouble sleeping. Roseanne blames the film, but the truth is something more natural: Darlene has had her first period. Roseanne sits her tomboyish daughter down for a heart-to-heart talk about becoming a woman. | |||||||
16 | 16 | "Mall Story" | John Sgueglia | Laurie Gelman | February 21, 1989 | 216 | 39.6[23] |
It is time for the annual Landford Mall-A-Thon, and Roseanne and her brood scout out the deals during a Saturday in retail heaven. Roseanne makes Dan buy a new pair of shoes he does not want. Becky finds the perfect dress for the high school dance that Roseanne says is too expensive. Roseanne asks Dan to return the shoes so she can afford to buy the dress for Becky. | |||||||
17 | 17 | "Becky's Choice" | John Sgueglia | Laurie Gelman and Danny Jacobson | February 28, 1989 | 218 | 39.9[24] |
Becky must decide between her first crush, Chip, and the infamous "Tongue Bandit". The decision worsens when Roseanne and Dan invite Chip's parents for dinner. During the evening, Roseanne catches Becky in the backyard with the other guy. | |||||||
18 | 18 | "The Slice of Life" | John Sgueglia | Lauren Eve Anderson and David McFadzean | March 7, 1989 | 217 | 44.3[25] |
Becky prepares for a slumber party, and Darlene practices to pitch in a baseball game. Darlene is extremely moody, and storms out of the house after arguing with Roseanne. Later, Roseanne gets a phone call that Darlene was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Roseanne is wracked with guilt after Darlene develops complications; Roseanne and Dan anxiously wait for the doctor's prognosis. | |||||||
19 | 19 | "Workin' Overtime" | Ellen Falcon | Bill Pentland | March 14, 1989 | 203 | 41.2[26] |
The Wellman Plastics employees are exhausted after Booker continues to lengthen work shifts due to upped quotas and machinery errors. Even Roseanne, the queen of the circle, cannot handle the pressure—especially when Dan starts working overtime as well. After one too many long days, she takes a breather at a local diner where a waitress provides some perspective about life and loneliness. | |||||||
20 | 20 | "Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore" | John Sgueglia | Grace McKeaney | March 28, 1989 | 219 | 40.1[27] |
A dangerous tornado is heading for Lanford, and the Conners, along with Crystal (who takes shelter at their house), prepare for the storm. Problems arise: Becky insists on retrieving her pet guinea pigs from the garage, while Jackie barely makes it to shelter after a trip to the grocery store, prompting a fight with her and Roseanne. | |||||||
21 | 21 | "Death and Stuff" | John Sgueglia | Bill Pentland | April 11, 1989 | 220 | 39.2[28] |
During the family's busy weekend activities, a door-to-door salesman drops dead in the Conner kitchen. Roseanne and Dan attempt to conceal the corpse from potential buyers for their washer and dryer. The police officer who responded to their emergency call helps Darlene with a school assignment while waiting for the coroner to arrive. | |||||||
22 | 22 | "Dear Mom and Dad" | John Sgueglia | Danny Jacobson | April 18, 1989 | 221 | 41.8[29] |
An unannounced visit by Roseanne's parents throws the Conner house into an uproar. Dan and Jackie are pushing a usually outspoken Roseanne to stick up for herself after she is at a loss for words. Hostility and craziness abound, but the biggest shock comes when Bev announces that they are moving to Lanford. Bruce Willis makes a cameo appearance as himself during the end credits. | |||||||
23 | 23 | "Let's Call It Quits" | John Sgueglia | David McFadzean and Lauren Eve Anderson | May 2, 1989 | 222 | 35.8[30] |
The Wellman factory women rebel against the stringent rules imposed by a tough new supervisor. After he raises the cap on the quotas yet again, Roseanne asks him to ease off. The boss agrees, but only if Roseanne agrees to treat him with undeserved respect. When he reneges on the deal by claiming he now controls Roseanne, she, along with Jackie and their friends, permanently clock out. Final regular appearance of George Clooney as Booker. |
Season 2 (1989–90)
Note: All episodes were directed by John Pasquin.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 | 1 | "Inherit the Wind" | John Pasquin | Allan Katz | September 12, 1989 | 301 | 39.4[31] |
Roseanne tries her hand at telephone solicitation for Becky who had an embarrassing accident in front of the school council. Just as her speech was wrapping up, she broke wind. The whole school is talking about it, especially Darlene. Jackie and Roseanne's attempts to console a mortified Becky fail...that is, until Jimmy (Stephen Dorff) arrives at the Conner home for their Friday night date. | |||||||
25 | 2 | "The Little Sister" | John Pasquin | Joss Whedon | September 19, 1989 | 303 | 38.5[32] |
Jackie takes umbrage at Roseanne's snarky remarks about her career ambitions when she reveals that she has enrolled in the police academy. Becky gets caught reading Dan's girlie magazine; and Darlene commiserates with a drunken Jackie about her frustrations over being the little sister. | |||||||
26 | 3 | "Guilt by Disassociation" | John Pasquin | Tom Arnold | September 26, 1989 | 302 | 41.7[33] |
Roseanne gets her hopes up after a friend recommends her for an office job that would allow her to quit her hated telemarketing. After a quick interview, she lands the job—but the celebration is short-lived, when the offer is revoked due to her lack of computer knowledge. | |||||||
27 | 4 | "Somebody Stole My Gal" | John Pasquin | Martin Pasko and Rebecca Parr | October 3, 1989 | 304 | 43.5[34] |
Bert (Kevin Dunn), an emotionally needy architect at Dan's new job site adopts the Conners as a surrogate family, much to their chagrin. | |||||||
28 | 5 | "House of Grown-Ups" | John Pasquin | Joss Whedon | October 10, 1989 | 306 | 40.8[35] |
Roseanne feels abandoned when Jackie leaves for her six-week police academy training. When Becky dates a 17-year-old, and Darlene goes to her first co-ed party with her, Roseanne feels left out. After attempting to hang out with everyone, she settles into being alone. | |||||||
29 | 6 | "Five of a Kind" | John Pasquin | Norma Safford Vela and Danny Jacobson | October 24, 1989 | 308 | 38.6[36] |
A poker night becomes interesting when Roseanne receives a kiss from Dan's friend Arnie. Roseanne tells Jackie about the kiss but later realizes it was only a platonic gesture. | |||||||
30 | 7 | "BOO!" | John Pasquin | Norma Safford Vela | October 31, 1989 | 307 | 36.7[37] |
The Conners celebrate Halloween. Roseanne and Dan compete to see who is the spookiest. Roseanne tries to rekindle the spirit of Halloween for Becky who is upset after she was not invited to a party. | |||||||
31 | 8 | "Sweet Dreams" | John Pasquin | Danny Jacobson | November 7, 1989 | 305 | 36.3[38] |
Roseanne tries to relax in the bathtub despite constant interruptions from her family; she ends up dreaming about murdering her husband and kids. The dream ends with Roseanne on trial, her family back from the dead to testify on her behalf, and a lavish musical number. | |||||||
32 | 9 | "We Gather Together" | John Pasquin | Danny Jacobson | November 21, 1989 | 309 | 38.8[39] |
On Thanksgiving Day, Jackie finally tells her mother about her new police career. They end up being the main event with their bickering and snickering flowing throughout the holiday feast. After dinner, Dan gets a huge shock when he learns his father is romancing Crystal. Guest star: Ann Wedgeworth as Audrey (Dan's Mom) | |||||||
33 | 10 | "Brain-Dead Poets Society" | John Pasquin | Joss Whedon | November 28, 1989 | 310 | 37.9[40] |
Darlene's homework poem wins teacher recognition, and she is asked to read it at the school's Culture Night. Roseanne is thrilled, but Darlene does not want to go. Roseanne puts her foot down, and the family goes to the event, where Darlene's reading strikes an emotional chord with all. | |||||||
34 | 11 | "Lobocop" | John Pasquin | Tom Arnold | December 5, 1989 | 311 | 36.2[41] |
Roseanne gets a second job at the Lobo Lounge, but soon discovers that she and Dan are spending too much time apart. | |||||||
35 | 12 | "No Talking" | John Pasquin | Norma Safford Vela | December 12, 1989 | 312 | 37.3[42] |
Becky develops a really nasty attitude, becoming a monster and devolving her relationship with Roseanne, resulting in the two of them engaging in a particularly nasty string of fights that increase in ferocity. Becky gives her mother the silent treatment and locks her out of her bedroom, prompting Roseanne to remove the girls' door to force Becky to open up to her. | |||||||
36 | 13 | "Chicken Hearts" | John Pasquin | Joss Whedon | January 2, 1990 | 313 | 39.3 |
Roseanne's new job at a fast-food restaurant includes an obnoxious teenaged boss. When she invites him to dinner to try to butter him up for better shift hours, his nasty attitude soon convinces everyone that Roseanne deserves better treatment. Glenn Shadix guest-stars as an indecisive customer. | |||||||
37 | 14 | "One for the Road" | John Pasquin | Sheree Guitar | January 9, 1990 | 314 | 41.4 |
Dan and Roseanne are not home, leaving Becky in charge. She invites her friend, Dana over to do homework. When they take a break, Becky whips up a few 'Tornadoes' from the Conner's liquor cabinet, resulting in the girls getting drunk. A hung-over Becky is left to explain herself when Dana's mother arrives the next day demanding an explanation. | |||||||
38 | 15 | "An Officer and a Gentleman" | John Pasquin | Danny Jacobson and Norma Safford Vela | January 23, 1990 | 315 | 38.8 |
Jackie steps in as substitute mom when Roseanne has to go to Moline when their father breaks his leg. She dazzles Dan with her housekeeping skills out of a 1950's family sitcom. Jackie is surprised to learn what Dan, who often seems annoyed by his sister-in-law, really thinks of her and that he remembers the first time they met. | |||||||
39 | 16 | "Born to Be Wild" | John Pasquin | Stephen Paymer | January 30, 1990 | 316 | 38.0 |
The Conners' old biker pal Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) roars into town, making them feel old, fat, and trapped. In the end, they realize that while their lives are not what they had planned, they still feel fulfillment. | |||||||
40 | 17 | "Hair" | John Pasquin | Norma Safford Vela and Danny Jacobson | February 6, 1990 | 317 | 35.3 |
Crystal recommends Roseanne for a job at the beauty shop that she frequents, doing the same tasks that she does at home for free. Roseanne is hesitant, but once interviewed, is persuaded into the position by the shop owner. After a short time on the job, she is given a raise, and more responsibility. | |||||||
41 | 18 | "I'm Hungry" | John Pasquin | Danny Jacobson and Norma Safford Vela | February 13, 1990 | 318 | 31.1 |
Roseanne and Dan reach the point where they realize they must lose weight. Roseanne takes charge and puts strict restrictions on their diet, but she has the most trouble adapting to the new regime. | |||||||
42 | 19 | "All of Me" | John Pasquin | Norma Safford Vela and Danny Jacobson | February 20, 1990 | 319 | 32.6 |
Jackie has finally found 'the one,' but Roseanne continues to meddle. | |||||||
43 | 20 | "To Tell the Truth" | John Pasquin | Danny Jacobson and Norma Safford Vela | February 27, 1990 | 320 | 35.1 |
Jackie gives Roseanne the silent treatment when she has had enough of her meddling in her love life, but the sisters reconcile. Gary proposes to Jackie on a whim, and Roseanne goes into overdrive with wedding preparations, but Gary and Jackie soon realize they're not ready for marriage. As the ending credits roll there are photographs of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Princess of Wales. | |||||||
44 | 21 | "Fender Bender" | John Pasquin | Penelope Spheeris and Bill Gerber | March 20, 1990 | 322 | 34.3 |
Roseanne is rear-ended by Mrs. Wellman, injuring her neck, and must rest for awhile. When Mrs. Wellman does not apologize, Roseanne considers suing her. | |||||||
45 | 22 | "April Fool's Day" | John Pasquin | Stephen Paymer | April 10, 1990 | 323 | 33.4 |
It is tax season and Roseanne and Dan contemplate how to make the process easier. Dan eventually stresses out when he is unable to complete the tax form. Roseanne tries her hand but they end up traveling to the IRS office. | |||||||
46 | 23 | "Fathers and Daughters" | John Pasquin | Kim C. Friese | May 1, 1990 | 324 | 32.6 |
In an attempt to bond with their daughters, Dan goes to the mall with Becky, and Roseanne attends Darlene's basketball game. | |||||||
47 | 24 | "Happy Birthday" | John Pasquin | Geraldine Barr and Maxine Epstein | May 8, 1990 | 321 | 27.8 |
Roseanne, though only turning 37, feels she has hit a dead-end in her life. Always wanting to be a writer, Roseanne makes a wish on this birthday that she had more time to write. Dan and the kids surprise Roseanne with her own writing studio in the basement and leave her alone so she can write. Unfortunately, Roseanne is hit with a severe case of writer's block. |
Season 3 (1990–91)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
48 | 1 | "The Test" | John Whitesell | Bob Myer | September 18, 1990 | 401 | 29.8 |
Set in the middle of a hot summer day Dan is reluctant to give Becky driving lessons. Meanwhile, the whole family awaits the results of a more serious test being taken by Roseanne. | |||||||
49 | 2 | "Friends & Relatives" | John Whitesell | Chuck Lorre | September 25, 1990 | 402 | 26.2 |
Dan lends Arnie $1,500 to buy Nancy an engagement ring. He instead spends it on her breast implants. When Dan falls behind on the bills, Jackie wants to lend him money, but he refuses because she is a relative. DJ starts peeping on his sisters. | |||||||
50 | 3 | "Like a Virgin" | John Whitesell | Brad Isaacs | October 2, 1990 | 404 | 27.2v |
Roseanne and Dan think it is time to talk to Becky about birth control, then later catch Darlene making out on their couch. | |||||||
51 | 4 | "Like a New Job" | John Whitesell | Jeff Abugov | October 9, 1990 | 403 | 31.2 |
Roseanne quits her hair-salon job for a waitress job at the luncheonette in Rodbell's Department Store. Becky and Darlene fight over their room yet again. After Dan sends Darlene to live in the basement, Roseanne has trouble letting Dan resolve disputes between the kids. Note: Alyson Hannigan guest stars as one of Becky's friends who dines at the luncheonette. | |||||||
52 | 5 | "Goodbye Mr. Right" | John Whitesell | Bruce Graham | October 16, 1990 | 405 | 26.4 |
Becky and Darlene think DJ's a psycho when they find his under-the-bed secret stash of dismembered dolls; Jackie is injured in the line of duty and Gary gives her an ultimatum. | |||||||
53 | 6 | "Becky, Beds & Boys" | John Whitesell | Jennifer Heath and Amy Sherman | October 23, 1990 | 406 | 30.1 |
Roseanne and Dan shop for a new mattress. Becky starts dating Mark, a rebellious teen who Dan and Roseanne dislike. First appearance of Glenn Quinn as Mark. | |||||||
54 | 7 | "Trick or Treat" | John Whitesell | Story by : Chuck Lorre Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre and Jeff Abugov | October 30, 1990 | 407 | 29.1 |
Roseanne dresses as a male trucker for Halloween and mingles with some guys at the Lobo Lounge. Dan is upset because DJ wants to be a witch for Halloween. | |||||||
55 | 8 | "PMS, I Love You" | John Whitesell | Tom Arnold | November 6, 1990 | 408 | 28.2 |
Roseanne's PMS coincides with Dan's birthday. He wants to avoid it by going fishing, but Roseanne is throwing him a surprise party, and the rest of family insist that he attend. | |||||||
56 | 9 | "Bird is the Word" | John Whitesell | Joel Madison and Don Foster | November 13, 1990 | 409 | 27.1 |
Becky is suspended for allegedly making an obscene gesture in her class photo, earning her popularity at school, but making Roseanne angry that she has to visit the principal. Dan has plans for Becky's suspension. | |||||||
57 | 10 | "Dream Lover" | John Whitesell | Chuck Lorre | November 27, 1990 | 410 | 28.3 |
When Dan starts dreaming about the woman who works at the mall hardware store, Roseanne feels threatened. She decides to meet the woman. | |||||||
58 | 11 | "Do You Know Where Your Parents Are?" | John Whitesell | David A. Caplan and Brian LaPan | December 4, 1990 | 411 | 28.5 |
When Becky and Darlene break curfew, Dan and Roseanne try to teach them a lesson by staying out late and sending Jackie to the house to gaslight the girls into worrying. | |||||||
59 | 12 | "Confessions" | John Whitesell | Brad Isaacs | December 18, 1990 | 412 | 27.4 |
When Bev pays a surprise visit, Roseanne tricks Jackie into coming over for her share of their mother's torture. Roseanne is crushed to learn that Bev had always considered Roseanne 'ordinary' and that Jackie had potential. | |||||||
60 | 13 | "The Courtship of Eddie, Dan's Father" | John Whitesell | Story by : Bob Myer Teleplay by : Don Foster and Joel Madison | January 8, 1991 | 413 | 28.9 |
It is Ed Conner's turn to favor the family with a surprise visit, resulting in a short-lived truce with Dan that ends when he announces that he and Crystal are planning to marry. | |||||||
61 | 14 | "The Wedding" | John Whitesell | Jeff Abugov | January 15, 1991 | 414 | 30.5 |
Dan struggles to accept the unlikely pairing of Ed and Crystal, especially when Crystal announces that she is pregnant. Dan refuses to attend their wedding. | |||||||
62 | 15 | "Becky Doesn't Live Here Anymore" | Gail Mancuso Cordray | Amy Sherman and Jennifer Heath | January 22, 1991 | 415 | 30.0 |
Becky storms out of the house and goes to Jackie's after being grounded for lying about seeing Mark. | |||||||
63 | 16 | "Home-Ec" | John Whitesell | Mark Lloyd Rappaport | February 5, 1991 | 416 | 28.5 |
Roseanne is upset that Darlene's home-economics class only invited fathers to discuss their careers. She visits the class to talk about being a working mother, then takes the students on a field trip to the supermarket, followed by them preparing a meal at the Conner home. Meanwhile Dan is helping DJ's bullying problem but it turns out DJ hired a bodyguard to defend him. | |||||||
64 | 17 | "Valentine's Day" | John Whitesell | Bob Myer | February 12, 1991 | 417 | 28.5 |
Roseanne anticipates a special Valentine's Day gift from Dan; Darlene is disappointed when her crush instead invites Becky to a school dance. First appearance of Martin Mull as Leon, Roseanne's new boss, and Bonnie Sheridan as Bonnie, the new waitress at the diner. | |||||||
65 | 18 | "Communicable Theater" | John Whitesell | Jennifer Heath and Amy Sherman | February 19, 1991 | 418 | 29.4 |
Roseanne lends more than moral support when Jackie lands a part in the community-theater presentation of Cyrano de Bergerac. Jackie finds herself unprepared when she has to step in for the sick lead actress. | |||||||
66 | 19 | "Vegas Interruptus" | John Whitesell | Story by : Bob Myer Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre and Jeff Abugov | February 26, 1991 | 419 | 28.6 |
A snowstorm threatens Roseanne and Dan's trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, but saves Roseanne's job. | |||||||
67 | 20 | "Her Boyfriend's Back" | John Whitesell | Story by : Sheldon Krasner and David Saling Teleplay by : Brad Isaacs and Maxine Lapiduss | March 12, 1991 | 420 | 31.5 |
Dan discovers that Mark and Becky rode Dan's vintage motorcycle without permission, and that Mark tinkered with the engine. Feeling betrayed, especially after defending her earlier, Dan gives Becky the silent treatment. Roseanne confronts Mark about his true intentions. | |||||||
68 | 21 | "Troubles with the Rubbles" | John Whitesell | Joel Madison | March 26, 1991 | 421 | 27.7 |
Roseanne meets her new neighbors, Kathy and Jerry Bowman and their young son, Todd. Kathy is snobby and aloof to Roseanne, while Jerry and Dan hit it off, and D.J. and Todd become fast friends. After a particularly nasty argument with Kathy, Roseanne has to eat some crow for D.J.'s sake. | |||||||
69 | 22 | "Second Time Around" | John Whitesell | Maxine Lapiduss | April 2, 1991 | 422 | 23.2 |
Roseanne assists Crystal in her Lamaze classes. After Dan's near-fatal accident at work, DJ follows him around obsessively. Jackie is upset and offended to learn that Roseanne and Dan intend to leave the kids to Crystal and Ed if they should die. | |||||||
70 | 23 | "Dances with Darlene" | Gail Mancuso Cordray | Brad Isaacs | April 30, 1991 | 425 | 25.3 |
When Darlene is invited to the school dance, Roseanne brings home fancy dresses for her to try on, annoying Darlene. Meanwhile, it is evaluation time at work for Roseanne and Bonnie, but the inspector seems more interested in seducing Leon. Roseanne and Bonnie learn that Leon is gay when his boyfriend stops by the restaurant. | |||||||
71 | 24 | "Scenes from a Barbecue" | John Whitesell | Bob Myer and Chuck Lorre | May 7, 1991 | 423 | 25.6 |
The Conners hold a Mother's Day barbecue at which feisty Nana Mary exerts her motherhood muscle on Bev, surprising Roseanne and Jackie with how alike their relationships are. | |||||||
72 | 25 | "The Pied Piper of Lanford" | John Whitesell | Jeff Abugov | May 14, 1991 | 424 | 21.9 |
Roseanne and Dan ponder opening a motorcycle shop with their friend, Ziggy. Ziggy gets cold feet at the last minute but leaves behind a generous token of gratitude: $20,000. Brad Garrett appears in this episode. |
Season 4 (1991–92)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
73 | 1 | "A Bitter Pill to Swallow" | Andrew D. Weyman | Amy Sherman and Jennifer Heath | September 17, 1991 | 501 | 28.5 |
While the Conners are preparing to open their own bike shop, Becky seeks birth control advice from Jackie, who encourages Becky to also talk to Roseanne. Becky later confides to her mother that she has already slept with Mark. | |||||||
74 | 2 | "Take My Bike ... Please!" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Mark Rosewater Teleplay by : Bob Myer | September 24, 1991 | 504 | 32.8 |
Dan and Roseanne, working 15-hour days, leave Becky in charge at home, causing friction between Becky and Darlene. DJ starts to feel neglected. This episode features the first appearance of Dan Butler as Art. | |||||||
75 | 3 | "Why Jackie Becomes a Trucker" | Andrew D. Weyman | Chuck Lorre | October 1, 1991 | 502 | 33.4 |
Jackie is horrified to wake up in bed with Arnie after a drunken fling. Roseanne tries endlessly to return DJ's new dog to its owner. Dan and his pals discover Leon's gay when they invite him to their poker game. Jackie decides to start a new career as a professional truck driver. | |||||||
76 | 4 | "Darlene Fades to Black" | Andrew D. Weyman | Jeff Abugov | October 8, 1991 | 503 | 32.0 |
Darlene slips into a depressive state, constantly spending time alone. Meanwhile, Becky has her eye on a motor scooter from Dan's shop. | |||||||
77 | 5 | "Tolerate Thy Neighbor" | Andrew D. Weyman | Maxine Lapiduss and Martin Mull | October 15, 1991 | 505 | 31.0 |
Roseanne witnesses the Bowmans' possessions being donated to what she believes is charity while the Bowmans are out-of-town. Kathy Bowman is furious that Roseanne watched without realizing the house was being robbed. Bob Hope makes a cameo appearance during the end credits of this episode. | |||||||
78 | 6 | "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down" | Andrew D. Weyman | Amy Sherman | October 29, 1991 | 506 | 36.7 |
When Dan and Roseanne play a gruesome Halloween prank on Kathy Bowman, Roseanne is worried that Kathy will get revenge. Her fears turned out to be for naught as Kathy wants nothing to do with Roseanne and her childish pranks. At the lodge's Halloween party, Jackie discovers that the moose she has been flirting with is Booker, her former boyfriend. | |||||||
79 | 7 | "Vegas" | Andrew D. Weyman | Don Foster and Sid Youngers | November 5, 1991 | 507 | 32.4 |
Arnie and Nancy invite Roseanne and Dan to their Las Vegas wedding. Roseanne and Dan have a fight when she feels neglected and pulls him out of a lucky craps game. | |||||||
80 | 8 | "Vegas, Vegas" | Andrew D. Weyman | Joel Madison and Mark Rosewater | November 12, 1991 | 508 | 36.1 |
Roseanne is upset that Dan would rather play craps than spend a romantic night together. She and Nancy get drunk and walk into a Wayne Newton impersonator performance, unaware she is heckling the real Wayne Newton who is making a surprise on-stage appearance. After Arnie and Nancy's wedding, they offer Dan and Roseanne the chance to renew their vows. | |||||||
81 | 9 | "Stressed to Kill" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Bob Myer and Chuck Lorre Teleplay by : Jeff Abugov and Maxine Lapiduss | November 19, 1991 | 510 | 28.5 |
Roseanne resumes smoking to cope with her stressful life—then tries to hide the renewed habit from her family. Roseanne is thrilled when Darlene gets a B on a school report until she learns that Becky actually wrote it for her. | |||||||
82 | 10 | "Thanksgiving '91" | Andrew D. Weyman | Brad Isaacs | November 26, 1991 | 509 | 29.7 |
During Thanksgiving dinner, Roseanne and Jackie discover their father has been having an affair for 20 years that their mother has known about. Darlene hides out in her room and refuses to open up to anyone except Nana Mary. | |||||||
83 | 11 | "Kansas City, Here We Come" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Amy Sherman and David Forbes Teleplay by : Don Foster and Jennifer Heath | December 3, 1991 | 511 | 34.6 |
Jackie and Roseanne head to Kansas City to meet their father's mistress. Dan goes to beat up Becky's boss for being grossly disrespectful to her, but finds that Mark has beaten him to it. | |||||||
84 | 12 | "Santa Claus" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Barry Vigon Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre and Maxine Lapiduss | December 17, 1991 | 512 | 32.3 |
Roseanne and Jackie are the new Santa and Mrs. Claus at Rodbell's; while on duty, Roseanne meets Darlene's new friend Karen...and Karen's son. She is resentful that Darlene refused to open up to her but has shared her writing with Karen. | |||||||
85 | 13 | "Bingo" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Tom Arnold and Robert Miranda Teleplay by : Joel Madison and Sid Youngers | January 7, 1992 | 513 | 36.4 |
Crystal, Roseanne, Bonnie, Anne Marie, and Jackie attend bingo for their girl's night out, while Becky and Darlene look after Little Ed. Roseanne wins a game and quickly becomes addicted, which sparks a fight with Crystal. But Crystal's real story is that she is pregnant again and already feels overwhelmed raising Little Ed and her teenage son while Ed is often away on business. | |||||||
86 | 14 | "The Bowling Show" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Don Foster Teleplay by : Jeff Abugov and Amy Sherman | January 21, 1992 | 514 | 32.4 |
Dan and Arnie struggle to bring their bowling team out of last place, while Roseanne feels shut out of Jackie and Nancy's new friendship. Darlene meets Mark's brother, David for the first time (although he is referred to as Kevin in this episode). David Crosby appears as Bonnie's partner, Duke, in this episode, and Johnny Galecki makes his first appearance as David Healey. | |||||||
87 | 15 | "The Back Story" | Andrew D. Weyman | Bob Myer | February 4, 1992 | 515 | 37.1 |
Bev arrives in time to help with DJ's 10th birthday, after Roseanne throws her back out. Dan is thrilled to spoil his kids when he buys DJ a Super Nintendo as a birthday present and strikes a car-buying deal with Becky, but his plans are upset when Bev beats him to the punch. | |||||||
88 | 16 | "Less is More" | Gail Mancuso Cordray | Story by : Amy Sherman Teleplay by : Maxine Lapiduss and Don Foster | February 11, 1992 | 517 | 28.1 |
Roseanne's doctor recommends she get a breast reduction to reduce stress on her back. She agrees in spite of a nightmare (featuring a cameo appearance by Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser, MD), in which her breasts are accidentally enlarged to gigantic proportions. | |||||||
89 | 17 | "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" | Andrew D. Weyman | Jennifer Heath | February 18, 1992 | 516 | 32.4 |
When Becky breaks up with Mark, Roseanne and Dan can finally relax. | |||||||
90 | 18 | "This Old House" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Michael Poryes Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre and Jeff Abugov | February 25, 1992 | 518 | 30.1 |
Roseanne and Dan are furious when they learn that Darlene skipped school to attend a comic book convention in Chicago with David. Jackie and Roseanne return to their vacant childhood home and relive painful memories about their abusive father. | |||||||
91 | 19 | "The Commercial Show" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Maxine Lapiduss and Chuck Lorre Teleplay by : Maxine Lapiduss and Jennifer Heath | March 3, 1992 | 519 | 34.6 |
The Conners are picked for a Rodbell's commercial, much to Darlene's embarrassment. Leon and his partner break up. The Bowmans are moving back to Chicago. | |||||||
92 | 20 | "Therapy" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Chuck Lorre Teleplay by : Joel Madison and Sid Youngers | March 17, 1992 | 520 | 33.7 |
Darlene mouths off about a girl at school, and Roseanne accompanies Jackie to her therapist. | |||||||
93 | 21 | "Lies" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Jeff Abugov Teleplay by : Don Foster and Sid Youngers | March 24, 1992 | 521 | 37.6 |
Darlene bypasses Roseanne for advice on David. Roseanne is anxious about a lie detector test in her workplace. | |||||||
94 | 22 | "Deliverance" | Gail Mancuso Cordray | Story by : Chuck Lorre Teleplay by : Jeff Abugov and Joel Madison | March 31, 1992 | 522 | 37.0 |
8-months-pregnant Crystal goes into labor and Dan coaches her as she gives birth to her long-awaited daughter. Roseanne and Bonnie feud over who will manage the coffee shop, the feud causing Roseanne and Jackie to miss Crystals daughter being born, but both learn it is closing down in three weeks. Darlene tells David to stop crowding her. | |||||||
95 | 23 | "Secrets" | Andrew D. Weyman | Lawrence H. Levy | April 28, 1992 | 524 | 33.5 |
Depressed because Becky still will not see him, Mark gets drunk at the Lobo Lounge and puts his fist through the jukebox. Dan tends to him, then must lie to Roseanne and Becky. | |||||||
96 | 24 | "Don't Make Me Over" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Sara Gilbert Teleplay by : Maxine Lapiduss and Don Foster & Sid Youngers | May 5, 1992 | 523 | 31.9 |
Determined to attend a faraway rock concert, Becky and Darlene attempt to soften up Roseanne with a Mother's-Day spa-pampering. Roseanne is thrilled until she discovers their ulterior motive. Roseanne grounds D.J. from watching TV after he gets a bad report from his math teacher. She chides Dan for always leaving the kids' punishments up to her. Dan then cooks up a unique punishment for Becky and Darlene for their duplicity. | |||||||
97 | 25 | "Aliens" | Andrew D. Weyman | Story by : Joel Madison and Ron Nelson Teleplay by : Jeff Abugov and Joel Madison | May 12, 1992 | 525 | 32.7 |
DJ's spelling-bee triumph is a welcome bright spot as Rodbell's luncheonette closes down and Dan's bike shop continues its slow descent. Meanwhile, Nancy is heartbroken when Arnie leaves her, especially when he claims he was abducted by aliens. |
Season 5 (1992–93)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
98 | 1 | "Terms of Estrangement: Part 1" | Andrew D. Weyman | Sy Dukane and Denise Moss | September 15, 1992 | 601 | 36.7 |
Roseanne and Dan adjust to losing their bike shop while seeking new jobs. Meanwhile, when Mark receives a great job offer in Minneapolis, he and Becky elope. | |||||||
99 | 2 | "Terms of Estrangement: Part 2" | Andrew D. Weyman | Rob Ulin | September 22, 1992 | 602 | 36.0 |
Becky returns home to collect her belongings, while Roseanne struggles to accept her daughter's marriage and tries to cheer-up Dan after he closes the bike shop. Dan avoids talking to Becky. | |||||||
100 | 3 | "The Dark Ages" | Andrew D. Weyman | Eric Gilliland and Mike Gandolfi | September 29, 1992 | 603 | 35.9 |
The Conners' electricity is cut off when they cannot pay the bill. Darlene and David stay up all night in Darlene's bedroom working on their comic book. When Roseanne and Dan do not believe Darlene when she insists they did not sleep together, she lashes out, feeling punished for Becky's mistakes. Dan phones Becky, finally thawing the ice between them. This episode concludes by breaking the fourth wall with Roseanne and Laurie Metcalf wrestling over the Emmy award that Metcalf won. John Goodman eventually joined in before they all ran offstage and out a studio door accompanied by Tom Arnold. | |||||||
101 | 4 | "Mommy Nearest" | Andrew D. Weyman | Janice Jordan and Monica Piper | October 6, 1992 | 604 | 33.7 |
Jackie starts dating Fisher, a much younger guy played by Metcalf's real-life husband, (Matt Roth). Bev makes a large profit after selling her house and gives Roseanne and Jackie $10,000 each. | |||||||
102 | 5 | "Pretty in Black" | Andrew D. Weyman | Amy Sherman | October 13, 1992 | 605 | 31.5 |
The Conners enjoy torturing Darlene by pretending to give her a dreaded Sweet-Sixteen birthday party. While playing "Truth or Dare" with Jackie, Anne Maire, and Crystal, Roseanne suffers an embarrassing incident when she unexpectedly meets the Conners new neighbor, Ty Tilden (Wings Hauser), a widower with two teen-aged daughters, Charlotte (Mara Hobel) and Molly (Danielle Harris). | |||||||
103 | 6 | "Looking for Loans in All the Wrong Places" | Andrew D. Weyman | Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline | October 20, 1992 | 606 | 30.4 |
Roseanne and Jackie decide to open a diner with Nancy, using the money that Bev gave them. When the three are unable to get a bank loan for the additional needed capital, Bev agrees to put up another $10,000, but only as a 4th partner. Molly complains to Darlene about D.J.'s voyeurism, and Darlene confronts Molly about her flirtatious behavior with David. | |||||||
104 | 7 | "Halloween IV" | Andrew D. Weyman | Rob Ulin | October 27, 1992 | 607 | 37.0 |
Becky's absence has drained Roseanne's Halloween spirit, so she is visited by the ghosts of Halloween Past, Present, and a truly terrifying Future. | |||||||
105 | 8 | "Ladies' Choice" | Andrew D. Weyman | Betsy Borns and David Raether | November 10, 1992 | 608 | 32.4 |
Roseanne and Jackie are shocked to discover that Nancy is a lesbian. Roseanne thinks she is getting old when Bev moves into a retirement community. | |||||||
106 | 9 | "Stand on Your Man" | Andrew D. Weyman | Denise Moss and Sy Dukane | November 17, 1992 | 610 | 33.7 |
Roseanne, working a late shift at the diner alone, is threatened by an aggressive customer, prompting the girls to take a self-defense class. When Arnie wants to return to Nancy, he learns she is a lesbian. | |||||||
107 | 10 | "Good Girls, Bad Girls" | Andrew D. Weyman | Amy Sherman | November 24, 1992 | 609 | 30.5 |
Molly has an extra ticket for a rock concert in a neighboring town, and Roseanne reluctantly allows Darlene to go. When Darlene arrives home in a cab at 4:00 a.m., Roseanne initially doubts her explanation that Molly ditched her to smoke pot in a stranger's van. | |||||||
108 | 11 | "Of Ice and Men" | Andrew D. Weyman | Robert Borden and Norm Macdonald | December 1, 1992 | 611 | 35.2 |
Fisher offers to coach D.J. in hockey. Jackie breaks up with Fisher because she fears him leaving her for a younger woman. When Roseanne convinces Jackie to get back together with him, she moves in with him. | |||||||
109 | 12 | "It's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" | Andrew D. Weyman | Eric Gilliland | December 15, 1992 | 612 | 34.4 |
A snowstorm forces the Conners to be far-flung on Christmas Eve: Roseanne, Jackie, Bev, and Nana Mary are stuck at the Lunchbox; Dan, DJ, Nancy and Nancy's Girlfriend Maria (Morgan Fairchild) are trapped at the Conner house; and Darlene is stranded at David's, witnessing his abusive home life. | |||||||
110 | 13 | "Crime and Punishment" | Andrew D. Weyman | Bruce Rasmussen | January 5, 1993 | 613 | 38.3 |
The Connors are called to DJ's school to discuss the "obscene" reading material he brought to class. Dan and Roseanne are shocked to learn it is one of Darlene and David's comic books. Later, Darlene accidentally walks in on Jackie in D.J.'s bathroom, finding her covered with bruises. Roseanne presses Jackie for an explanation and learns that Fisher assaulted her. Dan beats up Fisher and lands in jail. Ed Begley, Jr. appears in this episode. Brice Beckham (Mr. Belvedere) appears. | |||||||
111 | 14 | "War and Peace" | Andrew D. Weyman | DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler | January 12, 1993 | 614 | 38.8 |
As Roseanne takes Jackie to the hospital, and Darlene bails Dan out of jail, the news of Dan hitting Fisher quickly spreads through town. Meanwhile, Fisher begs Jackie to come back. Roseanne is shocked to hear this was not the first time Fisher hit Jackie, but learns that Jackie is strong enough to make her own decisions. | |||||||
112 | 15 | "Lanford Daze" | Andrew D. Weyman | Monica Piper and David Raether | January 26, 1993 | 615 | N/A |
Vegetarian Darlene vandalizes the Lunch Box as a protest against eating animals. To punish Darlene, Roseanne forces her to sell loose-meat sandwiches at the diner's Lanford Days festival concession stand. Darlene is chagrined, but everyone else is thrilled when country music star Loretta Lynn, stops by. | |||||||
113 | 16 | "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" | Andrew D. Weyman | Amy Sherman | February 9, 1993 | 616 | 32.3 |
Roseanne and Jackie's father dies. His mistress, Joan, shows up for the funeral, causing friction between Roseanne and Jackie and a confrontation with Bev. Roseanne is upset that her father never regretted his abusive behavior. Joan tells Roseanne her dad thought he was a wonderful father and she feels Roseanne and Jackie were ungrateful to him. | |||||||
114 | 17 | "First Cousin, Twice Removed" | Andrew D. Weyman | Janice Jordan | February 16, 1993 | 617 | 29.0 |
Ronnie (Joan Collins), Obnoxious, wealthy cousin Ronnie comes to town, hoping to end a years-long feud with Roseanne. Years ago she excluded Roseanne from her wedding party. Ronnie encourages Darlene to follow her dream to move to New York City, offering her a place to stay. | |||||||
115 | 18 | "Lose a Job, Winnebago" | Andrew D. Weyman | Norm Macdonald | February 23, 1993 | 618 | 33.3 |
The Conners go on a road trip to California with the Tildens for a taping of The Jackie Thomas Show; Dan tells Roseanne he wants to have another child, though Roseanne is cool to the idea. | |||||||
116 | 19 | "It's a Boy!" | Andrew D. Weyman | Rob Ulin | March 2, 1993 | 619 | 31.2 |
Darlene begs Roseanne to let David move in with them. Roseanne relents only after she sees first-hand his abusive mother's treatment toward him. | |||||||
117 | 20 | "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" | Andrew D. Weyman | Betsy Borns | March 9, 1993 | 620 | 29.4 |
Rosanne is in a tizzy when she is unable to find her wedding ring, unaware that Dan secretly borrowed it to have it redesigned as a 20th anniversary gift. Roseanne poses for a sexy photograph to give to Dan but is angry when he has to work on their anniversary night, unaware he took the temporary job to pay for the ring. Bill Maher appears in this episode. | |||||||
118 | 21 | "Playing with Matches" | Andrew D. Weyman | Robert Borden | March 23, 1993 | 621 | 32.6 |
Roseanne wants to set her mother up with a friend from the retirement home; Molly puts the moves on David. | |||||||
119 | 22 | "Promises, Promises" | Andrew D. Weyman | Mike Gandolfi | April 6, 1993 | 622 | 28.6 |
Darlene attends the prom with David, then surprises him afterward with a motel room she has rented. Tim Curry appears in this episode. Jackie is jealous when Nancy goes back to men by dating Roger. | |||||||
120 | 23 | "Glengarry, Glen Rosey" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Sy Dukane and Denise Moss Teleplay by : Lois Bromfield and Scott Burton | May 4, 1993 | 623 | 22.2 |
Dan remodels an old house to sell for a profit. When the buyer backs out at the last minute, Dan might lose his own home after business partner, Roger, runs out on him and the bill for the building materials Dan bought on credit comes due. Jackie, currently living with Bev at the retirement home, makes a big decision. Tim Curry appears in this episode. Chris Farley has an uncredited cameo in this episode. | |||||||
121 | 24 | "Tooth or Consequences" | Gail Mancuso | Leslie Reider | May 11, 1993 | 624 | 27.0 |
Dan accidentally knocks out Roseanne's tooth the day the health inspector, who turns out to be her old boss, Leon, visits the restaurant. After Darlene and David consummate their relationship, Darlene gets accepted to a Chicago art school, but David is turned down. Bob Odenkirk appears in this episode. | |||||||
122 | 25 | "Daughters and Other Strangers" | Jeff Margolis | Eric Gilliland | May 18, 1993 | 625 | 28.8 |
Roseanne and Dan agree to let Darlene attend school in Chicago; D.J. befriends George, an annoying neighbor boy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). |
Season 6 (1993–94)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
123 | 1 | "Two Down, One to Go" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Amy Sherman | September 14, 1993 | 701 | 30.1 |
Roseanne is upset when Darlene refuses to let her mother drive her to Chicago for school. Desperate to keep Darlene from leaving, David proposes marriage, which Darlene declines as a crazy idea. Roseanne insists on taking Darlene to Chicago, and ends up spending the night in Darlene's new apartment where they engage in a mother-daughter talk. | |||||||
124 | 2 | "The Mommy's Curse" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Eric Gilliland | September 21, 1993 | 704 | 27.7 |
Roseanne and Jackie have had their fill of Bev at the Lunchbox, so Bev agrees to step aside, but secretly sells her share to Leon, Roseanne's old boss. Elsewhere, Fred, Dan's co-worker at the garage, asks Jackie out for a date, marking his first appearance in the series. | |||||||
125 | 3 | "Party Politics" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Miriam Trogdon | September 28, 1993 | 703 | 29.4 |
Roseanne orchestrates a weekend at home for David and Darlene in hopes of getting them back together. When Darlene discovers her mother's plan, she and DJ team up to plot revenge. Also, DJ has been skipping school, so Darlene covers for him, though Roseanne soon suspects something is going on. Jackie refuses to date Fred again after their one-night stand. | |||||||
126 | 4 | "A Stash from the Past" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Kevin Abbott | October 5, 1993 | 705 | 30.4 |
Roseanne punishes David after finding a bag of marijuana in David's room. David, thinking it is Darlene's, covers for her by saying it is his. Darlene suspects it must belong to Becky. Dan realizes that it is his and Roseanne's 20-year-old stash, so they and Jackie indulge once more for old times' sake. In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #21 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[43] | |||||||
127 | 5 | "Be My Baby" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Rob Ulin | October 19, 1993 | 706 | 31.9 |
Roseanne has been trying unsuccessfully for months to get pregnant, but it is Jackie who announces that she is expecting after her one-night stand with Fred. | |||||||
128 | 6 | "Halloween V" | Gail Mancuso | Betsy Borns and Miriam Trogdon | October 26, 1993 | 708 | 34.5 |
Nancy thinks Dan dislikes her, and Roseanne soon realizes she is right. Darlene and David scheme to terrify Roseanne on Halloween. | |||||||
129 | 7 | "Homeward Bound" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Michael Borkow | November 2, 1993 | 702 | 29.4 |
Darlene returns home and realizes how much David misses her. After Darlene leaves, David tells Roseanne and Dan that he is moving back in with his mother in another town when in reality he moves in with Darlene in Chicago. Roseanne and Dan learn that DJ has begun masturbating and struggle figuring how to deal with it. | |||||||
130 | 8 | "Guilt by Imagination" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Lois Bromfield Teleplay by : Pat Bullard and Stevie Ray Fromstein | November 9, 1993 | 707 | 29.4 |
Dan has lunch with old flame Phyllis Zimmer (mentioned in the 1st-season episode "The Memory Game"), and has trouble keeping it from Roseanne. Vicki Lawrence appears in this episode. | |||||||
131 | 9 | "Homecoming" | Gail Mancuso | Sid Youngers | November 16, 1993 | 709 | 28.6 |
When Becky and Mark return for a visit, Roseanne, seeing they are drifting apart, schemes to break them up for good, but realizes maybe Mark is not to blame. Dan's 20th high-school football-team anniversary celebration is being held at the Conner house. | |||||||
132 | 10 | "Thanksgiving '93" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Michael Borkow and Mike Gandolfi | November 23, 1993 | 710 | 33.0 |
Nana Mary embarrasses a heavily pregnant Jackie and also reveals a secret about Bev's marriage; Becky prepares the holiday feast; and Dan and Mark squabble. | |||||||
133 | 11 | "The Driver's Seat" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | James Berg and Stan Zimmerman | November 30, 1993 | 711 | 29.3 |
Roseanne's suspicions that Leon is usurping her position at the Lunch Box are cast aside by Nancy and Jackie but ultimately prove to be true. D.J. steals Roseanne's car, and her violent response has her questioning whether she is repeating her father's pattern of childhood abuse. | |||||||
134 | 12 | "White Trash Christmas" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Lawrence Broch and William Lucas Walker | December 14, 1993 | 712 | 31.4 |
Roseanne and Dan go all out for Christmas in indignant reaction to their neighborhood association's limits on exterior decorations after the Conners' previous tacky efforts. Roseanne and Dan are angry that Becky uses the money earmarked for Becky's education to instead pay for Mark's trade school tuition. Becky further annoys them by taking a job as a skimpily-clad waitress at "Bunz" (a veiled reference to "Hooters"). When Bev and D.J. visit Darlene in Chicago, D.J. discovers David is living with his sister. | |||||||
135 | 13 | "Suck Up or Shut Up" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Amy Morland Teleplay by : Betsy Borns and Mike Gandolfi | January 4, 1994 | 713 | 32.3 |
Leon pushes Roseanne to join a women's business association so she can network to help the diner. Roseanne presses D.J. to befriend the offbeat son of one of the association's members (Florence Henderson). Dan discovers Mark has dropped out of trade school when he catches him hanging out at the Lobo. | |||||||
136 | 14 | "Busted" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Amy Sherman | January 11, 1994 | 714 | 31.6 |
Mark wants to leave Becky because he thinks he is not good enough for her. Becky blames Roseanne for making her push Mark to go to school. In Chicago, Darlene and David's relationship is becoming strained from being together all the time. When Roseanne goes to talk to Mark, his roommate, Roy (Ahmet Zappa), accidentally lets slip that David and Darlene are living together in Chicago. Roseanne drives to Chicago and brings David back, then hides the truth from Dan. | |||||||
137 | 15 | "David vs. Goliath" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Steve Pepoon | February 1, 1994 | 716 | 28.8 |
Roseanne blackmails David into being her live-in "maid" in exchange for saying nothing to Dan about David and Darlene's living arrangement. However, David feels guilty and confesses the truth to Dan, who reacts by angrily throwing him out of the house; Roseanne persuades pregnant Jackie to temporarily take David in. Becky pressures Dan to hiring Mark for a job at the city garage. Jackie refuses any money from Fred for the baby, forcing him to secretly slip cash into her tip jar. | |||||||
138 | 16 | "Everyone Comes to Jackie's" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Betsy Borns and Mike Gandolfi | February 8, 1994 | 715 | 32.5 |
Jackie's house buzzes with activity as Roseanne hides David from Dan who, in the heat of anger over David's duplicity, suggests to Fred that he sue Jackie for custody of their baby. Darlene returns to make peace, only to find that Dan blames David for the entire situation. | |||||||
139 | 17 | "Don't Make Room for Daddy" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Kevin Abbott and Stevie Ray Fromstein | February 15, 1994 | 717 | 23.0 |
Fred sues Jackie for custody of their unborn baby, leaving Jackie upset when served with the papers. Dan tries to cover up that the lawsuit was his suggestion. Even when Fred is willing to drop the lawsuit, Jackie treats him like garbage, thinking this is just some ploy to get together with her. Roseanne furiously derides Jackie for how cruel she's being, saying that not all men are like Fisher or their father, two men who hurt her, and that her crusade of hatred towards men will only hurt her more. It got through as Jackie and Fred end up together. | |||||||
140 | 18 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Michael Borkow Teleplay by : James Berg and Stan Zimmerman | March 1, 1994 | 718 | 31.8 |
Roseanne is the life of the party at a gay bar until Nancy's girlfriend kisses her. One of Becky's old boyfriends gives Mark a reason to distrust her. | |||||||
141 | 19 | "Labor Day" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Rob Ulin Teleplay by : Miriam Trogdon | March 8, 1994 | 719 | 35.0 |
Roseanne is upset that Jackie wants Fred in the delivery room instead of her. But she is the one who is there when the contractions start, having delayed contacting Fred, who barely makes it to the hospital in time. Jackie gives birth to a son she names Andy. | |||||||
142 | 20 | "Past Imperfect" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | David Raether | March 22, 1994 | 720 | 29.1 |
When Dan's father misses an alimony payment to Dan's mother, Dan feels he has to give her money. Fred quizzes Jackie about her sexual history, then regrets asking. | |||||||
143 | 21 | "Lies My Father Told Me" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Story by : Rob Ulin Teleplay by : Eric Gilliland | March 29, 1994 | 721 | 33.6 |
Roseanne helps Dan cope with life-altering news: his mother has a life-long history of mental illness and psychiatric-hospital stays that he never knew about. Ed had let Dan grow up believing her imbalance was Ed's fault, making his mother look good in Dan's eyes. Dan grapples with accepting that Ed was not the bad father he believed him to be. | |||||||
144 | 22 | "I Pray the Lord My Stove to Keep" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Kevin Abbott and Pat Bullard | May 3, 1994 | 722 | 23.3 |
D.J. has secretly been attending church (saying he was spending that time with a friend). He then gives Roseanne grief about morals when she wants to keep an extra stove that was delivered to the diner in error. Jesco White makes a cameo appearance, clogg dancing during the end credits. | |||||||
145 | 23 | "Body by Jake" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | David Forbes | May 10, 1994 | 723 | 28.2 |
When Bev breaks her pelvis at the retirement home, she claims she fell in the shower but Roseanne discovers the real story. Fred pops the question to Jackie. | |||||||
146 | 24 | "Isn't It Romantic?" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Timothy Schlattmann and Perry Dance Teleplay by : Leif Sandaas and Cynthia Hogle | May 17, 1994 | 724 | 25.3 |
Mark and David struggle with the concept of feminism, also using it to curry favor with their partners. Fred asks Roseanne's advice on proposing to Jackie, then studies Jackie's favorite soap opera for tips. Roseanne demands passion from Dan, but turns to fantasy instead. | |||||||
147 | 25 | "Altar Egos" | Mark K. Samuels | Rob Ulin and Eric Gilliland | May 24, 1994 | 725 | 28.1 |
Fred and Jackie consider calling off the wedding because Fred thinks Jackie has a crush on Dan. When Fred realizes he is wrong, he begs Jackie to marry him. Fred and Jackie marry in the Conners' living room. |
Season 7 (1994–95)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
148 | 1 | "Nine Is Enough" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Rob Ulin Teleplay by : Stevie Ray Fromstein and Pat Bullard | September 21, 1994 | 803 | 28.9 |
Dan is fed up having so many people living in the house and wants Becky and Mark to move out. Roseanne agrees until Becky says she and Mark are trying to get pregnant. Fred rebels against Jackie overly protecting the baby. After a fight, she and the baby go to Roseanne's. When everyone learns that Dan shaved his armpits (due to a cyst) Dan storms off to stay with Fred. Jackie and Fred make up and Roseanne tells Dan she gave Becky and Mark until May to move out, then announces she is pregnant. | |||||||
149 | 2 | "Two for One" | Gail Mancuso | Stephen Godchaux | September 28, 1994 | 801 | 28.6 |
Jackie spots Darlene's car at a motel and tells Roseanne, who thinks Darlene and David broke their promise to abstain from having sex. Roseanne is shocked that Darlene was at the motel with Jimmy and says that David accepts her having another relationship. When David later gives Darlene an ultimatum about Jimmy, she chooses Jimmy, and they break-up. Dan admits to Jackie his fears about having another baby. Jackie reassure him by saying he always reacts this way, but when Dan confides his fears to Roseanne, she lashes out at him. She later tells Jackie she is also scared. Jackie convinces her to confide in Dan. She tries, but ends up comforting Dan like always. | |||||||
150 | 3 | "Snoop Davey Dave" | Gail Mancuso | Elaine Aronson | October 5, 1994 | 802 | 25.4 |
David is devastated after breaking-up with Darlene. Roseanne encourages him to move on, but to retaliate he tells Roseanne about Darlene using drugs. Roseanne and Dan confront Darlene when she comes home, though she initially denies it; David reveals he saw her using and feels she will again. Roseanne is furious and refuses to allow Darlene to return to college. Darlene convinces Dan she will not do it again, but Roseanne is adamant she stay home until she realizes David wants to keep Darlene there for his own selfish reasons. Though she cannot trust Darlene, Roseanne lets her return to school. | |||||||
151 | 4 | "Girl Talk" | Gail Mancuso | Miriam Trogdon | October 12, 1994 | 804 | 26.8 |
Becky and Mark are arguing constantly and Roseanne finds out from Jackie that Mark has been uninterested in sex. Jackie tells Roseanne about her own sexual problems with Fred while Roseanne confides Dan's unusual attempts to get her in the mood. Roseanne encourages David to get out and meet girls but he is uninterested. Fred initiates an open discussion with Dan and Mark about their sex lives but all three end up knowing more than they care to. Roseanne talks to Becky about Mark, and is surprised Becky has been talking to David about her marital woes. | |||||||
152 | 5 | "Sleeper" | Gail Mancuso | Tim Doyle | October 19, 1994 | 806 | 26.9 |
David considers moving out after Becky discovers he had a sex dream that she thinks it is about her. When D.J. tells Mark about it, Mark confronts David who admits the dream was about Roseanne. Roseanne is at first upset until Dan admits he had a similar dream about Bev when he and Roseanne started dating. David tells Roseanne considers her a mother figure, and Roseanne believes the dream was about his desire for affection. Becky seems disappointed when Roseanne tells her about David, and admits she is confused about her feelings for him. | |||||||
153 | 6 | "Skeleton in the Closet" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Lois Bromfield Teleplay by : William Lucas Walker and Lawrence Broch | October 26, 1994 | 807 | 29.7 |
Fred is annoyed by Leon's overly friendly attention toward him, leading Nancy and Leon to think that Fred "doth protest too much." At Leon's Halloween party, when Leon's gay friends seem well acquainted with Fred, Roseanne becomes convinced that Fred is secretly gay, latergetting an unexpected surprise. Roseanne thinks Bev is bald after Jackie points out a wig at Bev's hair salon that looks exactly like their mother's hair. | |||||||
154 | 7 | "Follow the Son" | Gail Mancuso | Dusty Kay | November 2, 1994 | 809 | 25.9 |
D.J. wants to quit his busboy job at the Lunchbox, but Roseanne refuses to fire him until D.J. starts telling Leon about Roseanne's secret work habits. David starts dating again, but is upset when Mark reveals that Darlene and Jimmy are moving in together. David goes to Chicago and meets Jimmy (Danny Masterson - pre/That '70s Show), posing as Darlene's peer counselor named "Craig." He tells Jimmy that Darlene has serious mental health issues. Roseanne schemes to get D.J. back to the Lunchbox. She tells Dan that DJ needs to learn a work ethic, but this backfires when Dan gives DJ a job at the city garage, forcing Roseanne to admit that she really wants to spend more time with her son. DJ is unhappy to return to the Lunchbox until he sees the sexy new busgirl, Staci (Traci Lords). Jimmy confronts David, saying he knows David lied about being Darlene's peer counselor. David then pretends to be gay and is interested in him. Darlene arrives and is furious to find out that "Craig" is David. | |||||||
155 | 8 | "Punch and Jimmy" | Gail Mancuso | David Raether | November 9, 1994 | 805 | 27.4 |
D.J, is being bullied at school and Dan offers to teach him how to fight. D.J. reveals his own patent moves for avoiding a fight, which mostly involves falling to the ground in the fetal position. David wants Dan to teach him how to fight, but Roseanne he only wants to impress Darlene, because Jimmy(Danny Masterson) is a boxer. She wants Dan to encourage David to feel good about himself which Dan struggles with. Jackie and Roseanne head to Chicago to meet Jimmy. Roseanne dislikes Jimmy, and tells Jackie she wants David and Darlene back together. When D.J. beats up David, Dan tries to comfort David and discovers David was not trying to impress Darlene, but was trying to bond with Dan through shared interests. | |||||||
156 | 9 | "White Men Can't Kiss" | Gail Mancuso | Rob Ulin and Kevin Abbott | November 16, 1994 | 808 | 24.9 |
Jackie objects to Bev spending so much time at the house and is and baffled that Fred enjoys her company. D.J. refuses to kiss a girl named Gina for a school play. Roseanne, believing D.J. is being forced to do something he is uncomfortable with, meets with his teacher. She tells Roseanne that D.J. will not kiss Gina because she is black. Roseanne confronts D.J. and tells him he has to kiss her. When he refuses, Dan supports his decision. After an argument with Chuck (James Pickens, Jr.), Dan questions his own bigotry and tells D.J. he has to kiss Gina. Roseanne confronts her own bigotry when a man comes to the Lunchbox at closing time. Roseanne refuses to let him in until he identifies himself as Gina's father. He angrily confronts Roseanne, and leaves her wondering if she feared letting him because he was a man or because he was black. | |||||||
157 | 10 | "Thanksgiving '94" | Gail Mancuso | Miriam Trogdon and Lois Bromfield | November 23, 1994 | 810 | N/A |
During the Thanksgiving feast, Roseanne receives potentially alarming news about her pregnancy that she is unable to confirm with the prenatal clinic. As she and Dan consider their options if something is wrong, friction erupts between them. Nana Mary, with a feeble new husband on her arm, upsets Bev by discussing the two abortions she had long ago. | |||||||
158 | 11 | "Maybe Baby" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Cynthia Mort Teleplay by : Matt Berry and Ed Yeager | November 30, 1994 | 811 | 25.4 |
As Roseanne and Dan anxiously await the results about her pregnancy, D.J. steps up and offers to help with whatever is needed. The doctor gives them good news, but the celebration is dimmed by another fight. | |||||||
159 | 12 | "The Parenting Trap" | Gail Mancuso | Sid Youngers | December 14, 1994 | 812 | 24.1 |
D.J.'s teacher informs Dan and Roseanne that he is having difficulties at school. They fight over who should handle the problem, causing to Dan feel Roseanne does not respect his parenting skills. Mark finally tells Dan that the problem is that D.J. has begun having erections in class and is too embarrassed to solve math problems in front of the class. Dan advises D.J. on what to do. But Roseanne is not satisfied with this solution and tries to do better by telling D.J. about her first menstruation, sending D.J. screaming from the room and validating Dan's parenting skills. | |||||||
160 | 13 | "Rear Window" | Gail Mancuso | Michael Borkow and Danny Zuker | January 4, 1995 | 813 | 27.3 |
The elderly nudist couple next door tell the Conners that they are perverted for spying on them, so they plant a hedge. David's coffee-time with Becky worries Mark, so he enlists Darlene's help. | |||||||
161 | 14 | "My Name is Bev" | Gail Mancuso | Bob Nickman | January 11, 1995 | 814 | 25.2 |
After being arrested for drunk-driving, Bev is forced to attend an AA meeting, where she realizes she is indeed an alcoholic. When she shows up at Dan's Super Bowl XXIX party, Roseanne wants the guests to hide the keg. This proves catastrophic. | |||||||
162 | 15 | "Bed and Bored" | Gail Mancuso | Eric Gilliland | February 1, 1995 | 817 | 22.3 |
Roseanne lies about the doctor putting her on total bedrest so everyone will wait on her. David discovers her deception, and Jackie confronts Bev about her terrible mothering. | |||||||
163 | 16 | "Sisters" | Gail Mancuso | Michael Borkow | February 8, 1995 | 815 | 21.1 |
Fred becomes annoyed when D.J. spends too much time hanging out at their house and wants Jackie to talk to him. Jackie confronts Roseanne about it, wanting to avoid conflict with Fred, only to walk into it with Roseanne. Meanwhile, Dan plans Roseanne's birthday celebration with their daughters. | |||||||
164 | 17 | "Lost Youth" | Gail Mancuso | Pat Bullard and Stevie Ray Fromstein | February 15, 1995 | 818 | 22.7 |
David and Mark fight over Stacy (Traci Lords), the Lunch Box bus girl. Jackie confronts Fred about their boring sex life. | |||||||
165 | 18 | "Single Married Female" | Gail Mancuso | Betsy Borns | February 22, 1995 | 819 | 20.1 |
Jackie spends time, though not romantically, with a man she met through Stacy. Dan sees them at the Lobo and confronts Jackie, pointing out that if she does not tell Fred what she is doing, then it amounts to cheating. | |||||||
166 167 | 19 20 | "All About Rosey" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Rob Ulin and Leif Sandass Teleplay by : Rob Ulin and Perry Dance | March 1, 1995 | 816A 816B | 20.1 |
In the first part of this one-hour clip show special, a young Roseanne and Jackie go to a fortuneteller to learn their futures. They find Jackie taking an adult, autistic D.J. to a psychiatrist. In the second half, sitcom moms point the parenting finger at Rosey. | |||||||
168 | 21 | "Husbands and Wives" | Gail Mancuso | Kevin Abbott | March 22, 1995 | 820 | 22.1 |
Roseanne enlists D.J.'s help to get Darlene to cut her own allowance. Fred and Jackie's marital woes escalate. | |||||||
169 | 22 | "Happy Trailers" | Mark K. Samuels | Tim Doyle and Sid Youngers | March 29, 1995 | 821 | 20.4 |
Becky and Mark move into a tacky trailer park, where they are greeted by a tipsy neighbor (Sharon Stone). | |||||||
170 | 23 | "The Blaming of the Shrew" | Gail Mancuso | Lawrence Broch | May 3, 1995 | 823 | 16.5 |
D.J.'s new girlfriend (Ashley Johnson), who Roseanne likes, bosses him around, which causes problems with their relationship at school. Jackie and Fred see a marriage counselor (Ellen DeGeneres) about their anger issues. | |||||||
171 | 24 | "The Birds and the Frozen Bees" | Gail Mancuso | David Forbes | May 10, 1995 | 822 | 17.4 |
Roseanne discovers that David likes someone other than Darlene; the two reconcile after much poking and prodding. | |||||||
172 | 25 | "Couch Potatoes" | Mark K. Samuels | Eric Gilliland | May 17, 1995 | 825 | 17.2 |
The Conners are chosen as a Nielsen family. Roseanne's nesting instincts disrupt the family routine. Jackie and Fred's marriage comes to an end. | |||||||
173 | 26 | "Sherwood Schwartz: A Loving Tribute" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : William Lucas Walker and Allan Stephan Teleplay by : William Lucas Walker | May 24, 1995 | 824 | 16.3 |
Roseanne encourages Dan to go back to working on the boat in the garage, bringing on a massive Gilligan's Island fantasy, transforming family members into the sitcom's characters. |
Season 8 (1995–96)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
174 | 1 | "Shower the People You Love with Stuff" | Gail Mancuso | Lawrence Broch | September 19, 1995 | 901 | 22.5 |
Becky and Darlene feud over Roseanne's baby shower when Becky ends up doing most of the work. | |||||||
175 | 2 | "Let Them Eat Junk" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Carrie Snow Teleplay by : Matt Berry and Ed Yeager | September 26, 1995 | 902 | 19.0 |
Jackie has a bee in her bonnet over Roseanne feeding Andy junkfood. Dan is upset because DJ's image of him includes a can of beer. | |||||||
176 | 3 | "Roseanne in the Hood" | Mark K. Samuels | Story by : Allan Stephan Teleplay by : Mike Costa and Drew Ogier | October 17, 1995 | 904 | 19.7 |
When a new, more classy restaurant opens opposite the Lunchbox, Roseanne declares war. Pat Harrington, Jr. appears in this episode. | |||||||
177 | 4 | "The Last Date" | Gail Mancuso | Eric Gilliland and Daniel Palladino | October 24, 1995 | 905 | 20.5 |
The temptation to crash a stranger's bar mitzvah at a local hotel is too much for Roseanne as she drags Dan out on the town for a "last hurrah" before the baby is born. | |||||||
178 | 5 | "Halloween: the Final Chapter" | Roseanne | Roseanne and Lois Bromfield | October 31, 1995 | 906 | 18.8 |
On Halloween, Roseanne reigns as "Queen of the Gypsies, consort of wizards and seer of souls." A Ouija board sends a message from "The Dead" that portends an unexpected event: Roseanne goes into labor. She delivers a baby boy, Jerry Garcia Conner. | |||||||
179 | 6 | "The Fifties Show" | Gail Mancuso | Allan Stephan Blasband | November 7, 1995 | 907 | 17.8 |
The Conners find themselves going back in time in this spoof of 1950s sitcoms (shot mostly in black and white): Roseanne's a fussy hausfrau, Dan is a hapless businessman stewing over "the Anderson account", and Jackie's the wacky neighbor. | |||||||
180 | 7 | "The Getaway, Almost" | Gail Mancuso | Cynthia Mort | November 14, 1995 | 908 | 20.8 |
Jackie and Roseanne's shopping trip with Jerry turns into a version of Thelma and Louise when they pick up a teenage hitchhiker and run a trucker off the road. Jenna Elfman appears as the hitchhiker. | |||||||
181 | 8 | "The Last Thursday in November" | Gail Mancuso | Ritch Shydner | November 21, 1995 | 909 | 17.9 |
When DJ's teacher gives his students free rein, the class Thanksgiving pageant takes on a decidedly modern, Pulp Fiction twist that offends many parents, but not the Conners. Roseanne invites some new Native American friends over for Thanksgiving, and they celebrate the holiday their way. | |||||||
182 | 9 | "Of Mice and Dan" | Gail Mancuso | Bob Nickman | November 28, 1995 | 910 | 16.4 |
Dan's old bandmates (John Popper) roll into Lanford to perform a concert, giving Dan a dose of regret, infused with a tad of depression. Roseanne talks the band into giving Dan a little stage time, which he fully enjoys. | |||||||
183 | 10 | "Direct to Video" | Gail Mancuso | Michael B. Kaplan | December 5, 1995 | 903 | 18.9 |
While Roseanne narrates a video time capsule for her unborn child, Becky and Darlene find Dan and Roseanne's old love letters. D.J. gets upset when he learns his parents never filled out his baby book, and Mark cooks up a 'special' dinner for the Conner clan. | |||||||
184 | 11 | "December Bride" | Gail Mancuso | William Lucas Walker | December 12, 1995 | 911 | 21.1 |
Scott and Leon have trouble planning their wedding until Roseanne offers to take over for free. Leon's cold feet and self-doubt about his sexuality factor into the planning. | |||||||
185 | 12 | "Thrilla Near Vanilla" | Gail Mancuso | Ed Yeager | January 2, 1996 | 912 | 19.3 |
Jackie realizes her hidden talent as a supermarket samplesperson as she and Roseanne take jobs at a grocery store. The sisters quickly become competitive. Meanwhile, Dan and David fight over Mark being DJ's role model. | |||||||
186 | 13 | "The White Sheep of the Family" | Gail Mancuso | David Raether | January 9, 1996 | 913 | 20.8 |
After the Conners receive a small inheritance from Great-Aunt Harriet, they decide to go out for a nice dinner, with their spending limits firmly set until Darlene unexpectedly pops in and wants to join them. Meanwhile, D.J. contemplates how to spend his own personal inheritance, $500. Darlene alienates the family by hurling insults, until the family finally bites back. D.J. buys a trombone. | |||||||
187 | 14 | "Becky Howser, M.D." | Gail Mancuso | Sid Youngers | January 16, 1996 | 914 | 17.6 |
Mark tries to cheer up a depressed Becky by inviting family and friends over for a surprise get-together, though it will take much more to lift her spirits. Roseanne talks to Becky as everything at the party goes wrong. Becky admits she wants more out of life, which Roseanne supports, but is unaware that Becky's plans may change her marital status. | |||||||
188 | 15 | "Out of the Past" | Gail Mancuso | Drew Ogier and Mike Costa | February 6, 1996 | 915 | 17.4 |
While Nana Mary amuses Roseanne and Jackie with a box of their childhood treasures, they take a walk down memory lane, discovering that Roseanne was always the queen to Jackie's minion status. Jackie finds her long-lost doll, "Mrs. Tuttle," that she thought had been 'doll-napped'. Roseanne tries to pin the disappearance on a napping Nana Mary, but Nana Mary reveals the truth. | |||||||
189 | 16 | "Construction Junction" | Gail Mancuso | Daniel Palladino | February 13, 1996 | 916 | 14.2 |
When Dan's buddies show up with a great new job prospect for the old dry wall crew, Dan must decide between keeping a secure but boring job at the garage or making a bid on a huge construction project. Meanwhile, Jackie gets hooked up to the Internet: her initial reluctance quickly vanishes and David soon needs to intervene as Jackie becomes addicted. | |||||||
190 | 17 | "We're Going to Disney World" | Gail Mancuso | Matt Berry | February 20, 1996 | 917 | 17.8 |
The family goes hog-wild with excitement as they plan to travel to Disney World Dan brings home his final paycheck from the Lanford City Garage. | |||||||
191 | 18 | "Disney World War II" | Gail Mancuso | Allan Stephan Blasband | February 27, 1996 | 918 | 19.6 |
Fireworks and fanfare accompany the Conners on a whirlwind tour of the magical kingdom of Disney World. Darlene becomes practically euphoric when she meets Winnie the Pooh. | |||||||
192 | 19 | "Springtime for David" | Mark K. Samuels | Garland Testa and David Forbes | March 12, 1996 | 919 | 16.9 |
After strict orders from Dan, David finally moves out and lands a job at a second-rate theme park in Lanford. During training, he becomes transformed into an eerily smiling automaton. The episode's name is a reference to Springtime for Hitler, a musical play within the Broadway musical, "The Producers." The episode itself is a satire of the Walt Disney Company, who, after having recently acquired the American Broadcasting Company, required the network's shows (including Roseanne) to film and air Disney-themed episodes, including the immediately preceding episodes "We're Going to Disney World" and "Disney World War II". | |||||||
193 | 20 | "Another Mouth to Shut Up" | Mark K. Samuels | Story by : Eric Gilliland Teleplay by : Janet Leahy and Richard Kaplan | March 26, 1996 | 920 | 15.2 |
Just weeks after their hot night in Disney World, Darlene proposes to David and announces that she is pregnant. | |||||||
194 | 21 | "Morning Becomes Obnoxious" | Gail Mancuso | Leif Sandaas | April 9, 1996 | 921 | 15.6 |
After an impromptu TV interview at the diner goes spectacularly well, Roseanne prepares to "Wake Up Chicago" on a morning TV talk show (with Jackie as her manager) as a news commentator with a unique and "opinionated blue-collar outlook". Meanwhile, David plans for his and Darlene's wedding, but offends Bev as well. | |||||||
195 | 22 | "Ballroom Blitz" | Gail Mancuso | Story by : Cathy Ladman Teleplay by : Cathy Ladman and Carrie Snow | April 30, 1996 | 922 | 14.2 |
Bev's smitten with her passionate ballroom-dance instructor, but he flirts with the newly-divorced Jackie. | |||||||
196 | 23 | "The Wedding" | Gail Mancuso | Michael B. Kaplan and Lawrence Broch | May 7, 1996 | 923 | 23.0 |
Dan suffers a heart attack at Darlene and David's wedding. | |||||||
197 | 24 | "Heart & Soul" | Gail Mancuso | Daniel Palladino and William Lucas Walker | May 14, 1996 | 924 | 21.0 |
Roseanne tries—in vain—to be cool at the hospital. D.J. performed CPR on Dan, saving his life. Dan's hospital room is the venue for Darlene and David's scaled-down wedding reception. | |||||||
198 | 25 | "Fights and Stuff" | Mark K. Samuels | Story by : Eric Gilliland Teleplay by : Cynthia Mort and Sid Youngers | May 21, 1996 | 925 | 18.8 |
Dan returns home to strict diet regime and other rules that he soon violates behind Roseanne's back. When she finds out, it leads to a huge argument, unleashing old resentments and them trashing the house due to their suppressed anger. Roseanne walks out, and her and Dan's marriage may collapse. |
Season 9 (1996–97)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
199 | 1 | "Call Waiting" | Mark K. Samuels | Drew Ogier and Allan Stephan Blasband | September 17, 1996 | 1001 | 18.9 |
Regretting breaking the rules and fighting with Roseanne, Dan fixes the house after the huge fight and leaves a ton of messages on Jackie's answering machine. Roseanne finds herself in front of Jackie's TV, watching notable past sitcoms like That Girl, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Cameo appearance by Ed Asner on the latter show), eventually finding her and Dan playing the roles of Ann & Don, Mary and Lou Grant, and Jeannie and Tony. Later, Jackie convinces Roseanne that Dan and Roseanne were meant for each other and, when she is finally alone with Andy and Jerry, makes a shocking discovery about her lottery ticket after watching the lottery drawings on TV. | |||||||
200 | 2 | "Millions from Heaven" | Mark K. Samuels | Nancy Steen and Cynthia Mort | September 24, 1996 | 1002 | 17.6 |
The lottery ticket mentioned in the last episode is a winner. Roseanne has won $108 million. Amid the press bombardment, the family ponders what to do with all that money. | |||||||
201 | 3 | "What a Day for a Daydream" | Mark K. Samuels | Richard Kaplan and Garland Testa | October 1, 1996 | 1003 | 18.6 |
With a full dinner table and a home-cooked meal, Roseanne daydreams about the lottery winnings; from a riot on the Jerry Springer Show to a glamorous photo shoot with Jackie and Hugh Hefner. | |||||||
202 | 4 | "Honor Thy Mother" | Mark K. Samuels | Bob Nickman and Amy Welsh | October 8, 1996 | 1004 | 16.9 |
Dan announces that he's going to visit his mother in California. Jackie and Roseanne wait out the Conner house's renovation at a spa. | |||||||
203 | 5 | "Someday My Prince Will Come" | Mark K. Samuels | Carrie Snow and Janet Leahy | October 15, 1996 | 1005 | 15.7 |
Prince Carlos Charmaine (Jim Varney) from Moldavia, visits Jackie, with whom he's enamored after seeing her on television. Roseanne warns Jackie to remain distant, until Leon discovers that he's really a prince. The family are invited on a trip to New York with Leon in place of Dan, who's still in California. | |||||||
204 | 6 | "Pampered to a Pulp" | Mark K. Samuels | Stacie Lipp | October 22, 1996 | 1006 | 15.3 |
Roseanne and Jackie's spa trip subjects them to a strict diet, acid peels, skin toxins, and exhausting hikes. Tammy Faye Messner appears in this episode. | |||||||
205 | 7 | "Satan, Darling" | Roseanne | Story by : Roseanne and Ellen Quigley Teleplay by : Roseanne and Jennifer Saunders | October 29, 1996 | 1007 | 17.7 |
Roseanne, Jackie, and Nancy visit New York City's Upper West Side, where they meet celebrities and are invited to Martha's Vineyard by a woman named Astrid Wentworth. After getting drunk with Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) of Absolutely Fabulous, Roseanne has a Rosemary's Baby-parody nightmare of Darlene giving birth to Satan. | |||||||
206 | 8 | "Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti" | Mark K. Samuels | Leif Sandaas and Debbie Kasper | November 12, 1996 | 1008 | 13.3 |
Roseanne, Jackie, DJ, Mark, Bev, Becky, Andy, and Jerry go to the Wentworth estate to meet Astrid's family, who aren't impressed at Roseanne's trashy ways. When she finds the family's stash of "happy pills," Roseanne teaches them to scream out their anger. Dana Gould appears in this episode. | |||||||
207 | 9 | "Roseambo" | Gary Halvorson | R. Gaylor and Betsy Salkind | November 19, 1996 | 1009 | 12.2 |
In a parody of Dark Territory (starring Steven Seagal), Roseanne meets First Lady Hillary Clinton (Teresa Barnwell), after saving her family and Dr. Bakshmi from women-hating terrorists on a train to Washington D.C. Steven Seagal appears in this episode. | |||||||
208 | 10 | "Home Is Where the Afghan Is" | Gary Halvorson | Lawrence Broch | November 26, 1996 | 1010 | 15.0 |
Roseanne, Jackie, and the family finally arrive home after all the excitement. Roseanne is disappointed that Dan has not returned from his trip. Her Thanksgiving dinner is being catered, so she and Jackie open the Lunch Box as a soup kitchen. Bev reveals more than she intended during the Thanksgiving feast. | |||||||
209 | 11 | "Mothers and Other Strangers" | Gary Halvorson | Roseanne and Cynthia Mort | December 3, 1996 | 1011 | 15.4 |
Dan still is not home, and Roseanne worries about how he will react to all the changes she has made to the house. Elsewhere, Bev seeks answers from her free-spirited mother, Mary, who finally mends her relationship with her daughter. | |||||||
210 | 12 | "Home for the Holidays" | Mark K. Samuels | Story by : Roseanne Teleplay by : Lawrence Broch | December 17, 1996 | 1012 | N/A |
Dan returns home, but he treats Roseanne coolly. Jackie overhears him having an intimate conversation on the phone with his mother's nurse. | |||||||
211 | 13 | "Say It Ain't So" | Mark K. Samuels | Nancy Steen | January 7, 1997 | 1013 | 18.1 |
Roseanne kicks out Dan over his affair with his mother's nurse, though her decision devastates her. | |||||||
212 | 14 | "Hit the Road, Jack" | Mark K. Samuels | Roseanne | January 14, 1997 | 1014 | 18.8 |
A depressed Roseanne avoids Dan and drives around town eating fast food and listening to radio shows. She believes Dan had an affair because of her appearance. As Dan packs his bags to leave, he and D.J. have a huge fight. An angry D.J. goes to a video store and meets his soul mate, Heather (Heather Matarazzo). Dan is about to head back to California, but cancels his flight and moves into a motel. | |||||||
213 | 15 | "The War Room" | Mark K. Samuels | Bob Nickman | January 28, 1997 | 1015 | 16.3 |
A depressed Roseanne locks herself and Jerry in her bedroom, drowning her sorrow with fattening foods, trashy magazines, and TV. Friends and family attempt to get her out, but they ultimately fail until Mark tells her that Dan has not left town and wants her back. | |||||||
214 | 16 | "Lanford's Elite" | Gary Halvorson | Story by : Allan Stephan Blasband Teleplay by : Richard Whitley and Bob Rubin | February 11, 1997 | 1016 | 13.5 |
Roseanne and Jackie attend an exquisite luncheon where they discuss politics and other topics with Lanford's elite. Roseanne meets Edgar Wellman (James Brolin), son of the owner of Roseanne and Jackie's former workplace, and Edgar asks Roseanne for money to help keep Wellman Plastics open--it fell into decline after the sisters left in 1989. | |||||||
215 | 17 | "Some Enchanted Merger" | Gary Halvorson | April Winchell | February 11, 1997 | 1017 | 13.5 |
Jackie believes that Roseanne and Edgar Wellman are an item for real--they are not, although Roseanne wishes they were. Roseanne claims their relationship is only about business; Jackie does not believe her. Roseanne dreams that the couple are from the movie Evita. | |||||||
216 | 18 | "A Second Chance" | Mark K. Samuels | Cynthia Mort | February 18, 1997 | 1018 | 16.3 |
Reluctant to leave, Dan asks Jackie about Edgar Wellman's relationship with Roseanne. Jackie confirms it, but Roseanne returns to Dan. As they reconcile, they receive a call from Jackie: Darlene is in labor and has been given a drug to stop her from delivering a premature baby. | |||||||
217 | 19 | "The Miracle" | Gary Halvorson | Story by : Roseanne Teleplay by : Drew Ogier | February 25, 1997 | 1019 | 16.2 |
Darlene gives birth to a dangerously premature baby girl, Harris Conner Healy. Roseanne consults other doctors from around the world, but what ultimately keeps the baby alive is Roseanne's own grandmotherly love and nurturing. | |||||||
218 | 20 | "Roseanne-Feld" | Mark K. Samuels | April Winchell and Richard Whitley | March 4, 1997 | 1020 | N/A |
Jackie and Mark attend a wrestling match, where Jackie ends up fighting the Black Widow (Dot Jones). D.J.'s first sexual experience looms and he consults Mark, who is not too helpful. | |||||||
219 | 21 | "The Truth Be Told" | Mark K. Samuels | Lawrence Broch and April Winchell | March 18, 1997 | 1021 | 12.9 |
Roseanne and Jackie learn that producers want to make a TV-movie about the Conners, but also find out that they want to make distressingly drastic changes: gorgeous actors to play the Conners, fewer blue-collar plot twists, etc. Meanwhile, Bev, Leon, and Joyce naively reveal all kinds of information about Roseanne's life and past to a tabloid reporter. | |||||||
220 | 22 | "Arsenic and Old Mom" | Mark K. Samuels | Carrie Fisher | May 13, 1997 | 1022 | 14.7 |
Dan's mother Audrey (now played by Debbie Reynolds, before played by Ann Wedgeworth in the 1989 Thanksgiving episode), visits unexpectedly and keeps trying to kill her son for putting her away for so many years. Roseanne finally decides to end it all with a simple backyard battle. | |||||||
221 222 | 23 24 | "Into That Good Night" | Gary Halvorson | Story by : Roseanne Teleplay by : Jessica Pentland & Jennifer Pentland Roseanne and Allan Stephan Blasband | May 20, 1997 | 1023 1024 | 16.6 |
Harris Conner Healy, Darlene and David's preemie daughter, finally arrives home, and Darlene decides to stay in the Conner nest for a while and DJ begrudgingly gives up his room and heads for David's former space in the basement. When Mark and Becky come to visit Harris, it is revealed that they too are expecting; Mark wants to spread the news, but Becky opts to keep it quiet until things are going more smoothly with Harris. Darlene is apprehensive about overstaying their welcome but when she questions her mother, Roseanne says she wants them to stay forever. Darlene would like that too, so she's relieved. Leon and his husband announce that they will be adopting a little girl, Nadia, who needs a family. In the first half, the family talks about life after winning the lottery. Then Roseanne reflects about her fictional life as a voiceover monologue reveals that the show itself has really been her writing. She says that while the book she was writing was based on her life, she changed what she didn't like. For instance: in reality, the Conners did not win the lottery; Dan had in real life died of the heart attack he suffered the day of Darlene and David's wedding; Jackie—not Bev—was gay; and Mark and Darlene, and Becky and David, were the Conner-Healy couples. In the final moments, after looking over her book and telling the audience about her depression after Dan's death and how the difficult birth of the baby snapped her back into reality, she goes upstairs and sits on the couch. As the show fades to black, Phoebe Snow sings the theme song one last time and Roseanne's trademark laugh is heard one last time. In 2011, the two-part finale was ranked #9 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales. |
Season 10 (2018)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
223 | 1 | "Twenty Years to Life" | John Pasquin | Bruce Rasmussen | March 27, 2018 | 1001 | 18.44[44] |
224 | 2 | "Dress to Impress" | John Pasquin | Darlene Hunt | March 27, 2018 | 1003 | 18.44[44] |
225 | 3 | "Roseanne Gets the Chair" | John Pasquin | Sid Youngers | April 3, 2018 | 1002 | 15.39[45] |
226 | 4 | "Eggs Over, Not Easy" | John Pasquin | Morgan Murphy | April 10, 2018 | 1004 | 13.77[46] |
227 | 5 | "Darlene v. David" | Gail Mancuso | Bruce Helford | April 17, 2018 | 1006 | 13.26[47] |
228 | 6 | "No Country for Old Women" | Gail Mancuso | Dave Caplan | May 1, 2018 | 1009 | 10.42[48] |
229 | 7 | "Go Cubs" | Andrew D. Weyman | Dave Caplan | May 8, 2018 | 1005 | 10.29[49] |
230 | 8 | "Netflix & Pill" | Andrew D. Weyman | Betsy Borns | May 15, 2018 | 1007 | 10.73[50] |
231 | 9 | "Knee Deep" | Gail Mancuso | Bruce Rasmussen | May 22, 2018 | 1008 | 10.58[51] |
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