Roseanne reboot wrap up: Friendly faces make a comeback and Roseanne Barr's personal struggles portray today's America
Roseanne reboot's first season's finale, was nothing short of a fairytale. There was crisis, bonding and a touching justification of Roseanne's blatant support for Trump - meaning a closure of sorts for everything the reboot season promised. But at the same time, there have been familiar faces from the past making a comeback on the show too.
In a previous episode titled “Darlene v. David”, David unexpectedly showing up for Harris’ birthday after being absent for years, forcing Darlene to re-examine their relationship and the rest of the family. Another adored character from the past, Bev (Roseanne's mother) is seen making a come back too, as she moves in with the Conners.
But the finale is filled with political hints and sentiments of the middle class in modern Trump ruled America. Roseanne is conflicted with a knee surgery and despite Dan trying to convince her that everything will be okay, the couple share a bittersweet moment of knowing there's no way out.
There are also specks of healthcare debates and subtle hints of political issues discussed throughout the finale, along the lines of what writer Bruce Helford had shared with The Hollywood Reporter at the beginning of the season. "She wanted to deal with health care in America. She had a knee problem — it's better now — that spurred the whole thing. She said, 'What would Roseanne Conner do?' She couldn't afford the deductible to have surgery, so where does she turn to be able to get through work and everything else?" Helford had said.
Meanwhile, Roseanne and Jackie’s mother, Bev, temporarily moves into the Conner home after an incident at the nursing home prevents her from returning, on the revival of Roseanne, on Tuesday, May 29 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.
The episode, written by Bruce Helford and directed by Gail Mancuso, features guest star Estelle Parsons as Bev Harris. Other stars in the series are Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner, John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy and Jayden Rey as Mary Conner.
Roseanne Barr herself is an executive producer, along with Sara Gilbert, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford, Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez. The series is from Carsey-Werner Television.