I believe this character was the perfect replacement for Roseanne in The Conners (& it's evident in the final season)

The Conners Season 7 finale will air tonight on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET. The long-running popular sitcom, a reboot of the Roseanne series, is finally ending. However, before it ends, it does solve one of the missing pieces of the Conners' family. Yes, you guessed it—Jackie does manage to 'somewhat' fill the void left by the family's matriarch.

When Roseanne returned in 2018, as a reboot, I was excited to see the Conners navigating their lives in the present day. The reboot season premiered on October 16, 2018, and featured almost all the OG cast members, making it even more authentic. However, after Roseanne Barr's exit due to a series of controversial tweets, I'll admit- I had doubts. How could The Conners survive without their fierce, foul-mouthed matriarch? Yet seven seasons later, I'm convinced the show didn't just survive the loss—it found new depth, thanks to Laurie Metcalf's Jackie Harris.

Let me put it out right there: No one could ever be Roseanne, and the show never forced Jackie to be her. Instead, she became something else that the Conners family lacked after Roseanne's death, due to an opioid overdose. For the Conners, Jackie became an emotional anchor and a maternal figure to the Conner siblings with a perfect balance of humor and tough love.

The finale season promo placed Jackie in such a way that it looked like she filled in the shoes of her late sister Roseanne, as a true well-wisher, friend, and supporter of the Conners. In a hilarious scene from the promo, when Jackie asked Dan that they needed to talk, Dan replied:

"You are a two-beer relative, and I've only had one."

The trailer also showed Dan comforting Jackie, and most importantly, the promo banner featured Dan, Jackie, Becky, and Darlene on a roof enjoying the Sun. I believe that the showrunners ultimately aimed to subtly hint at Jackie’s deeper incorporation into the Conners.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

The Conners: Jackie's transformation from a sidekick to a backbone

I always loved Jackie in the original series, but let's be honest—she was mostly a comic relief. The revival gave her real gravitas. With Roseanne gone, Jackie stepped up in ways that felt earned, not forced. She wasn't the kooky aunt anymore—she was the one Becky leaned on during her lowest moments—the one who called Darlene out on her self-sabotage, and helped them navigate through their marriage and adulthood. Similarly, she served as a fearless, loving, and supportive grandmother to the Conner siblings' children. For instance, she was the one who gave Mark unconditional support when he came out of the closet.

Her humor shifted from self-deprecating to observational, landing punchlines with the same bit as her sister Roseanne once did, but in her way. She wasn't a dupe—she was Jackie, with her own set of flaws, and that's why she perfectly fitted the Conners family maze.

Dan and Jackie: The unexpected heart of the show

What surprised me most was how Jackie and Dan's relationship evolved throughout the series. In the original show, they barely tolerated each other, mostly due to their clashing personalities. However, in The Conners, their bond became one of the show's strongest elements. The quiet understanding between them—whether they were scheming to keep the family intact or simply sharing a drink at the kitchen table, felt like a treat to watch.

Even when Dan moved on with Louise (Katey Sagal), Jackie never felt sidelined. She remained his closest confidante, proving that family isn't about romance, but it's with the ones who stick around when things get tough.

Looking back, I realize that The Conners never needed a Roseanne 2.0. It required someone who could hold the family together in a different way, and Jackie did that beautifully. She wasn't the 'same' kind of matriarch as Roseanne, but she was exactly what the Conners needed: A little messy, a lot loving, and always present whenever needed.

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Also read: This character's guest appearance in The Conners series finale might solve a major plot loophole

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