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ABC's sitcom The Conners, a direct sequel to the hit 80s sitcom Roseanne, proved that it can run on its own following the controversial departure of its protagonist, comedian Roseanne Barr.
While almost all the cast members of Roseanne reprised their respective roles in the spin-off, actor Glenn Quinn, who played the role of Mark, could not do that.
Quinn tragically passed away in 2002 from an accidental overdose when he was living with his friend in North Hollywood, LA. After Roseanne ended with Season 9, Quinn had difficulty finding work, which led to this accident.
Mark was Becky's husband on the show, and his character's fate was finally revealed in The Conners Season 3. In the show's universe, Mark died in a motorcycle accident after Roseanne Season 9.
More on Mark's death in The Conners in our story.
How was Quinn's passing addressed in Roseanne and The Conners?
After Quinn's tragic death in 2002, nobody would have guessed that Roseanne would return for Season 10 in 2018. But it did return for a tenth season, and fans were speculating how the makers would accommodate Quinn's passing.
Mark was important in Season 9 as Becky's husband, and makers could not go without addressing his death. However, when Roseanne returned in Season 10, it was revealed that Mark had an accident off-screen in the years between Seasons 9 and 10, but the complete details were not revealed.
However, The Conners addressed Mark's passing more fittingly as the show revealed how his wife Becky retorted to alcoholism after her husband's passing.
The Conners Season 3 Episode 18 revealed what exactly happened to Mark. He died in a motorcycle accident after a deer jumped in front of him and had an accident on the road.
Why did The Conners not reveal the reason behind Mark's death in the early seasons?
In Roseanne Season 10, it was revealed that Becky and Mark wanted to start a family before his tragic death. Becky still wanted to fulfill her late husband's wish by having a child through surrogacy, which was not successful.
The Conners Season 1 showed how Becky coped with Mark's death through all these years, especially with the help of her father, Dan. The show did not reveal the reason behind Mark's death immediately in Seasons 1 and 2 because they wanted to give Becky time to heal from her husband's death and come to terms with it.
When she was finally ready to move on from his death and focus on her life, it was revealed that Mark died in a motorcycle accident. After he was honored on the show, Becky had a daughter, Beverly, with her co-worker Emilio.
She also explained Mark's passing to her daughter in Season 6, and her sister Darlene named her son Mark to honor Quinn on the show.
In an interview with Access Live, Lecy Goranson discussed Quinn's passing and how he had left a legacy on the show:
"The show is dedicated to his memory and his life. It was very interesting because while we were shooting the show there were many times where we felt his presence with us very, very strongly . . . He was just such a wonderful, wonderful, generous person and lovely."
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