Favorite Episodes: Roseanne

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yesterday I said I'd be back with the regular posts, and today I have a nice, long one for you, featuring the long-running Roseanne.

I always liked Roseanne. My mom wasn't a fan, so I wasn't really allowed to watch it when I was a kid. However, it used to come on reruns on TBS & Nick-at-Nite, so I watched it all the time when she wasn't around, LoL. Darlene was my favorite character, until David came around. I thought he was SO CUTE with that super-curly hair. The storylines weren't really predictable, and the problems they faced were generally ones that weren't featured elsewhere (friend marrying your husband's father, straight-A student eloping and moving away, inviting your other daughter's boyfriend to live at your house, etc.), so it offered something new to the table.

The early seasons, I felt, dealt more with blue-collar issues (though they are present throughout the series), and the later seasons had more drama, and more middle-America-type stuff. Consequently, I did enjoy the later episodes more, but that's probably because they focused more on the kids and less on the adults... and I always liked the interesting problems of the kids better than those of Crystal, Jackie, etc.

Season 1: "The Monday Thru Friday Show" (S01E12) It's Dan and Roseanne's 15th wedding anniversary, and they're trying to figure out how to celebrate. They're not getting anywhere, so Jackie decides to just take the kids for the weekend and let them spend the time at home. It's like the original staycation, LoL. Part 1 | Part 2

Season 2: "Happy Birthday" (S02E24) It's Roseanne's birthday and the family has cleared out and prepared a writing room for her. She has all of the supplies that she needs, but ends up with writer's block. One of the reasons that this episode is interesting is because we find out at the end of the series that Roseanne wrote the storylines we see for quite a while. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Season 3: "Friends and Relatives" (S03E02) A storyline about lending money but not borrowing it. Arnie asks Dan for $1500, and Dan thinks it's for an engagement ring for Nancy, so he loans it to him. However, things don't go as planned with Dan's income, and he needs the money back. Rather than ask for it, he tries to make do. Jackie tries to loan it to him, but he won't have it. The best part of the episode is the breasts. Not only did Arnie use the money for breast implants for Nancy, but DJ starts peeping in on Becky and Darlene, haha. Part 1 | Part 2
Season 4: "Bingo" (S04E13) This is a Crystal-centered episode. She leaves her infant son in Becky & Darlene's care when she and Roseanne go out for Bingo. Roseanne wins her first game and becomes addicted, with all of the lucky charms to prove it (which is my favorite part of the episode). Roseanne and Crystal get in a fight, but it turns out that Crystal is just over-emotional because she's pregnant again and worried about caring for 3 kids while her husband is always away on business. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 5: "Good Girls, Bad Girls" (S05E10) Darlene wants to go to a concert with next-door-neighbor Molly. Roseanne is hesitant, but lets her go. Darlene shows up at 4am in a cab, and Roseanne is livid. Darlene says that Molly ditched her to go smoke pot, causing her to miss curfew and find another way home. Roseanne and Dan aren't sure if they should believe her until they hear Molly's lies the next day. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 6: "I Pray the Lord my Stove to Keep" (S06E22) Roseanne orders a new stove for the restaurant, and three get delivered at separate times. While she plans to sell the extra two for profit, DJ questions her morality. Darlene is spying on DJ, and finds out that he's been sneaking around, going to church. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 7: "The Parenting Trap" (S07E12) DJ starts getting erections, and it keeps happening in school. He's afraid to draw attention to himself, so he wants to make sure he's not called on to go up to the board again. Mark gives him advice to act dumb, while Dan tries to talk about it appropriately. Roseanne gives it a shot, and by telling him about her first period, instead freaks him out. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 8: "Disney World War II" (S08E18) The Connors have taken a trip to Walt Disney World, and everyone enjoys different things. Darlene is really excited to see Winnie-the-Pooh, and we find out a few episodes later that she and David conceive on this trip, hehe. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 9: "Hoi Polloi meets Hoiti Toiti" (S09E08) In the previous episode, the family is invited to visit Martha's Vineyard after Roseanne makes friends with an elitist. So, Roseanne & Jackie, Andy & Jerry, Mark & Becky, DJ, and Bev all go to spend the weekend. The rich folk aren't impressed with the trashiness of the Conners, but once Roseanne discovers that they all drink and take happy pills, she schools them on what real life is like. I also like the title (thanks to intense vocabulary lessons I actually use words like those, LoL). It's a pretty funny episode, I think maybe in the top 5 of the series (certainly the top 10). I would have embedded, but for some reason, there's a video error that makes just this episode look funny. AND, only the first two parts are online. ugh. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 not available