S04.E01: Trucking Live In Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

So Darlene got an apt for her and Ben…….were her children going to stay with Dan?  

So she signed a lease...is she actually gonna move out of the house?

[ESS]

15 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

So she signed a lease...is she actually gonna move out of the house?

I don't think we know that as of yet... but to me it doesn't seem like she is gonna move out right now, but I could be wrong. 

[ams1001]

What happens if you put down a deposit and then break the lease before moving in?

[ESS]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

What happens if you put down a deposit and then break the lease before moving in?

I'm assuming you don't get the apt or house? but I don't know for sure because I don't know about this stuff. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by ESS

[ItCouldBeWorse]

23 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

What happens if you put down a deposit and then break the lease before moving in?

You lose your deposit, at the very least.

[catlover79]

I forgot to mention that I loved Laurie Metcalf wearing the chicken shirt at the end:

[ams1001]

7 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

You lose your deposit, at the very least.

So more smart money handling from the Conner clan, then.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

So more smart money handling from the Conner clan, then.

Exactly.

[ESS]

30 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

I forgot to mention that I loved Laurie Metcalf wearing the chicken shirt at the end:

I love this picture! and I love it even more that Louise is in it!! ♥️ Oh yeah she's a Conner now.

[CrystalBlue]

22 hours ago, ams1001 said:

None of them should quit their day jobs.

Were the contest "winners" chosen by some merit judgment system or did they just win a raffle?

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

Were the contest "winners" chosen by some merit judgment system or did they just win a raffle?

I just skimmed this but it looks like you had to fill out an entry form and it was a random drawing.

https://beaconner.com/official-rules

"...enter for a chance to appear in via a video call on a live episode of The Conners scheduled to air on Wednesday, September 22, 2021."

[CrystalBlue]

1 hour ago, catlover79 said:

I forgot to mention that I loved Laurie Metcalf wearing the chicken shirt at the end:

Besides one or two lines, this was the best part of the show.  My initial observations were that the set looked dark and the volume fluctuated.  I didn't watch live though, and was wondering if the live showing included commercials such as the ones I had to endure on Hulu.  I missed Jackie's chicken shirt so thanks for mentioning it and posting the screen shot.

Michael Fishman looks cute with the gray in his hair and in that hairstyle, and he had some lines!

[CrystalBlue]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

So more smart money handling from the Conner clan, then.

Hopefully Darlene will move out, without Ben, and take her kids with her.  Harris doesn't need to be mooching off her soon-to-be remarried grandfather and Mark is still a minor.  Darlene has a good job at Wellman Plastics that she's been at for awhile.

[rmontro]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:46 PM, Aileen said:

Contest winners. You could enter to “be a Conner.”

I'm glad you answered that, because I was wondering about it.  The crowd seemed to giggle every time one of the "Connors" came up on the phone.  I thought the first guy looked like one of the actors of the show that's on after The Connors, whatever that is.  But I agree with ams1001, none of the questions Mark asked made any sense, compared to what he was trying to accomplish.

 

On 9/23/2021 at 1:50 AM, Cherpumple said:

Are they gaslighting us with the whole Darlene/Ben thing? I was positive that they definitely broke up last season, so I almost did a spit-take when Dan asked Darlene how she felt about the fact that Ben was "thinking" of breaking up with her. I was glad that he broke up with her AGAIN, but I'm not convinced the storyline is over.

Serious question: is anyone actually rooting for Darlene and Ben to get back together?

I'm with you, I thought they were already broken up.  I honestly don't care if they get back together or not, I just want them to crap or get off the pot.  I'm fed up with the "will they/won't they?".  I like the actor, so I'm cool with him staying around.  Seems kind of awkward if Dan is going to be working at the hardware store.  There was some discussion last season how he seemed to have good chemistry with Becky (if they don't want him with Darlene), but I don't know if they want to go there.

Edited September 26, 2021 by rmontro

[eskimo]

I'm wondering if maybe Lecy wasn't confident in doing a live show?  Or maybe a covid related issue?  Who knows, but it was strange to have a season premier without her.  

It would make sense for Dan and Louise to move into the apt Darlene rented and Becky, Darlene, and their kids to stay in the house.  Dan could retain ownership but an apt makes more sense for a couple.  Plus Darlene is the main character now so her being in the house fits better.  We could see just as much of Dan as we do now.

It was very risky, imo, to have contest winners on a live show, especially via technology.   So many things could have gone wrong.  Like has been said, it fell flat anyway, but it could have turned into the dreaded dead-air if anyone's internet had dropped at just the wrong time.  

ETA: It just occurred to me that maybe the thing with the questions was built in to adjust for time,  since they can't control it as easily without editing.  So maybe if another scene went too short Mark would ask two questions, or if it ran long he'd cut it shorter and that would put them back on schedule. Because that last 'guest call' was cut off quite abruptly.  Like the director was pointing at his watch or something.  

Edited September 24, 2021 by eskimo
New thought.

[txhorns79]

4 hours ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

So Darlene got an apt for her and Ben…….were her children going to stay with Dan?  

I feel comfortable in saying I doubt she even remembered she had kids when picking out the apartment.

[UYI]

2 hours ago, catlover79 said:

I forgot to mention that I loved Laurie Metcalf wearing the chicken shirt at the end:

I KNEW I had forgotten something in my earlier post!

I still remember the finale of season 5, where every main character got their turn at wearing the chicken shirt.

[Rocknrollzombie]

52 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I feel comfortable in saying I doubt she even remembered she had kids when picking out the apartment.

The kids are props at this point or remembered when necessary 

[hoodooznoodooz]

I liked the Elon Musk cake joke.

[juliet73]

I'm in the minority here...I thought this episode was awful.  I didn't see the point of Mark's calling random Connors.  Maybe the idea was good, but the execution fell flat. 

I'm over Darlene and Ben.  At this point, Ben doesn't want a relationship with Darlene and he doesn't really bring anything else to the table as a character so I don't understand why he's still on the show?  I would love to see Darlene join a dating website and meet someone different every week. 

I like Louise but she wants to spend a lot of money/have a big wedding because she thinks that will make her marriage better?  Seriously? I would think since she knows Dan is already in financial trouble and was never good with money, she would save her money so they would have something to fall back on in the future if needed. 

Since when did the Lunch Box become a sports bar?  

I didn't really miss Becky. 

 

[mythoughtis]

Besides Becky being gone…. Jackie told the spiritual advisor that she hadn’t seen her Mom in a while….I thought her  mom lived with her?  I know the actress isn’t acting much especially in a Covid year, so I don’t expect to actually see her.,but that was a lack of  continuity. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

2 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I didn't really miss Becky. 

You and I are the only ones who feel this way.

[CrystalBlue]

This whole show is a lack of continuity.  Darlene and Ben were kaput at last season's end, now Dan is checking on the status of Barlene or Den or whatever they were, and Darlene runs out of rents an apartment for the two of them to get Ben back.  Stupid, and enough is enough.

Bev must have moved out of Jackie's place without a word to anyone if Jackie checks with a psychic as to her whereabouts.  Jackie's line about Bev still being alive was one of the few funny lines in the show.

Apparently Louise is as frivolous with money as the family she's marrying into.  At her age and at this stage, a big white wedding is stupid.  There's a happy medium between the courthouse and inviting a bunch of friends and relatives for a big production.  I guess Louise wants the wedding of her dreams so she'll pay for it.

The writing seems to still be all over the place.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I also liked Jackie’s joke about how you think you’ve hit rock bottom, but it’s actually a trap door that leads to rock bottom.

[Cherpumple]

2 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Since when did the Lunch Box become a sports bar?

If I remember correctly, near the end of last season they showed the episode of Jeopardy that Jackie was on, during which she lost badly and went on a rant about how great the Chicago Bears are compared to the Packers (which is the team that the guest host Aaron Rodgers plays for). The rant went viral, and soon the Lunchbox was full of Bears fans. Jackie abruptly decided to cash in on her 15 minutes of local fame and turn the Lunchbox into a sports bar, which, to be honest, sounds better than the crazy mishmash of food she was serving before. In yet another stroke of brilliant financial planning, Becky - the recovering alcoholic with the steady factory paycheck - decided to join her in the hopes that spending all her time in a bar would by a great employment option and a full time childcare solution. What could go wrong?

I'm glad they ditched their masks, and hope it continues. Their inconsistent and nonsensical mask use last season was just too distracting.

I liked the idea of showing us the larger Connor family, but this was not the way to do it. Maybe it will happen at the wedding, but at this point, I doubt they'll even bring back little Ed for that.

[chediavolo]

Why couldn’t they show Becky on zoom at least? Seems strange she only got a brief message. I hate! How they style Jackie. Her hair is horrible , she dresses & moves(and sits) like a male.  They’ve taken away all her femininity. 

[nokat]

19 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I like Ben too but I think he can do a lot better than Darlene.

I know, I like Ben too, but he can do so much better.

[nokat]

I'm still recovering from not only seeing DJ, but seeing gray in his hair. At least we got to see his daughter Mary.

[ESS]

10 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I like Louise but she wants to spend a lot of money/have a big wedding because she thinks that will make her marriage better?  Seriously? I would think since she knows Dan is already in financial trouble and was never good with money, she would save her money so they would have something to fall back on in the future if needed.

 

She didn't want a big wedding at first, but it hit her when she went home because her parents didn't do it that way when they married and that's why she wants a big wedding not because of the money issues (even though she did offer to pay for the wedding and the cake she wants) at least that's how I saw it. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by ESS

[MissLucas]

That was a bit of a mixed bag. As for Darlene dropping atheism and going full 'Hello, God' - that was weird. The psychic said she lacked spirituality and that does not necessarily mean saying your prayer like a ten year old in front of the bed. Someone like Darlene would be more at home in Zen Buddhism for example (which leaves the whole God - no Go debat at the door - at least in some branches). Quite frankly good therapy could to the trick too, because Darlene needs to stop using her negative filters as a defense mechanism and an excuse for all her failures. Spirituality can help but is not necessary. So I have no idea where they are going with this.

I like Ben but I do not like Ben and Darlene. And if Louise wants to have a big wedding and pay for it then she should have it. She should marry Dan and not his financial problems #team-prenup.

[ESS]

10 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

Apparently Louise is as frivolous with money as the family she's marrying into.  At her age and at this stage, a big white wedding is stupid.  There's a happy medium between the courthouse and inviting a bunch of friends and relatives for a big production.  I guess Louise wants the wedding of her dreams so she'll pay for it.

I don't think it's stupid she wants a big wedding at all. (which she didn't want at first and it was a shock to her as well she said) As I said before she offered to pay for it which I think is a sweet gesture on her part. She wants the wedding of her dreams because her parents didn't have it that way and also she mentioned that's how their marriage felt to her like it wasn't happy or something and plus she's never been married before so this is all new for her. That how I saw it, just saying. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by ESS

[tribeca]

Harris is 19 I think and has paid rent since she started working.  I don’t think of her as a free loader.  Darlene and Becky did not pay rent for a long time.  Darlene has her two school age kids living there rent free for a few years.   
   Darlene should figure out why her relationship with Ben is so difficult and why she has lies continuously.   
Her friend at Wellmens did her no favors spilling all her secrets.   That was such strange scene.   
    

Edited September 24, 2021 by tribeca

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

Quite frankly good therapy could to the trick too

Wasn't she doing zoom therapy last season?

1 hour ago, ESS said:

As I said before she offered to pay for it which I think is a sweet gesture on her part. 

Well, she doesn't have much choice, if it's that important to her. She's aware of Dan's financial situation; if she insisted he pay for a big wedding he shouldn't be marrying her.

 

[ESS]

21 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Wasn't she doing zoom therapy last season?

Well, she doesn't have much choice, if it's that important to her. She's aware of Dan's financial situation; if she insisted he pay for a big wedding he shouldn't be marrying her.

 

Yes she is aware of his money issues, but at the same time I also think she loves him. I think she was trying to help ease the money issues because he was worried about that he told her as much which he obviously has to be. I'm just saying they are still trying to figure all this out together and it's a little messy right now and with Louise never being married before I'm sure that's also factoring into this as well, it's gonna be complicated for the both of them, but I think they'll be able to work it out somehow. Louise excepts him for who he is which I love and he seems too as well after she explained about the wedding and why she wants it to be big, but I see your point too because they should be doing this together and I think they are trying as much as they can.  

Edited September 24, 2021 by ESS

[tessaray]

I understand why Louise wants a bigger wedding now. Marriage creates a new family - or in this case a new family dynamic. Dan and Roseanne are a hard act to follow, so the symbolism is important. 

The Conners may be terrible with money but I think some life events should be exempt from the normal pennypinching. We all have our priorities and have to live with our choices. Hopefully they get to make some wonderful memories on the big day. 

[ESS]

39 minutes ago, tessaray said:

I understand why Louise wants a bigger wedding now. Marriage creates a new family - or in this case a new family dynamic. Dan and Roseanne are a hard act to follow, so the symbolism is important. 

The Conners may be terrible with money but I think some life events should be exempt from the normal pennypinching. We all have our priorities and have to live with our choices. Hopefully they get to make some wonderful memories on the big day. 

Yes I so agree with you and I understand why she wants a big wedding as well and it makes sense to me as her reasoning she had very valid points.

Edited September 24, 2021 by ESS

[bobalina]

10 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

You and I are the only ones who feel this way.

No you're not. Never thought Lecy could act worth a darn. Not shocked her career never really got off the ground.

[nokat]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

I understand why Louise wants a bigger wedding now. Marriage creates a new family - or in this case a new family dynamic. Dan and Roseanne are a hard act to follow, so the symbolism is important. 

The Conners may be terrible with money but I think some life events should be exempt from the normal pennypinching. We all have our priorities and have to live with our choices. Hopefully they get to make some wonderful memories on the big day. 

You make good points about a new family if you marry someone who already has children, whether adult or younger. If Louise wants the wedding, it should be her choice. I personally never wanted a big wedding and went to a justice of the peace, but I ended up hurting other people who wanted to go to a wedding. My mother remarried and his adult children loved her. 

[iMonrey]

A mixed bag for me too. The live aspect was fun, but the phone calls with randos was stupid.

I'm torn on Ben and Darlene, because I do like them together, and I don't want Jay Ferguson to leave the show. But if they keep him on the show and Ben and Darlene do not get back together, that's going to always be awkward. At the same time, I don't think they should get back together, because they really aren't right for each other.

Quote

Bev must have moved out of Jackie's place without a word to anyone if Jackie checks with a psychic as to her whereabouts. 

This came up last season too. The last we heard they were living together in Jackie's apartment. Where the hell did she go?

Edited September 24, 2021 by iMonrey

[MaryMitch]

The "guest Conners" gimmick was pretty weak; hopefully they won't try anything like that again.  Other than that, the episode seemed like a regular "Conners" episode; except for the part where Darlene ran through the backstage area, I didn't notice any flubs from it being live.

[nokat]

3 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

The "guest Conners" gimmick was pretty weak; hopefully they won't try anything like that again.  Other than that, the episode seemed like a regular "Conners" episode; except for the part where Darlene ran through the backstage area, I didn't notice any flubs from it being live.

I was wondering if they actually found "Conners" to guest star.

[HerkyJerky]

16 hours ago, eskimo said:

I'm wondering if maybe Lecy wasn't confident in doing a live show?  Or maybe a covid related issue?  Who knows, but it was strange to have a season premier without her.  

Wasn’t that Becky at the very beginning of the show who was standing in the garage pushing her plate through the window asking for more mashed potatoes? Or am I confused?

[ESS]

27 minutes ago, HerkyJerky said:

Wasn’t that Becky at the very beginning of the show who was standing in the garage pushing her plate through the window asking for more mashed potatoes? Or am I confused?

That was from season 3’s premiere. 

[HerkyJerky]

1 minute ago, ESS said:

That was from season 3’s premiere

OOPS! Thanks, ESS, that’s right, Hulu did give me the wrong episode when I first signed on.🥺

[ESS]

15 minutes ago, HerkyJerky said:

OOPS! Thanks, ESS, that’s right, Hulu did give me the wrong episode when I first signed on.🥺

Ugh I'm sorry. ☹️

[peacheslatour]

39 minutes ago, HerkyJerky said:

OOPS! Thanks, ESS, that’s right, Hulu did give me the wrong episode when I first signed on.🥺

Yeah, I would never question anything ESS says about this show. She's our resident Conners historian.

[ESS]

18 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Yeah, I would never question anything ESS says about this show. She's our resident Conners historian.

LOL...no I just have a great memory that's all. 

[Jillybean]

It seems Lecy attended a fundraising event rather than appearing in this episode.  Mild Becky spoilers in this article.  https://tvline.com/2021/09/24/the-conners-becky-season-4-premiere-live-lecy-goranson/

It's certainly a worthy cause, but seems like a odd choice. The episode was just OK for me, and the random Connors thing just fell flat. I love Brian Austin Green and would like to see him as a regular, but NOT a love interest for Darlene.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Jillybean

[hoodooznoodooz]

3 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

I didn't notice any flubs from it being live.

I only noticed Ames repeating one line and, before that, a quick, random camera shot at the staircase.

[Bastet]

27 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

It's certainly a worthy cause, but seems like a odd choice.

I don't know, she said she was really torn, and I sure wish Becky had been in the premiere, but I can understand why she chose the charity event.  It's something she used to do but couldn't last year because of COVID, and she also lost her mom last year and couldn't be with her family; she was alone in L.A.  I think going "home" was probably an additional pull, plus the nature of the event - being for first responders - would be something she finds all the more important this year.  Tough call, and I'm glad she was allowed to skip the premiere to do what she thought was the most important use of her time.