The Conners: Speculation and Spoilers

[LBS]

I wonder if the episode titles referencing Grateful Dead songs is a nod to Jerry seeing that they named him after Jerry Garcia. 

[emcmac87]

After seeing the episode description for the ep 2 weeks from now, I’m going with it being either Harris or Geena being pregnant. But since the Blue episode was supposed to air right b4, it seems like Harris is most likely. I wonder if they plan on doing an abortion storyline? 

[CherryAmes]

I'd be surprised-I think you need to build up your core audience a lot more than The Conners have before you deal with such a divisive issue!  Did original Roseanne ever touch on abortion?  There were several pregnancies during the course of the series -Roseanne, Jackie and Crystal to name three- I would bet they paid the idea of abortion being a legal solution lip service but no one actually had one.  If anything that's what I'd expect here to.  Discussion of abortion but no one actually having one.  Hope they don't go down the oh so convenient miscarriage route instead. 

[BeachDays]

1 hour ago, emcmac87 said:

After seeing the episode description for the ep 2 weeks from now, I’m going with it being either Harris or Geena being pregnant. But since the Blue episode was supposed to air right b4, it seems like Harris is most likely. I wonder if they plan on doing an abortion storyline? 

 I thought from the description it would be Harris or Geena too-  but I don’t think Harris because would she have taken the morning after pill wrong too?  I mean it’s possible but I am currently leaning towards Geena.  I feel like if it’s her it’s not really THAT unexpected except maybe that it pulls her out of active service.   

[Sakura12]

I can't see a 30ish married woman getting pregnant as unexpected, unplanned maybe but hardly shocking. Geena would be the easiest way to introduce a baby since they can keep the baby offscreen without it being weird. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Sakura12

[tessaray]

I just Googled the success rate of the morning after pill and it says up to 89% effective if taken within 3 day, 95% if taken withing 24 hours. I guess that does leave room for Harris. Drat.  

https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Scoop-Coming-Up-on-a-New-Episode-of-THE-CONNERS-on-ABC-Tuesday-November-20-2018-20181105  

[Sakura12]

Didn't they go the next morning? So that would be in the 24 hour window.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

Did original Roseanne ever touch on abortion?

Yes, with the pregnancy scare and again when they were waiting for amnio results when she was pregnant with Jerry.

If Harris is pregnant, I would fervently hope she'd get an abortion and it would be ridiculous not to even consider it, but I don't think the show is willing to go there, so I think it will be someone else.  I originally thought Becky, because of "unexpected" rather than "unplanned," but once the show got going I figured Geena got pregnant while home on leave, and that's why she'll be around -- she gets sent home from her active duty overseas assignment because she's pregnant.

[BeachDays]

I just feel like Harris getting pregnant isn’t likely-  she seemed vigilant about getting the morning after pill, she used a condom (although not sure why she thinks they used it incorrectly), not to mention it feels “done” in a way because Darlene got pregnant as a teenager and Emma Kenney’s character on Shameless is a teen mom-  but who knows.   

 

Im still hoping for Darlene and David but the description doesn’t make it sound likely.  

[snarkylady]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

 If Harris is pregnant, I would fervently hope she'd get an abortion and it would be ridiculous not to even consider it, but I don't think the show is willing to go there, 

Agreed, also I don't think ABC / Disney is willing to go there. 

[Pallas]

Within the decade, lead or second-lead characters have had abortions on two Shonda Rhimes shows on ABC. Both protagonists were driven, highly successful women of color, for what that's worth. 

[anna0852]

Unfortunately I think comedies and dramas are held to different standards. I don't think it's right but I do think it happens.

[CrystalBlue]

If Harris is pregnant, despite the MAP, assuming Darlene did take her to the pharmacy, the show could have her give birth to the baby then give him or her up for adoption.

[Pallas]

On 11/6/2018 at 10:31 PM, CrystalBlue said:

the show could have her give birth to the baby then give him or her up for adoption

By Becky? Or more likely, have Lanford's entire Conner-Healey-Harris clan assist: most have experience and time. A baby great-grandchild in the house may be the last thing Dan wants, though: perhaps Harris and baby could move in David and Blue. David does want to make up for lost time; Blue did say that she wanted to be more involved...And she was. 

Still, I hope it's Geena, and that the same clan upraising takes place. 

[Jacqs]

Comedies are lighthearted and a lighthearted treatment of an issue as polarising and as poisoned as abortion is today, would ignite a firestorm.

[BlossomCulp]

12 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

If Harris is pregnant, despite the MAP, assuming Darlene did take her to the pharmacy, the show could have her give birth to the baby then give him or her up for adoption.

Didn't that happen on Mom?  Not a show I watched but I'm pretty sure I read about that story arc.  Hopefully The Conners won't make the mistake of taking storylines whole cloth from such recent shows!

3 hours ago, Pallas said:

Still, I hope it's Gina, and that the same clan upraising takes place. 

I hope so too even though in a way this reminds me of the whole "main character dies on Modern Family" thing and then after getting the fans all curious it turns out they killed off a character that rarely appears on the show,  Sure it was a "significant" character in one sense but no way would I describe her as a main character.  If shows are going to tease us with "oh you'll NEVER believe the twist that's coming" I think it should actually be a twist and not a married woman getting pregnant by her husband or a rarely seen character dying! 

[tessaray]

I could accept Geena getting pregnant as unexpected and life altering (for them).  Right now they are just scraping by, she obviously is invested in her military career and a baby would really upset things for them.   

[Bastet]

On 11/6/2018 at 9:31 AM, BeachDays said:

I just feel like Harris getting pregnant isn’t likely-  she seemed vigilant about getting the morning after pill, she used a condom (although not sure why she thinks they used it incorrectly), not to mention it feels “done” in a way because Darlene got pregnant as a teenager and Emma Kenney’s character on Shameless is a teen mom-  but who knows.   

 

Im still hoping for Darlene and David but the description doesn’t make it sound likely.  

It would feel even more "done" with Darlene and David -- an "oops" pregnancy is why they got married in the first place, and another one being the reason they don't get divorced would be ridiculous, IMO.  Although Becky could get great mileage out of them having apparently learned nothing.

Geena is the only woman on this show I don't think it would be a terrible thing for her to have a baby (since, again, I think pregnancy is going to equal baby), so I'm hoping for her.  Becky is just taking the first tiny steps to get her life on a better track, and a baby would derail that and she'd be stuck forever.  Darlene is having to settle for jobs instead of the career she used to have, living with her dad, and on the brink of finally divorcing her long-estranged husband.  Harris is a teenager, and the father wouldn't even be a boyfriend, but a random hook-up, plus it's just an awful message to show a girl doing everything right (using a condom, and then using emergency contraception in a timely fashion as extra protection because, never having done this before, she's not sure if they used the condom right) and getting knocked up anyway.  The timing would suck for Geena, because she'd lose her assignment, but she's got benefits, will get a decent maternity leave, and can go back after that if she wants, so if she and D.J. wanted another child at some point, at least it wouldn't be a disaster if it happened now.  So I'm hoping for Geena, because it's the least sucky for her.  Also because they don't live at Dan's, so we wouldn't have to have the baby around all the time.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Bastet

[CrystalBlue]

3 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

Didn't that happen on Mom?  Not a show I watched but I'm pretty sure I read about that story arc.  Hopefully The Conners won't make the mistake of taking storylines whole cloth from such recent shows!

I hope so too even though in a way this reminds me of the whole "main character dies on Modern Family" thing and then after getting the fans all curious it turns out they killed off a character that rarely appears on the show,  Sure it was a "significant" character in one sense but no way would I describe her as a main character.  If shows are going to tease us with "oh you'll NEVER believe the twist that's coming" I think it should actually be a twist and not a married woman getting pregnant by her husband or a rarely seen character dying! 

I wouldn't know as I haven't watched those shows and I'm not comparing The Conners to any other sitcoms.  Since The Conners is supposed to be a sitcom, I, like JacquelineAppleton, don't see a good future in an abortion story line.

[BlossomCulp]

56 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

I wouldn't know as I haven't watched those shows and I'm not comparing The Conners to any other sitcoms.

My point wasn't to compare The Conners but to point out that this exact storyline played out very recently and I would hope even if you or I haven't watched that other sitcom that the people writing for The Conners are aware of significant storylines that have been used in the past few years.  I can absolutely guarantee you that sharp-eyed fans and even more especially sharp-eyed The Conners haters would be all over it if The Conners does a teenage pregnancy-leads to adoption storyline.  The Conners gets enough undeserved (IMO) crap already without going there.  Anyway I totally agree that an abortion storyline would not work well either - acknowledging abortion as an option, yep, I can see them going there, actually following through though, well I'd be very surprised.

Edited November 7, 2018 by BlossomCulp

[SoMuchTV]

39 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

My point wasn't to compare The Conners but to point out that this exact storyline played out very recently and I would hope even if you or I haven't watched that other sitcom that the people writing for The Conners are aware of significant storylines that have been used in the past few years.  I can absolutely guarantee you that sharp-eyed fans and even more especially sharp-eyed The Conners haters would be all over it if The Conners does a teenage pregnancy-leads to adoption storyline.  The Conners gets enough undeserved (IMO) crap already without going there.  Anyway I totally agree that an abortion storyline would not work well either - acknowledging abortion as an option, yep, I can see them going there, actually following through though, well I'd be very surprised.

 

I can confirm that Mom did have a teenage-pregnancy-leads-to-adoption storyline in the first (or very early second?) season (they're in season 6 now), but if the Conners went that route, I wouldn't exactly be up in arms.  People give babies up for adoption all the time.  Every story is different.  Did Mom copy it from the movie Juno?  Shows have storylines about people having babies all the time but people don't really have a problem with that (well, except for the really trope-y ones, maybe).

And I say that as someone who was extremely annoyed when early Grey's Anatomy "stole" a storyline from ER:

Spoiler

(doctors frantically treating horribly injured John Doe patient, doctors page Dr. So-and-so, dun dun dun... patient's pager goes off.  (Hope I didn't need to spoiler-tag that.)

So, not saying it is or isn't a good idea for the Conners to go that way, just that (for me, anyway) it wouldn't be an eye-roller.

Edited November 7, 2018 by SoMuchTV
On second thought, spoiler-tagging in case anyone hasn't watched one or the other of those shows but is finally getting around to it :)

[Jacqs]

This isn't the days of the Hays Code but a storyline of Harris as unwed teenage mother in a comedy... with the whole country as if it is soaked in gasoline and the merest spark can ignite it? No, just, no.

[BeachDays]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

It would feel even more "done" with Darlene and David -- an "oops" pregnancy is why they got married in the first place, and another one being the reason they don't get divorced would be ridiculous, IMO.  Although Becky could get great mileage out of them having apparently learned nothing.

Geena is the only woman on this show I don't think it would be a terrible thing for her to have a baby (since, again, I think pregnancy is going to equal baby), so I'm hoping for her.  Becky is just taking the first tiny steps to get her life on a better track, and a baby would derail that and she'd be stuck forever.  Darlene is having to settle for jobs instead of the career she used to have, living with her dad, and on the brink of finally divorcing her long-estranged husband.  Harris is a teenager, and the father wouldn't even be a boyfriend, but a random hook-up, plus it's just an awful message to show a girl doing everything right (using a condom, and then using emergency contraception in a timely fashion as extra protection because, never having done this before, she's not sure if they used the condom right) and getting knocked up anyway

 

I agree about the message it would send if Harris did everything to prevent a pregnancy (minus not having sex), and getting pregnant anyway.... it just seems very twisted and far-fetched.  

 

Regarding David and Darlene, I would agree that it wouldn’t normally be my first choice. I honestly think they are going to get back together (I feel like they are breaking them up to start anew) and don’t need another (perhaps 3rd) surprise pregnancy.  Having said that, it is possible that tptb want to give Darlene a more similar set up of mom-of-3, like Roseanne was for most of the series, and it’s now or never time, age-wise.   

 

Geena would be the ideal choice for me right now.   I would be fine with Darlene.   Harris I wouldn’t like, and Becky would be a disaster.  

[jsbt]

Yeah, I don't think people outside the far right bat an eye at a teenage pregnancy or even abortion story on a sitcom in 2018. The former's been done many, many, many times. It's old hat. The latter is doable as well. That being said I don't think it'll be Harris.

Edited November 8, 2018 by jsbt

[BeachDays]

I went to the taping last night so I know who is pregnant.   They didn’t make the audience sign an NDA surprisingly enough, so am I allowed to say?  Or would it be better if I kept it to myself?

Edited November 10, 2018 by BeachDays

[CherryAmes]

I think if you posted with spoiler tags it would be ok.   Spoiler aside what is it like at a taping?  

[BeachDays]

The taping was a lot of fun!  Very very long, basically I am thrilled that I went but probably need a year before I would want to go again, haha.   Even though the actors occasionally flubbed, in general they were very well rehearsed and I was quite impressed.   But wow was it difficult to get in-   We got there early and thought we were a shoe-in but there were 125 VIP and folks who couldn’t get in previously because overcrowded, and they got in first.    The people who worked there said the show is getting increasingly popular every week that it is on, which makes sense.  But yeah, definitely go early bc the VIPs can show up any time and in great numbers.   

 

Ok pregnant character is

 

Spoiler

Becky

[tessaray]

@BeachDays Did they tell you which episode this was or when it is scheduled to air? 

[BeachDays]

22 minutes ago, tessaray said:

@BeachDays Did they tell you which episode this was or when it is scheduled to air? 

 

It was episode 7, entitled “Pass the Salt” and they were getting ready for Christmas.   Not sure when it will air officially but sometime in December.  

[Bastet]

This thread is tagged for spoilers already, so we can speculate based on spoilers in here without tagging them.

I'm very disappointed about the pregnancy, even though it was my initial guess; if she has a baby, she's going to be stuck for the rest of her life.  This was her window to turn things around, and instead she's going to fall right into the usual trap.  Not all that unusual, but still disappointing, and these people's lives have already been realistically disappointing enough.

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, Bastet said:

This thread is tagged for spoilers already, so we can speculate based on spoilers in here without tagging them.

I'm very disappointed about the pregnancy, even though it was my initial guess; if she has a baby, she's going to be stuck for the rest of her life.  This was her window to turn things around, and instead she's going to fall right into the usual trap.  Not all that unusual, but still disappointing, and these people's lives have already been realistically disappointing enough.

Maybe she'll give it to Sarah Chalke.

[CrystalBlue]

Well, I'm glad it doesn't look like an abortion storyline.  Is a baby daddy going to be involved?  I also hope we don't have a message about how late-in-life, over 35-40 pregnancies are dangerous (which they are considered high risk) and that the baby is lost.  I'm not a fan of abortion or miscarriage storylines, especially in comedies.  Looks like Aunt Jackie will have more to do in a few months!

[jsbt]

I'm actually surprised and pleased. That's a risky story to tell given her existing problems. I think her 'arc' (such as this show has some) is about improving her life, and I don't think a baby has to derail that.

Edited November 10, 2018 by jsbt

[CrystalBlue]

2 minutes ago, jsbt said:

I'm actually surprised and pleased. That's a risky story to tell given her existing problems.

I'm not unhappy about it either.  This could be the motivation to her wake-up call about her existing problems and a way to stop self-destructing.  The other alternatives were either boring, unfortunate or adding more complications to an already "it's complicated" relationship.  Also this gives a certain character no additional ties to the Conners family at this time.

[peacheslatour]

Well,she has GOT to stop drinking now. I wonder if she'll end up in rehab.

[snarkylady]

I don't even want to think about a fictional character drinking while pregnant. 

[Bastet]

If Geena isn't pregnant, how are they going to explain her being around so much?  I highly doubt the military tells its active duty personnel stationed overseas, "Yes, by all means, pop back home every week or two."  (If they do, I want my taxes back.)

[Mom x 3]

10 hours ago, BeachDays said:

The taping was a lot of fun!  Very very long, basically I am thrilled that I went but probably need a year before I would want to go again, haha.   Even though the actors occasionally flubbed, in general they were very well rehearsed and I was quite impressed.   But wow was it difficult to get in-   We got there early and thought we were a shoe-in but there were 125 VIP and folks who couldn’t get in previously because overcrowded, and they got in first.    The people who worked there said the show is getting increasingly popular every week that it is on, which makes sense.  But yeah, definitely go early bc the VIPs can show up any time and in great numbers.   

 

Ok pregnant character is

 

  Hide contents

Becky

*squee*  I hope this motivates her to stop drinking and go back to school.  Although I do hope it's a boy, because if it's a girl and they name her Roseanne I will barf.  

[BeachDays]

So in this ep she already knew she was pregnant and apparently has stopped drinking so possibly the baby gives her motivation to get her life together.  

 

Also my guess is it will be a boy as well.  Avoids naming the baby Roseanne and there are already 3 grandkids in “girl” clothes, even though Mark is definitely a boy.  

Edited November 11, 2018 by BeachDays

[Bastet]

27 minutes ago, BeachDays said:

So in this ep she already knew she was pregnant and apparently has stopped drinking so possibly the baby gives her motivation to get her life together.

Well, good luck to her with that, but the odds are against her, and this is a shitty thing to do to a character who has - despite a lot of sex, with a lot of different people - always made sure this didn't happen (much to Jackie's surprise, heh).  I'm not interested in "every baby is a blessing" bullshit. 

This may not be a disaster, but it's not a good thing for her.  And I'd like to see Becky finally have something good - she got used as a third adult in the family practically since she could walk, half "stupidity"/half "well, dumb, but it may work freaked-out plan" opted to relocate for her husband's job in order to complete her education in time, saw that fall apart, made another bad decision on how to proceed, wound up a widow, and just coasted by for years before seeking out ways to establish herself.

[BeachDays]

4 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Well, good luck to her with that, but the odds are against her, and this is a shitty thing to do to a character who has - despite a lot of sex, with a lot of different people - always made sure this didn't happen (much to Jackie's surprise, heh).  I'm not interested in "every baby is a blessing" bullshit. 

This may not be a disaster, but it's not a good thing for her.  And I'd like to see Becky finally have something good - she got used as a third adult in the family practically since she could walk, half "stupidity"/half "well, dumb, but it may work freaked-out plan" opted to relocate for her husband's job in order to complete her education in time, saw that fall apart, made another bad decision on how to proceed, wound up a widow, and just coasted by for years before seeking out ways to establish herself.

 

I don’t think they are punishing her character or anything like that-  I think they just thought this was an interesting storyline.   She seemed pretty happy in this ep but I’m assuming when she found out it was more of a shock.   

[jsbt]

I don't see it as punishing Becky either (something I feel very sensitive to after the way the original show handled her from the recast to the finale). I think it's just a very ballsy story to tell with an adrift alcoholic approaching middle age, and I like the idea.

I don't see why Becky can't get her life on track and have this baby (or give it up, or abort, if she so chooses). But it's been clear that she hasn't been that overachiever teen since... well, since she and Mark first moved back home. Based on this season and the last she's clearly been the aging party girl for a number of years to drown her sorrows, and I think that arc of her life is sad but very familiar and realistic. I do think wherever it goes next is meant to be a positive, and not just because she's knocked up.

Edited November 11, 2018 by jsbt

[Jacqs]

Anyone else not like media (and real life female family members...) telling you you'll forget your troubles when you're cradling that diaper-clad baby in your arms?

[StaceyNotStacie]

I’m glad it’s Becky and not Darlene or Harris. They’ve already got the majority of the story, so it’s nice to see someone else getting a bigger story. I’m wondering who the baby daddy will be.  It could be interesting if the father’s side of the family wants to be involved. 

[BeachDays]

1 hour ago, Stacey1014 said:

I’m glad it’s Becky and not Darlene or Harris. They’ve already got the majority of the story, so it’s nice to see someone else getting a bigger story. I’m wondering who the baby daddy will be.  It could be interesting if the father’s side of the family wants to be involved. 

 

Not to be that person, but I know who the dad is-   Again, not sure if it’s more fun to everyone if I spill or to wait and see onscreen.  

[peacheslatour]

12 minutes ago, BeachDays said:

 

Not to be that person, but I know who the dad is-   Again, not sure if it’s more fun to everyone if I spill or to wait and see onscreen.  

Tell! Tell!

[BeachDays]

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Tell! Tell!

 

Lol ok.   We didn’t see this but the warm-up guy clued us in.   I guess in a previous episode Becky didn’t know who the father was, and it was between her boss and the busboy, and it turns out the father is the busboy.   I’m assuming it’s the one who doesn’t speak English very well played by Rene Rosado.  Yay a Latino Conner!  

[Bastet]

That's what I figured - if they're bothering to announce the casting of the busboy character as a recurring role, he must be something more than a coworker.  But, at the time his casting was announced, I was still hoping the pregnancy was Geena's so I didn't want to dwell on it.  Rene Rosado's character Gus bugged the ever-loving shit out of me on Major Crimes (I couldn't stand him when he first appeared, transitioned to really liking him, and then hated him with the neat of a nova by the end), so odds aren't in favor of me liking him as a party to screwing up Becky's life this way, but we'll see. 

The brief description of the character sounded like every horrible stereotype, but this franchise has a better track record than most, so I'm still hoping the humor around him is sharp and even subversive rather than stereotypical.

[BeachDays]

Bastet, why are you convinced this will screw up her life? 

[peacheslatour]

I'm not Bastet but I'll tell you why I think it could screw up her life. She's broke, she has no education and no skills. She has a job where she's on her feet all day and she's no spring chicken. The cost of living may be low in Lanford but it's not free. She has a drinking problem that she may or may not be able to recover from. I don't know how  long she's been pregnant but she has been drinking heavily enough so far that the baby may have special needs. I'd say her life was screwed up to begin with and having a kid is going to make her life so much harder. YMMV.