When The Conners premieres on ABC next month, it’ll do so without the family matriarch, Roseanne, who is set to meet a rather surprising end ahead of the series premiere.
The news that the series would kill off Roseanne isn’t entirely news, as actor John Goodman accidentally let the news slip in a recent interview. Killing off the character, after all, allows for a clean slate while also giving the character some sort of finality after the events of the Roseanne reboot. And now, thanks to Roseanne herself, we know how the character is set to die — an opioid overdose.
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Barr revealed the news in an interview with YouTuber Brandon Straka over the weekend. “Oh ya, they killed her. They have her die of an opioid overdose,” she said. Those that watched the reboot will note that Roseanne began abusing opioids near the end of the season due to an injury, while Dan sought to get her help by trying to raise money for surgery. Of course, while she promises Dan she’ll stop, she continues to use the pills she has stashed around the house. It’s hard-hitting subject matter, and one that is sure to get the audience talking when it’s revealed Roseanne ultimately dies because of her addiction. However, it’s also a fitting end for the story the writers set out to tell in the reboot.
And while Barr has previously stated she wouldn’t “curse” the spinoff, she didn’t hold back on her feelings behind ABC’s decision to cancel Roseanne and move ahead with The Conners. “It wasn’t enough to do what they did to me,” said Barr. “They had to so cruelly insult the people who loved that family and that show … [But] there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s done. It’s over. There’s no fight left.”
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The Conners stars John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara and Jayden Rey. It is scheduled to premiere for its 10-episode first season on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
(via The Wrap)