'The Conners' Recap: Haunted By Roseanne's Tone Deaf Ghost

LANFORD, IL — In the spring, Patch gave weekly recaps for "Roseanne," ABC's revival of the popular sitcom, and published those articles on Elgin Patch, the nearest community to the Conner family's fictional Illinois home of Lanford.

The series has returned to TV this fall with a new name and without its outspoken star. Find out how a tumultuous summer turned "Roseanne" into "The Conners" and what its first Roseanne Bar-less season is like.

"The Conners" (Season 1, Episode 2): "There Won't be Blood"

The Lowdown: The new series continues a tradition from the original series: dressing up for Halloween. But the holiday is anything but fun for Darlene (Sara Gilbert). In between blowing a waitressing job interview and handling daughter Harris (Emma Kenney) getting her driver's license, she must also deal with Mark's (Ames McNamara) school objecting to his Frida Kahlo costume.

What Worked: While far from nuanced, Darlene's difficulties as a financially strapped single mom who's unable to find steady work are a rarity to see depicted on a network TV series. When have any of the families in "Modern Family" had to scrimp just to make sure they could pay for their monthly basics, such as food, the mortgage or gas money to get to work? If an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" focuses on money problems, it's because the gang can't scrape together enough cash to buy a copy of Fantastic Four #52 autographed by Stan Lee. Even recovering addicts Christie and Bonnie of "Mom" haven't become so overwhelmed trying to make ends meet that they've relapsed, despite being a lower middle class mother and daughter, living in Napa, California, with its higher-than-average cost of living.

What's particularly telling are the jobs available to Darlene — a high school graduate who went to art school. The only opportunities that show any type of promise are ones that objectify her, such as topless housecleaning. Not exactly inspiring employment prospects for a woman raising two kids.

What Didn't Work: It's fitting that this was the Halloween episode of "The Conners," because it was certainly haunted by Roseanne's tone deaf ghost. Or at least her awkward spirit was channeled by the writers. They're responsible for having Darlene berate Mark's principal for not allowing them to attend the school Halloween carnival because her son's costume is considered a form of cultural appropriation.

Let's be clear: Cultural appropriation is not an overreaction, and it's not about being politically correct. Marginalized ethnic and racial groups become even more so when their religious or artistic traditions have been co-opted by a dominant culture that finds them stylish but has little regard for their origins. It's like the popular kid at school bullying his way into your family because he thought your parents were cool, then photoshopping his face into all the family albums.

Yes, Mark's Frida Kahlo costume was intended to celebrate the Mexican artist — it's "cultural appreciation," as Darlene says. But he admitted the reason he chose to go as Kahlo was because he "just really liked her style" after reading about her in a book his mom stole from the Lanford library. Is that cultural appreciation or just wanting to be appreciated for appearing cool?

Too Bad He Didn't Have This Day Off, Too: The series keeps rolling out the guest stars. This episode features an extended cameo by Matthew Broderick who plays Peter, Jackie's (Laurie Metcalf) intellectual and stuffy date. He comes to the Conners' Halloween party dressed in a costume representing philosopher René Descartes' theory on mind-body dualism. Instead, Broderick should have gone as the "Can you hear me now?" guy from the old Sprint commercials, because he pretty much phoned in this performance.

That Place Sounds Familiar: Darlene unsuccessfully applies for a waitress job at McNasty's, a Lanford restaurant with a certain hook: Diners come to be insulted by the staff. Viewers never see the actual establishment, but who wants to bet it might have resembled Ed Debevic's, the retro Chicago diner that built a reputation on that very same shtick?

"The Conners" Season 1 Recaps:

• Episode 1, "Keep on Truckin' "
• Episode 2, "Tangled Up in Blue"

"Roseanne" Season 10 Recaps:

• Episode 3, "Roseanne Gets the Chair"
• Episode 4, "Eggs Over, Not Easy"
• Episode 5, "Darlene v. David"
• Episode 6, "No Country for Old Women"
• Episode 7, "Go Cubs"
• Episode 8, "Netflix & Pill"
• Episode 9, "Knee Deep"

More Patch Coverage:

• 'Roseanne' Canceled After Racist 'Ape' Tweet
• Roseanne Defends Valerie Jarrett Tweet: 'I Thought She Was White'

Best Line, Runner Up: "I bet when you were a kid you thought you were going to grow up and be something, but you went and disappointed everyone, didn't you, Gary? You're a little man in a big chair, and you're going to spend the rest of your life alone. Look at you!" — Darlene, after she's asked to "insult" the McNasty's manager during her job interview.

Best Line: "I've often ordered Descartes. But as you know, it's often more expensive." Becky (Lecy Goranson) rattles off another wonderful malaprop, mistaking René Descartes for à la carte.

Ames McNamara (left) and Sara Gilbert in "The Conners." (Photo by Eric McCandless | ABC)