The Conners Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Education, Corruption, and Damnation
Christine Orlando
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Darlene turned to God on The Conners Season 4 Episode 2, but it didn't turn out quite how she hoped it would.
Darlene is searching for answers. She's looking to feel a part of something bigger than herself when all she currently feels is lost and alone.
Darlene has been an atheist her entire adult life. I doubt that traditional religion is going to work for her.
But I give Darlene credit for being open enough to explore things she's never had much use for in the past, even if they still don't make much sense to her now.
Becky: This is my sister, Darlene. She’s an atheist who wants to be convinced there’s a God. Go!
Pastor Phil: I’d, uh, uh…trees? Animals? A smile on a baby’s face? Where do you think that stuff came from? Huh? Mic drop!
Darlene: Okay, uh, Darwin, the Big Bang theory, and the arc was filled with only animals from the Middle East. Here’s your mic back.
Pastor Phil: Darwin and the Big Bang were created by intelligent design. The animals on the arc thing is a bit of a problem.
It's easy to see why Becky feels a connection to Pastor Phil. He's a recovering addict who has turned his life around. He's staying sober and uses his belief in God and plenty of humor to do it. And Jason Alexander was perfect in the role.
Learning that Roseanne had a Bible gave Darlene hope that this could be the path for her.
Speaking of that Bible, do any hardcore Roseanne fans remember her referencing it? I recall when DJ was sneaking off to church; Dan and Roseanne said they believed in being good people but didn't practice any particular religion.
If there were more references to God, religion, or that Bible, none come to mind right now, but it's been a while since I've done a Roseanne rewatch, so hit those comments down below and let me know if I'm wrong.
That Darlene was willing to go to church says a lot about her openness to exploring new possibilities, or maybe it just says she's desperate.
I have Mom’s bible, and I haven’t burst into flames yet.
Darlene
But when she opened that Bible and saw what Roseanne had written, it devastated her.
“Dear God. Please take away this pain from my knees and my back. I can’t bear it anymore. I keep turning to the pills, but this is me turning to you instead. Please help me."
That Roseanne could have asked God for help and still ended up dead didn't make sense to Darlene. That Roseanne also asked Dan to bowl a 300 game or promised to stop stealing clothes from the church donation bin did nothing to alleviate Darlene's suffering.
Religion wasn't bringing her comfort; it only left her angry and perhaps even sadder.
Darlene: She knew that something bad was coming, and she begged God for help, and he let her overdose. How am I supposed to count on a god that would do that?
Becky: That’s not how God works. It’s not like you rub a lamp and get a wish.
Jackie: Your Mom wouldn’t want you to give up. You’ll find something that works for you.
Becky was trying to show Darlene what had worked for her, especially as she's worked to get sober. There's nothing wrong with that.
But Jackie encouraged Darlene to keep searching until she finds something that works for her because that something is out there. That Becky's road didn't lead there for Darlene means she now knows she has to take another, and that's progress, even if it doesn't feel like it to Darlene at this moment.
So far, I'm enjoying this storyline. Pastor Phil added just enough humor without turning God and religion into a joke, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Darlene's path leads.
The one thing that irked me was Ben. Yes, he's in pain due to this breakup, but delivering that box to Darlene and telling her that the gift she'd given him, a framed copy of their first publication, would just sit in a drawer, was meant to hurt her too.
I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Ben, but I wouldn't mind if he just disappeared into the Lanford background, never to be seen or heard from again.
Elsewhere, Mark started at his Magnet school, which was a huge leap in education for the Conner family, and Becky went back to college after an absence of almost three decades.
You overcame drinking, a life of poor choices, and you’re starting college at 46-years-old. This little snot’s just smart.
Darlene [to Becky]
Becky wasn't prepared to see all of those teenage faces staring back at her from the zoom class. Yeah, that can be damned intimidating, but Becky's got two things going for her.
First, she's been through a hell of a lot to get here and has the strength to keep going, whether she believes that about herself or not.
Second, odds are those 18-year-olds are likely too wrapped up in their own lives to really care about anyone else in that class, least of all Becky.
Finally, we get to Jackie, Neville, and the Lunch Box saga.
Jackie was so angry at Don Blansky and with reason. She's worked so hard to get the Lunch Box up and running, then keep it alive during the pandemic, and now turn it into a sports bar, that having Blansky hold up her liquor license for a bribe was infuriating.
Plus, did she even have an additional $500 to give him?
It had to be even more frustrating when Dan told her to pay the bribe to get the liquor permit for his wedding.
I wish Jackie could have found a way to stick it to Blansky, and perhaps she will in the future. That would give Patton Oswalt a reason to come back and guest star again, which is always a plus.
As much as I hated that Jackie paid the bribe money, I appreciated why she did it.
Jackie: This guy is supporting me unconditionally even though he doesn’t agree with me, and it might cost him thousands, and that’s something somebody does when they love you.
Neville: I do.
Jackie has waited for someone to stand by her and love her for who she is her entire life. She's finally found that person in Neville. Harris was right, Neville is almost too nice for the Conner family, but I hope Jackie is smart enough never to let him go.
Here's to hoping we get a Jackie/Neville wedding next season!
So, The Conners fans, tell me how you feel about Darlene's spiritual journey so far? Do you hope Ben and Darlene eventually reconcile, or should Ben be gone for good?
And was Jackie right to pay the bribe?
Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below, then don't forget to check back in for our The Conners Season 4 Episode 3 review. Until then, you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
