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When the sound of the fine-tuned harmonica was heard with a hearty laugh at the end of the theme song, it was sure that one of the most popular sitcoms was about to commence. “Roseanne” is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC Oct. 18, 1988, and ran until March 20, 1997. However, after 21 years, the Conners are back! The iconic cast was reunited and sitcom aired on ABC March 27, 2018, with two back to back episodes. “Roseanne” is a comedy that allows viewers to relate to all aspects of life, honesty and the reality of being broke.
The final season ended in 1997 when it had collapsed into chaos. The Conners won millions on the state lottery, however, in the last episode, Roseanne had to cope with the death of her husband Dan, who supposedly died from a heart attack. Consequently, the reboot of “Roseanne” took an interesting plot twist when the sitcom began with Roseanne saying, “Dan, I thought you were dead!” The final episode was reconnected as both a dream and a story by Roseanne, specifically of Dan’s death.
This humor was intended for old fans who had seen the last episode of “Roseanne” to captivate their attention and make them feel nostalgic. Overall, the themes in the reboot sitcom were the messages of acceptance, because most things can be fixed with a conversation and a hug in addition to love, which trumps all, including politics, age, race and sexual orientation.
In the “Roseanne” reboot, the family was introduced at war like never before. Since the sitcom had been off-air for 21 years, the new season covered aspects of situations that occurred in America since that time, primarily the 2016 elections. Roseanne and Dan had voted Trump because he promised jobs. However, as the sitcom progresses, the Conners’ lives stay lukewarm under the Trump administration.
Darlene has returned home because she’s divorced and unemployed. Becky is so desperate for money that she’s attempting to become a surrogate. Becky returns as a widow, and she struggles to make ends meet. It’s evident that the Conners went from being broke to being really broke, but it’s also evident that nothing much has changed. A recurring theme in “Roseanne” is age. Generally, individuals would have a time frame for their lives and when they would like to attain certain goals. However, the Conner family experiences despair when life goals are not met.
Darlene’s dream was to become a writer; however, her goals have not been met. She aspired to buy a colossal home and be able to enjoy the rest of her life. Dan and Roseanne are getting older, they have lost a few pounds, and they are on medication. Ultimately, they are ecstatic about celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, they’re still penny-pinching and maxing their credit cards to make ends meet.
The theme of gender was seen when Mark, Darlene’s son, made a preference to wear pink leggings and nail polish as opposed to t-shirts and cargo shorts. Roseanne and Dan had the difficult position of having to accept their grandson, they had to trust him to be comfortable in his skin and accept his identity.
The theme of ethnicity was portrayed when D.J was introduced as being in an interracial marriage with a woman named Geena. This was a plot twist that the audience probably didn’t see coming because in previous episodes, Geena was the girl from school that DJ refused to kiss in a school play because of her melanin color.
Overall, the “Roseanne” reboot returned with more drama and focused on aspects that are prominent in the world today. It’s a down-to-earth sitcom that depicts diversity in one’s life.
