TV Show review
Review basis: 7 seasons, 112 episodes · through April 23, 2025
October 16, 2018 · TV-PG · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Conners is a working-class family sitcom that follows Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky, and the rest of the family in Lanford, Illinois, as they handle money troubles, parenting, relationships, aging, and loss after Roseanne dies from an opioid overdose. The show ran for seven seasons and 112 episodes through 2025 with stories about jobs, addiction recovery, starting a restaurant, and raising kids. It includes a recurring story about Darlene's son Mark coming out as gay and getting family support, plus a recurring transgender woman character who works at the factory as a supervisor and mentor.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Conners.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent gay main cast child character Mark with ongoing acceptance storylines and early gender nonconformity; recurring trans woman Robin as factory mentor; supporting roles include Black military wife Geena and Latino father Emilio. Core family remains white working class.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional family discussions of politics, school PC costume rules, immigration enforcement, and polarization. Largely personal rather than activist speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
Mark's sexuality arc and family support run across seasons; trans character inclusion; later seasons address gender and sexuality alongside regular plots.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Focus on working-class money struggles, factory jobs, and occasional pushback on school PC policies. No dominant anti-patriarchy or systemic framing.
Production
Woke character or canon changes
Roseanne character removed and killed off after real events; some prior canon ignored. No identity or DEI-driven reinterpretations of characters.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Fans on social media and forums called the show woke, politically correct, liberal, or agenda-driven after Barr's exit and the tone shift. Complaints stay mostly in fan communities.
Creator track record context
Matt Williams and core developers from classic blue-collar sitcoms with low activist records. Some writers have credits focused on diverse or Latinx stories.
