Roseanne's Jerry still hasn't appeared in off the rails Roseanne season 9 was. The sitcom tried to maintain continuity, but it became tricky when it rebranded to The Conners.

In an attempt to explain its main star's firing, The Conners killed off Roseanne in an opioid overdose. While the show still has acknowledged big stories from its parent series from that period, it has been more lax about the matter, focusing on its present-day storytelling rather than preserving canon. It's one of the reasons why even legacy characters such as Michael Fishman's DJ were eventually written out of the series as it went on. There is one character, however, who has yet to appear at any point in the revival even though he supposedly still exists

Dan Is Supposedly Mad At Jerry In The Conners

It's An Idea Brought Up By Showrunner Bruce Helford

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the Roseanne revival retconned Jerry's existence, the same way it did with Dan's death. While that is not the case, it's a little more complicated than one wants it to be. In Roseanne season 10, Jerry's absence is explained by revealing that he is on a fishing expedition in Alaska. Beyond that, the character hasn't been acknowledged again. At one point, the series even mentioned that Dan and Roseanne only have 3 kids. However, showrunner Bruce Helford has floated the idea (via TV Line) that this is because of family drama.

“Dan said he only had three children, but is he so angry at Jerry, for something we learn about later, that he denies him as a son. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The Roseanne spinoff hasn't really touched on this plot point, and it's unlikely that they will do so in The Conners season 7, simply because it's already pressed with time. Instead of getting a final full season, the show is wrapping up with a truncated run, which may not even be enough to tackle all the active plot lines in the show. Despite that, Helford came up with the idea that Dan is mad at Jerry, hence why he hasn't come home can work as an off-screen explanation. Maybe the rift started when he elected to skip Roseanne's funeral.

Jerry Has Been So Inconsequential, His Absence Won't Impact The Conners' Ending

The Conners Have Other Characters To Follow

At this point, however, it doesn't really matter if The Conners season 7 is able to find a way to debut Jerry. He has been a non-factor ever since Roseanne's came back on the small screen, and that's even when his existence was acknowledged. It's curious if there were any plans for him to actually appear and what would have happened if Roseanne Barr wasn't fired from the revival. So much has changed in the franchise since the series had to be rebranded in order to continue, that the lingering mystery about his absence won't have a significant impact on how the ending will be perceived.

Instead, it's much better to devote the remaining time of the series to addressing storylines that are about characters that fans have followed in the last several years. The Conners need to leave the new generation of Conners with a satisfying ending, especially since they have grown up in the show. Both Mark and Harris' still have a lot of storylines that could be told, had the show decided to continue beyond season 7. They could eventually front the universe if ABC decides to bring it back. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that is happening, so it's doubly important that they get a good ending.

Meanwhile, Beverly should still return for a final farewell with Jackie and the rest of the family, following her great adventure twist in The Conners season 6.

Beyond the kids, there are also storylines about its legacy characters. Dan's life with Louise needs a strong send-off, because of how much it has been glossed over. Now that they are finally together in Lanford, The Conners' final season needs to properly explore their married life, and how that overall impacts Dan's overall arc in the Roseanne franchise. Meanwhile, Beverly should still return for a final farewell with Jackie and the rest of the family, following her great adventure twist in The Conners season 6. The mother-and-daughter dynamic was one of the longest-running arcs in the franchise, and it deserves a definitive ending.

Forget Jerry, The Conners Season 7 Needs To Bring Back DJ Instead

DJ Was Unexpectedly Written Out Of The Conners

It would be great if The Conners season 7 is able to find a way to at least clarify the family's situation with Jerry. Maybe a throwaway line acknowledging his existence and offering new details could help with that. If the show is able to find a way to make him physically appear, then that's great. However, it should not be at the expense of other storylines. If the mystery of Jerry cannot be answered, The Conners can still wrap up the Roseanne franchise in a good way, but it is very difficult to do that without bringing back DJ.

After all these years, it's still unclear why the actor was suddenly written out of the show. In an interview after his unceremonious exit, Fishman said that it was a joy to be part of the Roseanne universe and that Lanford would always have a special place in his heart. Unless something went down behind the sees that led to his exit, then it's safe to say that the actor would be more than willing to reprise the role, even for a brief period, to ensure that Dan's all three kids will be at home when The Conners bows out.

“It has been my honor to play DJ Conner. It’s every actor’s dream to be a series regular, especially on a groundbreaking show, where we tackle significant topics. The opportunity to do comedy and drama alongside iconic castmates, while reaching fans in meaningful ways has profoundly impacted my life. I am proud of the work I did as part of Roseanne and The Conners. Especially the privilege of playing a military veteran, interracial spouse, and the father of a biracial child, portrayed by the amazing Jayden Rey.

While I was told I would not be returning for Season 5, Lanford was a valuable place to grow up, learn and develop. I was incredibly lucky to return home and demonstrate my expansion. As I venture into the world to build the future, I send tremendous love and success to everyone involved in production.”

For what it's worth, the producers have maintained that the door is always open for legacy characters like DJ, and even Johnny Galecki's David can also return — assuming that the ABC production is able to convince him to come out of his unofficial acting retirement. The Roseanne franchise, including The Conners, has always been about family. While the spinoff sequel has already fumbled that principle by sidelining Jerry, they cannot absolutely do that with DJ. At the very least, Fishman's character should return in The Conners' final episode for a reunion.

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Source: TV Line