Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 7, episode 1, "It's Gonna Be A Great Day”

Although the late heroine of The Conners killed off Roseanne due to actor Roseanne Barr’s real-life racist remarks, it was initially unclear who the show’s new main character would be. For a while, it looked like Sara Gilbert’s Darlene would be the show’s de facto Roseanne replacement, since Roseanne’s daughter was also a sardonic, overworked mother who dreamed of becoming a writer.

However, althoughThe Conners’ large cast of characters got a chance to shine as the cast rotated throughout the spinoff’s first few seasons.

Louise's Relationship To Dan & The Conners Explained

The Conners Introduced Dan’s New Love Interest After Roseanne’s Death

This approach was clever since it meant that The Conners never felt like the show was trying to ignore the impact of Roseanne’s death. Roseanne’s death defined and shaped The Conners, especially in the spinoff’s earlier seasons. However, this left one new character in an awkward position. Katey Sagal’s Louise was introduced as a potential love interest for Dan back in The Conners season 1, but the pair would not become an item until season 2. Even then, Jackie felt that Dan was moving on too fast and Sagal’s rock musician was trying to replace her late sister.

Not only did Louise never attempt to replace Roseanne, but her character was instead defined by her obvious differences from Roseanne.

Fortunately for Jackie, she was mercifully wrong on that front. Not only did Louise never attempt to replace Roseanne, but her character was instead defined by her obvious differences from Roseanne. Roseanne put her children ahead of herself and Dan, whereas Louise immediately made it clear that she would never be a substitute mother for DJ, Darlene, and Becky. Roseanne played an active role in keeping the family together, even trying to parent Darlene’s daughter Harris, while Louise spent a lot of her limited screen time demanding more solo time with Dan away from his close-knit family.

Louise Refusing To Meddle With The Lawsuit Confirms That She Is Never Really Part Of The Conners' Main Family

Louise Consistently Refused To Act As A Roseanne Replacement

Louise’s refusal to act as a Roseanne replacement was an irable and subversive surprise from the spinoff. After all, the show’s creators could have slotted the Married… With Children and 8 Simple Rules star in as a lazy carbon copy of Roseanne. However, as season 7, episode 1, "It's Gonna Be A Great Day” proved, this approach eventually backfired for The Conners. Now, Louise has almost no role left to play in the show.

When Jackie insists that Dan should help her take the opioid manufacturers responsible for Roseanne’s overdose to court, a reticent Dan turns to his new wife for advice. Louise explicitly says she's not getting involved in Jackie’s The Conners season 7 storyline since this is clearly a family matter, and she gives away a lot with this comment. In trying to ensure that she never felt like a replacement for Roseanne’s heroine, The Conners forgot to ever make Louise a part of the title family on her own .

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