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After six seasons of The Conners, and more than 35 years since Roseanne introduced TV viewers to the working-class Conner family of Lanford, Illinois, ABC’s classic sitcom has reached its conclusion. The series finale, “The Truck Stops Here,” was a realistic and emotional farewell—with one moment that wasn’t scripted at all.
Laurie Metcalf, who played Jackie throughout the entire franchise, accidentally dissolved into tears in the last scene. The producers had not anticipated such an emotional sendoff and adjusted the way the ending turned out. “It made no sense at all in the story, and yet when we saw it, we couldn’t deny it was so moving,” Dave Caplan, the executive producer, said in an interview with Deadline. Bruce Helford said, “It was real. They were saying goodbye.”.
The final few minutes weren’t script acting—they were real goodbyes between performers. Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson were visibly tears, and producers kept the tearful take over more polished choices. “It was the actors saying goodbye to each other for the last time,” Caplan said.
John Goodman also made the proposal of breaking the fourth wall to thank the audience personally, which the producers concurred with. “You feel the connection with the audience, and 37 years is a long time for these characters to have been in people’s minds,” Helford explained.
While the series finale included subtle nods to the original Roseanne series, like a small encampment by the pharmaceutical company that had been involved in Roseanne’s real-life opioid overdose, it rejected anything in the way of feel-good fantasy. “The Conners aren’t going to come out on top in the end,” Caplan stated. “They are the struggling American working class person who’s not going to win either.”
Not all original cast members returned. Estelle Parsons (Beverly) was referenced but couldn’t appear at age 97. Johnny Galecki’s David was written as an absentee father due to his unavailability. “Had he been there, he would’ve definitely been part of the Mark story,” Helford confirmed.
Even with those absences, the finale delivered closure. Honest, heartfelt, and true to the characters’ roots, The Conners ended with emotion—not spectacle.
And what has happened to the show’s signature afghan? Still unknown.
