The Conners Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Preemies, Weed, and Infidelity
Christine Orlando
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When Emilio was deported at the end of The Conners Season 1, it was clear that Becky's pregnancy was ripe for plenty of comedy and drama.
So when Becky's water broke just minutes into The Conners Season 2 Episode 1, it was a bit of a let down.
At first, I suspected that the hospital would be able to stop her contractions and send her home, where plenty of funny and heartwarming moments could have occurred as the family tried to take care of Becky on bedrest.
Instead, it felt like someone hit the fast forward button on this story
Nurse: Orderly, take the geriatric pregnancy into a room, please.
Becky: Geriatric? You are so lucky I can’t get up and come over there because a baby would fall out of me.
From Becky's water breaking, to her being cranky in the waiting room at the hospital, to a brief birth scene with Becky screaming in pain (Doesn't anyone on TV ever get an epidural?), this pregnancy story felt as though it wrapped up in record time.
And that's a shame, because it had so much more potential for humor and emotion.
We never even got to do a deep dive into Jackie's two-inch-thick birth plan, but hearing Becky tell her daughter she was sorry because she blames herself for the premature birth was heartbreaking.
What was more bothersome than the accelerated birth was that it was overshadowed by Darlene's idiocy.
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Darlene has never been perfect but she's always been smart, which makes her cheating on Ben with David feel like a betrayal to fans as much as it to Ben.
When I’m supposed to be with Ben, I’m with David. When I’m supposed to be with David, I’m with Ben. When I’m supposed to be with the kids, I’m with Ben or David.
Darlene
When Darlene chose not to move in with Ben because she realized she still had feelings for David, that was respectable.
David is the father of her children and perhaps the love of her life but he's also the irresponsible jerk who walked out on her and the kids.
It's easy to see how Darlene's feelings towards David could be confusing.
What isn't confusing is that continuing her relationship with Ben while fooling around with David behind his back is dead wrong, and Darlene is smart enough to know that.
Because Ben is obviously crazy about her.
You know those signs that say, "If you lived here, you’d be home and having sex with Ben by now?" You’d be home and having sex with Ben by now.
Ben
Darlene sounded petulant and immature when she was whining to Jackie about not knowing what to do all while taking secret phone calls from David in Ben's office, and then ending up in bed with David, as Ben worried about her exhaustion.
It's depressing becuase the guy clearly loves Darlene and he's going to get his heart broken.
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If Darlene had been honest with Ben and told him that she needed some time apart to deal with her complicated relationship with her ex, at least they could have left things on good terms. There could have been a small possibility that they'd get back together in the future when Darlene and David implode once again.
Because, as much as I've been a fan of David and Darlene since they were teenagers, nothing in their extensive history points to them surviving as an adult couple.
Even worse than Ben getting his heart crushed is what all of this sneaking around is doing to Darlene's kids.
Dan: You’ve got a problem; your daughter’s selling pot cookies at school.
Darlene: What? How come when I get home it’s never somebody got a scholarship?
Harris is a handful, but she's a teenager, so that comes with the territory. Most of all, Harris is a lot like Darlene.
Both of these kids need parents who are involved in their lives on a daily basis yet David, who now lives in town, appears to be missing not only onscreen in this episode but also as a steady figure in his kids' lives, and Darlene is using her hours outside of work to sneak around with him.
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It makes you wonder who the teenagers are.
And that leaves Dan to manage the kids, the house, and the inevitable fallout. Darlene trying to lay the blame on Dan for Harris baking pot cookies was infuriating.
Dan: You need to get your head in the game and raise your kids. I already raised mine.
Darlene: Oh, did you though? Cause I’m pretty sure it was Mom who raised us.
Dan: No, if we’re going to be honest, the TV did.
All of this was laced with a couple of truly funny, laugh-out-loud moments.
Like when Dan let that mother into his living room to look for something worth $200, knowing she wasn't about to find it. That's something Roseanne would have done.
Or Jackie and DJ watching the baby in the NICU...
Jackie: Every time she tries to raise her little arms she punches herself in the head.
DJ: She’s definitely a Conner.
Speaking of which, I hope we get to see a lot more of DJ this season instead of the small scenes here and there that we've generally gotten in the past.
This season premiere was far from perfect, but it did what I expect of the show, it made me laugh out loud, shake my head, and sometimes yell at the screen.
It's shows that get no reaction out of me that are truly disappointing. The Conners I hold to a much higher standard.
So, TV Fanatics, will becoming a mother finally push Becky to get her life together?
Will we ever see Emilio again?
How awful will the fallout be once Ben finds out that Darlene has been cheating on him?
Will Harris end up with a scholarship or in jail by the end of the season? (I figure it could go either way.)
What do you think of the name Beverly Rose?
And the big question of the night...
Do you want to see Darlene and David get back together permanently?
Answer our poll and then hit up the comments to voice your opinion on "Preemies, Weed, and Infidelity" and the you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
