The Conners Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Lanford, Toilet of Sin
Christine Orlando
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The Lunch Box almost closed before it ever opened on The Conners Season 2 Episode 8 thanks to Bev caring as much for her building as she does for her family.
But it appeared that the community of Lanford was keeping its collective fingers crossed for Jackie to succeed as much as we are.
The mold wasn't Jackie's biggest obstacle to achieving her goal, that honor goes to the voice of Bev that's stuck in her head in all of its mold encrusted, zombified glory.
For how much Bev haunts Jackie, you'd think the woman was actually dead.
To Jackie and Becky. May their success be the final nail in Bev’s coffin.
Dan
Kudos to Dan for getting everyone, kids first, out of the building the moment he realized there was mold growing in those walls.
Once again, Dan is the family's superhero. Someone needs to get that man a cape.
If Darlene had listened to his advice perhaps she wouldn't be in this position with Harris.
Once Darlene learned that Odessa had her own apartment and no parental supervision, she should have stopped her from heading over there.
Yes, there would have been arguments but that's not the worst thing to happen between a parent and teenager.
Odessa: You’re embarrassing yourself.
Darlene: Yeah, that’s my edge, I have no dignity at all.
Instead, Darlene has spent a week wondering if Harris is alive and well, or stoned and being taken advantage of by a 20-something guy with a beard.
And the biggest question I have about this entire scenario is, where the hell is David?
David is her father and he's supposed to be living in town to be a part of his children's lives.
Even if the actor is unavailable, Darlene should at least mention having spoken to David about their daughter not living at home for a week.
Calling the police wasn't the worst idea, but the police officer was right. Having the cops drag Harris out of Odessa's apartment could make Harris even angrier, and she might run away again and not be found. That's a scary thought.
On the flip side, having the cops show up at her door might have Odessa telling Harris she needs to leave. I can't imagine that someone with the handle WeedHoe wants the police hanging around her place.
The biggest surprise was Ben showing up to drop off Darlene's computer.
That he stayed to help Mark with his school project wasn't a shock. Ben has always been a good guy with a big heart.
It's nice to see that even though Darlene stomped on that heart, it hasn't changed him. He wasn't about to take his hurt and anger out on her kids.
As much as it was good seeing Ben hanging out with the Conners once again, shouldn't David have been there to help his son with that school project?
But back to the Lunch Box saga.
Dammit! I should have known my Mom wouldn’t keep up the property. Even as a parent she was a slum lord.
Jackie
I've always assumed that Jackie and Becky were renting the building from Bev, in which case wouldn't it be Bev's responsibility to take care of the mold?
Of course, Bev might not have the available funds, or she could decide to try and sell the building even with the repairs not being done.
So that left it up to Jackie and Becky, or as it seems, mostly on Jackie since she seemed to be the one struggling to make the decision and Becky went back to work at Casita Bonita.
Becky's plan was a good one. If there wasn't a late-night bar scene in Landford, it appeared it needed one. Even Louise was shocked by the crowd.
I came by because I was worried about you being alone. I didn’t expect to see the Star Wars Cantina.
Louise
You've got to admire how Becky can roll with the punches even when her hopes and dreams appear to hit a dead-end.
Becky: This is why I always expect the worst. It’s like a shield I hold up to keep away hopes and dreams. This time I lowered my shield and a dream came along and kicked me right in the crotch.
Dan: That’s why when I dream I always wear a cup.
Becky gets knocked down, but she always gets back up. She's even better at it now that she's kicked the alcohol and has her daughter to keep her grounded.
When Jackie gave up, it was heartbreaking because life has flattened Jackie's dreams so many times before this.
Jackie: Here’s to me failing again. This time I failed before I even tried.
Dan: That’s progress.
With Roseanne gone, it must have been some comfort to have Dan there with her. And he understands because he's been there every time Jackie as suffered a loss, and Dan has suffered plenty of those too.
In the end, it was the town of Lanford that stepped up.
Jackie: I don’t get it. Why are people doing this?
Dan: I just think the people in this town need to see somebody get a win.
Lanford is a blue-collar town with a closed down factory and not much hope.
The Lunch Box means something to the town of Lanford, and hopefully, that means they'll be coming out for some stew once the restaurant opens.
Even with the heartfelt, hopeful ending, the scenes that made me laugh the most were with Dan going from smoke detector to smoke detector trying to figure out which one was beeping due to a low battery.
Who hasn't been through that and had it driven them crazy?
Once again, The Conners keep trucking on, no matter the obstacles.
What do you think TV Fanatics?
Should Darlene have pulled Harris out of Odessa's? Should she have let her go there in the first place?
Do Ben and Darlene still have a chance?
And will the Lunch Box rise again?
Check back in for my review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 9 and until then, you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
