The Conners Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Mud Turtles, A Good Steak and One Man in a Tub
Christine Orlando
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Who would have guessed that Becky would end up being the sensible one when it came to running the Lunch Box?
The girl who ran off and eloped.
The young woman who was an irresponsible alcoholic for years.
Now that Becky is sober and a new mom, it's great to see glimpses of the smart teenager we met way back on the original Roseanne.
Because the truth is, Jackie can be easily led, and it did appear as though Dawn, the saleswoman for Cook County Meat and Fish was playing her.
I mean, does anyone believe that people in Chicago, a major city with some of the best restaurants in the world, are going to trek out to Lanford to find a good steak?
We can’t afford a good steak and I’m not just talking about the customers, I’m talking about the people who own the restaurant.
Becky
The Lunch Box may very well need a "signature item," but given the overall financial situation of the residents of Lanford, it needs to be something a lot more affordable than a steak.
I would have bet money, and I don't have much, that Becky was right, and Dawn was sucking up to Jackie simply to get her to pad the bill.
Becky: Look what she’s charging us for vegetables.
Jackie: They’re all locally sourced.
Becky: I don’t care if they’re locally sourced. I care if they’re locally eaten.
What was almost worse was that Jackie was placing orders that were double their budget without consulting Becky about it.
Both Jackie and Becky are relying on the Lunch Box's success, and it's not fair for Jackie to make decisions, especially those concerning money, without her partner.
I kept expecting Becky to call her out on it, but Becky was smart enough not to turn it into an argument.
Becky managed to walk the line between direct and caring. She feared her aunt was being conned and didn't want her to get hurt but still insisted that Jackie cut the order by half and face the truth if Dawn dumped her as a friend.
What's heartbreaking is that Roseanne was really Jackie's only friend and since losing her, she's been incredibly lonely. She'd rather have a fake friend than none at all.
It was a relief to hear that Dawn had almost as few friends as Jackie. It was also probably for the better that Jackie snubbed Becky when she tried to join them.
Becky's sobriety is a little too new to be hanging out with two women whose goal for the night is to drink too much.
Elsewhere, Dan hurt his back while working on the remodel of the Lunch Box, and it left him in an awkward situation.
How does anyone not love Dan Conner? Than man used a bath bomb because his grandson gave it to him for Christmas and ended up covered in rainbow bubbles and glitter.
When Dan's back left him stranded in a tub that was too tiny for such a large man, Louise had to come to the rescue.
I think Louise would have been delighted if Dan offered to let her search through those bubbles to find the hand-held shower hose that he'd dropped, but Dan was mortified.
And just when it looked like this potential couple had gotten passed their embarrassing situation and sat down to enjoy dinner, things took a different turn.
Louise wanted Dan to tell her not to leave on the tour, and he clearly didn't want her to go. Having Louise as a friend has eased some of Dan's loneliness, and he likes being able to pseudo-date her.
But the truth is, Dan isn't remotely ready for anything truly romantic with anyone, and that's understandable. He and Rosie were married for 45 years, and whereas some men might jump into a new relationship because they can't bear to be alone, that's not Dan Conner.
Will he ever be able to move on with someone new? I don't know. Dan might be lonely, but with so much family around him he's never really alone.
And Dan is still figuring out who he is without Roseanne.
Dan's romantic prospects may be in shambles but he's still one of the best fathers and grandfathers around, even if his love for his family comes with a hefty dose of sarcasm.
Dan: Finally, someone from this family made it to college.
Darlene: Hey, I went to college.
Dan: You went to art school. That’s basically Color Me Mine with a library.
Darlene was over the moon when Harris got accepted to Central Illinois State College and what mother wouldn't be?
Harris is a smart, talented young woman, much like her mother at that age, and going to college could make a big difference in her life.
But as happens frequently for the Conner family when they get their hopes up, even if it's just to become a Mud Turtle (and kudos to the writer who came up with that mascot), those hopes came crashing down much too quickly.
Dan: How much is that going to cost you?
Darlene: I don’t know but now that I’m a divorced, unemployed, single mom we might actually have a shot at some financial aid. My plan to destroy my life is working.
Darlene wasn't wrong about the school misleading her with that letter. They encouraged them to take a campus tour, inferred there would be help with financial aid, and then only offered them student loans that would have left Harris in debt for the next 20 years.
Darlene: The school wouldn’t give us any money. If I had saved anything my daughter wouldn’t be giving up her dreams at 17.
Dan: Hi, welcome to the Conner family.
It's hard to look your kid in the eye and tell them you can't deliver on their dreams, especially after you gave them hope that those dreams could be real.
Once again, I'm left wondering -- where the heck is David? His daughter is touring college campuses, crushed by all the things she can't afford.
Whether it's to help foot the bill or console Harris in her disappointment, he should be there for her, and he's not. I'm still waiting for an explanation.
Much to Harris' credit, she had her own ideas, and although it might not be what Darlene had hoped for her, getting a job and taking advantage of their online degree program is far from a bad plan.
If anything, it's realistic and shows a lot of initiative. Darlene should be proud of her daughter, and Dan made her see that.
And then he went down to Price Warehouse to both congratulate his granddaughter on her first day at work and embarrass the heck out of her.
Because that's what Conners do.
Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below, and tell me if you were hoping Dan would get cozy with Louise or if you're relieved she's moved on.
Then check back in for my review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 12. Until then, you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
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C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
