The Conners Season 2 Episode 17 Review: The Icewoman Cometh
Christine Orlando
at
.
Updated at
.
The Wicked Witch of the Midwest returned to Lanford on The Conners Season 2 Episode 17.
Bev might not carry a broomstick, but she still manages to leave misery and despair in her wake.
You'd think with her advanced years that Bev would mellow, but she just seems to become more bitter with age.
I'm really at a loss as to why Becky named her daughter after Nana Bev. Has the old woman ever been truly kind to anyone? If so, I don't recall it.
That is why her family avoids her as much as possible.
Okay, Grandma Bev’s flight landed two hours ago. We can’t just wish this away, someone’s got to go get her.
Darlene
But Bev proved to be particularly cruel now that she's returned from Arizona.
Why Mark chose to write to his great-grandmother is a bit of a mystery, other than it's Mark, and he generally does the right thing.
Overall, Mark is kind to everyone which made it all the more hateful for Bev to use him as collateral damage to get back at Darlene.
It must gall Bev all the more to see that Jackie is making a success out of the Lunch Box because she appears to completely revel in her daughter's failures. There's nothing Bev enjoys as much as telling Jackie she's a loser and will never amount to anything.
Jackie: What are you doing here?
Bev: I had to see the drain my money went down.
It's one of the things that makes me cheer for Jackie all the more.
Bev was so angry that Darlene gave in and allowed Jackie to have the Lunch Box that she had to have her revenge and used her money and Darlene's kids to do it.
That's pretty darn low, even for Bev.
In doing so, she exposed a hitch in Darlene and Mark's relationship. Mark feels as though Harris gets all of the attention because she gets into the most trouble, and he's not wrong.
That's the way it works in most families or life in general. The squeaky wheel gets the grease isn't a saying for nothing.
I’m used to not getting things I deserve but this is the first time I’ve had something and you’ve taken it away.
Mark
Still, it's difficult to blame Darlene for wanting Harris to catch a break.
The girl got into plenty of trouble during her teen years, got a full-time job to pay for college only to have the rug pulled out from under her, and then managed to pull herself together and find a job for which she has a talent.
Mark is incredibly smart, focused, talented, and he's only 12 years old. Where Harris is on the precipice of building her future, it's easy to feel that Mark has more time.
Plus, Darlene and Harris are a lot alike, so it makes sense that Darlene feels the pull to help her sometimes wayward daughter.
While Darlene was struggling to convince Bev to do something good for her kids, Bev was playing mind games trying to inflict as much emotional damage as possible.
It’s so easy to be taken in by you when you’re not wearing your Dalmatian puppy coat.
Darlene
There was no question that Dan would back up Darlene when it came to kicking Bev out of the house. He happily would have done it long ago. I just hope that if she has the nerve to show up on Jackie's doorstep, which I wouldn't put past her, that Jackie slams the door in her face.
One of the funniest moments was when Darlene considered simply using her power of attorney to steal the extra money from Bev's accounts to gift to Harris.
Darlene: I’m thinking of settling the score with Grandma Bev.
Jackie: I’m in. I’ll get the shovel.
Darlene: I still have her power of attorney until Monday morning so I’m going to pull $5,000 out of this account and give it to Harris. All I need to do is click this button. Am I doing the right thing?
Becky: Absolutely not. There’s no reason to stop at $5,000. Clean her out!
It had to be tempting. Bev was so mean-spirited to her own family that it was hard not to root for Becky's plan to simply wipe her out.
But a cooler head prevailed, and surprisingly, it belonged to Harris, who didn't want her mother getting into trouble and appears determined to carve out her own future without Nana Bev's help.
Harris might even be smart enough to have learned Bev's game and turn the tables on her, eventually.
Elsewhere, Dan shared with Becky that he was missing Louise and that letting her go was a mistake.
Becky: You know you’ve been out here working on that bike since 1988. Is it ever going to be done?
Dan: It’s not about finishing It’s about the zen of oh, how should I put this? Not talking to you guys.
I love the relationship that has formed between Becky and Dan. When Becky was young, it felt like she and Dan weren't always very close, but as adults they have a special bond.
And Becky, having lost her own husband, could best understand where Dan was coming from. Her advice for Dan to take the chance and visit Louise during her tour was solid.
Dan needed to know if Louise missed him as much as he missed her. He needed to know if there was the possibility of a future for the two of them.
Unfortunately, discovering Louise in a lip lock with another guy wasn't the answer he was hoping to find.
There was no mistaking that kiss. Unless there's some magical explanation that I can't currently come up with for that passionate smooch, it appears Louise has moved on, and Dan will have to do the same.
It's little consolation, but at least Dan now knows where he stands.
So what did you think, TV Fanatics?
Are Dan and Louise over? And if so, were you rooting for them as a couple? Would you prefer Dan to find someone else, or are you not yet ready for him to move on without someone other than Roseanne?
Should Darlene have grabbed Bev's money while she had the chance?
And will Nana Bev be popping up at Jackie's or the Lunch Box any time soon?
Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS button down below and let me know what you think!
Check back in for my review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 18 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.
