The Conners Season 2 Episode 18 Review: Pilot Lights & Sister Fights
Christine Orlando
at
.
Just when I thought Dan and Louise were over for good, The Conners Season 2 Episode 18 proved me wrong.
Kudos to Dan Conner for having the guts to not turn tail and run after seeing Louise kissing her fellow band mate. He road over 200 miles to tell her how he felt, and he needed to do that, even if it didn't go the way he'd hoped.
And his flowers ended up with nacho cheese and a Band-Aid in them.
Eww.
Dan put himself out there and put it all on the line, sort of.
He told Louise that he was ready to have a real relationship with her, but he left out the part about being in love with her. That had to wait until he got drunk and stumbled upon Louise's new guy, Zack, at the bar.
Waitress: Maybe you should call your wife so she can pick you up.
Dan: I’m just staying at the hotel next door and my wife’s dead.
Waitress: You didn’t kill her, did you?
Dan: No.
Waitress: I’m sorry. We’re right off the expressway, we’ve got to ask.
I couldn't blame Louise for turning down Dan. He broke her heart, and she'd finally moved on. It's understandable; once you've got the momentum, you to want to keep moving forward and not look back.
It was a discouraging night for Dan, but I was relieved he got that hotel room instead of trying to drive back to Lanford in his drunken state because he would have gotten himself or someone else killed.
Back home, Jackie was just what Dan needed as she walked the line between busting Dan's chops...
Hey Rom-Com, I hear you rode all the way to Springfield to tell Louise you couldn’t live without her. Did you catch her at the airport before she flew to Paris to marry the wrong guy?
Jackie
...and helping him see the difficult reality of what he needed to do next if he really wanted move ahead with his personal life.
Jackie: We’re all looking for the same thing. Somebody who doesn’t play games. Somebody who’s emotionally available and most especially, somebody who doesn’t wear a wedding ring.
Dan: I don’t know if I can do that.
Jackie: Dan, taking off the ring, it’s not going to erase all the wonderful memories that you had with Roseanne. Your age and drinking history is going to do that.
Dan hasn't dated anyone since he was in high school, and he's worn that wedding ring for over 40 years.
Taking it off probably feels like he's losing a part of himself, but as he so simply put it, it was time.
It was also time for that kiss with Louise! I haven't been the biggest supporter of Dan and Louise, but I like seeing Dan embarking on a new path instead of stuck wallowing in his grief.
But all of this does leave us with a couple of unanswered questions.
How will the rest of the family react now that this relationship has found its way out of the friend zone?
Also, how much longer is Louise's tour, or more importantly, how much longer will she be on tour with Zack? Because that sounds really uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Speaking of uncomfortable, that was what Darlene was feeling as she watched her boyfriend and her sister bond over babies and late-night reality TV.
It's nice that Ben fits in so well with Darlene's family. From her kids to her father, her aunt, and her sister, Ben has an easy relationship with them all.
It makes me wonder what Roseanne would have thought of him.
But I'm left with one very serious question.
How quickly can Ben grow a beard?
I'm guessing that these episodes were not filmed in order or else Ben's ability to grow a full beard in the span of a couple of weeks is truly astounding.
That observation aside, it was impressive how well both Ben and Becky held their tempers, while Darlene accused Becky of putting the moves on Ben.
It’s a good thing I got some sleep because if I hadn’t I’d knock your tiny ass across the room.
Becky
Darlene was out of line, but I don't think anyone realized how insecure she had become over not being able to give Ben the family he's always wanted.
Plus, Darlene is realizing how much she wants that herself, just at the moment when she's told it might not be possible.
Personally, I'm torn over Darlene getting pregnant.
Realistically, the odds were against her conceiving a child with Ben without some sort of medical assistance, and with the scarring on her fallopian tube, those odds just got worse.
But that doesn't mean it's impossible. I've known more than one person who was told they'd likely never get pregnant and got the surprise of their lives when the doctor turned out to be wrong.
Talk to me. I want to understand why you think I want giant babies with Becky. I want tiny, psychotic babies with you.
Ben
Do Darlene's worst fears have merit? Will Ben eventually resent her if they can't have a baby?
Without a crystal ball, it's hard to know for certain, but Ben isn't the type to bail when things get tough. If Darlene can keep from lashing out when she's worried or afraid, perhaps these two can weather any rough patches that come their way.
When Ben tried to assure her that they were going to be together until they were old and gray, I half expected him to propose marriage.
Not that they have to get married to have a child, but I do find it odd that neither of them has ever broached the subject.
I have no idea if either one of them is even interested in marriage. Darlene's been down that road already, and we don't know much, if anything, about Ben's history.
I don't particularly care if they get married or not, but I am longing to hear what that conversation would sound like between them, if only to satisfy my own curiously.
So what do you think, TV Fanatics?
Are you happy that Dan and Louise are getting romantic?
Were waffles enough of an apology for what Darlene said to Becky?
Do you want to hear Darlene and Ben have that relationship defining conversation and if so, do you care if they get married or not?
And will there be a baby in their future?
Hit that BIG, BLUE. SHOW COMMENTS button down below to let me know what you think and then check back for my review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 19.
Until then, watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
