10 most controversial episodes of Roseanne

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: (Season 6, Episode 18)

This episode generated a lot of controversy before it even went to air due to the fact it contained a kiss between Roseanne Barr and guest star Mariel Hemingway. The ABC planned not to air the episode, however they relented after Roseanne threatened to move the show to a different network.

In the episode Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) decide to go out to a gay bar with their friend Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) to prove they are “cool”. Nancy’s new girlfriend Sharon (Mariel Hemingway) kisses Roseanne at the bar, and it makes her uncomfortable. Roseanne later realises that perhaps she isn’t as “cool” as she thought she was. The episode was viewed by over 30 million people.

A Bitter Pill to Swallow: (Season 4, episode 1)

At the start of season four, Becky (played by both Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke) comes to Roseanne asking for birth control. Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne struggle with the knowledge that their teenage daughter has already had sex with her boyfriend Mark. Becky later elopes with Mark, when she is still a teenager, driving a wedge between her and her parents.

Crime and Punishment: (Season 5, episode 13)

Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) bursts in on Jackie getting changed in the bathroom to see her back covered in bruises. She asks he mother Roseanne if her Aunt Jackie has been in an accident. It’s later revealed that the bruises are from her boyfriend Fisher (Matthew Roth). Roseanne and Jackie discuss the domestic violence at length. Jackie admits that she blames herself. Roseanne is able to convince her otherwise and takes her to get help at a hospital out of town using a fake name. Meanwhile Dan takes matters in to his own hands and beats up Fisher. He is later arrested.

White Men Can’t Kiss: (Season 7, episode 9)

DJ (Michael Fishman) complains about having to kiss a girl called Gina for a school play. Roseanne meets with his teacher to sort out the problem. It’s revealed that DJ doesn’t want to kiss Gina as she is African-American. Later in the episode both Dan and Roseanne are confronted by her their own bigotry. Dan is worried that his past behaviour may have influenced DJ’s prejudice. Roseanne refuses to let a man into the Lunchbox late at night; she only relents when the man explains he is Gina’s father. Roseanne Barr later told Entertainment Weekly, “I think that was our most important show. Roseanne is liberal, but realises, to her chagrin, that she is also a bit of a bigot.”

Maybe Baby: (Season 7, episode 11)

Roseanne and Dan are anxious about their pregnancy and believe there could be something wrong with the baby. They discuss having an abortion, and over the two-episode arc, most characters on the show share their two cents worth on the topic. Openly discussing abortion on a family sitcom was a bold move at the time. In a conversation between Jackie and Roseanne the two women explicitly discuss a woman’s right to choose. “I’m sure he knows it’s your decision. I mean, he must respect your right to choose,” Jackie says.

Chicken Hearts: (Season 2, episode 13)

Neither Dan nor Roseanne have much job security and constantly struggle to put food on the table and pay their mortgage. In Chicken Hearts, Roseanne lands a job at a chicken restaurant. Her young manager won’t let Roseanne take weekends off to spend time with her family. Roseanne swallows her pride and invites her manager over for dinner, but her plan to kill him with kindness backfires and she ends up getting fired. She does however, deliver a great exit speech: “You’re not grown up enough yet to understand that your life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan it to be and sometimes you end up doing stuff you thought you’d never do in a million years, but you still have to do it, ’cause there’s nothing else you can do.” You tell ’em Roseanne!

Darlene Fades To Black: (Season 4, episode 4)

Darlene’s character suffers from depression in season four. This episode is one of the first where we see her become more aloof and withdrawn and her close relationship with her father Dan starts to suffer. While Darlene struggles at home and at school her relationship with boyfriend David (Johnny Galecki) helps to get her through this difficult time.

Lies My Father Told Me: (Season 6, Epsiode 21)

Dan’s mother is admitted into a mental home and Dan is forced to re-evaluate his parents’ marriage in light of his mother’s mental illness issues.

Wait Till Your Father Comes Home: (Season 5, Episode 16)

After learning that their father has passed away, Jackie and Roseanne reflect on how he mistreated them growing up, often resorting to physical violence. Roseanne is particularly annoyed when she learns from her father’s long term mistress that he saw himself as a loving and dedicated father who had spoiled his children too much over the years.

The brutal finale

The ninth season of Roseanne was very different to the prior seasons. The Connor family won the lottery and their lives changed completely. However, in the final moments of the final episode, Roseanne revealed that it was all a lie and that her character written an alternate reality in order to cope with the loss of her husband Dan, who actually died of a heart attack at the end of season eight.