The Conners Season 6 Is Fixing One Relationship That Never Worked

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Conners season 6, episode 10.

Summary The Conners season 6 finally gives Jackie and Louise a shared storyline after years of neglecting their relationship.

Jackie and Louise's partnership in episode 10 highlights their complicated history and similarities as retired characters.

The school board story in season 6 gives Louise purpose and showcases Jackie's relentless drive in The Conners.

While The Conners has never devoted much screen time to the relationship between Louise and Jackie, Roseanne’s spinoff is finally giving the duo a solid shared storyline in its sixth season. The Conners has a large cast of characters, so it is understandable that not everyone gets as much screen time as they should. Although The Conners season 7 may change this, season 6 has short-changed Darlene’s son Mark in its early episodes. Two of the season’s episodes gave Mark substantial subplots of his own, but he didn’t even appear in the first three of season 6’s outings.

Similarly, Becky gained a boyfriend and enjoyed some screen time early in season 6, but didn’t get as much focus as she could. This is almost inevitable when The Conners has so many characters to keep up with, as the series follows the lives of three generations from one family. However, the show did make up for this when The Conners addressed a real-life Roseanne tragedy by giving Becky a moving storyline with her daughter Beverly-Rose. Similarly, season 6, episode 10, “Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write,” finally gave two characters a meaningful story after years of shared screen time.

The Conners Season 6’s School Board Story Helps Louise and Jackie

Jackie and Louise Still Don’t See Eye To Eye

Close

Roseanne’s sister Jackie and Dan’s second wife, Louise, have never gotten along in The Conners, but reactions between the pair began to thaw in “Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write.” When Louise made the mistake of mentioning that her school board run was taxing thanks to her busy schedule, a terminally bored Jackie immediately threw herself into running the campaign. Jackie brought her usual unhinged brio to this task, proving once again that Laurie Metcalf’s zany aunt is one of The Conners’ most vital characters. In the process, the pair also aired out some old resentments from earlier seasons.

When Jackie first asked Louise if she could work on her campaign, Louise was quick to point out that the pair’s earlier interactions often ended badly. In season 2, episode 9, “Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa Action,” Jackie insulted Louise while she and Dan’s relationship was still in its infancy by insinuating that she hoped to replace Jackie’s late sister, Roseanne. This led to a feud that the pair buried, but Louise was right to note that they have never gotten along since. As recently as season 6’s premiere, Louise complained about Jackie not pulling her weight at the Lunchbox.

Louise and Jackie Share A Complicated History In The Conners

Both The Conners Characters Disapproved Of Each Other

As Jackie admitted, she resented Dan’s love interest since she saw Louise as a Roseanne replacement in seasons 1 and 2. Similarly, Louise didn’t want Jackie to date and later marry her brother Neville throughout seasons 3 and 4. In both situations, Jackie and Louise disliked and distrusted each other when they tried to join each other’s families. The rest of the Conners grew to like Louise pretty quickly, but Jackie held a grudge against Dan’s new wife for some time and Louise reciprocated this. As such, Louise was right to point out their shaky history in this episode.

Jackie and Louise’s The Conners Season 6 Partnership Is Overdue

Dan’s Wife and Roseanne’s Sister Are Well Paired

Although Louise and Jackie’s partnership seemed unlikely thanks to their initial distrust of each other, “Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write” proved that the pair could be a formidable duo if they worked together. Ever since Roseanne’s season 10 revival, Jackie has had no one to temper her wilder impulses. The Conners do mock her antics, but Roseanne’s ability to look out for her little sister by telling her when she has gone too far is absent. Meanwhile, Louise admitted that she struggled to find purpose since she retired from decades of working as a musician in season 5.

Jackie is ambitious and loyal, while Louise is daring and doesn’t care about what others think of her, meaning both characters could learn something from each other. Although they have never gotten along, together Louise and Jackie would be perfectly suited to a school board campaign. Louise was originally inspired to run for the school board when Becky discovered that Beverly-Rose’s class wasn’t allowed to play ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” lest parents complain. A part-time volunteer music teacher, Louise was unimpressed but intended to keep her mouth shut about the issue. Jackie, on the other hand, had the opposite response.

Louise’s The Conners Season 6 Campaign Gives Her Character Purpose

Katey Sagal’s Character Has Struggled To Make A Mark

Close

When Jackie heard about the school board’s censorship, she reacted with patriotic outrage in one of season 6’s funniest moments. The Conners season 6’s Jackie stories have been uneven, but this scene proved that she cared deeply about political issues and won’t stand for injustice. Although Becky and Mark eventually convinced Louise to protest the school board’s censorship, it still took her an entire episode to even realize that this censorship was a problem in the first place. Although she is a firebrand, Louise’s rebellious attitude isn’t pointed at anything in particular. This is where Jackie comes in.

In season 6, Louise’s school board campaign can finally give Dan’s second wife a meaningful story of her own by letting Jackie run her campaign for the school board.

Jackie is too chaotic to be a public figure, but she has endless gumption, while Louise has years of experience performing in public but doesn’t have Jackie’s drive. In season 6, Louise’s school board campaign can finally give Dan’s second wife a meaningful story of her own by letting Jackie run her campaign for the school board. This would force both women to confront their struggles with each other while allowing them to play off each other’s strengths. Jackie would push Louise to think about the issues, while Louise would channel Jackie’s relentlessness into something worthwhile and keep her controlling side in check.

The Conners Season 6 Episode 10 Highlighted Louise and Jackie’s Similarities

The Duo Are The Only Retired Characters In Roseanne’s Spinoff

Close

Jackie and Louise have more in common than they think, and one unexpected similarity between them could come to define their shared storyline. Jackie and Louise are the only retired characters in The Conners, with Jackie retiring at the beginning of “Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write.” This grants them a unique perspective on life. While The Conners’ Ben and Darlene storylines focus on their careers and work/life balance, Jackie and Louise’s plots can center on their personal projects. Foremost among these is the Roseanne spinoff’s school board campaign, which pairs The Conners heroines perfectly.

Episode # Title Release Date 1 The Publisher Cops Show Pilot February 7, 2024 2 Valentine's Day Treats and Credit Card Cheats February 14, 2024 3 Moms and Rats February 21, 2024 4 Shrinks Don't Talk and Kids Don't Sing February 28, 2024 5 When Sisters Collide and The Return of the Grifters March 13, 2024 6 "Hanging in Dorms with Boys and The Secret Life of Men" March 20, 2024 7 "Smash and Grab and Happy Death Day" April 10, 2024 8 "Toilet Hacks and The Management Track" April 17, 2024 9 "Manifesting, Marriage Testing and Cheeseballs" April 24, 2024 10 "Campaign U-Turn and a Hard Write" May 1, 2024 11 "Fire and Vice" May 8, 2024 12 "Flying, Applying and Rassling Gators" May 15, 2024 13 TBA TBA