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The Conners finally got to the root of Becky’s alcoholism on Wednesday. In the process, the Roseanne spinoff at last revealed how her late husband tragically died. [pmc_inline_gallery]
Though Mark’s death was referenced several times during Roseanne‘s first (and only) revival season — Darlene and David’s son was named in his honor — it was never revealed how he passed. (Portrayer Glenn Quinn suffered a fatal drug overdose in 2002, but The Conners never suggested that Mark met a similar fate.)
In “Cheating, Revelations and a Box of Doll Heads,” Becky explained that Mark died in a freak accident. When her roommate Rachel surmised that her stint in rehab was a part of God’s plan, the widow scoffed and said, “The last time [God] helped me, she threw a deer in front of my husband’s motorcycle and he died.”
Later, during a therapy session with her family, Becky said that she started drinking when she lost her husband. “I didn’t want to feel anything for a while, and then a while turned into years,” she said. “I can’t help thinking if he was still here, maybe all of this would be different.” But Dan didn’t see it that way. What followed was a cathartic conversation, 29 years in the making, as Dan told his daughter how he really felt about his deceased son-in-law.
As far as Dan was concerned, Mark was a “selfish little punk” who ruined Becky’s life. He convinced her to drop out of high school and move to Minnesota when she was just 17 years old. He promised Becky that she’d go to college, but he took the money Dan and Roseanne sent her for tuition and used it to enroll in mechanic school, before he eventually dropped out.
“He shouldn’t have taken my college money,” Becky admitted. “And I am a little angry at him for some of the things he did that screwed up my life,” but it wasn’t entirely his fault. “I let him,” she said. “I was so stupid. I didn’t want to drop out and move. I wanted to go to college, but I was so afraid to lose him. And then I ended up losing him anyway.
“I’ve wasted so much time,” Becky cried. “I kept telling myself, over and over again, that I was going to stop drinking and get back on track, and now I’m so far behind. I’ll never catch up. Remember how proud you were when I said I was going to be a doctor?” Dan got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around his daughter. “I’ve always been proud of you,” he said. “And never more than now.”
Well Dan going off about Mark sort of upsets me. If there was one thing that I always knew watching Roseanne was that Mark loved Becky. He loved her, and the mistakes she made they made together. NOw just seems like oh well Glenn Quinn is dead lets just turn his character into the asshole that lots of people thought he was. I mean no backlash his portrayer is dead so lets just shit on this memory. Not cool, not cool at all.
I find it refreshing when people pass, honesty is better then Dan lying and pretending to have liked this son in law. It also ended on a warm caring note. Just my opinion
I agree! I don’t watch the conners but for Dan to put all this blame on a dead man is wrong. Becky was never strong enough to be a doctor.
I agree with you, I don’t watch the show, now I’m glad, because putting it all on a dead character is wrong.
She mad him take that money for college. He didn’t want to go to school. Then he flunked out. That’s on her. Why are they blaming him for the choices she made? She was a very selfish teenager. He even took up for him when David was putting him down. It’s like they forget the storylines they already had in place and try to change things.
I don’t think it has anything to do with the actor being dead and unable to defend his character. I honestly feel that both Mark and Becky were deeply flawed together. Some of that is a result of their families/how they grew up, some of it due to their youth and immaturity, and some of it because, despite love, they weren’t actually good for each other. Even if Glenn Quinn was still with us and able to participate in the revival/spin off, I doubt Mark and Becky would have had a happy ending. And contrary to what a lot of people say, it is ok to **** on someone’s memory if their actions caused you harm in some way. You don’t get sanctified just because you died. Becky owns her part in this episode by saying “I let him.” and she did let him get away with a lot. She also was a total brat a lot of the time and is by no means innocent, but Mark was no saint. And just because he loved her doesn’t mean he didn’t use that love to manipulate her. They were both weak and, as I said, bad for each other. It was never going to end well, one way or another.
That feels like a very accurate analysis of Becky and Mark. Nice job.
I think this episode is an Emmy worthy episode! One of their very best and that’s saying a lot. So many great episodes! I was so proud of Becky and Dan for finally telling their truths about Mark. It was emotional but needed to finally get to the core of Becky’s alcoholism. Bravo to the whole cast and in this particular episode to Alicia Goranson, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Ames McNamara. The best writers in SitCom TV and they should be so proud of this episode! Best sitcom on TV.
But when David said mark shouldn’t be role model for dj Dan got mad said he was mark so lil confused
Exactly! Along with other things I pointed out, there as also that. A whole thing of Dan so ANGRY with David for thinking he was better than Mark, standing up for Mark, and saying it would be a good thing for DJ to take after him. Yes, feelings change over time, or you can look back and see things differently, but this was just bad writing. People are coming up with their own reasons for how to may work, but that should be the writers job, and they didn’t frame it like that. They just thought they could change the history to suit their current story and we wouldn’t notice.
I think part of why Dan was so mad at David years back was because when David said that and made it as of he’s better than Mark, I think Dan may have taken it personally since Dan was a mechanic/hardworking man and he took it to heart as if David’s comments were also about him(Dan). So, in sticking up for Mark, he was also kind of defending his strength as a man himself, being he also was handy instead of booksmart like David… That was how I Interpreted that conversation between Dan and Mark. Just my opinion…
Perfectly analyzed in my opinion. I feel the exact same way.
Well said! It’s a flawed family, no family is perfect! I enjoy this reboot of the Conners!
Agreed
Your right on this call. I’ve been clean and sober 34 years as of today. Everybody has a past and not everyone gets a chance to set things right. Still does not give anyone, even on TV the right to dog someone who has past just to make ratings. How sad 😥.
Exactly. Goes against all the times he defended Mark especially to David.
Bad cop out.
They retconned several things from the original. Jackie, no kid. No youngest kid for the Conners. Crystal and Ed’s kids had to always be in the picture because Crystal was there and she wouldn’t have let her kids away from her, but when little Ed was on it was like Dan hadn’t seen him since he was little. It’s just another thing we have to go with.
Conner younger son is (I believe) is living and working overseas.
This episode also changes how long Becky has been an alcoholic. She was an alcoholic during the original series, too. The other actress who played becky acted those episodes.
No she wasn’t, she drank in one episode when she was 14, but she was never an alcoholic.
Yes I don’t like what was said about Mark, as you said he did truly love her, one thing I had hoped she would say to her father is that it was his fault too, as to say you were a failure to, I wouldn’t have to leave home if you have my college tuition, just really give it to him I mean I’d liked this character, he was not real ambitious,he always knew Rosie would pick up the slack. And all believe us going after our dreams, but not at the expense of your family, and obviously I know this is a TV show, but that’s what we’re talking about
Mark never loved Becky. He did everything he could to keep her on his level. He was the sort of guy who didn’t want his wife to exceed her. He wanted to get her pregnant and keep her living in squalor in his trailer. David was exactly the same way when he didn’t want Darlene to go to college without him. Those Healy boys were just very weak excuses for men. Mark took advantage of a young girl who was in love with him and manipulated her into dumping her life and living his. It was the worst mistake she ever made. Mark was a piece of trash and he got his.
I completely agree! I am a die hard fan and he took the job because it paid well why would he take Becky’s tuition. Also, they said there was no money to send her to college
When they return to lanford, they offer Becky as a gift to pay for college. When she runs off with mark at 17, true the bike shop went belly up and they didn’t have money.
Becky talked him into using her college money for mechanics school. Mark didn’t want to do it he thought Becky should use the money to go to college. Once he started going he had Roseanne and Becky on his back to not quit but he knew he couldn’t do it and was so ashamed he lied about going to class.
Its a dunb fake tv show. Relax. lol I cant imagine how stressful your life must be if you get so upset over a dumb tv show that doesnt matter. lol the conners show sucks. roseanne was good. its not worth my time. thats for sure. good luck in life. do some meditation and learn to relax more.
I agree completely Glenn was an amazing actor and I loved Marc and Becky and they showed real life and relationships of young people. They make mistakes and some alone and some together. It’s part of what made them so real. And relatable.
Becky should get performer of the week for that performance.
Agreed!!!
Yes.
Absolutely! Lecy deserves recognition for her performances, especially the last few episodes.
Yes, she has become the show’s kind of covert MVP. Wonderful acting.
Yes, agreed!
Did anyone notice that nobody in Mark’s school or Becky’s rehab facility was wearing masks in this episode?
Masks get in the way of emoting. And I guess all actors want their faces to be seen or they wouldn’t be actors?
The Mandalorian managed to emote through a full face mask with only voice and posture. If he could pull it off with a full cover helmet, they should manage with only a tiny mask.
What does a mask help??? WE WENT THROUGH. MEASLES.MUMPS. CHICKEN POCS .SMALL POCS. JAUNDICE..NO DAMN SHUT DOWN OF THE WORLD. NO MASKS. JUST LET ALL THAT STUFF RUN ITS COURSE…SURE WAS ALOT WORSE THAN A INFLUENZA FLU. JUST HAVE TO OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THEY ARE ALL LIEING.
I cried. Becky is such a great actress.
This is such b.s. I’m glad I’m not watching this on a regular basis. For the last few seasons of Roseanne, Dan and Mark got close, realized how much they had in common, and were often working together. He was so mad when they first got married but eventually came to admit on several occasions that he saw how much Mark loved and supported Becky, and that he wasn’t a bad guy. He even stood up for him to Roseanne more than once. It was also BECKY’S idea to give him her money. Saying Mark could go to school for something like one or two years, then get a job to support them while Becky was in school, and Dan thought it was a good idea! I hate that they seem to have retconned that. It was one of my favourite parts of the original series- how Becky running off to marry her “punk” boyfriend, actually wasn’t such a bad thing. That they had a fairly good relationship, and he was accepted into the family. They never stopped picking on them, but they all made fun of each other. Dan liked Mark, DJ liked Mark, Darlene was at least amused by him… I hate this for the legacy of both the character and the actor. What a slap in the face.
Yes, as a long time fan, I was disgusted how they made Mark the villain. He adored Becky, who was always an entitled snot.
That said, LG is definitely performer of the week.
Becky’s acting was the best I’ve seen on the Conners. It brought me to tears.
This show is not Roseanne. do what I have done and remember the original show fondly and don’t watch the connors.
Agree! Watch the reruns. They’re on all the time and they’re funny. John Goodman does look like he’s gonna keel over any second. This show turned to garbage after Rosanne left.
They need to get Rosesnne back even they changed the name “Rosesnne need a to come back they kicked.her out for.saying something about a published figure welln I heard a lot of people.saying things about politics people and they kept playing on their show, they jumped to fast at kicking her out
You don’t relate to the situation. Being that 17 y.o. girl, getting married, and having a baby was something that I did. It did change my life. I think for those of us that do relate, we understand. Mark is not hated, they’re only giving him part of the blame for Becky’s addiction. The Connor’s is a really good show. To not watch it for this is not a good reason, at least not in my humble opinion
I agree with you C. Becky made the majority of the decisions for them as a couple. She also looked down on him a lot believing herself to be smarter. It always seemed to me that she used him as a scapegoat for what she could not or was afraid to do.
I don’t know… we never saw their relationship in Minnesota really. Also, hindsight isn’t 20/20. People don’t always remember things perfectly. Usually there are at least three truths in any given situation, party A’s, party B’s, and the actual truth (which only the audience can go back and look on via reruns.) Also, speaking as someone who was young and in love and stayed in a relationship for way too long I can relate to Becky. She (and I) was horrible at times, but that did not mean Mark wasn’t equally manipulative, probably without even meaning to. When you make excuses for each others bad behavior just because you love each other and don’t want to be alone… truth is Becky and Mark, regardless of love, were bad for each other. I grew up watching the show but as an adult who has lived a little I can see it through new eyes and their story isn’t a romantic one. Even if the actor was still alive, the two characters probably would have had a tragic ending regardless.
Well said, C! I agree. Dan and Mark did get along toward the end of the original Roseanne. So, that was pretty *****y of Dan to throw him under the bus like he did 😑
Thank you! I stopped watching this show a while ago. Mark started off angry and immature, but finally grew up during the series. As you said, it was a slap in the face .
Mark was my favorite character!!!
Stop changing the history of the show. He did NOT force her to drop out of high school, and Becky forced Mark to enroll in mechanic school instead of Becky going NOT the other way around. So irritating when you must know that fans know the real history. This is why I don’t watch the Conners
Thank YOU. My thoughts exactly. I still like The Conners though. Cannot believe little DJ grew up to be so TALL.
Yes you are right Becky was the one who wanted Mark to go to trade school he didn’t want to because he couldn’t pass the test Becky even told Roseanne it was her idea she helped Mark to study and he still failed Dan stuck up for Mark with Becky asking her if she was ashamed of him Becky always wanted to make Roseanne to think her marriage was perfect so she would start to like him bottom line he didn’t manipulate Becky at all he always told Roseanne he loved her more than anything in the world
One thing that this spin-off failed to address about WHY Becky married Mark; Her parents spent Becky’s college money to keep Dan’s Motorcycle shop open and it still went under. Then things, financially, went South and Becky did not want her family stuck with another mouth to feed and Mark got a great job in Minnesota. Mark was the smart one and he wanted to give Becky a great life and pay for her college. Roseanne was always mean-spirited and controlling; I think, secretly, she was a little jealous of her own daughter because she had a future with Mark so Roseanne went out of her way to make Becky and Mark miserable. Now we have this great spinoff and the Conner house, 40 years later, is STILL not paid off. Remember Season eight, episode 17? Dan and Roseanne had the golden opportunity to pay off their house, and become debt-free with Dan’s final paycheck from his city job and his pension fund. What did they do with it? They blew it all on a trip to Disney World. I love this show, but, even though the Roseanne character is dead? Her bad decisions with the Conner family money still continue to plague the children, and now the grandchildren.
You’re right! I forgot about that. What about them hitting the lottery? They were always in the hole. I love watching the Conners too.
They never won the lottery. At Darlene’s wedding Dan died. So for Roseanne to cope with the loss of Dan she made up that Dan lived, they won the lottery. She then started to write and in her “book” she put Darlene n Mark together abs Becky and David together!!! What I don’t understand is what happened to Jacki’s son abs where is the youngest Connor?? They named him after the Greatful dead singer who died!! Jerry???
I have wondered about Andy and Jerry too!! WTH?
Andy doesn’t exist. Roseanne made him part of her book. Jerry is far away working on a fishing boat
Lol, there was never college money for Becky
Actually, there was. Watch the original series.
Dan did seem a little off base but I think it was to get them both to the realization that only Becky is responsible for the choices she made and where she’s at. Dan being proud of her now is great. She’s never going to be the CEO of a hospital but there’s still plenty of good outcomes for her.
I don’t think it retcons the show. We only got brief glimpses into Mark and Becky’s relationship. Their decisions were usually questioned by Roseanne, so Becky took the lead in selling them to the family. And Roseanne wouldn’t let Dan speak his mind because she was terrified of driving Becky away. I don’t think Mark was evil. But he came from an abusive, controlling Mom. I’m sure some of that likely showed up in his and Becky’s relationship. With Becky admitting that she would have done anything for Mark, it does make you wonder how many of the decisions made in that marriage turned out well for her.
It’s interesting to read the comments here how people are complaining that Becky and Dan’s recollections are not what happen in the show. A truth of life is that hindsight is not actually 20/20. It is always colored by who we’ve become, what new experiences we’ve had, our prejudices, the parts of our memories we’ve lost to the ages. Other people and their recollections also change the story a bit in our own minds. The past is never perfectly remembered by any of us at any point in time. They each see Becky and Mark’s history differently and in the telling of the story it adjusts. The audience has video to refer too, the characters do not. That’s real life. Fuzzy, befuddled, and adjusting histories.
Hey, how about Jackie’s son…?
What no one is talking about is just how horrible the actions of Darlene were in this episode.
She tries to help Mark cheat, though he clearly doesn’t want her help. Then she gets caught and she blames everyone and everything but her own stupid actions.
Darlene’s a horrible mother
The Conners is so heavy and dark. It’s too much. It doesn’t fit in with the current tv landscape. It is the ugly house on the corner with untamed weeds in the yard masquerading as a charming flat with many included amenities.
And that’s why it is needed. Why should everything have to fit in? A house can look ugly on the outside and inside, but people love each other and are just trying to survive could be living inside. If you don’t want to spend time with this family, offer some “thoughts and prayers” and knock on one of the neighbors’ doors who live in “little boxes on the hillside that all look just the same…”
The Connors—Roseanne and now—have always been my favorite tv family. Underneath all of the dark, sarcastic, crass, loud, hurtful hurtful moments there’s a family on television that models true loving bonds that will always be there for each other. Other tv families are hidden behind rose-colored glasses and just don’t seem genuine, real, and attainable. Make me a member of the Connors in their “ugly house” any day over being a Huxtable, Keaton, Walton, or Goldberg.
One of the things I love about the Conner family is the realism of their clothes. You see them wearing the same outfits, coats, purses. I would always wonder where the Evan’s family on Good Times kept all the clothes, coats, hats JJ and Thelma wore. You rarely saw them wear the same thing twice. Florida, James and Michael for the most part did repeat certain articles of clothing.
A year ago I might agree with you. I couldn’t bring myself to watch. Mainly bc I love Roseanne.
But dang this show is fire. It’s really raw. I had an alcoholic dad and it’s a lot of yelling. This show is very cathartic.
Pisses me off they killed off Roseanne by drug overdose because of statements; yet a true drug overdose of the actor is played off on the character’s death as an stupid vehicle accident. Damn.
I was sure that Mark died in the war. It was mentioned in the first season of the revival.
I don’t watch The Conners, I’m still pissed that ABC booted Roseanne from her own show. But I like to read about the characters from the original series, and it looks like they did Mark dirty. Dan grew to love Mark, and maybe had a bit of respect for him. They bonded over liking to work with their hands. Something David didn’t like to do. This new version is not the relationship that I watched. And it’s made worse by the fact that the actual actor is really dead. Roseanne is such an iconic show. The Conners is just a pale imitation. It’s what happens when you take away the heart and soul of a show.
My question is did Mark really die in real life?
See second paragraph. —Mgmt.
Yes he died of a drug overdose
Whatever happened to Roseanne and Dan’s son Gerry? Also Jackie’s son. They were a part of the show now nothing about what happened to those characters.
Jerry is living in Alaksa on a fishing boat and rarely contacts the family…
Andy was part of “the dream” episodes in the original Roseanne and never really existed.
There have been rumors for a while now about addressing them and talk about bringing them back just to fulfill our curiosity and solve the mystery. But the writers aren’t sure how or when to mention them and they think it’s been too long now to try to work them back into the show.
Andy was not part of the “dream” episodes. He was born before Jerry.
Roseanne “re-wrote” her life after Dan died. Jackie was gay – never was pregnant or married. That’s the way I recall it, anyway…
This was a real emotional, raw episode. I still watch repeats of the Roseanne show and see the episodes with Mark and he was a selfish punk. His own family was messed up so he didn’t understand how important Becky’s family was to her. Becky was an impressionable teenager when they started dating and all she thought was he loved her and that was enough. She threw away her future for him. And he didn’t seem to care that she did that for him. Glenn Quinn did a great job with the character. Remember, it’s a character. The Connors is not *****ing on Glenn’s memory – but Mark’s. Great job John Goodman and Lecy Goransen for bringing to life long dead feelings.
Didn’t they say in first episode of the rosanne revival he did in iraq??? Plus there are sevel goofs molly’s dad was single when moved next door where did her mother come from? Also if jackie’s son and marriage was part of a dream so should Jerry seeing as andy’s older come on writers write in jackie’s son need an idea message me
Now when do we find out what happened to Jerry and Andy?
I just commented about this, it should be towards the bottom.
This was a phenomenal episode. As good as any of the more dramatic episodes of the original series. The writing was superb and Lecy Goranson & John Goodman were amazing together in those scenes!
Uhhh he didnt TAKE the money to gonto mechanics school, Becky made that decision for him- yes, he was a bit selfish but she thought she knew it all and made the choice to run off- then later when she started talking about going back to school again Roseanne talked her out of it because Mark felt ‘left out/left behind’ So, no it was NoT all on Mark- do they think we dont know what happened before??
It’s a shame they are putting the full blame on Mark for Becky’s turnout when it was the writers of the original show that screwed up Becky’s character. Originally Becky was a smart, independent woman, even when she was with Mark. Once Sarah Chalke started playing Becky, though, they turned her into a dumb blonde who was very dependent on Mark. Even worse is that they somehow made Darlene the smart child.
They’re NOT putting the full blame on Mark. Becky admits she screwed herself over in the episode.
Did you watch the episode? Becky says her mistake was letting Mark do what he did to her. So while she did take some responsibility, it still placed blame on Mark for taking advantage. Also, Dan tells Darlene that the session turned out great because he got to blame Mark for all of Becky’s problems.
Sam: I agree with you. I got sick of the original series around the time it became, in part, “The Darlene Show” (season 3). Becky in many episodes was more of a prop with limited dialogue. Yes, Becky always was the smart, overachieving student and Darlene the C-D average, smart mouthed brat. Then the tables turn, Becky becomes a “loser” of sorts while Darlene becomes “deep” and “intelligent”. Oh PLEEEEEEEEASE!!! Becky and Jackie were always my favorite characters, and IMO the best acting on the show. Young DJ was adorable!