Transitions can be difficult, and none of the developments on The Conners Season 4 Episode 6 were easy for anyone.
But the changes for Mark were probably the most glaring, and instead of running to Darlene for help, he turned to Ben.
And for the first time all season, I was glad Ben was there.
Ben has been camped out at The Conners ever since he and Darlene broke up. He’s hanging in their kitchen. He’s over for movie nights multiple times a week. Does anyone else think that’s odd?
I know he still works with Dan, and he’s close with the rest of the family but spending that much time at your ex’s home right after a serious breakup is unconventional at best and downright bizarre at worst.
I was grateful that Ben was around to help with the roof, but that brings up another question. Since when does Ben know anything about fixing roofs?
Just last season, Ben could barely tell the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench at the hardware store, which is why he had to hire Dan. Dan was in construction for years. So you’d think he’d have more of a clue as to how much the roof would cost to fix than Ben.
But I digress. Besides those inconsistencies, I was still thankful that Ben was around for Mark, even if at first it rubbed Darlene the wrong way. (And what doesn’t rub Darlene the wrong way?)
Darlene: If you wanted to play Daddy, you should have married me.
Ben: Yes, my mistake. I could have had those sweet tones in my ear every morning before I opened the door and ran screaming into traffic.
Darlene: Well, there’s the door. You don’t want to miss rush hour.
Darlene was worried that Mark wasn’t making friends at school, so she pushed him to become friends with Logan. A plan that worked out far better than she expected and perhaps went farther than she wanted.
Mark was clearly nervous when Logan hit on him after spending several movie nights together, but they still ended up in Mark’s room making out.
It’s a relief that Mark felt close enough to Ben to talk to him about taking things to the next level with Logan, and Ben handled it perfectly. He didn’t judge Mark but gave some advice and tried to get Mark to talk to his Mom.
It’s sad that Mark and Darlene aren’t as close as they used to be, but a lot has happened. Mark is growing up. And Darlene’s poor choices and on-again-off-again love life have put her kids through the wringer.
Plus, Darlene isn’t one to hold back on her opinions, although she’s definitely trying to do better on that front when it comes to her kids.
When she broached the subject with Mark, Darlene wasn’t exactly subtle, and I feared that Mark would be angry that Ben had breached his confidence, but Mark didn’t seem to mind. Maybe it gave him the opening he secretly hoped for to share this with Darlene.
Mark is a good kid, and he made the right decision when he chose not to have sex with Logan just because he was moving to Oklahoma.
But all of this left me with one question.
Where the hell is David? No one even mentions him anymore. I understand if the actor doesn’t want to come back to the show, but then the writers should come up with a plausible reason why he’s not around…ever!
Or maybe tell us that the kids spend time with him offscreen. Anything is better than what we have now, which is never seeing or hearing about David with no explanation.
David was far from perfect, but the way they’ve painted him as an absentee father who doesn’t seem to care about his own kids really bugs me. David had issues. David made mistakes, but this goes too far, and I wish the series would make some effort to fix it.
Moving on, Becky was finally turning her life around, but that could mean leaving Jackie behind.
Becky is sober. She’s in college, and she’s enjoying it. She’s doing well and getting recognition from her peers. We’re finally seeing glimpses of the smart, engaged student we knew Becky to be in high school before everything in her life went sideways.
I have a lot to contribute to abnormal psychology. Everyone in class realized that they were dating someone from one of the chapters. I’m old. I’ve dated like all the chapters.
Becky
But all of that means spending less time helping Jackie run the restaurant, and although that’s understandable, it’s a bit of a shame.
Jackie misses Roseanne in a way that no one else does. For Jackie, Roseanne wasn’t just her sister. She was her best friend, partner, and confidante.
Although she was never going to duplicate that relationship with Becky, it felt good to be running the Lunch Box with family, and specifically one of Roseanne’s daughters.
For the first time, I can see other things in my future, and I’m excited about that.
Becky
Becky has every right to be excited and explore the possibilities for her future. I can see Becky becoming a therapist and helping people who are struggling the way she has.
I just hope that as Becky moves forward, Jackie doesn’t feel left behind. Jackie has worked so hard. She’s made the Lunch Box a success. She has the love in her life she’s always wanted.
Yet, there’s still a hole left by Roseanne, and I don’t know if that will ever change.
So what do you think, TV Fanatics?
Was Becky right to cut down her hours at the sports bar and concentrate on school?
Are Ben and Darlene destined to be frenemies who end up with other people, or do you think there’s a hint of hope that they might rekindle their romance?
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button down below if you want to share your thoughts on this installment of The Conners. Then, you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.