Although Roseanne’s spinoff The Conners never mentioned Martin Mull’s Leon Carp, the original show’s season 8 Christmas episode featured a historical piece of gay representation centered on the supporting character. One of the harsh realities of rewatching Roseanne is the realization that some of the show’s jokes have aged terribly. However, for every gag that feels tasteless or problematic in 2024, there are moments that stand out as strikingly progressive. Roseanne’s story of a working-class middle-American family tackled poverty, gay rights, racial discrimination, parental abuse, and a whole host of other hot-button issues with surprising tact and dexterity.
Related Why The Conners’ Thanksgiving Reunion Is The Roseanne Spinoff’s Highest-Rated Episode The Conners Thanksgiving special is the show’s highest rated episode, and there’s a reason viewers singled out this Roseanne spinoff outing.
As The Conners season 7 prepares to end the sitcom franchise for good, it is tempting to claim that the original series was problematic and its updated spinoff made up for its failings. However, the truth is a little more complicated. The Conners’ large cast of characters never included the late, great Martin Mull, even though Mull played Roseanne and Jackie’s boss Leon Carp throughout much of Roseanne’s original run. A thoroughly unique character, Carp was a groundbreaking character in terms of LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media and a testament to Roseanne’s surprising achievements in the world of sitcoms.
Roseanne’s “December Bride