TVLINE | You had a “Story by” credit on Season 2’s “Throwing a Christian to a Bear.” Two years later, you wrote Season 4’s “Triggered.” How did writing “Fire and Vice” differ from those past experiences?
Because it was later in the season, there was more of a group effort in terms of story, whereas the other stories came very much from my own incentive. This episode had more to do with character development and nearing the end of certain arcs for the season, so it wasn’t like I went in the room and said I want to talk about this, like I did with the Bears/Packers and gun epidemic [episodes]. This was more [about] where these characters [were] and what was going on with them. That being said, there was a lot for both stories on the platter. It was a challenge, but very fulfilling as well.
TVLINE | Jackie expresses concern about Becky’s internship. She’s worried that her niece’s interaction with fellow addicts will have a negative impact on her sobriety journey. On the flip side, do you think that Becky has something to gain from being exposed to others who are struggling with their respective vices and might not be as far along in their recovery?
Absolutely. It’s very much a double-edged sword. There’s that archetype of the wounded healer, right? A lot of people who go into healing professions are aware of their own woundedness, which makes them effective healers, and Becky is no different. But in terms of being involved in a field that is so tenuous and so raw for her, I think a part of her felt like I’m in recovery, I got through this, I know this. But what she didn’t know was how triggering it would be for her, and how the system itself isn’t built for mental health. I think a lot of people in the mental health profession, including Becky, just don’t have enough support, so they end up blurring the lines, investing in their clients. It’s very hard to have boundaries when there’s not a bigger support system.
TVLINE | Every time the Conners attempt to take two steps forward, the universe seems to push them back. But as we approach the end of Season 6, it seems like, finally, after all these years, a lot of things are going their way. Having spent several decades as part of this TV family, are you happy to see that the tide is turning — at least to some extent?
Absolutely. The Conners have been through it all. It makes them closer, and it makes them stronger. But it’s also nice to see the underdog win one every once in a while. I don’t want to curse anything — Lord knows that you never know what’s around the corner, and the fact that the hardware store burns down is a mixed blessing, and it’s still quite a tragedy — but I do think it’s exciting.
It warms my heart hearing from the fans. A lot of people have said, “When is Becky gonna get a break?” And here she is, she has this really sweet boyfriend, she really loves school and she’s career oriented. She’s kind of back to being her old, studious self. I think everyone wants a Conners victory — or victories.
TVLINE | There was a moment in Episode 9 where Dan told the family to come into the living room to watch the Illinois State Lottery drawing. I was watching live that night, and for a brief moment I thought, “Is the show about to double down? Are we about to repeat history?” That’s not where the story went, but it sure felt like a tease to me.
It’s funny, because some younger people don’t know what happened in the original show. Granted, I wasn’t there for the lottery year, I was in college, but some younger people on set said, “What if they win the lottery?” And all the older people groan and say, “Oh, we already did that. We went through that in a previous life.”
TVLINE | So much of Becky’s 30-plus year arc has been about her relationship with Mark — and later, the fallout of that relationship and the toll it took on her for years after he died. What has it been like for you getting to explore this new relationship with Sean Astin’s Tyler at such a different time — not only in Becky’s life, but in your own, having explored that relationship with Glenn Quinn as a teenager?
It’s interesting. In terms of Becky’s arc, there was that one episode that I found so powerful, but in a different way, about Becky confronting Mark’s death by talking to her daughter, Beverly Rose…. Becky was in a different place; she was a teenager with Mark. But [in this episode] Becky says to Tyler, like, “Look, I am imperfect. I have some serious problems that I am working out. A couple of days ago, I thought, here I am in recovery and my life is going great,” but that’s an external thing. We always have internal struggles that we’re going through. I thought the fact that she opens up to Tyler in that way is just so powerful, and beautiful, and profound.
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TVLINE | I think back to where we were a few seasons ago, and everything that Becky said in rehab that she never told Mark. Now she has this partner in Tyler who she feels that she can trust, and who she can say these things to. She’s never had that before.
Yes! That is so… I didn’t think of that, but that is so true. Wow.
TVLINE | In terms of a final season, nothing has been confirmed… yet. But I think it’s safe to say that we’re much closer to the end of this run than we are to the beginning. On that note, have you given any thought to your dream ending for Becky?
It’s so tricky when you have a beloved show. It’s so hard to put a bow on it. I resist thinking about that for The Conners because we’re not really a “put a bow on it” kind of family. I do think that things are going in the right [direction]. I don’t know about, you know, Becky getting married [again]; I don’t know if that’s something that she would want. I think maybe cohabitating with Tyler, being able to time manage and finish school, then go into some kind of mental health profession. I don’t know if [her specialty is] addiction because that might be too close to home.
I think when, and if, there is an ending, I hope that it would be like a continuum energy, rather than a close-up shop energy, so that the audience can envision all of the characters going into the future.
TVLINE | It’s wild to think that, including Roseanne‘s 2018 season, this revival will have run eight seasons — just one season shy of matching the original show.
When we had our 100th episode, we thought, how is this possible? This is a whole other manifestation of the original thing, and we’re still at it, and generally we all just feel super lucky and super proud of the work we’ve done. It’s so interesting now to talk to people who have followed [both] shows.
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Just yesterday, this guy came to switch the filters in my air conditioning system and he said, “Remember in high school, when you cut the cheese in class?” And I just went, “Wow, I guess I’ll never really get rid of that one.” It’s the investment in [these] characters. It’s like, “When I was in high school, there was this friend, Becky….” It’s such an unusual, wonderful blessing.
What did you think of The Conners Season 6, Episode 11: “Fire and Vice”? And what are your hopes for the remainder of the Roseanne spinoff’s unprecedented run? Sound off in Comments.
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