Now thatThe Connersis over, it is clear thatRoseanne’s spinoff forgot about a major former supporting character who could have completely transformed a largely forgotten storyline from the series.The Conners’ large cast of characterswas both a blessing and a curse for the show. Dan, Jackie, Becky, Darlene, Mark, and Harris ensured the show had plenty of lead characters.
When working out who to centerafterRoseanne’s off-screen death,The Connershad a lot of potential replacement protagonists. However, this was also arguably a problem for the series as the spinoff continued, and the cast grew even further. First, there was Dan’s new love interest, Louise, then her brother Neville, who dated and later married Jackie.
There was also Becky’s baby daughter, Beverly-Rose, Darlene’s new love interest, Ben, Becky’s eventual love interest, Tyler, and many, many more supporting stars who all required screen time. With all of these characters, it was hard for even the leads to gain sufficient screen time for their storylines, let alone the next generation of the Conner clan.
Martin Mull’s Leon Carp Character From Roseanne Explained
Roseanne’s Boss from The Lunchbox Boss Was A Major LGBTQ+ Character
As such, it is not at all that shocking thatMartin Mull’sRoseannecharacter, Leon Carp, wasn’t mentioned inThe Conners. At least, this wasn’t a notable omission at first. One of the first openly gay sitcom characters who wasn’t portrayed as a one-dimensional stereotype, Leon was Roseanne’s snooty Republican restaurant manager when she worked at the Lanford Lunchbox.
By the time Roseanne made TV history with the first gay wedding in a major network sitcom, Mull’s character was beloved by the Conners and viewers alike.
While Leon was initially portrayed as a bossy and irritating micromanager, the depiction of Mull’s character gradually grew more complex and sympathetic over time. By the timeRoseannemade TV history with the first gay weddingin a major network sitcom, Mull’s character was beloved by the Conners and viewers alike.
However, he was never mentioned inRoseanne’s 2107 revival and, when Roseanne was killed off and the show becameThe Conners, the character’s entire existence was seemingly retconned. This was particularly obvious in season 2, when Jackie tried to reopen the Lanford Lunchbox and discovered her mother, Beverly, still owned the lease.
Ames McNamara
Mark Conner-Healy
CannyRoseanneviewers will recall that,long before Roseanne’s death, the Lunchbox was co-owned by Roseanne, Jackie, Beverly, and Leon. As such, the fact thatThe Connersdevoted an entire season 2 character arc to Jackie, and Beverly’s shares in the restaurant and Darlene’s inherited share, only to never mention Leon, proves that the spinoff effectively forgot about his existence.
The Conners Needed Leon Carp More Than Roseanne
The Conners Bringing Back Leon Carp Could Have Helped With Mark’s Storyline
It is frustrating and unfortunate that, afterRoseannebroke new ground with its depiction of a major LGBTQ+ character on network TV, the show’s spinoff failed to follow up on Leon’s story. However, it was the character arc of Darlene’s son Mark that made Leon’s absence far more damaging to the series as a whole.
Darlene’s son Mark struggled with growing up gay in Lanford, and the show’s heroes never thought of checking in on Leon so he could offer some words of encouragement. Whilenot allThe Conners’Roseannecallbacks worked, they did prove that the show had no problem bringing back both major and minor characters fromRoseanne.
The Connersis available to stream on Hulu.
When Mark wanted to play music, his teacher was a minor, largely forgottenRoseanneguest star played by Christopher Lloyd decades earlier. When Roseanne died, Dan’s best friend Chuckie Mitchell was there to console him. In season 6, the money Dan borrowed from Neville was spent on funding his stepmother’s healthcare treatments, thus bringing Natalie West’s Crystal back to the show.
The fact that an utterly forgettable one-off background character returned, but Leon didn’t make an appearance, proves the spinoff failed to live up to its potential.
Perhaps the most egregious example of this came whenThe Connersbrought back Bobo, a barfly who appeared in a single season 1 episode of the series and challenged Dan to a fight at The Lobo. The fact that this utterly forgettable one-off background character returned, but Leon didn’t make an appearance, proves the spinoff failed to live up to its potential.
Theharsh reality aboutThe Connersis that the show never got over Roseanne’s death, but it also never really recaptured the tone of the original series.Roseannetook some surprisingly big risks in the ‘90s, from spotlighting non-stereotypical gay characters to portraying the physical discipline of children as inexcusable abuse.
However,The Connerswas more concerned with stoking viewers' nostalgia than challenging stereotypes or confronting viewers with anything uncomfortable. As such, Leon was forgotten while Mark’s storyline was quietly turned into a plot about his academic ambition. His struggles with his sexual orientation were sidelined while the show prioritized its older characters.
How The Conners Could Have Brought Back Leon
The Spinoff Failed to Prioritize Roseanne’s Returning Characters
Leon could have returned to talk to Mark about his future in Lanford, since he was living proof that an openly gay man could happily make a life for himself and his family in the small town. However, Leon could also have played a role in the Lunchbox subplot. Admittedly,rumors of Roseanne’s ghost returningin the spinoff always sounded fairly ridiculous.
It would have made sense forThe Connersto bring back Leon as part of the Lunchbox subplot, as the former manager could have been another obstacle to reopening the eatery.
However, the show still did need some connection to its predecessor and a sense of continuity to link together their shared fictional universe. With that in mind, it would have made sense forThe Connersto bring back Leon as part of the Lunchbox subplot, as the former manager could have been another obstacle to reopening the eatery.
Alternatively, Mull’s character could have supported Jackie in her endeavor, and he might even have been the one to get Darlene on board as she debated what to do with the deed she inherited from her mother.The Connersleft many storylines lingeringwhen the show ended with season 7, but it’s clear Mull’s return was viable.
Tragically, Mull passed away at the age of 80 after a long illness. Although this seems to prove that he couldn’t have worked on the series, the screen veteran was booked and busy despite his ailing health throughout the show’s run. From 2017 until 2023, Mull appeared inThe Ranch,Life in Pieces,I’m Sorry,NCIS: Los Angeles,Brooklyn Nine-Nine,Bless This Mess, andBob’s Burgers.
Mull had a starring role in 22 episodes ofThe Cool Kidsfrom 2018 until 2019.
As well as supporting roles inGrace and Frankie,Maggie,Not Dead Yet, andThe Afterparty, Mull had a starring role in 22 episodes ofThe Cool Kidsfrom 2018 until 2019. Clearly, Mull would have been able to reprise his role if the opportunity arose.
Sadly,The Connersforgetting all aboutRoseanne’s Leon highlighted a bigger trend in the spinoff. For all of its fan service,The Connersforgot a lot ofRoseanne’s best characters and let down the original show’s legacy as a result.
