The Conners Season 4 Episode 20 Review: A Judge and A Priest Walk Into A Living Room…
One year ago Darlene got down on one knee and proposed to Ben. Then he crushed her heart to dust by turning her down.
Since then, the two have been enemies, then frenemies, and just when we thought they might be able to peacefully coexist…
They decided to get married.
Of course, this being The Conners Season 4 Episode 20, there was no way this wedding would go off without a hitch, and if Aldo and Harris had to be sacrificed to give us drama, I’m not only willing to see it happen, but relieved.
Harris marrying Aldo would have been a mistake. Aldo is 20 years older than Harris, he’s her intellectual inferior, and he comes with enough baggage to fill a semi. Harris is just starting out in life.
Do I believe she cares for Aldo? Yes, but I also think moving in with Aldo was more about her daddy issues and getting out from under her mother’s thumb.
For Harris, marrying Aldo would have been more of a life sentence than something to be celebrated.
Aldo wanting to have a baby right away was the wake-up call that Harris needed. This wasn’t the life she wanted, and she got out before making a huge mistake.
Aldo: That’s not going to work for me.
Harris: I don’t care if it’s not going to work for you. I’m the one who has to have the baby.
Aldo: Then why are we even getting married?
Harris: You only wanted to marry me so we can have a baby right away?
Aldo: Of course, that wasn’t the only reason, but it is a big one.
Harris: Then maybe we’re getting married for different reasons. Maybe we’re not getting married at all.
I hope Aldo just walks away, but I doubt we’ll get that lucky. He’s a highly emotional guy, and he loves Harris, or at least the idea of what he thinks they can be, even if that isn’t realistic.
But there were still two weddings to look forward to, and they were remarkable.
I found myself wondering if Jackie had married Fred in this universe or not? As far as I’m concerned, the original Roseanne’s final dream or nightmare season, depending on how you view it, allows The Conners the leeway to toss out old storylines that don’t completely fit.
And whether Jackie has been married before or not matters little when we get to see her finally be this happy and content.
Neville: Does that say never?
Jackie: Yeah, it was a mistake, and the old Jackie would have taken it as a bad sign and freaked out and ruined the whole wedding. But because of you, I can see things in a different way now. So, it stands for never been happier. I’ve never been more optimistic about the future, and I’ll never leave you.
It felt right that Jackie and Darlene talked about Roseanne before the wedding. They had completely different points of view, yet somehow I think they were both correct.
Roseanne wanted her daughter and her sister to be happy. She wanted them to find someone to love with whom they could share their lives.
And she would have found the ridiculousness of this double wedding hysterical.
Jackie: No, no. We have to get married together.
Darlene: Why is this such a big deal to you?
Jackie: Because I keep thinking about your Mom and how she was so worried that you and I would never be happy. And she would say, “There’s got to be somebody out there that’ll be lucky enough to get Darlene. There’s got to be somebody out there desperate and broken enough to marry Jackie.”
Darlene: Okay, but Mom is gone, and she’s not going to know.
Jackie: Well, I believe that your Mom’s spirit is going to be at the wedding and I think that she would be so happy to watch us get married together.
Darlene: I think that she’s laughing her ass off that I’m trapped in this thing, but okay.
Between the opera clown and the priest and the judge doing ideological battle, it was difficult not to laugh. But as with everything having to do with the Conners, there was a lot of heart as well.
Ben and Darlene managed the double wedding compromises as a team, but their communication issues still exist, as evidenced by Ben deciding to change the layout of the house.
Ben assumed that Becky and Beverly Rose weren’t moving in now that he and Darlene would be married, while Darlene believed having a young child in the house would soothe Ben’s itch to have children.
Darlene: Ben and I aren’t going to have kids, and he really wants one, and I think Beverly Rose running around the house will be good for him.
Becky: So you’re just using me for my kid.
Darlene: Unless you want to play hide and seek with Ben.
That’s a big issue they should discuss, but instead, they’re making assumptions instead of having important conversations. I hope that doesn’t come back to bite them in the future, but it probably will.
Ben and Darlene make one another crazy, but they also love one another desperately. I can’t imagine either of them being happy with someone who didn’t challenge them at every turn.
After the year Darlene has had where she’s battled anxiety and depression and searched for some sort of larger meaning in life, it was heartening to hear her talk about being grateful for the blessings she’s been given.
Ben: Whatever life brings us, I know it’s going to be okay because I’ll have you by my side. There’s not a moment in my life that won’t be made better sharing it with you.
Darlene: I have made so many mistakes in my life, and it’s crazy because I keep getting thrown blessings like my family and my kids and finally you. I do not feel like I deserve you, but I am going to do everything I can to make you happy and hang on to you for the rest of my life.
As much as this felt like a happyily ever after moment, there are still more obstacles to come.
Despite being happily married to Louise, Dan wasn’t ready to let go of his family. He’s so used to having everyone under one roof that living without his adult children and his grandchildren is going to be an adjustment.
But I have to believe that Louise is right. These are the Conners we’re talking about. They will always have their issues and there is something about that home that draws them back like a beacon in a storm.
Plus, there’s the even better news that ABC has renewed The Conners for season 5! That’s a relief because there are still so many questions we want to see answered.
Will Emilio’s immigration status ever be resolved? Will he and Becky remain married?
It seems Neville dropped the idea of having Bev at the wedding, but will he continue to be a cock-eyed optomist and try to heal the deep and festering wounds that exist between Jackie and her mother?
Will Ben’s mother return? She wasn’t at the wedding. Does that mean she doesn’t approve of Ben marrying Darlene?
And will Harris build a new life for herself that doesn’t leave her linked to Aldo?
For answers to some of those questions and many more, check back in for our exclusive interivew with executive producers Dave Caplan and Bruce Helford where we unpack the season finale and look ahead to The Conners Season 5!
Now, hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button to tell us your thoughts on the double wedding. And if you need a rewatch, you can always watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
