Roseanne
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One hiccup in the Dave Mason narrative: David has some bad guy culpability.
He reappears in Darlene and their kids lives to help celebrate Harriss birthday.
(Deadbeats Without Borders, Darlene calls it during one of her more bitter moments.)
The morning after, Darlene and David discuss their reunion as if its a done deal.
David protests, saying hes unafraid of Dan.
Darlene tells him thats cute, but insists he leave through the window.
Why do you always have to belittle me like that?
Im a grown man.
God, dont be so sensitive, Darlene says.
David: Dont tell me what not to be.
He asks her to be less controlling, telling her hes a different person now.
Other than your father, Im not so easily intimidated, David says.
Darlene wants them to forget about this tiff and move forward with their plans.
You guys are a disaster as a couple, Roseanne says.
Its like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde … and David.
Darlene insists David is different, more self-aware now, which seems true.
She also says the reason David left originally was because he couldnt handle the pressure of being a dad.
Roseanne tells her thats not true.
He left because you guys were fighting all the time and thats what he couldnt handle, Roseanne says.
Grieve and get on with your life.
David didnt die, Darlene says.
But your marriage did, her sister tells her.
And then Darlene has to acknowledge her own doubts to David, when he arrives for Harriss party.
Were delusional if we think we can make each other happy, Darlene tells him.
Were gonna fight, youre gonna run, and were gonna break the kids hearts.
We talked, he counters.
We know what went wrong.
Youre the first person I loved, and I still love you.
Darlene: I love you, too.
But its not just us.
But David is not Dan.
Roseanne and Dan are equals, with mutual respect for each other and for themselves.
David spent a lot of his teenage days living in the Conner household, deferring to Darlene.
That didnt change, as this reunion reveals, but Davids reaction to it did.
And, to paraphraseMr.
Mason, the end of Darlene and Davids love song.
The retirement home asked me to leave, she explains after showing up at Roseannes door.
That she also gave gonorrhea to her fellow residents sealed her exit.
Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert should most definitely be on Emmy ballots this year.
