Roseanne: First Cousin, Twice RemovedABC
February 16, 1993
Sitcom
DVD
C+
Janice Jordan wrote this story, which is one of the weaker episodes of a very strong season. According to IMDB, Joan Collins found the script unfunny, but I think she shares some of the blame, because the way she plays Ronnie, Roseanne's favorite cousin, feels off. Yes, some of the problem is that there are references to Dynasty that are too cutesy, but it's also that Collins is portraying a character who's pushing 50, at a time when Joan was almost 60. One moment, we're supposed to be charmed by Ronnie as much as the Conners, and Nancy, are and then we're meant to see her as a manipulative bitch. For once, the tonal shifts don't work. The main thing I liked here was the tag, where Darlene and David get caught by a cop as they fill out college applications, "My mom won't let us do it at home." Note that it's implied that Roseanne was using condoms by the age of 14, even though elsewhere it seems that she lost her virginity at 16 or 18.
This time, Ahmad Stoner plays Jordan. Sid Youngers, who plays a member of the Set Crew, would have another Roseanne role a couple years later; in real life, he would soon be a co-producer.
