Roseanne: War and Peace

Roseanne: War and Peace
ABC
January 12, 1993
Sitcom
DVD
A-

This Heline & Heisler conclusion of the two-parter again manages the tonal shifts with skill, as when Gilbert rocks it with her amazing delivery on some of the funniest lines.  But even a scene like Jackie being both grateful to and angry at Dan blends humor and drama.  We find out in this episode that Fisher has beaten Jackie before and they both hid that.  Jackie, despite loving Fisher, finds the courage to leave him.  The scene of Dan explaining his time in jail to DJ is an interesting contrast to the Soap scene, from about fifteen years earlier, of Jessica Tate explaining to her fifteen-year-old son why "Daddy" was in jail for killing cousin Peter.  (Or was it Corinne in jail at that point?)

I would've gone with another B+ but Dan's rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" in the tag brings this closer to perfection.

John "Juke" Logan, who was Man Who Takes Chair, in the first season here is the Prisoner with Harmonica, while Prisoner Alex Cole would be a Male Customer later this year.  Roseanne's 14-year-old son Jake Pentland has his second role on the show, as the Paper Boy.  And Jeremy Roberts, Jay in the previous episode, here has a nameless part.

Roseanne: Crime and Punishment

Roseanne: Crime and Punishment
ABC
January 5, 1993
Sitcom
DVD
B+

When the "lighter" thread is about DJ getting in trouble for taking Darlene & David's "sick" comic to school, then it's fair to say that, at roughly the midpoint of the series, we're heading into territory that few or no family sitcoms had ever explored before.  Dan goes to talk to DJ's principal, Cecil Alexander (Begley), thinking DJ has taken one of Dan's issues of Playboy and is at first relieved it's just a comic.  (Note that we find out in this episode that the girls' bathroom also connects to DJ's room, which I hadn't been clear on before.)

Meanwhile, Fisher is stressed about his unemployment and he (offscreen) "beats the crap out of Jackie."  Since viewers by now are very fond of Jackie, we're as upset as Roseanne, especially when Jackie tries to defend Fisher.  When Dan hears, he goes over and (again offscreen) apparently beats the crap out of Fisher.  Two policemen show up quickly to arrest him, although small town that this is, one of them is friends with Dan.  In a sight gag closing this first of two parts, Principal Alexander's car pulls up next to the police car.

Again, Roseanne pulls off very difficult tonal shifts, so that the episode made me laugh and cry, without feeling forced.  Even in this bleak time, there are still jokes, including Darlene mocking Becky's butt in absentia.

Wings Hauser and Mara Hobel return as Ty Tilden and his daughter Charlotte, but there's no sign of Molly.  Doug Fieger makes another appearance as Dan's poker buddy Nick (essentially the guy in the "DJ spot," who can have his back to the audience most of the scene).  Jeremy Roberts, who's Jay, would return.  Secretary Colleen Camp would be back in two other roles.  I don't have Brice Beckham in anything else, but I should point out that he plays one of the two teen guys Charlotte has a crush on and he's best known as Wesley on Mr. Belvedere.

Roseanne: Of Ice and Men

Roseanne: Of Ice and Men
ABC
December 1, 1992
Sitcom
DVD
B-

DJ goes out for the peewee hockey team, and 37-year-old Jackie breaks up with 25-year-old Fisher because of the age difference.  This is at least the second episode where Roseanne hits Dan with a frying pan.  Note that there's snow on the ground, including an exterior shot of the Lunch Box.  This is the first of two Roseanne scripts from Robert Borden and Norm MacDonald, yes, that Norm MacDonald.

Roseanne: Halloween IV

Not the last time Roseanne would
be Ginger from Gilligan's Island.

Roseanne: Halloween IV
ABC
October 27, 1992
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Rob Ulin wrote this episode where the most interesting thing is the flashback with Dan and Roseanne as teenagers.  I'd like to have seen more of that, and had them dump the whole tired Christmas Carol thing.  Zoe Perry would again play Little Jackie three years later.  And once again, poor James Pickens, Jr., gets axed from the overcrowded tags.

Roseanne: Looking for Loans in All the Wrong Places

DJ and Molly, before he becomes a Peeping Tom

Roseanne: Looking for Loans in All the Wrong Places
ABC
October 20, 1992
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The writing team of Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline's first of two Roseanne scripts has Darlene and Molly (Danielle Harris again), clashing, including when DJ spies on Molly changing in front of her bedroom window.  Darlene says this is the most normal thing DJ has ever done, but she's obviously upset when David spies, too, leading to some offscreen violence with a "comical warning."  Meanwhile, Roseanne, Jackie, and Nancy can't get a small business loan, so Jackie and Roseanne reluctantly let their mother be a partner in the business.

Roseanne: Mommy Nearest

Roseanne: Mommy Nearest
ABC
October 6, 1992
Sitcom
DVD
B

In this first episode written by Janice Jordan and Monica Piper, who would each do another Roseanne script, more things happen that will affect the rest of the season, and possibly beyond:

• Matt Roth is introduced as Jackie's younger boyfriend, Fisher (Roth is nine years younger than Metcalf);
• Bev sells her house and, one, gives her daughters each a $10,000 check, and two, decides to move to Lanford;
• and Jackie wants to start a loose-meat sandwich shop with the money.

This is the first episode where Becky is referred to but not seen.  Since Michael Fishman wasn't on the Pilot, this is his 100th episode.  Note that Darlene says her sixteenth birthday is coming up, and indeed it would be the next episode.