Roseanne: Sweet Dreams

Roseanne: Sweet Dreams
ABC
November 7, 1989
Sitcom
DVD
C

It's hard to review this episode because it's not good and it's not so bad it's good, and it's not even bad in the way that much of Season Nine would be.  And yet, it is sort of fascinating and the production values, especially the sets, are top notch.  It's written by Danny Jacobson, who did admittedly co-write the last season of Soap, but his "Dear Mom and Dad" last season was great.  This one isn't funny, other than seeing  glimpses of Darlene As Now We Know Her (still a work in progress but getting closer).  And we find out that Roseanne's subconscious is convinced that Crystal has the hots for Dan, which makes her becoming his stepmother down the road even weirder.

Anyway, Roseanne wants a nice relaxing bath but falls asleep and dreams about how this desire is frustrated, leading her to murder her husband and children.  Jackie is spared but is both the arresting officer and Roseanne's lawyer.  (Jackie would several seasons later appear as Marcia Clark of the O.J. trial.)  Bert Parks is the Judge, to add to the randomness.  (They couldn't get Wapner or someone who might've made sense in this context?)  Roseanne is found guilty after her daughters testify, with Dan as the prosecuting attorney and a character witness.  And, yes, they're supposed to be dead.  Then it turns into a musical.  And Roseanne insists on singing, although she can't.  (It wouldn't be until the following summer that she'd perform a notorious rendition of the National Anthem.)  Note that we find out Becky's birthdate: March 15, 1975.

Stephen Dorff returns as Jimmy Meltrigger.  Charlayne Woodard appears for the last time, as what Becky describes as her mother's only happily married friend, Vonda, and does some nice singing.  Chip's mother, Bonnie Lang (Andrea Walters), is supposed to be in this episode, but I don't see how.  Ditto for Nancy Fish as Claire, unless they're just there in the background.  This is the 1100th of my shows to air on ABC, which will continue to dominate into the '90s.