Roseanne: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Roseanne: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
ABC
March 1, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B

Berg & Zimmerman wrote the teleplay based on Michael Borkow's story and it's worth remembering that this was at the time controversial and ground-breaking, simply because a lesbian kissed Roseanne, not with mouths visible to the audience and not reciprocally.  Watching it now, I think an off-the-cuff line (by Nancy) about a male "accountant with pierced nipples" is more shocking, as is Mark's line about Becky wanting to "ride" her ex, but it was the kiss that made this infamous.

Nancy has been dating her new girlfriend, a stripper named Sharon (Mariel Hemingway, who would return once more) for three months but has hesitated to introduce Roseanne and Jackie to her, very different from when she went out with Marla.  Roseanne (in a line I'm sure Barr loved delivering) points out that Nancy's girlfriends tend to be gorgeous blondes, while the boyfriends look like Arnie.  The four women go dancing at a gay bar, although Jackie, now in her ninth month of pregnancy is very uncomfortable.  Sharon gives Roseanne a friendly kiss, which Roseanne isn't sure how to deal with, partly because it makes her realize she's not as cool as she thinks she is.

As for Becky's ex, Dean Bates (David Allan Donah) returns and David tries to make Mark jealous for Becky's sake, but then it turns out that Dean is giving Darlene a lift back to Chicago.  Nothing more happens with this plot, not even a line pay-off in the tag or something.  My guess is that this episode went through many drafts, especially when there were ABC censors to placate and then defy, and some things got lost in the shuffle.  Still it's an interesting dynamic watching the two Healy-Conner couples together.

Lois Bromfield, who plays the Blonde Who Cruises Jackie, wrote five earlier episodes and played a different character.  Beautiful stand-up comic Laura Kightlinger has a nice little role as the Bartender but I don't have room for her in the tags.  This is the 600th B I've given to one of my shows.