Roseanne: Single Married Female

Roseanne: Single Married Female
ABC
February 22, 1995
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Betsy Borns wrote this episode where both Dan and the story need Roseanne.  (Barr does appear as herself in the cute tag.)  Roseanne C. is visiting partially deaf Auntie Barbara (the one that Jackie had to call when her dad died).  Dan has to not only look after the kids (including babysitting nephew Andy), but he has to decide what to do when he catches Jackie with a male friend at the Lobo.  Jackie swears nothing is going on, but Dan is still worried.  After some advice from David (who, remember, not that long ago spied on Jimmy), Dan decides to tell Fred, who ends up leaving Jackie.

Fred would be in more episodes, but I get the feeling here and elsewhere that the writers really didn't know what to do with him once he and Jackie got married.  They were sweet together while dating, but maybe, as the episode's title suggests, a married Jackie felt like a contradiction in terms.  It's disappointing that it went this way.  Also, Borns further Flanderizes Mark as stupid, although obviously she's not the only culprit.  So, yeah, a C+.  Not the worst this year obviously, but below the quality of the series' middle years.

John McConnell again plays Dan's poker buddy Bob, who in this episode comes across as a poor man's Arnie, stupid and eager.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his last appearance as D.J.'s friend George.  It's also the last appearance of Lords as Stacy Flagler, and she's only in the first scene anyway.