Season 1 - You can see Roseanne and the cast struggle in the first few episodes trying to get accustomed to ensemble comedy versus her stand-up routine, however the show improves very rapidly and has some great individual episodes.
Season 2 - This marks the first of the very best seasons of the series, with the acting and writing in all episodes being top-notch. A big theme in this year's show is Roseanne trying to find stable employment after she walked off of her factory job at the conclusion of season one. I especially like how this season handled the real-life issue of what happens to a person like Roseanne who has only a high school education when she loses a factory job that does not provide any experience in doing anything that another employer would find valuable.
Season 3 - Season three of Roseanne doesn't revolve around any particular overriding story arc, but the kids are definitely beginning to grow up. The late Glenn Quinn first appears as rebel and smart-mouth Mark Healey in "Becky, Beds, and Boys". I liked how Mark was portrayed in these early seasons when he was "Rebel Without a Cause" as opposed to the last three seasons when he was transformed into "Rebel Without a Clue".
Season 4 - Season Four of Roseanne has some of the best individual episodes as well as the best overall storyline of any of the show's nine seasons. The season opens with the Conners having opened their motorcycle shop on their own after irresponsible friend Ziggy ran out on them at the last minute last season. This season probably does the best job of combining great comedy, hard-hitting drama, and highlighting situations that should look familiar to any member of the middle class. Although this is not the last of the good seasons of Roseanne, I would say season four is the last of the golden years of that series, and definitely worth viewing.
Season 5 - The season starts out on a very morose note that corresponds to the deep recession the country was suffering when these shows aired in 1992. Dan's motorcycle shop is failing and will have to be closed in order for him to salvage the mortgage on the Conner home. Rodbell's, the diner in the mall where Roseanne has worked for two years, is closing too, due to business in the mall being so bad. Becky elopes with boyfriend Mark and moves to Minnesota, since with the closing of Dan's shop, Mark is unemployed too, plus Becky's college fund has been depleted to pay household bills. This opens up a crevice in Becky and Dan's relationship that takes months to heal. I compliment the show for incorporating the very bad recession going on in 1992 into the storyline. However, the Conners' troubles came on very suddenly and were resolved with a very pat answer.
Season 6 - Although this season has some excellent episodes, and overall is a five star season, we begin to see the start of some of the trends that eventually becomes the downfall of the series. It seems that this is the beginning of a trend in "Roseanne" where men tend to be disposable. Jackie becomes pregnant by one of Dan's coworkers - "Fred" - who is never even given the courtesy of a last name, and Mark, previously depicted as an independent-minded and able mechanic is now portrayed as someone who can't even make passing grades in trade school.
Season 7 - Season 7 still has enough good episodes and even some great ones for it to be worthwhile viewing, but it is definitely the beginning of the end. Roseanne begins one of the longest pregnancies in the history of television this season - thirteen months plus the time Roseanne has been pregnant before she announces the news. The whole issue of the broken romance between David and Darlene and its resolution is one of the best parts of the season. One of the worst parts of the season is the Thanksgiving episode when Roseanne's pregnancy looks like it might be in trouble. She screeches at both DJ and Dan every time they offer an opinion as if they are trying to tell her what to do instead of the possibility that they just want to comfort her and lighten the load. Jackie tires of Fred, whom she married less than a year before, and promptly disposes of him. After a few obligatory appearances in Season 8 he disappears entirely as though he had never existed in the first place.
Season 8 - This season you have to really pick through episodes full of fantasy, inane slapstick, and politically correct undertones to get to the truly good blue collar slice-of-life episodes that made up the majority of episodes in prior years. The biggest problem with season eight is that Roseanne never did fantasy episodes well during any season, and this season is full of them. It was particularly sad to see what became of the Halloween episode this year, always a Roseanne staple. Gone are the outrageous costumes and the clever pranks of previous years. They have now been replaced by a circus of the absurd and the bizarre.
Season 9 - Many people did not like the ninth season of Roseanne, but in its totality, I found it fascinating. The main problem was that it was clumsily written and directed. You have to look at this season in the context of Roseanne's actual life. By 1996, Roseanne herself had not been living a blue-collar lifestyle for over a decade. It was probably much easier for Roseanne to do something she knew - play a woman with a blue-collar background who comes into sudden wealth. Just prepare yourself for more than a few cringe-worthy moments of TV viewing.
Season 2 - This marks the first of the very best seasons of the series, with the acting and writing in all episodes being top-notch. A big theme in this year's show is Roseanne trying to find stable employment after she walked off of her factory job at the conclusion of season one. I especially like how this season handled the real-life issue of what happens to a person like Roseanne who has only a high school education when she loses a factory job that does not provide any experience in doing anything that another employer would find valuable.
Season 3 - Season three of Roseanne doesn't revolve around any particular overriding story arc, but the kids are definitely beginning to grow up. The late Glenn Quinn first appears as rebel and smart-mouth Mark Healey in "Becky, Beds, and Boys". I liked how Mark was portrayed in these early seasons when he was "Rebel Without a Cause" as opposed to the last three seasons when he was transformed into "Rebel Without a Clue".
Season 4 - Season Four of Roseanne has some of the best individual episodes as well as the best overall storyline of any of the show's nine seasons. The season opens with the Conners having opened their motorcycle shop on their own after irresponsible friend Ziggy ran out on them at the last minute last season. This season probably does the best job of combining great comedy, hard-hitting drama, and highlighting situations that should look familiar to any member of the middle class. Although this is not the last of the good seasons of Roseanne, I would say season four is the last of the golden years of that series, and definitely worth viewing.
Season 5 - The season starts out on a very morose note that corresponds to the deep recession the country was suffering when these shows aired in 1992. Dan's motorcycle shop is failing and will have to be closed in order for him to salvage the mortgage on the Conner home. Rodbell's, the diner in the mall where Roseanne has worked for two years, is closing too, due to business in the mall being so bad. Becky elopes with boyfriend Mark and moves to Minnesota, since with the closing of Dan's shop, Mark is unemployed too, plus Becky's college fund has been depleted to pay household bills. This opens up a crevice in Becky and Dan's relationship that takes months to heal. I compliment the show for incorporating the very bad recession going on in 1992 into the storyline. However, the Conners' troubles came on very suddenly and were resolved with a very pat answer.
Season 6 - Although this season has some excellent episodes, and overall is a five star season, we begin to see the start of some of the trends that eventually becomes the downfall of the series. It seems that this is the beginning of a trend in "Roseanne" where men tend to be disposable. Jackie becomes pregnant by one of Dan's coworkers - "Fred" - who is never even given the courtesy of a last name, and Mark, previously depicted as an independent-minded and able mechanic is now portrayed as someone who can't even make passing grades in trade school.
Season 7 - Season 7 still has enough good episodes and even some great ones for it to be worthwhile viewing, but it is definitely the beginning of the end. Roseanne begins one of the longest pregnancies in the history of television this season - thirteen months plus the time Roseanne has been pregnant before she announces the news. The whole issue of the broken romance between David and Darlene and its resolution is one of the best parts of the season. One of the worst parts of the season is the Thanksgiving episode when Roseanne's pregnancy looks like it might be in trouble. She screeches at both DJ and Dan every time they offer an opinion as if they are trying to tell her what to do instead of the possibility that they just want to comfort her and lighten the load. Jackie tires of Fred, whom she married less than a year before, and promptly disposes of him. After a few obligatory appearances in Season 8 he disappears entirely as though he had never existed in the first place.
Season 8 - This season you have to really pick through episodes full of fantasy, inane slapstick, and politically correct undertones to get to the truly good blue collar slice-of-life episodes that made up the majority of episodes in prior years. The biggest problem with season eight is that Roseanne never did fantasy episodes well during any season, and this season is full of them. It was particularly sad to see what became of the Halloween episode this year, always a Roseanne staple. Gone are the outrageous costumes and the clever pranks of previous years. They have now been replaced by a circus of the absurd and the bizarre.
Season 9 - Many people did not like the ninth season of Roseanne, but in its totality, I found it fascinating. The main problem was that it was clumsily written and directed. You have to look at this season in the context of Roseanne's actual life. By 1996, Roseanne herself had not been living a blue-collar lifestyle for over a decade. It was probably much easier for Roseanne to do something she knew - play a woman with a blue-collar background who comes into sudden wealth. Just prepare yourself for more than a few cringe-worthy moments of TV viewing.