The Conners Reveals How Becky’s Late Husband Mark Died

The Conners has explained how Becky’s husband, Mark Healy, passed away. Premiering in October 2018, The Conners serves as a spin-off to the ill-omened Roseanne revival, which was canceled after a racist tweet from lead star Roseanne Barr. In the new show, Barr’s matriarch dies after succumbing to opiate overdose, leaving her blue-collar family (John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman) Lecy Goranson) to figure out life on their own. Now in season 3, The Conners continues to enjoy a wildly successful run on television. At its slot, it’s the most-watched Wednesday night program in the 18-49 demo, and critics praise the show because of its realistic depiction of everyday issues, such as the financial hardships arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, ABC hasn’t ordered a season 4 for the show, but a renewal is likely given its popularity and reception.

Since the past few episodes, The Conners has been focusing on Becky’s (Goranson) drinking problem. At the beginning of the show, Becky was shown to be an alcoholic, but she stops cold turkey once she discovers that she is pregnant. Although Becky stops nursing her baby soon after the birth, she doesn’t hit the bottle again, and this remains to be the case until she has an eye-opening reunion with a former high-school rival, which results in a full-blown relapse. As the Conners find out about Becky’s detour from sobriety, they offer some tough love and convince her to seek professional help. Now The Conners has shed light on Becky’s journey in rehab, explaining the background behind her alcoholism.

In The Conners season 3, episode 18, “Cheating, Revelations and a Box of Doll Heads,” Becky revealed that she turned to drinking after her husband Mark’s (Glenn Quinn) tragic death. When her roommate Rachel conjectures that being in rehab was a part of ‘God’s plan’ for Becky, the latter sneeringly hits back, stating, “The last time [God] helped me, she threw a deer in front of my husband’s motorcycle, and he died.” In a subsequent family therapy session, Becky admits that she feels things would have been different in her life had Mark been alive. She regrets wasting too much time, saying she thought she would eventually stop drinking, but that never happened.

Throughout the years, both The Conners and the Roseanne reboot have referenced Mark’s death numerous times. Actor Glenn Quinn, who played the character, passed away in 2002 between the original series and the revival due to heroin overdose. So when the Roseanne revival was announced, it was decided that his role wouldn’t be recast and his death would be incorporated into the show. However, until recently, the details concerning his death remained unclear, save for the fact that Darlene (Gilbert) and David’s (Johnny Galecki) son was named in his memory. During The Conners season 1, Becky even admits before Dan that she has had a hard time coping with Mark’s death. At that time, she didn’t disclose that her alcoholism was linked to his death. But now, in the most recent episode, Becky has finally described the full extent of the effect Mark’s passing had on her life.

Surely, Becky’s recent revelation provides audiences (both new and returning) with the long-awaited closure they have always deserved. Mark was an integral member of the Conner clan, and it didn’t fit the show to simply coast along with his absence without actually explaining what happened to him. True, The Conners is a sitcom. Therefore it was difficult to describe Mark’s death in the show as the circumstances around the character and its performer’s death were downright tragic. But previously, too, The Conners has touched upon poignant, heart-wrenching issues without losing its light-hearted edge. Hence it would have been dishonorable to Quinn had the show ignored Mark’s death and let the character wane in the memory of loyal fans and viewers. That said, now that fans know how Mark died, it will be easier for them to process Becky’s alcoholism arc, even though they may disagree with how the Conners reacted in the aftermath of his death.

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