Dan Conner still has a thing for his wife. Months after the sudden death of Roseanne Barr’s sitcom character, Roseanne Conner on the hit ABC reboot, her widower (played by John Goodman) has no interest in hooking up with another woman—even if it’s with a former high school hottie.
In the most recent Conners episode titled “O Sister, Where Art Thou?” Katey Sagal guest-starred as Louise, a former high school classmate of Dan’s and the late Roseanne. Louise has returned to Lanford after a failed music career and now works as a bartender at Casa Bonita, the same Mexican restaurant Becky Conner (Lecy Goranson) works at.
In the new episodes, sparks fly as Dan and Louise talk music and make plans to go to an oldie’s concert together, but the clueless dad of three doesn’t realize he’s being hit on until his daughter tells him.
“I can’t believe you didn’t pick up on it,” Louise later tells a stunned Dan. “Every time you walk in here I’m staring at you like you’re a deep-dish pizza. Let me help figure it out: We’re both free, we like each other. I’ve had a crush on you since I was 15, but Roseanne already had her brand on you.”
In the end, Dan admits he still has “a thing” for his wife and he lets Louise down easy, but the duo’s chemistry is undeniable as they share a love of classic rock music and their high school hometown.
After the episode aired, fans of The Conners took to Twitter to react to the missed love connection. Many fans think seasoned sitcom star Katey Sagal ( Married With Children, 8 Simple Rules ) would be the perfect match for John Goodman’s Dan Conner. You can see some of the fan reaction below.
@KateySagal The character Dan tonight on the “Conners” didn’t want your character. Something wrong with him.
— Kevin Schmitt (@KevinSc86173352) December 12, 2018
It’s not a total surprise that Dan Conner would remain devoted to his late wife. The TV couple was married for more than 40 years and even celebrated their 45th anniversary on the cut-short Roseanne reboot earlier this year. Unfortunately, Roseanne Barr’s real-life, ill-fated tweet killed off her character, and now Dan is alone.
After Barr was fired by ABC, John Goodman admitted to UK’s Sunday Times that he went into a depression when the Roseanne reboot was canceled and later rebranded as The Conners sans the family matriarch. Of Dan Conner’s future in the new series, Goodman said, “I guess he’ll be mopey and sad because his wife’s dead.”
You can see sparks flying between John Goodman and Katey Sagal in The Conners clip below.
The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.