Here’s How ‘The Conners’ Dealt with Roseanne’s Departure on Its Debut Episode

Ever since Rosanne Barr went on a late-night, highly-racist Twitter rant back in May, we’ve kept you updated on the entire fallout, most notably, ABC’s swift cancellation of the Roseanne reboot following the star’s bigoted comments. Personally, we were divided on the network’s decision; of course, we never wanted to see Barr in our living room anymore, but at the same time, we felt terrible for her colleagues who were being punished for actions far outside of their control.

So, when ABC decided to bring back the reboot, minus its former star, we were beyond excited. Last night, the new and improved Roseanne spin-off, entitled The Conners premiered to pretty decent ratings. It was a big moment for Roseanne fans for two reasons: 1) it was the very first episode without the show’s star and 2) audiences finally learned how the titular character had been written off of the show.

Naturally, there had been a great deal of speculation as to how the writers would explain the character’s very sudden departure. In the months leading up to last night’s premiere, we got some hints from the show’s star, John Goodman, as well as the show’s disgraced former star, Roseanne Barr.

That said, we definitely weren’t too attached to these would-be spoilers. After all, no one–even the show’s star and former star–could be sure until the episode had actually been shot. That’s why we were so excited to finally learn the specifics of Barr’s send-off.

In case you didn’t watch it last night, the episode was pretty bonkers. If you like spoilers–and want to learn how Barr’s character became a piece of TV obscurity– be sure to watch the video below.

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this TV shocker! Are you surprised that the character was written off in such a way? Did it resonate with you? Do you feel that the writers handled the situation properly?