I firmly believe The Conners deserved a better ending (& these two characters should have been a part of it)

The Conners finale might have included more than a few key arcs, but it fell short of providing the emotional and story conclusion fans had long been hoping for.

While most major characters were given their arcs to shine, the farewell did not feel complete. For a TV show that has spent years talking about themes like grief, struggles, and relationships through various generations, The Conners, with its finale, ultimately fell short of honoring the family—well, at least two of its important members.

After years of watching this fan-favorite family evolve and grow, two of its most vital characters were nowhere to be seen or heard of — and their absence was surely deafening.

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The Conners skipped its own history — and fans noticed

For a show that built itself on attempting to embark on tough, real-life subjects with honesty, The Conners chose an oddly unfinished path for its finale.

While Dan Conner finally took on the pharmaceutical companies over Roseanne’s death and obtained a settlement, and with Becky finally finding her purpose in a new career, it was tough to overlook what wasn’t shown on screen — let alone even slightly acknowledged.

Jackie was seen returning to law enforcement, Darlene tried to search for some amount of balance in her home, and even the grandkids had their own moments to shine.

But longtime fans couldn’t help but ask a few burning questions: What happened to DJ and Jerry? Where are they? Why weren’t they mentioned? Both of their absences weren’t just obvious — it felt like a wide hole in what otherwise would have been a full-circle farewell.

Michael Fishman, who played DJ on Roseanne and The Conners, took to his Instagram, where he talked to his fans directly in a reel he shared:

“People seem to want to have there be some kind of conflict or controversy…all I really have is empathy and understanding for all of the people on set, and for all of our audience that's grieving.”

Fishman further said that he was “thankful for the gift of grief…” and recognized the legacy of the show for being a sense of solace during times when it was difficult.

While his grace is commendable, it doesn't change the fact that The Conners finale did not highlight an important family member.

Even Jerry, whose presence has been a bit foggy ever since the original series, was on a fishing boat in Alaska. But when Roseanne had an on-screen death, he never came back, which was jarring.

In Season 3, Dan even refuted Jerry’s mere existence, saying he and Roseanne had just three kids. That may have been a scene played for giggles, but in the end, the fans were robbed of the finale of what could’ve been a perfect goodbye.

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The Conners gave closure to many — but not to all

Despite the nostalgic and sentimental tone of the final two episodes, which revolved around Dan going to Roseanne’s gravesite and pondering the family, The Conners still left many fans considering why exactly the series decided not to address all its main characters.

“Well, Rose, we always said that if the kids were still alive at the end of the day, we did our job…I think we did better than that.”

But did they?

Fishman, who had been with the series and the franchise for years on end now, said he was told he wouldn’t be making a comeback for Season 5.

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, he pondered on his time as DJ:

“I am proud of the work I did as part of Roseanne and The Conners. Especially the privilege of playing a Military Veteran, Interracial Spouse, and the father of a Biracial child…”

His storyline — one of the most socially significant arcs in the show— was left hanging high up in the air, without even an end nod.

As for Jerry, showrunner Bruce Helford once talked about how Dan’s denial of his son might’ve been ingrained in some deep, unknown family drama:

“Dan said he only had three children, but is he so angry at Jerry…that he denies him as a son?”

Fans waited — but no clarification was ever brought forward.

In a finale packed with finality and recalls to the past, the total absence of Jerry felt like a missed chance to look through the long-standing narrative holes that could have been easily filled.

Metcalf had also already foretold the finale’s pitch in an interview with People;

“It’s not going to have a big bow tied up with the Conners.”

And boy was she right. But the show’s choice to cut off two main family members entirely feels less like a creative choice and more like an overlooked chapter in a very personal story.

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The Conners meant something exceptional to fans living through various generations. While the finale respected a lot of that legacy, it also deserted important pieces of its own foundation.

DJ and Jerry are two characters who deserved more — and without them, this chapter feels unfinished.