The Conners have left us laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels. With the series finale just aired, the cast has been flooding social media with goodbyes, and honestly, we’re not okay. These tributes aren’t just about wrapping up a show — they’re a love letter to the fans who have supported the Conner family through thick and thin.
We can’t help but feel a bit like Darlene Conner herself right now: overwhelmed, nostalgic, and holding back tears. So, let’s take a moment to swoop into the Conners cast’s emotional farewells, their final thoughts on the legacy of the show, and why we’re still crying over the Conner family after all these years.
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Sara Gilbert, John Goodman, and Laurie Metcalf’s farewells
Sara Gilbert, who brought Darlene Conner to life for over three decades, was the first to share her tearful goodbyes on Instagram. In a post that hit us right in the heart, she shared: “We will miss you.” But that wasn’t the only post that had us grabbing the tissues. Later, Sara wrote another farewell: “Thank you for the years.”
In a live studio appearance, Sara Gilbert also expressed: “It’s been an incredible adventure.” She added that she will remember this experience forever.
Darlene’s been resilient, has grown, and has accepted the chaos of family life. From teen rebellion to motherhood, Darlene has been reflective of the show itself — maturing, adapting, and always returning home.
Executive producer Bruce Rasmussen told The New York Post that the tears weren’t scripted. “That was them saying goodbye to each other, for real.”
John Goodman, iconic Dan Conner, wasn’t afraid to speak up either. He proposed changing the ending from Dan Conner saying goodnight to his family to saying it to the audience directly. Executive producer Dave Caplan revealed to TV Line: “It felt so real and honest. It felt like an anti-sitcom episode, and we really liked that.”
For him, this show has always been about family, healing, and carrying on in the face of grief — particularly after Roseanne’s death. And as we watched his emotional final moments with the Conners, we couldn’t help but think: Dan, you’re forever our TV dad.
And we can’t forget Laurie Metcalf, who played Jackie Harris, the quirky but fiercely loyal sister and aunt. Jackie has always been the glue that holds the family together, and Laurie’s words are a perfect reflection of her character’s role — always there, no matter what.
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About Laurie Metcalf’s emotional reaction as seen in the finale, executive producer Bruce Helford told Deadline: “Laurie Metcalf started it (…) The way Laurie said goodbye was not how you say goodbye after having pizza and knowing you are coming back the next day.”
Fans will forever remember Jackie for her hilarious, heartwarming, and often chaotic moments, and Laurie’s tribute is a perfect send-off for her.
The Conners brought us together, and how!
The Conners isn’t another sitcom. It’s a series that invaded our lives, a Thursday-night comfort, and a toast to family — good, bad, and always, always entertaining. But beneath the tears and beyond the laughs, what made The Conners truly iconic? It’s that the show evolved over time but never lost its relevance. Yet it retained the humor and heart with which it earned its place.
Ever since its initial run as Roseanne, the series has addressed loss, mental illness, relationships, and social issues. Yet, at its root, it’s always been a show about family. To see Dan, Darlene, Jackie, and the rest muddle through life’s ups and downs was like observing our own families do the same. We saw ourselves in their messy, beautiful journey.
The last episodes were a sad farewell, but they provided closure as well — something too many shows do not.
Seeing the Conner family hug each other and bask in their wins and struggles made us do something: appreciate the reality that sometimes we all require a little bit of Conner mayhem in our lives to make everything fall into place.
