5 ways the "Roseanne" reboot embraces modern America
The new "Roseanne" reboot opened to great ratings, drawing 18.2 million viewers on Tuesday night, and earned praise from President Trump. But even though star Roseanne Barr supports Mr. Trump, "Roseanne" is not necessarily a partisan show. In fact, the show is inclusive of different perspectives and tackles family politics head-on. Here are five ways "Roseanne" is embracing modern America.
1. The show addresses politics and social issues
Like the real-life actress who plays her, Roseanne Conner is a Trump supporter. Most shows shy away from politics so as not to alienate viewers, but "Roseanne" fully embraces America's political discourse. In fact, the show brings up the health insurance discussion, as Roseanne and her husband Dan (John Goodman) refer to their "candy" -- prescription pills -- as "half the drugs for twice the price," because their insurance no longer offers the same coverage. Moreover, their daughter Darlene (Sara Gilbert) comes home after quitting her job to take care of her parents, but viewers find out later that she actually lost her job.
Meanwhile, Roseanne's sister, Jackie Harris (Laurie Metcalf), criticizes Dan for having guns, telling him to find them in the house since his grandchildren now live at home.
Dan shows his conservative values when he flips out after learning his daughter Becky (Lecy Goranson) has decided to be a surrogate, saying, "In this family, if you get pregnant, you're gonna have the baby."
2. Roseanne and Jackie are on opposite ends of the political spectrum
As Roseanne stands by the president, she and her more liberal sister, Jackie, face some serious tension. Roseanne says Jackie voted for "the worst person on Earth" during the 2016 election, and even writes an obituary for her sister, whom she says is dead to her. The two had not spoken since the election but have recently made up. But when Jackie arrives at the Conner house wearing a pink pussy hat and "Nasty Woman" t-shirt, she says to her sister, "What's up, Deplorable?" The two have a spirited argument with Roseanne calling Jackie a "snowflake" and Jackie dissing Roseanne for "clinging to guns."
3. The Conner family has a "gender creative" grandchild
Roseanne's grandchild, 9-year-old Mark (Ames McNamara), has a penchant for wearing dresses and feminine clothing. Mark is Darlene's child with David, who is no longer in the picture. Casting calls for Mark, named after Becky's late husband (and David's brother), sought actors who can play "sensitive and effeminate" and a child who "displays qualities of both young female and male traits." It's a first for network television to feature a non-binary child as a cast member.
4. Roseanne's granddaughter, Mary, is biracial
D.J. is back from serving in the Army in Syria for three months while his wife is overseas, and viewers were treated to a new addition to the Conner family: Mary, D.J.'s daughter. The two live nearby so they can visit grandma and grandpa as often as they'd like.
5. Becky and Darlene are both single moms
Becky is widowed and Darlene is no longer with her husband, David. "Roseanne" shows the two moms struggling financially to raise their children on their own. Becky is a high-school dropout working as a waitress, while Darlene is unemployed.