Darlene turned to God in Conners Season 4 Episode 2, but it didn’t quite turn out the way she hoped.

Darlene searches for answers. She seeks to feel part of something bigger than herself when all that she is currently feeling is lost and alone.

Darlene has been an atheist her entire adult life. I doubt traditional religion will work for her.

But I give Darlene credit for being open enough to explore things she’s never had much use for in the past, even if they still don’t make much sense to her now.

Becky: This is my sister, Darlene. She is an atheist who wants to be convinced that there is a God. Go!
Pastor Phil: I, uh, uh… trees? Animals? A smile on a baby’s face? Where do you think this stuff came from? Eh? Micro drop!
Darlene: Okay, uh, Darwin, the Big Bang Theory, and the arc was only filled with animals from the Middle East. Here is your microphone back.
Pastor Phil: Darwin and the Big Bang were created by intelligent design. The animals on the arch are a bit of a problem.

It’s easy to see why Becky feels a connection with Pastor Phil. He is a recovering addict who changed his life. He stays sober and uses his belief in God and a lot of humor to do so. And Jason Alexander was perfect in the role.

Learning that Roseanne had a Bible gave Darlene hope that this might be the way for her.

Speaking of this Bible, do die-hard Roseanne fans remember her referring to it? I remember when DJ sneaked into church; Dan and Roseanne said they believe in being good people, but they don’t practice any particular religion.

If there were more references to God, religion, or this Bible, none come to mind at the moment, but it’s been a while since I’ve done a Roseanne rewatch again, so press those comments below and let me know if I’m wrong.

The fact that Darlene was willing to go to church speaks volumes about her openness to exploring new possibilities, or maybe it just says that she is desperate.

I have mom’s bible, and I haven’t caught fire yet.

Darlene

But when she opened this Bible and saw what Roseanne had written, it devastated her.

“My God. Please take this pain off my knees and back. I can’t take it anymore. I keep turning to the pills, but I turn to you instead. . Help me please.”

That Roseanne could have asked God for help and still died didn’t make sense to Darlene. The fact that Roseanne also asked Dan to play 300 boules or promised to stop stealing clothes from the church donation bin did nothing to alleviate Darlene’s suffering.

Religion did not comfort her; it only left her angry and maybe even sadder.

Darlene: She knew something bad was going to happen, and she begged God for help, and he let her overdose. How am I supposed to count on a god to do this?
Becky: That’s not the way God works. It’s not like you rub a lamp and get a wish.
Jackie: Your mom wouldn’t want you to give up. You will find something that works for you.

Becky was trying to show Darlene what had worked for her, especially as she was trying to get sober. There is nothing wrong with it.

But Jackie encouraged Darlene to keep looking until she found something that worked for her because that something exists. That Becky’s road didn’t lead to Darlene means she now knows she needs to take another, and that’s progress, even if Darlene doesn’t feel like it right now.

For now, I am enjoying this scenario. Pastor Phil added just enough humor without turning God and religion into a joke, and I can’t wait to see where Darlene’s path leads.

The only thing that annoyed me was Ben. Yes, he’s in pain from this breakup, but handing that box over to Darlene and telling her that the gift she gave him, a framed copy of their first publication, would just stay in a drawer, was meant to hurt her too.

I’m sure we’ll see more of Ben, but I wouldn’t mind if he just disappeared into the background of Lanford, never to be seen or heard again.

Elsewhere, Mark started at his Magnet School, which was a huge leap forward in education for the Conner family, and Becky returned to college after an absence of nearly three decades.

You’ve overcome alcohol, a life of bad choices, and you start college at 46. This little snot is just smart.

Darlene [to Becky]

Becky wasn’t ready to see all those teenage faces staring at her from the zoom lesson. Yeah, it can be pretty darn intimidating, but Becky has two things going for her.

First, she’s been through a lot to get here and has the strength to keep going, believe it or not.

Second, there’s a good chance these 18-year-olds are probably too wrapped up in their own lives to really care about anyone else in this class, let alone Becky.

Finally, we come to Jackie, Neville and the Lunch Box saga.

Jackie was so angry with Don Blansky, and with good reason. She worked so hard to get the Lunch Box up and running, then keep it alive during the pandemic, and now turn it into a sports bar, that the fact that Blansky suspended his liquor license for a bribe was infuriating. .

Plus, did she even have an extra $ 500 to give him?

It must have been even more frustrating when Dan told her to pay the bribe to get the liquor license for her marriage.

I wish Jackie could find a way to stick it to Blansky, and maybe she will in the future. It would give Patton Oswalt a reason to come back and be a guest star, which is always a plus.

As much as I hated Jackie paying the bribe money, I appreciated why she had done it.

Jackie: This guy supports me unconditionally even if he doesn’t agree with me, and it could cost him thousands of dollars, and that’s something someone does when they love you.
Neville: Yeah.

Jackie has been waiting for someone to support her and love her for who she is all her life. She finally found this person in Neville. Harris was right, Neville is almost too kind to the Conner family, but I hope Jackie is smart enough to never let him go.

Hoping we have a Jackie / Neville wedding next season!

So, fans of The Conners, tell me what you think of Darlene’s spiritual journey so far? Do you hope Ben and Darlene eventually reconcile, or should Ben go for good?

And was Jackie right to pay the bribe?

Hit that big, blue, BUTTON SHOW COMMENTS below, so be sure to come back for our The Conners Season 4 Episode 3 review. Until then, you can watch The Conners online here on TV Fanatic.

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C. Orlando is a fanatic television writer. Follow her on Twitter.