Roseanne's Returning Conners Season 5 Character Isn't Who You Think

Connors season 5 promised the return of Roseanne's character, but the supporting cast that's coming back to Langford isn't exactly what audiences were expecting.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Conners season 5, episode 11.

^ While Season 5 of "The Conners" promised a cameo from the returning Roseanne cast, few viewers could have guessed who the sitcom spinoff's creators would end up bringing back. As with most long-running sitcoms, Roseanne has had a slew of guest stars over the years. These include future superstars like George Clooney (who plays Jackie's frivolous boss Booker) to TV veterans like Martin Moore (who plays lunchbox manager Leon). So when producers of The Conners announced that the Roseanne character would return for season 5 of the spinoff, it was difficult for viewers to guess who the mystery actor was.

Surprisingly, the returning star is a character who only appears in one episode of Roseanne and plays a relatively minor role. Although The Conners kept the deaths of the two main Roseanne characters off-screen, season 5 of the series saw fit to bring back Bobo, Eric Allan Kramer's one-episode supporting star, with whom Dan once fought. Bobo and Dan face off in Roseanne season 1, episode 9, "Dan's Birthday Bash," and the character is never mentioned after that outing. However, he will soon return for The Conners season 5, Episode 11, "Two Years to Go, A Stolen Rose".

Bobo first appears in Roseanne, early on at Dan's titular birthday party in "Dan's Birthday Bash". On Dan's birthday, he hogs the pool table at the Lobo Lounge and tries to get into a fight with Dan until Roseanne reminds her husband that he promised her he would stop fighting years ago. Dan keeps his word in another storyline, proving that Dan and Roseanne's relationship is at the heart of the series. However, he still ends up defeating Bobo at the end of the episode (with Roseanne's blessing, of course) after the lazy lizard unwisely mocks Roseanne's weight.

Bobo’s Role In Roseanne Was Limited

It's hard to understand why Bobo, of all people, is the Roseanne character who will return in Season 5 of The Conners. This has to do with the fact that William H Macy will also play Roseanne's high school suitor in the same episode. Although Season 5 of the Conners confirmed that Beverly had Dementia, the sitcom has been gentle with Dan since the season began. So facing his bragging counterpart (played by Messi) and Popo could be a darker story for the character.

Why The Conners Season 5 Is Bringing Back Bobo

Dan has enjoyed a rare period of relative peace since the start of The Conners season 5, as Jackie and Darlene's plot dominated the show's dramatic storyline. Despite his struggles with his new wife, Louise, Dan has largely been able to handle the slings and arrows life throws at him so far in Season 5 of the Conners just fine. So the return of the two old rivals could be an opportunity to see John Goodman flex his dramatic muscles in the role, especially in his controversial Christmas episode of Season 5 of The Conners. The character ends up being less intense than his initial confrontation with Louise's mother - the in-laws make it seem.

While it would be nice to see Leon or Crystal (or Booker's hopeful Longshot) again, Bobo's return does make sense for The Conners season 5. Seeing this little Roseanne return, as well as fan-favorite location Lobo, proves that Roseanne and the world of The Conners are still connected, and their references to old shows aren't always a dramatic event. While previous seasons of the Conners struggled with Roseanne's death, that hasn't been a huge issue for the spinoff in recent years, and Bobo's return proves that the sitcom can now easily return to Roseanne's world.

Bobo Is The Right Cameo For The Conners Season 5

If the returning Roseanne character was a major star or pivotal character in the earlier series, it might be considered an unfortunate attempt to recapture the tone and feel of Roseanne despite the absence of Roseanne Barr in the lead role. Yet bringing back small players like Bobo instead feels closer to the relevant reality of living in Lanford, a small working-class neighborhood where the same people have been in and out of each other's lives for years. So this surprising cameo choice for Roseanne's character makes perfect sense for The Conners season 5.