Say It Ain't So

"Say It Ain't So"
Season 9: Episode 13(211 / 231 episodes)
Network	ABC-TV
Air date	January 7, 1997
Written by	Nancy Steen
Directed by	Mark K. Samuels
Episode Guide
Previous	Home For The Holidays
Next	Hit the Road, Jack

Say It Ain't So is the 13th episode of Season 9 of Roseanne, also the 211th overall series episode. It was written by Nancy Steen, and was directed by Mark K. Samuels. It originally aired on ABC-TV on January 7, 1997.

Summary

Roseanne kicks Dan out over his affair with his mother's nurse, and her decision devastates her.

Plot

In-Depth

At the start of the episode, Jackie is in the kitchen as Dan walks in and they start to converse while the kids went to see 101 Dalmatians at the movies. After Jackie asks Dan a bunch of questions about his time in California, he is in denial and seems dismissive about the questions. Jackie confronts Dan after having overheard him talking to his mother's nurse on the phone. She learns he bonded with his mother's nurse while he was in California, but did not sleep with her (just flirted with each other).

Jackie is angry at him for this as Dan tries to justify on what he did which she is in disbelief and is furious. She tells him that he's just like his father Ed Conner and that Dan has spent so many years thinking he's better than his father (like father, like son), and when he goes out on the road, he does the exact same thing (leaving his wife and be with another woman in his trip) According to Jackie Harris, She threatens to tell Roseanne if he doesn't, but she soon becomes distracted when she learns Prince Carlos jilted her.

Dan spends much of the episode wracked with guilt and confusion before he finally tells Roseanne about his affair. Roseanne was confused at first, until Dan told her that he met his mother's nurse at the institution. She assumed that the nurse is younger as Dan is in denial about the situation. Roseanne questions Dan's shenanigans about his time and asks if his mother knows about it which he replies that she doesn't know about the affair. He claims that he loves Roseanne so much, but she's in total disbelief by this and is hurt by him.

They have a huge argument about how after Dan had his heart attack, he got spooked and he "had to work on his mortality". Dan takes responsibility and assures her he still loves her, but Roseanne orders him to leave the house nevertheless. She tells him that she learn something while he was away on his trip. Angered and devastated by his affair, Roseanne flips the pages of her magazines as Dan leaves when she kicks him out.

Dan sadly leaves and walks into the kitchen as he looks at Jackie with a "You're right" look on his face and leaves. Jackie goes to Roseanne's bedroom as they talk about the whole thing. Promising to get through it together. Meanwhile, DJ wants to film the birth of Darlene and David's baby. David is okay with it but Darlene is repulsed. When DJ watches the film of another birth for inspiration, he faints repeatedly.  

Cast

Starring

• Roseanne as Roseanne Conner
• John Goodman as Dan Conner
• Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris
• Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner
• Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner
• Sarah Chalke as Becky Conner (credit only)

Also Starring

• Johnny Galecki as David Healy

Trivia

• Despite being credited, Sarah Chalke (Becky Conner) does not appear.
• When Dan told Jackie that the kids went to see a Dalmatian movie, it's a reference to Disney's 101 Dalmatians.
• Even though, Roseanne has money after the family won the lottery, she still considers herself as working class. Showing that she has a modest side.
• The Nurse character is mentioned throughout the episode as Dan was in denial when Jackie asked him so many questions about his time in California. After Dan told Roseanne about the affair, she presumed that the nurse is younger which he denied.
• Jackie points out to Dan that he is like his father Ed. To which he thinks it was a low blow when Jackie implies that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It shows that Dan was being hypocritical about the affair. Simply due to the fact that his father left his mother and he sent her to the institution. In this episode, Dan was in denial, guilt and shame.
• When Roseanne came home from shopping during Jackie and Dan's argument about the affair, she tells Dan that she's the softest thing in the bed when she brought brand new bed sheets. Dan is shocked about this because his affair with the nurse. To which Jackie shows great disapproval and anger in him.