The Best Laid Plans, A Contrabassoon and A Sinking Feeling is the eighteenth episode of Season 4 of The Conners, also the 69th episode overall.
Summary[]
Darlene struggles to cope with the stress of construction; and after a serious accident, she re-evaluates everything and makes a life-changing decision. Elsewhere, Lou, a familiar face from the past, returns as Mark's combative contrabassoon teacher; but after he butts heads with Mark, Dan steps in, only to realize that their similarities may outweigh their differences.
Plot[]
Beverly's friend Lou is introduced as a Contrabassoon teacher. Ben wants to change the floor plans for the other house as well as getting The Lunch Box to resume cooking pizzas. Darlene becomes injured during her attempt to inspect a bad roof by herself, and now has to admit that her life is not as complete as she hoped.
In-Depth[]
Darlene is trying to build the house again. She wants a finished basement since the basement of the main house was unfinished for years. She also says she wants a very small Master Bathroom. Ben is disagreeing with every thing that she wants. Instead of finishing the basement, he wants the Master Bathroom to be expanded. Darlene is suspicious of why Ben is giving so much advice.
Mark Junior is talking to Jackie and Harris about attending University by playing his new Contrabassoon. Jackie says that Beverly knows people to teach him. She does not actually appear in the episode.
Ben is on a roll demanding why they are not using the pizza oven at The Lunch Box. He finally cleans it so they can start again. He drops off the estimates for the other house, and asks Becky to make more decisions. She finds out that Ben still loves Darlene. As Darlene is by her self all the time he wants to move in with her and with the house he is working on for practically nothing. Becky wants to know how long and how far he has had feelings for Darlene, which he does not want to talk about it.
Beverly's friend is literally Beverly's friend. He is as insulting as Beverly, yet can help Mark Junior go to the best University. The instructor tells him to spend all his free time practicing. Dan, Harris, and Jackie argue about if Beverly's friend should leave. Despite their protests, Dan wants to fire him, clearly having disturbing memories of demanding coaches.
Darlene is salvaging items from the other house. Becky gives her information that they talked about earlier. Darlene is worried that Ben is being strange. Becky warns Darlene about Ben not being as cold as they thought. Darlene refuses to get in ANY relationship, after failing three in the past eighteen months. She finally has job security and her own house and is more afraid to be in a relationship that she does not know how to pursue. Neither does Becky. However, she continues to encourage Ben.
Dan confronts the instructor. It does not take long before Dan fires him, and even shorter before Mark Junior demands Dan reconsider. He makes it clear that he is going to not be insulted by Lou's hurtful motivations and work harder than Dan ever did. Dan leaves the house.
Ben and Darlene have a fight ... on the roof. Ben says he needs to inspect the roof himself. He also says he wants the Chimney. Darlene comments about the view the property has from the city dump. As she walks towards it for a closer view, he warns her that she has now stepped in a rotted area. Darlene does not want to obey Ben's warnings simply for being a Man. He insists that she moves from that spot. He tries to tell her that he is not changing the floor plans and is actually trying to get her to save her own life. Instead, she wants to talk about Darlene finally trying to achieve independence which was one of Ben's previous orders. During this bickering, she walks around in circles. Proud to be free from Men, she dances around until the roof caves in.
Darlene is amazed that she finally had her own Spiritual Experience. Worried, Ben kisses Darlene goodbye before she stays in Hospital. Darlene asks Ben for a second kiss. As she is carried away, Ben says that the roof could not possibly support her.
Dan finds Lou to apologize. Dan explains that he is protective of his family. He also apologizes for threatening to kill Lou. Being friends with Beverly, he already knew all these things. Lou admits that he is afraid that Mark Junior would be Burned In The Crash Course. He says that normally he would not think of being so rough with his students. Seeing how qualified Lou really is, Dan says that Mark Junior is willing to Die In The Attempt of going to live at University. He also realizes that Mark Junior is also willing to go to jail if it means a possibility of being accepted at University. Lou declares that Mark Junior has a Soul Of A Musician. Dan promises that Mark Junior shall make Lou proud.
Darlene is resting, never considering what would happen to her if she got sick. Ben gives her an expensive gift from Gift Shop. She hates Unexpected Hospital Expenses so she refuses the gift. There is also a toy ring for Ben to Propose Marriage to Darlene. After asking the truth, she wants Total Amnesty and also Commitment. She says yes, which also means that the floor plans are going to be changed drastically. Ben is ready to return the bear, and says that the ring is supposed to go as well.
Lou is teaching Mark Junior with every body as an audience. He has a very long way to go. Becky and Beverly Rose are not sure if they will ever applaud.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- John Goodman as Dan Conner
- Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris
- Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner
- Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner
- Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner (credit only)
- Emma Kenney as Harris Healy
- Ames McNamara as Mark Healy II
- Jayden Rey as Mary Conner (credit only)
- Jay R. Ferguson as Ben Olinsky
Special Guest[]
- Christopher Lloyd as Lou
Guest[]
Trivia[]
- Including the 231 episodes of Roseanne, this is the series 300th episode.
- Christopher Lloyd reprises his role as Lou. He had previously appeared in the Season 10 episode "No Country for Old Women" from Roseanne.
- Despite being credited, Michael Fishman (D.J.) and Jayden Rey (Mary) do not appear.
Quotes[]
Darlene And Ben:[]
"Don't marry me just because you want a sink."
"I don't know how else to get one.".