If you haven’t seen The Conners Episode 4.10 yet, beware of spoilers below!
The Conners and its predecessor Roseanne have never shied away from tackling any kind of subject matter, including issues with substance misuse, the unexpected loss of loved ones, or any stage of a romantic engagement. Although the title of the most recent episode, “Spills, Pills and The Midnight Lasagna,” hinted at drugs, the shock value came from Mark, the rule-following character, experiencing his first taste of addictive tendencies. Like a grandmother and an aunt, I suppose, or a grandson and a nephew.
Ames McNamara told one of the major online news portals prior to the airing of the episode that Mark was taking Logan’s prescribed ADHD medication to help him deal with the pressures of the magnet school’s competitive academic environment. In light of the fact that many Conners are all too familiar with dependencies of various kinds, he wasn’t very successful in keeping it a secret from anyone in the family. Even if his character’s sudden departure from the road of drug-free living isn’t always a good thing in and of itself, McNamara was eager to change things up, saying:
One reason, in my opinion, is that I got to sort of show Mark’s different side and demonstrate that there’s more to him than what we’ve been seeing. And I believe that in addition to all the other Conner problems, he is currently under a lot of stress from school. Even if what’s happening is obviously what it is, I believe there is still drive – this sincere drive — to genuinely try and improve his situation.
Mark using drugs to attempt and help him reach his educational goals seems oddly aspirational when viewed through a very specific lens, especially when juxtaposed with Darlene’s concerns with post-Ben relationships and Harris covertly being without a stable home. But given that he is not currently receiving an ADHD diagnosis, it is obvious that this is not the best course of action. Stranger things have happened, despite the fact that Mark doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would quickly diverge and develop a coke addiction—if only just because nobody in the family could afford it.
Plus, Mark is the only member of the family who appears to have made the Dean’s List, so it’s not like he can get counselling specifically for his academic problems. (Or created a lasagna that was just as good.) However, when I brought up the connection between Mark’s pill (and then caffeine) issue and Becky’s struggles with sobriety — a topic that came up during Darlene’s conversation with Dan — McNamara mentioned how the Conner family is actually a fantastic source of support in precisely such a circumstance. He added a hopeful note on the character’s future, saying:
I believe that is a valid point. Because, you know, it appears like drug and alcohol abuse and addiction issues frequently have a family history. Mark does, however, have a strong family support system, which can assist him sort of overcome the stressors and issues he’s now dealing with. In my opinion, this is one thing that will truly help Mark. But I believe that Mark won’t have a long-term issue with this. I believe that this is merely a stage of his development as he tries to become independent and navigate the world. Unfortunately, though, it’s making him do some undesirable things.
Regardless of whether Darlene actually removes Mark from the magnet school, Ames McNamara does give the impression that things will be a little less stressful for the teenager in the remaining episodes of Season 4. However, he doesn’t exactly say that Mark will be paving the road to redemption for all of his days to come.
Speaking of the crucial third act sequence in which Darlene threatened to send Mark back to public school and brought up their budding romance, it had McNamara’s most serious performance to date while also being played for laughs by Sara Gilbert’s reactions and Darlene’s cynical language. And even ended with the relationship-ending “I hate you” statement, which in turn served as the inspiration for another Roseanne reference. Naturally, I had to inquire about that chaotic moment from McNamara, who described it as just The Conners being The Conners. He said this:
Yeah. [Laughs.] I believe there are a lot of touching sequences between Mark and Darlene in Mark’s bedroom when they discuss a lot of weighty subjects. So working with Sara is always a pleasure. She makes a fantastic teammate, and I love working on tasks like these with her since she makes it simpler for me. However, I believe that the Conners do play it for laughs, as you mentioned. Despite all of this hardship, they are attempting to find humour in it and find ways to make the best of it.
Nothing will permanently separate the Conners because a family that endures Dan’s horrible dad jokes stays together. It would definitely work if Mark received a scholarship to a prestigious university outside of Lanford, Illinois, but we’re not there yet.
Every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC airs brand-new episodes of The Conners, but maybe we won’t have to worry too much about Mark’s life getting worse. Except if Ames McNamara has that much skill in slipping the wool sofa cover over my eyes. Visit our 2022 TV premiere schedule in the interim to find out when more of your favourite series will be starting shortly!
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