WE GATHER TOGETHER

Roseanne

Season 2 (1989)

Before

Everybody Loves Raymond wins Thanksgiving but Roseanne is constantly waiting in the wings just waiting to snatch the crown.  No other show did Halloween as well as the Conner clan but over the course of its many seasons the show also offered up some amazing Thanksgiving episodes as well.  “We Gather Together” is the first and arguably best of the best. 

In its early seasons both the show and Roseanne Barr herself had an extremely naturalistic style and tone; the dialogue doesn’t feel like written dialogue but improvised conversation; the characters feel real and relatable and everything from the sets to the costumes to the food looks like it could be at your next-door neighbor’s (especially if you live in a trailer park-- or at least next to one).

This naturalism is at its zenith in this Thanksgiving episode.  It doesn’t even really have a central story, just a lot of little wonderful moments between the various characters as they, you guessed it, gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Both Roseanne and Dan’s parents arrive, along with their emotional baggage. 

It's not a holiday if someone doesn't break out in tears.  Solution: more wine!

Dan’s divorced mom brings a date and the Conners’ friend Crystal seems to be entering into a flirtation with Dan’s father, which grosses everyone out a bit (including me—they eventually get married but it always remains a bit icky).  And Jackie is as neurotic and flighty and over-emotional as ever.  In the role of Jackie, Laurie Metcalf absolutely steals every single scene she’s in.

This episode really is Thanksgiving perfection; you can practically smell the turkey cooking in the oven as the characters interact onscreen.  I love Roseanne’s opening inner monologue, in which she “talks” to the turkey she’s stuffing (and gives it a little slap).  The dinner scene is memorable, during which Jackie breaks down crying and Roseanne, in her frustration, throws the turkey carcass down on the table.  There’s a sweet scene later between Dan and his mom on the porch as they simply talk.  Even the closing credits play out over John Goodman’s Dan as he stoically eats his meal while watching the craziness play out around him at the table.

Yum!  Carcass!

When Roseanne was good it was very, very good.  It’s tainted by its truly terrible final season as well as Roseanne Barr’s erratic behavior in real life. As her celebrity soared her appearance changed (with the aid of plastic surgery) and her acting style morphed into a screechy and unrealistic parody of these excellent early seasons.  But “We Gather Together” is as comfortable (and at times uncomfortable) as spending time as the guest of a real family, with all of the warmth and occasional awkwardness that implies.

And After

The Menu: Turkey, Canned Cranberry Sauce, White Wine & Beer

Thanksgiving Quotient: 5

See It, Skip It, Own It?

Buy it, watch it, rinse and repeat.