‘The Conners’ Cast on Making It to Season 6 and Big Guest Stars Ahead

Comedy Wednesdays are coming back to ABC with The Conners set to kick off its sixth season. The latest chapter of the Roseanne spinoff is poised to hit its landmark 100th episode throughout its run and TV Insider caught up with the stars, who fill us in on what to expect.

As fans may recall, Season 5 concluded with the family conducting a group graduation celebration, setting the stage for a new chapter in all their lives. Below, we’re breaking down the key reveals from the stars as they look ahead to the show’s return.

Trouble at the Lunch Box

“I did not think there would be a Season 6… I didn’t think there’d be a Season 2,” Laurie Metcalf admits of The Conners‘ success at ABC. The actress, who plays Aunt Jackie, says the spinoff is “one of the luckiest things I’ve ever fallen into because it’s a pretty dreamy job, and we have a lot of laughs on the set.” But while Metcalf may be having laughs, Aunt Jackie’s going to be a little stressed. “I’m running into troubles at the Lunch Box,” she admits. “So I don’t know what’s going to happen there.”

(Credit: Disney/Christopher Willard)

Becky in Love

One thing we do know is Becky (Lecy Goranson) is still working at the “troubled” Lunch Box, but she’ll also be exploring romance with Sean Astin‘s Tyler, who was introduced in Season 5. “Becky has a new boyfriend who is in the picture, and that means introducing him to her daughter and the family,” Goranson shares. When it comes to those introductions, she says, it “basically is throwing him in the lion’s den. But I think this is a great relationship, so that’s exciting. And then she’s parenting and going to school.”

What’s Next for the Conner-Healy Kids?

Harris, Emma Kenney says, is “deciding which path she wants to take moving forward into adulthood.” No stranger to long-running series, the Shameless vet shares, “I feel very fortunate to have been on this show for as many seasons as we’ve done now. It’s so rare, and it’s such a nice feeling to come to work every day and love the people you’re working with.”

Similarly, her onscreen brother Mark (Ames McNamara) is embarking on his college journey. “Mark will definitely be dealing with being in college and being a college student with Darlene working at the college as the lunch lady.” The predicament sets up a dynamic McNamara says “viewers should look forward to.”

(Credit: Disney/Christopher Willard)

Fewer Episodes

Following delays due to the strikes, some changes had to be made behind the scenes as The Conners‘ sixth season includes fewer episodes, with just 13 compared to Season 5’s 22. “You have a tighter arc,” according to Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene. “I think it’s easier in a way to keep the story cohesive from start to finish.”

Still, it’s been an adjustment as John Goodman who plays Patriarch Dan Conner admits, “I kind of got knocked off my pins after the strike and am just trying to find my sea legs again with the show.” The star notes the challenges he’s faced while filming live this season, revealing, “For some reason I’ve been pushing myself too hard. Maybe I don’t trust myself, but at the beginning of the season, I always need a couple of shows to get back in the groove.”

Darlene & Ben Stabilize

After some struggles in their relationship last season, Darlene and Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) will experience a little more stability, according to Gilbert and Ferguson. “There’s always challenges in relationships and that never really ends,” Ferguson explains. “So that’s kind of always a constant and sinking more and more into the reality of being a nine-to-five couple respectively with Darlene’s job at the school cafeteria and Ben at the hardware store.” As Gilbert puts it, there may be challenges, but “in general, the relationship is in a more stable place than when we’ve had more upset.”

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Get Ready for Guest Stars

Estelle Parsons will be back as resident grandma Beverly Harris alongside “somebody who is exciting that we can’t say yet,” Gilbert teases. We also know that Astin will be back as Tyler alongside previously revealed guest star Nick Offerman. As for what Gilbert could say of Parsons, she commended the actress, noting, “She’s 96 years old, she’ll be 97 this year. We already shot a couple of episodes with her, and they’re really funny and really poignant, and it’s just phenomenal because every year we go away and we think, ‘Can we get Estelle back? Is she going to be too old?’ And she’s always totally game and flies out and has more energy than any of us. It’s just unbelievable how she operates.”

See Parsons and the whole gang when The Conners returns for Season 6 this winter on ABC, and let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments section.

The Conners, Season 6 Premiere, Wednesday, February 7, 8/7c, ABC