Here’s How ‘The Conners’ Handles COVID-19

The Conner family is back, and America’s hard-luck heroes have to deal with coronavirus just like the rest of us. ABC’s The Conners made headlines a few months ago when it became the first network sitcom to go back into production following an industry-wide (and mostly nationwide) shutdown due to the still happening coronavirus pandemic. What exactly does a traditional, multi-cam sitcom like The Conners look like under these unprecedented circumstances? After the Season 3 premiere, we know: it looks… well, a lot like The Conners!

If any family sitcom could tackle a national nightmare, it’s The Conners. This show is built around addressing the hardships facing families right here, right now—and it doesn’t get harder than COVID-19. And if The Conners already hit the ground running when it debuted in the beforetimes (2018 seems so long ago), this now veteran show is definitely up to the task of making something entertaining out of this mess.

The season premiere episode makes it clear from the first second that it definitely takes place in the age of coronavirus: Dan (John Goodman) doesn’t even make it to the front porch before he’s stopped by Darlene’s now teenage son Mark (Ames McNamara), wearing a mask and brandishing a thermometer. The rule is clear: if you want back into the Connor house, you have to follow the guidelines!

Inside, the Conners are all practicing social distancing. It’s hard to eat a meal while standing six feet apart, but they’re making it work… sorta.

Poor Becky (Lecy Goranson) has to stand in the laundry room and be served potatoes through a window until someone decides to vacate the kitchen.

The season premiere runs through a whole lot of problems facing families all across America as this pandemic continues, emboldened by ignorance, apathy, and misinformation. Jackie’s (Laurie Metcalf) started delivering Lunchbox orders via bicycle, her last ditch effort to keep her restaurant open while so many others close down. Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and her live-in boyfriend Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) can’t get their new local magazine off the ground because advertising has dried up. And making matters even worse, houses are being foreclosed on left and right (if you think the Conners have any luck in this department, you haven’t watched this show before). Even in the small gripes are subtly present in the episode, evidenced by Dan having the longest hair you’ve likely ever seen on John Goodman.

There is one bright side to this humdrum existence: Dan’s girlfriend Louise (Katey Sagal) has moved into their Conner bubble so she can help cook and care for this huge family!

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for!

What’s most refreshing about the Season 3 premiere of The Conners and how it handles coronavirus, though, is how the episode mercifully avoids making this objectively real and incredibly dangerous virus an issue of the week. Every single character agrees with the baseline reality that the virus is serious. Everyone is distancing. Every character is taking precautions. They’re annoyed by it, sure (Jackie is “eating disinfectant” and “crapping sanitizer”), but this episode thankfully avoids throwing in a wacky COVID denier for the cast to deal with. This is not a “both sides” issue and, thank god, The Conners doesn’t treat it like one.

But while The Conners may more or less look the same onscreen, just with wider shots and more face coverings, it’s quite different off-screen. For one thing, the show is back in production using a limited crew and undergoing regular testing. The biggest change, though, is the lack of a live audience. Yes, The Conners was always filmed in front of an actual assemblage of human laughers. Now, however, The Conners actually is using the laugh track that people always (usually wrongly) claim sitcoms use. So don’t worry—The Conners Season 3 is not filmed in front of a live studio audience!

The question now is, will the Conners continue to socially distance, check temperatures, and wear masks as the season goes on? Again, the pandemic is not over and Illinois (where The Conners is set) is spiking again. One thing is for certain: coronavirus is not a problem that can be solved in one sitcom episode.

Where to watch The Conners