Having celebrated its milestone 100th episode in Season 6, The Conners continues cementing itself as one of TV’s most successful spinoffs. It’s also one of the most unique, in the way that it can directly pull from, and tie back to, the nine O.G. seasons of Roseanne for storylines and cameos. We’ve already seen Natalie West’s Crystal resurfacing this season, but there are plenty of Roseanne characters we still want to see, with Martin Mull’s Leon Carp near the top of that list.
CinemaBlend spoke with The Conners’ showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan ahead of Episode 100, which is always a good time for yours truly. During our chat, I mentioned that Mull is one of the long-gone characters that fans most want to see back in Lanford in whatever capacity, and when I asked if there had been conversations about any Leon storylines, here’s what Helford told me:
We didn't have anything special for Martin. Usually, when it comes to bringing people back, we try and do it with real intent and not just to be a cameo. So like, we have Crystal [in Episode 605], and it was actually an important part of the storyline. When we can, when there's reason to, we try to bring them back, but for Martin, nothing had come to mind. Martin worked, you know, back in the fifth year that I did on Roseanne, and he was wonderful, but we just didn't have anything that that spoke to us.
On the one pragmatic hand, it’s an answer that is obviously very understandable. Without a great reason to bring back such a beloved character, it’s the safer choice not to do it, rather than shoehorning in a cameo that runs the risk of tainting a legacy. I dunno that Leon’s legacy would be that tarnished regardless of how he returned, but the point is still valid.
A big reason why Leon’s return would be difficult to bring about impulsive is because Martin Mull’s on-screen dynamic with Roseanne Barr was key to the character, as was his marriage to Scott, portrayed by Mull’s Fernwood 2 Night co-star Fred Willard. But with Willard having passed away in 2020, and with Roseanne Conner being killed off in the spinoff’s premiere (following Barr’s off-screen controversy that got Roseanne canceled), it means Leon’s story would need to connect with someone else from the show’s ensemble. Not a terrible idea, mind you, but not necessarily one that feels inherently necessary.
But then on the other hand, it’s like…”Come on, guys! It’s Martin Mull! Just put him in a room, and he’ll be hilarious!” And to that end, Dave Caplan makes it clear the sitcom’s creative team isn’t outwardly avoiding bringing Leon back, and would welcome it if and when genius motivations strike. Here’s how he put it:
It's kind of rattling around in the back of our heads, because we hear people want Martin Mull to come back all the time. I was a little surprised by it, but he's got a place in the Roseanne legacy that people want to see updated. So if the opportunity ever presented itself, we wouldn't hesitate.
It’s almost shocking that Caplan & Co. would be surprised by fans calling for Martin Mull’s return, given how big of a staple he was on Roseanne from his Season 3 introduction through his final Season 9 appearance. They’re firmly aware that fans like me would love to see Johnny Galecki’s David again — which Sara Gilbert told us she’d also love – and they’re also good about left-field returns like Eric Allen Kramer’s Bobo. A potential Leon return fits pretty squarely between those, so here’s hoping Helford and Caplan figure out a way to make it happen before ABC pulls the plug.
Just gonna put my grand Conners finale theory out there now, though: the final episode will involve the family having to sell the iconic house, which Leon swoops in to buy, similar to his actions involving the Lunchbox during Roseanne’s run.
Roseanne can be streamed in full with a Peacock subscription, while The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with new episodes airing the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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