They’re fishing for a reaction.
Former “Roseanne” star Michael Fishman is speaking out about missing “The Conners” series finale, which aired Wednesday, April 23.
Fishman, 43, starred as D.J. Conner – the only son of Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne (Roseanne Barr).
In a video posted to Instagram on April 24, Fishman, who returned as D.J. for the first four seasons of “The Conners,” said, “It’s the day after The Conners’ finale, and I have been inundated with people looking for a reaction.”
Addressing his absence in the series finale, he said, “People seem to want to have there be some kind of conflict or controversy, especially on my part. The reality is, all I really have is empathy and understanding for all of the people on set and for all of our audience that’s grieving.”
He went on to say, “I prefer to be a lighthouse in the dark. It’s for that reason that I’m creating a safe space to build community to process difficult emotions and transitions.”
He shared that when he reflects on the legacy of the show – that started with Barr – “I have only gratitude. I really believe that that legacy belongs to all of you in the audience.”
Fishman ended by saying, “I’ve been really lucky to be rewarded for my professionalism and kindness and collaboration by the Carci Warner Company, who owns it, who has asked me to keep shining a light on the series. And it’s been my honor, because I believe it’s a comfort show for many. So in this time, I keep thinking to myself, it’s the perfect time to reconnect. It’s the perfect time to go back and celebrate. And so I’m looking back and starting over and watching from the beginning with a whole new perspective.”
Starring Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson, “The Conners” aired for seven seasons from 2018 to 2025 – succeeding the original show “Roseanne,” which aired from 1988 to 1997.
“Roseanne” briefly returned for a revival in 2018, until Barr’s controversial tweets got it axed, she got fired, and her fictional counterpart got killed off.
Fishman was in both shows, but he announced that he was leaving “The Conners” in 2022.
In a statement at the time, he said, “While I was told I would not be returning for season 5, Lanford was a valuable place to grow up, learn and develop. I was incredibly lucky to return home and demonstrate my expansion. As I venture into the world to build the future, I send tremendous love and success to everyone involved in production.”
“The Conners” ended with the family – including Dan (Goodman), Jackie (Metcalf), Darlene (Gilbert), and Becky (Goranson) – tearfully saying “goodnight” to each other before Dan was left alone in the family living room.
Goodman then looked right at the camera, smiling with tears in his eyes, and said “goodnight” directly to the audience.
Executive producer and showrunner Bruce Helford told The Post, “he had pitched that; it was his idea.”
“I think [Goodman] just felt that was the right way to say goodbye, and acknowledge the bond, because the audience is part of that show,” exec producer Dave Caplan added.
“We are so much connected to the audience; we’re not just an entertainment. It’s been a family for 37 years.”
Helford added, “He felt the bond of all those years with the audience. And I think just as a decent guy, his instinct was to say, ‘Thank you.’ How do you argue with that?”
“The Conners” series finale also featured a scene where the characters talk to Roseanne’s grave.
Caplan told The Post, “The truth is, we never really shied from giving Roseanne Conner her due, because she was a matriarch of the family. And, she was the center of that family for so many years.”
To avoid talking about her in “The Conners” would have felt “really wrong, and really shortchanging the audience.”
He added, “She’s a central character in all these people’s lives. So, it felt like the right thing to do.”
