No matter how you look at it, the "Roseanne" reboot was a success. Its hour long season premiere on ABC Tuesday stood atop the ratings by adults 18-49 and total viewers. It is the highest-rated sitcom broadcast in over three years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It was "stunning."
One of the running gags of the season premiere, which aired over 20 years after the original show's series finale, was the feud between Roseanne and her sister Jackie over their preferred candidates in the 2016 election.
"What's up deplorable?" Jackie greeted her sister, while wearing a "Nasty Woman" t-shirt and a pink p***y hat.
As for the title character, she was a diehard Donald Trump supporter, calling Hillary Clinton "liar liar pants on fire" and noting that Jackie was "dead" to her after she voted for the Democrat. Neither sister mentioned the candidates' actual names.
The nonstop digs were hilarious, particularly when Roseanne announced to her family she was about to say grace and invited Jackie to "take a knee." Knowing Jackie would cringe, Roseanne concluded her prayer by saying, "Most of all, thank you for Making America Great Again!"
There were also zingers on some specific policies. Jackie wanted to give free health care to everyone because she "can't do simple math," Roseanne told her sister.
Part of the show's charm was that Roseanne Barr is an outspoken Trump supporter off camera as well. Just last week, she told Jimmy Kimmel to shove it for questioning her approval of the president and her criticism of Clinton. "Zip your f***ing lip!" she said at one point.
It was great to see that all the characters on "Roseanne" still maintained their signature demeanors, as if they picked up where they left audiences two decades earlier. Other subplots during the two-episode premiere included Becky's wish to be a surrogate mother, Darlene's financial struggles and Dan's wish to make a man out of his effeminate grandson.
"Roseanne's" extremely realistic family dynamics, particularly where politics are concerned, will resonate with most audiences. At the very least, it will keep them laughing.
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