Roseanne

The Connors find plenty to laugh about, but Barr and the Roseanne writers never let the series enter the realm of the sunny multi-cam fantasy. Happiness comes from the people you love. The world is another matter. What’s so frustrating about those on-the-nose “political” arguments is that they’re nowhere near as interesting as the actually topical stories in which they’re abruptly plunked down, like a dumbbell on the dinner table.

Unfortunately, the revived series is a bit rough around the edges. Not in terms of its humor or content, which are remarkably well-adapted for a modern audience, but in terms of its pure execution; it’s undoubtedly quite difficult to return to the rhythms of a sitcom that debuted 29 years ago. The timing all feels a little off; the transitions are abrupt, the dialogue layers unevenly, and the punch lines don’t land.

Three episodes shown to critics (there are nine in this new season) certainly do an entertaining job of updating the characters. ... Still, once Jackie and Roseanne bury the hatchet, there’s a sinking feeling of lost promise. Roseanne needs to do more than acknowledge that a Trump-voting grandmother can get along with her liberal-leaning sister and adore her sparkle-riffic grandson. It should courageously allow the Conner family to more tumultuously grapple with the idea that America is coming apart and changing profoundly.

The show takes a while to get past its politically-skewed power dynamic. ... To be fair, other top-of-mind social concerns are handled with more nuance and heart than the script’s willful leap over our simmering racial conflicts. The new Roseanne is at its best when the story explores the contortions and compromises Americans have to go through in order to secure decent health care or economic stability.

The new Roseanne doesn’t try to carve a spot in the existing landscape so much as it lazily settles into comfortable grooves in a very old couch.

Overall, the premiere episode tries too hard to hit too many topical targets in its 22 minutes. It’s all over the map, failing to distinguish itself from other by-the-numbers sitcoms in recent years.

If you're looking for familiar faces and easy watching, Roseanne will probably satisfy. For those looking for something sharper, ABC has plenty of other family comedies to choose from.