Roseanne Season 10 Finale ‘Knee Deep’ Recap: Desperation [SPOILERS]

In this week’s episode of Roseanne, Dan (John Goodman) takes desperate measures in work due to Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) knee and the repairs needed in the house. Meanwhile, Becky (Lecy Goranson) gives Darlene (Sara Gilbert) tips in attracting customers in her new job at the casino. Later, she decides to go back to her first love, writing.

Career Choices

Darlene is sleeping on the couch. Becky arrives home, bringing something for Darlene. She wakes her up and then hands her a push-up bra. After this, Becky notices Darlene’s attitude towards her job, so Becky gives her tips on how to attract customers. Darlene tries to dismiss them, pointing out their differences in their personality, but Becky insists that she would have to make some changes to earn money for the needs of her children.

Adam Rose/ABC

At work, Darlene decides to try the strategies that Becky taught her. It worked okay with her first customer. On her way to the bar, another customer asks for drinks and a kiss from her. Before he places his deal on the poker table,  he asks her for a good luck kiss. She was about to cause a scene because of her initial reaction, but she awkwardly saves it by making a flirty remark. She reaches the bar and asks for a clean towel which she uses to muffle her frustrated scream.

Later that evening, Harris walks into Darlene typing in the kitchen. She asks her about this; then she compliments her. Harris then encourages her since she thinks that her writing would reach nowhere. Amused, Darlene sends her back to sleep.

State of Emergency

Adam Rose/ABC

Roseanne tries to wake Dan up in the middle of the night, stuck in the comfort room. Darlene comes home from work, waking her dad up to help her mom. Dan helps Roseanne stand up from the toilet. When they get back to the bed, Dan asks her if she has booked the surgery for her knee. She tries to stall him, but dan eventually tells her to do it. Roseanne points out that they do not have any money, but Dan counters this by saying that he would make remedies at his job to make money. Roseanne questions Dan’s methods, but Dan says that it is a risk he would have to take.

Adam Rose/ABC

During breakfast, Chuck (James Pickens Jr.) comes over, bringing donuts with him. After a short conversation with the couple, Chuck leaves since he has an appointment. When Chuck went, Roseanne asks Dan if he had told Chuck about his decision not to hire him and his crew for the job Dan had bid in, and Dan says he would look into it. Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) arrives with Mark (Ames McNamara) after his soccer game. Roseanne asks Jackie to help her find something worth selling from the basement and Jackie agrees to this.

Adam Rose/ABC

They head down to the basement, and they start to unpack the boxes. While digging through the boxes, Roseanne finds Magdalena, a Kesner doll. After voicing out some of their resentments towards the doll, they look it up on the internet to see if it had any value. It turns out that it is worth $5000, so they decide to sell her to the local antique shop.

Upon arriving at the antique shop, they present the doll to the shop owner. He takes a look, then tells them that it is worth $100. Roseanne tries to haggle with the shop owner but he refuses to agree to her terms. Suddenly, Dan calls her to inform her about the flood in the basement.

While Dan tries to put the boxes away from the flood, Chuck arrives. He expresses his disappointment over Dan’s decision not to hire him and his crew. They argue about this. Dan reasons out that he is in a desperate situation, then Chuck brings up their friendship. Roseanne arrives, then Chuck leaves. He talks to Roseanne then she goes shortly after. Dan continues to pile boxes on top of another when one of the shelves break. Dan gets into a frustrated frenzy, eventually breaking one of the doors.

Adam Rose/ABC

Harris (Emma Kenney), Becky, Darlene, and DJ bring the boxes from the basement to the living room. Harris starts looking through the boxes full of Halloween costumes. She mentions how they were not scary at all. Roseanne fakes a heart attack. Harris is alarmed, and when she mentions calling 911, Roseanne brings a rubber heart out of her shirt. Harris screams in fear, and everyone laughs at her. DJ then brings a magic wand out of nowhere and attempts to perform a magic trick for him, but he is unable to.

Dan enters the living room. Darlene reads news from her phone, saying that there is a press conference about declaring a state of emergency. Roseanne finds similar news, and then Dan comments that it would be good for them since the government would compensate them for the damages done to their house. They all start chanting “State of Emergency,” but Jackie stops them. However, they cheer once Jackie sees that it has been declared.

The next morning, Dan gives Roseanne a treat: breakfast in bed. They make a toast for celebrating that things have gone their favor. Roseanne asks Dan if he has patched things up with Chuck. He said that they were not able to have an agreement, so it would have to wait. Roseanne expresses her fear over the surgery and that she cannot imagine life without Dan. Their cheesy conversation ends into a funny exchange.

Adam Rose/ABC

Roseanne folds laundry in the living room. Darlene calls her over to the kitchen. She finds the entire family there and a surprise for her: all of her favorite food. She is surprised and thankful, and then Dan points out the time, so they start eating.