Bothered by rumors about Roseanne and "that Wellman guy", Dan sweeps by to take Roseanne out for a ride. Roseanne and Dan begin to take the first tentative steps toward putting their marriage back together. But their reconciliation is disrupted when a frantic call comes in from Jackie: Darlene has been suddenly rushed to the hospital.
The show portrayed a working-class family struggling to get by on a limited income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to portray an American family in which economics necessitated two parents working jobs outside the home.