WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Conners season 3 episode 16. Read at your own risk.
The Conners season 3 episode 17 is coming next week on ABC, with the title "Regrets, Rehabs, and Realtors." The story picks up the shocking twists in the previous outing, which saw the return of a character only to be killed off later on.
The Conners season 3 episode 17 is the continuation of what occurred in episode 16, titled "A Fast Car, a Sudden Loss, and a Slow Decline." Darlene Conner-Healy (Sara Gilbert), in particular, has to deal with the aftermath of Molly Tilden's (Danielle Harris) death.
Darlene found out that her neighbor Molly, who was her teenage rival, died of a brain tumor. This shocking revelation comes after the latter told her to live her life to the fullest -- something that she had done after learning that she's dying.
The sudden death of Molly also comes as a shock to many fans and viewers, as she was brought back only to eventually kill her off. Now, the aftermath of what happened will play a huge part on Darlene in The Conners season 3 episode 17, and in future episodes.
In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Bruce Helford shared why they decided to bring Molly back before killing her off. He said that they're thinking about "what would change Darlene's life," something that's going to have a major effect on her.
Helford explained that Molly returned into Darlene's life and they become friends, which is a real twist considering what happened between them in the past. Her death may cause the latter to realize and re-evaluate how she wants to live her own life.
The showrunner also confirmed that Molly's death "catapults Darlene into a midlife crisis" as the third installment is nearing its ending. This particular event will affect her relationship with Ben and the tensions between the two "will come to a head, one way or another."
Meanwhile, the entire aftermath of Molly's death may not be fully explored in The Conners season 3 episode 17. The synopsis didn't provide details that the tragedy will be addressed, as it only notes Darlene will be welcoming a new employee to Wellman Plastics.
Perhaps, the event may not hit her hard at first but it would hugely impact her later on. This is something that will further drive Darlene's arc, which is different from what the sitcom often shows. There'll be more emotional moments coming for her because of what happened.
The Conners season 3 episode 17 airs on Wednesday, April 14, on ABC.
