‘The Conners’ Fans Freak Out Over Darlene’s Surprising Hookup With Her New Boss

Darlene has moved on from David by making a move on her boss. In a totally unexpected scene on The Conners, Sara Gilbert’s character went for it with her boss, Ben (played by Jay R. Ferguson), and fans are losing it over their surprising office tryst.

While the co-workers’ flirty back and force banter was apparent from the moment they met, things took another turn in the ABC sitcom’s “Hold the Salt” episode when Darlene made the first move after a strong hint from her magazine editor. No #MeToo moment here, though. This desktop hookup was totally consensual as Darlene asked to borrow a stapler and instead climbed atop her boss’s desk and went in for a passionate kiss that led to – well, you know.

But things quickly turned rocky for the new couple after a date at Ben’s house proved that “two alphas” with strong personalities will butt heads over just about anything: shoes, wine, and even a salt shaker.

It remains to be seen if Darlene and Ben will turn into a real deal, but it’s no surprise that longtime Roseanne fans had mixed reactions to the Conner kid’s new romantic storyline.

While some fans loved the red-hot chemistry between the new couple, others are still shipping Darlene and her first love, David (played by Johnny Galecki). You can see some of the reaction to Darlene’s new romance on The Conners below.

The Conners fans were thrown through a loop when Jay R. Fergusons’ character made his debut a few weeks ago after Deadline previously announced that Justin Long would recur as Neil, a love interest for Darlene. The middle Conner kid ultimately ended her short-lived relationship with the wimpy Neil after realizing she has a pattern of picking men that let her boss them around.

In the “Miracles” episode of The Conners, single mom Darlene was hired by Ben for a writing job at the Lanford mugshot rag Lock ‘Em Up. Later, when she tried to stop her controlling new boss from ordering Chinese fried rice from a takeout menu, he promptly put her in her place by reminding her that he’s a “grown-a** man” and can make his own decisions. That was clearly a turn-on for Darlene, who is used to walking all over her men—and, as it turns out, their desks.

You can see Darlene and Ben’s first out-of-office date below. Spoiler alert: It didn’t go so well.

The Conners airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.