Brain-Dead Poets Society

10th episode of the 2nd season of Roseanne

"Brain-Dead Poets Society"

Roseanne episode
Episode no.| Season 2
Episode 10
Directed by| John Pasquin
Written by| Joss Whedon
Production code| 310
Original air date| November 28, 1989 (1989-11-28)
List of episodes

"Brain-Dead Poets Society" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American sitcom Roseanne. Written by Joss Whedon and directed by John Pasquin, the episode first aired November 28, 1989, on ABC. The episode's title is a reference to the film Dead Poets Society.

## Plot[edit]

Darlene has an opportunity to recite her poem at a school performance, but she has doubts about doing it. This episode sees Darlene "properly dimensionalized" for the first time through her poem's "world-weary melancholy".[1]

## Critical reception[edit]

HitFix deemed it the "most moving" episode of the series, featuring a "climax with one of the most quietly moving moments I've ever seen on a traditional family sitcom." The site argues that the episode could be read as "Roseanne's frantic attempt at bonding with a daughter whom she is suddenly and perhaps for the first time seeing something of herself in.[1] SplitSider wrote that Whedon handles "potentially maudlin moments" like Darlene's recitation of a poem about her insecurities with "earnestness and heart." The site also thought that the "casual name-dropping of [poets] Edie Brickell, Chrissie Hynde, or Rickie Lee Jones" seemed out of character for a "middle aged working-class mother" and seemed to be entirely Whedon's work.[2] TaylorColeMiller stated the episode showed a powerful expression of "stripping of agency" as Roseanne "forc[es] Darlene to participate in a cultural forum in which she has no interest".[3]

DVD Verdict deemed it "the best episode of the season" due to featuring Darlene "at both her wittiest and her most vulnerable", and gave it an A.[4] Roseanne is portrayed as a "soulful, unfulfilled artist" while her tomboyish daughter shows a "surprisingly tender and beautiful artistic side, by writing a heart-breaking poem". The moment where Roseanne creates a bond with her daughter by reading some of her own poetry was named one of the greatest moments on the show by A Crowded Bookshelf.[5] The AV Club listed the episode as an honorable mention in its article 10 episodes that show the heart and soul behind Roseanne’s cynical exterior[6] Vulture named it "the most humane and perfect exploration of tween girlhood I've ever seen."[7] On the site ErrorNotFound, both reviewers Evan and Matthew gave the episode an A.[8]

Hitfix also commented on the poetry-related fight between Roseanne and Darlene in the middle of the plot, which speaks volumes about the role of success and failure in parenting.

> Their mid-episode mini-blowout in the kitchen rings entirely true because it zeroes in on an issue faced by parents the world over: whether to force their children to confront their greatest fears and risk screwing them up, or allow them to back down from their greatest fears and also risk screwing them up. It also incisively reflects the essential give-and-take that comes with raising children in a two-parent household

> — Hitfix[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Waxing Episodic: The most moving Roseanne episode". HitFix.
2. ^ "A Look Back At Joss Whedon's 'Roseanne' Episodes". Splitsider. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
3. ^ "Too Short to be Quarterback, Too Plain to be Queen: Roseanne's Rebuttal of Postfeminism - taylorcolemiller.com". taylorcolemiller.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-20.
4. ^ "DVD Verdict Review - Roseanne: The Complete Second Season". DVD Verdict.
5. ^ ""Roseanne" Seasons 1 – 9: a review - A Crowded Bookshelf". A Crowded Bookshelf. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
6. ^ "10 episodes that show the heart and soul behind Roseanne's cynical exterior". avclub.com.
7. ^ "Round 1: Roseanne vs. Malcolm in the Middle -- Vulture". Vulture.
8. ^ "Roseanne – Episode Grades From The Series Regular - Error! Not Found". Error! Not Found. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20.

* v
* t
* e

Joss Whedon

* Filmography
* Unrealized projects

Television|

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Angel
* Firefly
* Dollhouse
* Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
* The Nevers

Films|

| Written|

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Toy Story
* Alien Resurrection
* Titan A.E.
* Atlantis: The Lost Empire
* The Cabin in the Woods
* In Your Eyes
* Justice League
* production

|

Directed|

* Serenity
* The Avengers
* Much Ado About Nothing
* Avengers: Age of Ultron

Comics|

| Written|

* Fray
* Tales of the Slayers
* Tales of the Vampires
* Serenity
* Those Left Behind
* Better Days
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Season 8
* Season 9
* Season 10
* Season 12: The Reckoning
* Angel
* After the Fall
* Astonishing X-Men
* Runaways
* Sugarshock!

|

Created|

* Abigail Brand
* Armor
* Blindfold
* Danger
* Kavita Rao
* Klara Prast
* Ord
* Tildie Soames

Web|

* Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Family|

* John Whedon (grandfather)
* Tom Whedon (father)
* Jed Whedon (brother)
* Zack Whedon (brother)
* Maurissa Tancharoen (sister-in-law)

Related|

* Bellwether Pictures
* Mutant Enemy Productions
* Whedonesque.com
* Whedonverse (comics)

* v
* t
* e

Roseanne and The Conners

Characters|

* Dan Conner
* Roseanne Conner

Roseanne|

| Episodes|

| Original run|

* "The Little Sister"
* "Brain-Dead Poets Society"
* "A Stash from the Past"
* "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
* "December Bride"
* "Into That Good Night"

|

Revival|

* "Twenty Years to Life"
* "Knee Deep"

See also|

* Awards and nominations

The Conners|

| Episodes|

* "Keep On Truckin'"
* "Live from Lanford"

|

*[no.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template