#The Conners season 3 episode 17 spoilers: Aftermath of Molly’s death

The Conners season 3 episode 17 is going to air on ABC next week, and there is a lot for the writers to unravel at present. Take, for example, the aftermath of what we saw tonight with Molly. They brought the character back, only to then kill her off!

What gives with that? It sounds as though the primary motivator here was to catapult the Darlene character into a place where she takes stock in her own life more. Speaking via TVLine, here is what showrunner Bruce Helford had to say on that subject:

It’s all of a sudden being really aware of [her] mortality, combined with the fact that she actually went out and had a great time and realized she could let herself do that … She carries the burdens of the world on her [back]. Her personality doesn’t allow for much different than that… It will definitely have an effect on her relationship with Ben.

Don’t expect the entire aftermath of this death, though, to hit Darlene right away. As a matter of fact, there isn’t any hint of tragedy in The Conners season 3 episode 17 synopsis below:

“Regrets, Rehabs and Realtors” – Dan encounters a surprise visitor who shares some unsolicited advice, leaving him feeling guilty. Meanwhile, Darlene welcomes a new employee to Wellman Plastics on an all-new episode of “The Conners,” airing WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 (9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT), on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

We do think that one of the big purposes of Molly’s return/death, beyond furthering Darlene’s own arc, is to remind all of us what this show does best. Sure, it is a traditional sitcom on paper, but it’s never been afraid to dive into the harder subjects. That’s something we’re seeing now, and we’ll almost certainly continue to see it.

Related – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to The Conners right now

How do you think that Darlene is going to recover from this on The Conners season 3 episode 17, let alone the rest of the season?

Share your thoughts and reactions now in the comments! After you do that, stick around — there are other updates ahead you don’t want to miss. (Photo: ABC.)