When “Roseanne” was revived for a continuation that would later be called “The Conners,” there was one potential issue: Johnny Galecki. Known for his role as Leonard Hofstadter in “The Big Bang Theory,” Galecki originally played David Healy in “Roseanne” during the 1990s and married Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert) on the show. However, since “The Big Bang Theory” was still being aired when the new “Roseanne” series launched, there was a possibility that Galecki might not return to play David, even for a guest spot. What plans were in place if this happened?

In an interview with TVLine, Sara Gilbert explained that a backup plan existed if Galecki couldn’t or chose not to reprise his role. “The backup plan was going to be [Darlene] dealing with the heartbreak of him being an absent father,” she said. “Darlene would have plans for him to show up, he would say he was going to show up, and then he wouldn’t show up. I was still going to deal with the relationship, but it would not have been the same without him.” Ultimately, Galecki did return for several episodes. Gilbert mentioned that if not for his other commitments, Galecki would have appeared more frequently. “I think if Johnny didn’t have an empire to run, he would’ve certainly been in more episodes,” she noted.

So why didn’t Johnny Galecki become a regular on “The Conners” after leaving Leonard behind? After wrapping up “The Big Bang Theory,” Galecki retreated from Hollywood to enjoy a quieter life in Nashville, forcing “The Conners” creators to address David’s absence. This resulted in David’s children, Mark (Ames McNamara) and Harris (Emma Kenney), dealing with life without him on the show.

As Mark heads to college, he struggles to secure a scholarship and must work diligently to cover expenses not included in the scholarship. A series of misfortunes leads to Darlene taking on extra work, while Mark finds himself drawn to the tech industry, which ironically diminishes his interest in attending college. Throughout the later seasons of “The Conners,” it’s made clear that David can’t offer any financial help to Mark or assistance with Harris’s challenges, and both Darlene and the kids express resentment over his absence.

While Darlene and David briefly contemplate rekindling their relationship in a multi-episode storyline, Darlene ultimately chooses to marry Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) in Season 4. Fans of “The Conners” had varied opinions about Darlene’s relationship with Ben, but she undoubtedly made the right decision: Her life flourishes with Ben. She co-owns a house with Becky (Lecy Goranson), secures a lucrative job she excels at, and witnesses her children’s success. Some fans may wish she had stayed with David, but with Ben, Darlene finds true happiness.