Ep 4. Mommy Nearest

In Roseanne season 5 episode 4, titled "Mommy Nearest," the Conner family faces some challenges when Roseanne's mother Barb (played by Estelle Parsons) and their neighbor, Leon (Martin Mull), come to stay for a while.

As soon as Barb arrives, the tension in the Conner household becomes palpable. Roseanne is obviously not thrilled about having her mother in her home, but she tries to stay civil and make the best of the situation. However, it becomes clear that Barb is a very difficult person to please, and her abrasive personality clashes with everyone in the household. Her constant criticism of Dan's cooking and Jackie's fashion sense leads to a lot of frustration and arguments.

Meanwhile, Leon is also causing some problems of his own. He has decided to write a book about the Conner family, and he spends a lot of time shadowing them and taking notes about their daily lives. While he claims that he wants to write a positive, heartwarming book about a "typical American family," it's clear that he is more interested in finding scandalous details that he can use to make money.

As the episode goes on, the tension between the Conners, Barb, and Leon only continues to escalate. Roseanne becomes increasingly fed up with her mother's behavior, and Dan and Jackie start to feel like Leon is invading their privacy. However, in typical Roseanne fashion, there are plenty of funny moments and witty one-liners to keep things from getting too heavy.

Ultimately, "Mommy Nearest" is an entertaining and relatable episode that deals with some of the common struggles that come with dealing with difficult relatives and nosy neighbors. Despite the drama and tension between the characters, the episode ultimately ends on a positive note, with the Conners proving once again that they can overcome any obstacle when they stick together.