‘The Conners’: How Michael Fishman’s DJ Is Being Written Out of Season 5
The Conners will be saying goodbye to one of its original stars as Michael Fishman departs the series ahead of Season 5, but how will his character DJ Conner be written out of the show?
According to TV Line, executive producer Bruce Helford explained how the show will handle the character’s absence. Ahead of the September 21 premiere, Helford revealed that DJ will be thousands of miles away from Lanford.
“He’s visiting [Geena], who right now is stationed overseas,” Helford said. “She was involved in the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and she is still overseas on assignment, so he is going to be going over and spending time with his wife. It does get addressed in the first few episodes.”
(Credit: ABC/Robert Trachtenberg)
DJ’s wife Geena was played by Maya Lynne Robinson when The Conners launched in 2018, but as fans will recall, she left after Season 1 as the character reenlisted in the Army. Robinson departed the show for a role in CBS‘ The Unicorn in which she had a full-time role until the show was canceled in 2021.
Geena did appear in Season 3 of The Conners but didn’t return for Season 4. Now she and DJ will be reunited offscreen. Don’t fret about their onscreen daughter Mary though as star Jayden Rey will continue to appear in the ABC comedy.
Last month, Fishman revealed that he had been axed from the show. And while the series may not have immediate plans for DJ’s return, the door isn’t shut on the character or Fishman. “We love him,” Helford added. “He’s part of the family. There’s certainly no one saying he will never be on the show [again].”
Stay tuned to see how the story unfolds in Season 5 of The Conners and let us know your thoughts in the comments, below.
The Conners, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, September 21, 8/7c, ABC
