I don't know if it's because it was Live, but this was the only Conners (including Roseanne) episode that bored me from start to finish.
I miss the Roseanne show - it was one of the best series on television, EVER! The Conners was good too when presenting Mark's gender scenes (which worked because of his confident cheerfulness), Darlene's perfectly timed sarcasm, Becky and her boyfriend's unique and refreshingly sweet relationship, Dan and family's lighthearted barbs in their iconic kitchen and living room, and Jackie's endearing quirkiness (before they turned her into a joke).
Now it's all about Ben and Darlene's constant fighting, Harris' perpetually hostile disposition, and Louise and Dan's boring relationship. The show is known for it's dark humor, which worked in the past, but now it's just plain dark - the humor quotient has been extracted like an infected tooth.
As for the political bent.. I'm a liberal myself, but I want to throw up every time someone brings up masks and vaccines. For Pete's sake, we have enough doom and gloom in the real world.. can't our "comedies" just give it a rest already?! I am waiting for the comedic brilliance to return.. I tune in to laugh, not cry.