The Conners To Introduce New Relative In Season 5 — Plus, Scoop On Double Honeymoon And [Spoiler]'s Return

Just because The Conners' central couples are all married doesn't mean the Roseanne spinoff is winding down.

"Every episode [in Season 5] has a surprise," executive producer Bruce Helford tells TVLine. "There are revelations about the past, revelations about the future... It's going to be one of our best seasons, honestly."

As TVLine exclusively reported, legacy cast member Michael Fishman has exited the Roseanne spinoff ahead of Season 5, during which we'll learn that DJ has left Lanford to reunite (off screen) with Geena. We'll also see the "oh s–t!" return of a Roseanne character not seen since the series' original 1988-1997 run — a surprise guest star the EPs refuse to spoil ahead of air — and the introduction of a previously unknown family member.

"Louise and Neville have a nephew, a teenager, and they find out that he needs a place to live," Helford reveals. "He could go live with his Aunt Louise [and Dan], or his Uncle Neville and [Jackie], so that's going to be very interesting."

Read on for more Conners scoop, then drop a comment with your hopes for Season 5.

In the Wednesday, Sept. 21 opener — airing at a new time, 8/7c — newlyweds Darlene and Ben, and Jackie and Neville, head off on a joint honeymoon, where cost-saving measures contribute to a tension-filled getaway. "What do you do after a double wedding? A double honeymoon!" Helford exclaims. "They go when they can afford to, in a way they can afford to, and that may be interesting in and of itself."

As the newlyweds are honeymooning, the rest of the family embarks on a trip to a waterpark. There, Harris and Mark bond in an unexpected way as Mark copes with the news that his ex-boyfriend is seeing someone else.

"We're going to see another gear between Mark and Harris, who have had — I don't want to say a distant relationship, but they haven't been so close," fellow EP Bruce Caplan says. Adds Helford: "With Mark at 16 and Harris at 20, there's a whole different level at which they start to interact. It really is a different thing when you get to the age that your older sibling can relate to you, as you're [both] becoming adults."

Following the premiere, the series will "explore what everybody expects from a marriage and what the realities of marriage [actually] are," Helford says. That includes new living arrangements, beginning with Jackie moving in with Neville. "That's going to be a very new thing for her, since most of the guys [who were previously] in her life moved in with her."

Neville, meanwhile, will (likely) have to contend with his new mother-in-law Bev. "We're working on [getting Estelle Parsons back] now," Helford confirms. "We're just figuring out dates, but we're cautiously optimistic that Estelle will be returning... We've got a couple of important episodes we'd like to do with her."

As for Darlene and Ben, they'll be living under Dan and Louise's roof "for at least the first half of the season," the EP confirms. "Realistically, that house [of theirs] is not being built in two months." But that won't stop the new Mrs. Olinsky from worrying about what her new neighbors will think of her family.

"The Conners are the family on the block where everybody goes, 'Oh God, they're trouble!' Darlene does not want that," Helford previews. "She's only moving a few blocks away, but she doesn't want the people over there to think of [her family] the way [the neighbors] think of them over here."

And lest we forget, Caplan reminds us of Becky's plans to move in with her sister and brother-in-law. "Moving in with newlyweds isn't so easy," he warns. "There are going to be issues that arise from that."

Becky will also figure out what it is she wants to do with the rest of her life. "Just because she's been in school doesn't mean she knew exactly what she wanted to do, or what her life's calling was," Caplan says. "We're going to see her figure that out this year — and when she figures that out, there are complications."

Season 5 will also see Dan's wife Louise come to terms with her role in the family. After spending much of Season 4 on tour with her band — a necessity after recurring guest star Katey Sagal was involved in a car accident and needed time to recuperate — Louise is fully moved into the Delaware St. house and finding her footing as the woman of the house.

"She starts to find her comfort level as a stepmom, and what it means to be the newer matriarch in the family — or if that's even what she wants to be," Helford says. "She realizes that there are so many responsibilities that come with being Dan's wife and they involve — I don't want to call it parenting, exactly — but being the adult and having to help manage the family. It's an evolution for Louise into — and put quotes around this — into the 'mother' role."

The Conners Season 5 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 pm on ABC.