Not hoping to wake up one day from an Ambien-induced slumber and find itself unexpectedly canceled due to, uh, let’s just say incredibly stupid tweets, Murphy Brown whipped out a log of burning sage and purified their revival the best way they could: with jokes at the expense of another revival.
Aside from cracking the whip at Donald Trump and his administration in the CBS sitcom’s season premiere — Candice Bergen gets to wear a fantastic “chariot†pussy hat — Murphy Brown also took not-so-subtle aim at its late, network-adjacent rival Roseanne, and the show’s spectacular rise and fall thanks to Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets about former White House staffer Valerie Jarrett. In the scene, which features Murphy (Candice Bergen) and her son, Avery (Jake McDorman) as he breaks down the importance of social media in the cable news era, Murphy joins Twitter and quickly finds enjoyment in it, mostly because (a) people enjoy following famous news personalities, and (b) Elizabeth Warren immediately retweets her.
“Hello Twitter people! Here’s a fun fact, I once went on a date with Donald Trump,†Murphy types and sends out, much to the chagrin of her son, who was hoping she’d use the platform for, gasp, serious news business. “He made us split the check.†(Fun fact: Bergen really did go out on a date with Trump once. We love a gossip queen!) Murphy keeps happily tweeting her personal stories despite Avery warning her it’s like “throwing a match on gasoline,†until he eventually gives up and walks away — but not without a pointed farewell. “Just think before you tweet, mom. Shows have been canceled for less.â€
Mee-ow, Conner family.