Going into its Season 5 winter hiatus, "The Conners" spent a bit of time wallowing in the family history of its two eldest female leads, as Jackie dealt with the sad news of her mother Bev’s dementia (complete with a guest spot from Estelle Parsons), while viewers were privileged with meeting Louise’s mom for the first time, as portrayed by "SNL" vet Jane Curtain. When the show returns in January, fans will get to metaphorically step back into a Lanford landmark, thanks to impending guest star William H. Macy, whose arrival will not only shine a light into Dan’s past, but will also deliver some connective tissue to "The Conners’" sitcom predecessor "Roseanne."

"The Dropout" thespian’s latest episodic jaunt will be as the character of Smitty Cusamano, a former high school classmate of Dan & Co. who clearly already has an advantageous shot at winning the Best TV Character Name Of 2023 title when his episode debuts on Wednesday, January 11. He sounds every bit like the kind of guy who would have a mustache as thick as a forearm, even as a high school freshman, and Macy is indeed rocking some mighty upper lip hair in "The Conners."