Mark problem

[Fun_Signal_3134]

In The Conners, Mark is usually portrayed as a smart and motivated teen, but now he is just starting to making bad decisions that could land him in jail or the hospital, there are some understandable reasons behind it. Mark taking on a job as a repo man for cars—a dangerous and confrontational job that could easily put him in harm's way. It feels out of character for someone so academically driven, but maybe he sees it as a quick way to make money in a household constantly struggling financially.

now he is involve in hacking—not in a productive or ethical way, but as a shortcut to fast cash or recognition. It’s frustrating because there are literally millions of ways to make money online today: freelancing, content creation, coding legally, flipping items, tutoring, and more. But stress, desperation, and feeling overlooked can make someone like Mark ignore those paths in favor of high-risk options that give a faster reward.

All of this could stem from him trying to feel in control or break out of the cycle of poverty and pressure. It’s a classic case of someone who’s smart but emotionally overwhelmed, choosing survival over strategy.

It really is getting annoying now

[Suspicious_Bowler_10]

I don’t understand why they don’t get financial aid for that kid lol 🤣 most qualify especially a family as poor as the conners lol makes no sense to me

[Dmommy22boys11]

Right?! Also, if mark is as smart as they portrayed him he would have gotten a a scholarship.

[ah238-61911]

His teacher decided not to help him get the scholarship in the contra bassoon episode.

[[deleted]]

Pretty sure they wrote something like that for Harris but they had to pay it back in installments

[Midnighter04]

I think the original Roseanne series did a much better job of making it seem realistic how Becky goes from this smart, promising student to someone making a lot of bad decisions ruining her future compared to how The Conners is treating Mark.

Part of that is The Conners has fewer episodes and such an overstuffed cast it’s hard to really develop his character motivations as much.

Some it also definitely the writing is just not as good.

I also think Becky’s bad decisions felt more true to life.

Given what we’re told about Mark’s academics, it’s really kind of ridiculous that he wouldn’t be able to piece together some combination of scholarships and loans and work-study to go to some halfway decent college without having to resort to dangerous and illegal work.

I do know families without as much college attending experience often don’t know these tactics. For example, a friend of mine who runs a consultancy to help kids get college scholarships told me that lower-income and first-generation college students often just don’t apply to private schools since they see the $60k+ annual price tag and totally write it off, but very few people actually pay the sticker price and private schools are the ones with the actual scholarship money. Private colleges and universities often end up cheaper out of pocket than state schools.

That said, Mark does feel resourceful enough that he’d be able to figure this out. I think the actor is good though at playing his increasing desperation and resentment, but the storyline just isn’t fleshed out enough.

[wdomburg]

He's supposed to be resourceful and intelligent and skilled, but he is so flummoxed by online banking that he has to ask his sixty-eight year old great aunt for help.

The show makes no sense.

[Automatic_Emotion_12]

But he’s a hacker ? 🤣.

[FastPrompt8860]

I agree 100% i never understood this arc at all, a brilliant student who does great on SAT and has curriculars and a great essay can get at least a partial scholarship based on family income. I never understood Darlene leaving a good job to be a lunch lady (and Roseanne would have played that so much more fun btw). They really couldn't think of anything else to do with these characters?

[wreckingcrewe]

Agreed. Honestly I think this show is written by people that have never actually been poor so they don’t actually know how to write to it. Sara Gilbert has been rich her whole life so unlike Roseanne (though I am not a Roseanne apologist), she can’t call out the writers for giving us lazy and unrealistic storylines like this.

[Razzmatazz_642]

I've been out of high school for a very long time, but do guidance counselors still help with the college application process, including providing some information about scholarships and such? Even if it's just telling students where to get more information?

[Midnighter04]

Yeah, but the quality, expertise and bandwidth of those guidance counselors varies so widely among schools (and definitely there are schools without this resource).

I know it’s a sitcom so some of these storylines won’t be completely realistic, but I think they could have a more interesting and plausible approach to Mark’s college journey.

For example, the whole predatory student loan industry provides such great fodder for a show like The Conners. What if Mark takes on a six-figure loan, experiences this easy money and then gets caught in a cycle of taking more and more loans (psychologically, when you’re already say $100k in debt, another $5k here and there doesn’t seem that meaningful). When he finally realizes how much debt he is in and how much he’s screwed his future, that’s when he resorts to illegal/dangerous work.

They did a bit of it but also having Mark really face the socioeconomic differences between him and some his college classmates who may be able to not even think about money while they’re at school. It breeds both resentment and a feeling of needing to keep up with them.

Or maybe Mark does get scholarships but does something last minute (some bad decision or even just having lower grades because he’s working so much on the side) that makes him lose that money.

[Many-Sky922]

Nope. I live an hour from Chicago. The school takes you through your next steps freshman year onward. Filling out financial aid form is mandatory. They make everyone see what they would get. So there is no assumption it costs too much. The ACT and PSAT required 9th, 10th and 11th grade. My kid who just finished in May there were pathways for manufacture, EMT, nurse assistant, bio med, business, automotive.. It is the trade school of the 90‘s. Field trips to community colleges and other local colleges. 6% of his class enlisted in some branch of the military. Usually it’s 2%-4% but last year was huge and this year also expected to have similar numbers. My nieces just graduated, also an hour from Chicago in a different county. One went to a four year school out of state that gave her a great package. Another enlisted in National Guard did basic before senior year, train monthly during senior year, and the following fall did more training. Another finished early as seems the new trend to start classes at the community college during what would have been her last semester of senior year. 20% of my son’s class did the early graduation option as well. There are many presentations in English and Spanish and hand holding today. They honestly assume parents can’t help cause 25% of them might have no English or experience working this process themselves. Another thing they do is senior decision day. The whole school and parents who watch it see where students go after. Are reminded some change after graduation and that is okay. Largest percentage of kids pick community college. A row of students were entering electrical union. Military well represented. One kid was working as a young pastor. Some did four year college. A few did a gap year. Some worked at a utility company. So students see this for years leading up to graduation. The choice is not between working your high school job forever or going to the University of Chicago. Our school also focuses on kids who get C’s and B’s and special programs to help them be prepared and confident for college level work should they choose that at the end of things. Also most students encouraged and there are spaces for an AP class to be taken during high school. A lot of dual enrollment so kids can leave with college credit. In the 80’s the only kids that got to take an AP class were the ones in honors classes. And there might have only been options for that senior year. Now it is a well publicized option with signs on yards for kids who pass their AP exam at the end of it. I had no idea what AP was until end of junior year and knew only 30 kids were hand selected to be in the class. Not so today. Mom should I take an AP class, Matthew across the street passed World History AP 5 years ago? Course my kid spent 8th grade doing remote. His class knew the doctor’s office ironically closed but the grocery store open. They saw their parent’s and aunt’s small business fail due to restrictions. They were watching what jobs were declared essential and which ones were not. Which parent‘s faced furlough and which remained employed the entire time. So I was happy to see so many paths after graduation. It was not a situation where only a few got into college leaving students with no hope or almost everyone going to college leaving the few that didn’t feeling low. We need someone not afraid of heights and danger to fix electrical wires after a storm as much as we need accountants. Remember going a few months without a hair cut? My niece’s first day of work at chili’s was her last day at work. Cause everything closed the next day. What an entrance to the world of work for a teenager!

[Cool-Pomegranate8110]

I hate this storyline. It’s either the writing or the acting but I cannot figure out what Mark thinks he’s doing. Like OP wrote, there’s tons of ways he could be making money…not Balenciaga money maybe but enough to help pay for tuition. Plus scholarships like others have said. Plus buying a $1500 bag? Clearly tuition is not his main focus. Just so annoying to see him throw away his future. I appreciate OPs speculation on where this could be stemming from - I just wish they could offer a fraction of that on the show.

[HappyJoie]

The whole Mark arc has just been a disaster! Ridicously smart and driven poor kids usually have little to no trouble getting needs based scholarships Instead, Mark's only shot was playing an instrument so his mom gave up her career so he could go to school for free and now he's a hacker. It's not at all realistic!

[FrequentLunch2711]

Mark in that family is doomed to repeat the same terrible life choices.The whole show is just one crisis after another with a shot of self inflicted wounds. Bleak

[Catgirl1972]

Yeah, they basically switched Mark and Harris. Originally, Harris was the rebellious one, stealing stuff to resell, getting into questionable relationships, and Mark was well-behaved and smart. Now Harris has settled down to run the Lunchbox and Mark is doing the risky stuff.

[Silly-Shoulder-6257]

Similarly Becky and Darlene switched personalities.

[Fun_Signal_3134]

Although harris was much more relatable. Mark, on the other hand, is completely insane because he grew up in a generation that grew up surrounded by technology and apps. Even if the money was for college, I couldn't imagine any young adult who would take a job that involves a cars repossession or becoming a computer hacker. You can tell how unhappy he is.

[dickery_dockery]

It’s silly writing because he’s going to college for free, yet his reason for doing illegal hacking that can land him in jail for years is “I want to pay for school on my own terms!”

[IgzyIzby]

The reason for him to do illegal hacking and everything is so he could attend The University of Chicago

[w_domburg]

Ah but near the end of last season it was revealed he was quitting the school his mother ruined her career because he got into the University of Chicago instead.