The controversy surrounding Bev comes from TVLine reporting that the synopsis for the show's Thanksgiving episode includes the line "Jackie must come to terms with her mother becoming ill." The synopsis doesn't specifically state what the illness is or how severe it is, leaving plenty of room for speculation.

The Conners has tackled increasingly heavy subjects for a sitcom. Topics over the last few seasons have included death, parenting struggles, and financial woes. Some viewers feel the series is now more of a drama than a comedy. That means a storyline about Bev's illness and her possibly passing away wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

Fueling the rumor mill is the fact that Estelle Parsons's status with The Conners isn't stable. Ahead of Season 5, the show's executive producer Bruce Helford told TVLine that he was "cautiously optimistic" about the actress returning for the current batch of episodes as the series had to work with her schedule.

Since Bev is not a main character, Parsons is not contracted or obligated to appear all the time, and that's led some fans to think that Beverly isn't long for Lanford. But are they right about that?