When Roseanne made its reboot return on ABC in 2018, one of the big cast absences that fans felt was for Johnny Galecki‘s character David Healy. This was explained, of course, by the fact that Johnny, 43, was contractually obligated to CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, so he only appeared in one episode of the new show.

Then, when Roseanne was canceled and reborn as The Conners, he appeared in Episode 2, “Tangled Up in Blue,” and Episode 11, “We Continue to Truck.” In both instances, he went uncredited, this undoubtedly, again, having to do with his contract with The Big Bang Theory. But with the end of this season, things could conceivably change in the sense that Big Bang is concluding its run after a dozen seasons, theoretically freeing him up. Well, for fans hoping he would be back full time, we seem to have the answer.

In an interview with TVline.com, Johnny admitted that while having a number of options “is a very fortunate problem to have,” he added, “I think I need a little bit of space from being a series regular again.”

Let’s remember that in its final few seasons, the cast of The Big Bang Theory was extremely well paid, and it would seem that Johnny leaves his run on that show with considerable cash in the bank, giving him the opportunity to do the projects that he wants to do without having to do so out of necessity. Yet while he may be seeking that break, he’s certainly leaving the door open for David to become a recurring character on The Conners.

“I certainly hope to visit as much as possible,” he admitted. “That’s kind of my second home. I still have a bit of a high school crush on that character.” All of this being said, at this point, ABC hasn’t renewed The Conners for a sophomore season. Word on that is expected in May when the network announces its fall lineup.