They’re hanging out down the street once again. Following itssuccessful debut, Netflix quickly renewed theThat ’70s Showsequel series for asecond season.That ’90s Showfollows Leia Forman, daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti, as she spends the summer in Point Place with her grandparents, Red and Kitty Forman. While there, she bonds with other local kids and forms a friend group as her parents did 20 years earlier.
The first season delivered plenty of fan service, most notably with the full-time return of Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith’s Kitty and Red. Nearly all the original cast members also stopped by the Forman house for quick guest spots. Reboots and revivals have a difficult line to tread when finding their identity. Emulate the original show too much, and it can seem like an unnecessary copy, solely cashing in on nostalgia. Change too much, and it can feel like a completely separate world.That ’90s Showhas to balance itself as a sequel series and one that tells its own story.
With a second season confirmed, here’s how the reboot can continue building out its world while staying true to what came before it.
The New Group
As with any reboot, fans will inevitably be divided on the addition of new characters. It makes sense, as we spent seven seasons getting to know Eric, Donna, Kelso, Hyde, Jackie, and Fez. Fans get attached to the characters and their storylines. Season eight tried to introduce Randy as a replacement for the departed Eric and Kelso, and we all know how the fans responded to his inclusion. Simply put, people don’t like change among their favorite shows.
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No matter how well the new cast works together or how developed their characters are, they’re not the original group. While divisive, following a new group of kids isn’t bad. Though some fans wanted Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, and more to return as full-time cast members,That ’90s Showcouldn’t realistically pick up where'70sleft off. The original cast is all 20 years older, and people in their late 30s and early 40s aren’t going to hang out in their parent’s basement and have the same teenage adventures. Well, Kelso might.
Introducing a new cast of teens gives the showa chance for a fresh start. We can see this group form their own friendship bonds and find themselves just like the original cast did. This doesn’t mean the show needs to retread the same plots as'70s. On the contrary, Leia and her friends deserve their own storylines, so they can stand alone and not simply as copies of the OG cast. While season one was primarily devoted to setting up the new cast and establishing who is friends with who and who loves who, season two has a chance to build on that. Now that the group is set up, we can begin to see them form their own identities and experience Point Place life in their unique way.
More ’90s References
That ’70s Showwas chock-full of 1970s pop culture references. The gang loved bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, declared their hatred for disco and developed an obsession withStar Wars(primarily Eric). Though aired in the late ’90s and early ’00s, it felt like we were watching a teen group in the 1970s.
That ’90s Showis already following its predecessor’s footprints with the ’90s callbacks. Jay works at a VHS rental store, Red and Kitty join the World Wide Web with their first home computer, and Gwen loves all things ’90s music and Riot Grrrl-related.
Related:How That 90s Show Learned to Be a Fun Comfort Watch from That 70s Show
Callbacks are one of the biggest reasons'70swas successful, andThat ’90s Showshould keep theirs up in season two. Also, the decade in the title of both series is the only way the show is identified. Literally, it’s a show about the ’70s / ’90s; that’s it. We should feel like we’re in that decade. And who wouldn’t want to see Red and Kitty try to use a Nokia cell phone?
OG Guest Stars
Fans hoping to see their favorite'70sstars again were not disappointed. The entire main cast (sans the embattled Danny Masterson) returned for guest spots. Some, like Laura Prepon’s Donna and Wilmer Valderrama’s Fez stuck around for two or three episodes. Other stars in higher demand, like Ashton Kutcher’s Kelso and Mila Kunis' Jackie, only made brief cameos.
The promise of returning cast members likely drovemany viewersto tune into the show. If'90swants to continue bringing back original cast members, they have an advantage over other reboots. Those other reboots often bring back old characters in contrived ways. “Hey look, it’s our old friend so-and-so who’s just happening to randomly visit us after 20 years.” Or, “Look, we’re out and about and happened to be in the same place at the same time as original friend so-and-so.” It doesn’t always feel natural like the original character is just shoehorned in for fan service.
‘90sis different in that it follows some of the kids of the original gang. In the series premiere, we see Eric and Donna drop Leia off at Red and Kitty’s for the 4th of July weekend. It feels natural, as that is something actual parents would do when their kids visit Grandma and Grandpa. The same goes for Kelso and Jackie. Their son Jay is part of the new group hanging in Red and Kitty’s basement, so it makes sense that they would visit the Forman house to drop him off or visit. Keeping that connection to the original gang ensures they remain a part of the'70s/‘90suniverse, and any guest appearances feel natural. Here’s hoping that the old crew continues to drop by the Forman house every once in a while in the second season. Who knows, maybe someone will also tell us definitivelywhat happened to Hyde.
