Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for That ’90s Show part 2!

That ’90s Show producer Gregg Mettler has unpacked part 2’s fallout from Leia and Nate almost kissing, explaining why everything that transpired afterwards happened the way it did. At the end of That ’90s Show part 1, Leia and Nate almost kissed, something they originally decided to keep secret from Jay and Nikki, their respective partners. However, the beginning of part 2 saw Leia accidentally reveal the information to the pair, causing major shifts in her relationship with Jay while resulting in Nate and Nikki breaking up.

Speaking with TVLine, Mettler offered more context to That ’90s Show part 2’s fallout from Leia and Nate almost kissing getting revealed to everyone. The producer explained how, in particular, they wanted to portray real damage from what the pair did, something specifically shown through the latter’s breakup with Nikki. Check out what Mettler had to say below:

[We] wanted there to be some fallout, some very real fallout. We didn’t have a ton of time to explore [Nate and Nikki’s] relationship in Part 1. We wanted to do more with that. We wanted to dig in and find out how they relate to each other. But we definitely wanted there to be some real fallout, so we decided to go with the Nikki and Nate break-up — what that means, how they react, how the gang reacts, and how they relapse. It gives you great stories, and Maxwell [Acee Donovan, who plays Nate] and Sam [Morelos, who plays Nikki] are absolutely wonderful together, whether the characters are together or apart.

How Leia & Nates Kiss Impacts Their Love Lives

It Will Still Be Important During Part 3

Nate and Nikki’s breakup is a major part of their storyline during part 2, with the pair’s relationship becoming more complicated as the new batch of episodes progresses. After some time apart, the pair begin sleeping with one another, something that ends in a pregnancy scare that makes them realize how reckless their actions with one another have been. However, it’s also implied Nate wants to get back together with her, setting the stage for That ‘90s Show part 3 continuing to explore the consequences of what happened.

As for Leia, Jay doesn’t break up with her, instead realizing that he wants to become a better boyfriend by downplaying his unrestrained behavior and being there for her more often. This means that, by the end of That ‘90s Show part 2, the couple are in a stronger position than ever before. While it’s unclear if their closeness will continue to last into part 3, it seems the pair still want to make their romance work despite the events that unfolded. However, it remains to be seen if they can make their romance work long-term after the almost kiss.

With both relationships playing out in radically different ways because of what happened between Leia and Nate, it seems part 3 will be showcasing the long-term consequences for That ’90s Show‘s cast. While it seems things are going well for one couple and bad for the other, the fluidity of such a scenario means anything could flip at a moment’s notice. Since part 3 is the second half of season 2 and arrives later this year, it won’t be long until more answers are provided about how both relationships continue to evolve.

Source: TVLine