That ‘90s Show season 2, part 1, was full of brilliant and nostalgic references to the 1990s. The spinoff to one of the best sitcoms of all time, That ‘70s Show, focused on the daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti, Leia, and her summers in Point Place. That ‘90s Show’s season 1 ending was a dramatic affair, but the freedom and feel-good atmosphere of the 1990s set Leia up for yet another eventful few weeks with her grandparents.

The That ‘90s Show cast saw the return of a few characters from the parent show, including Laura Prepon as Donna, Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty, and Kurtwood Smith as Red. The ‘90s was a fascinating era because it cemented a lot of culture that was prominent into the millennium, and Eric’s daughter got the opportunity to thrive during her teenage years in an ever-changing world. Amazingly, That ‘90s Show made sure to make frequent references to the 1990s.

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Kitty Does The Macarena

Episode 1 – You Oughta Know

During the opening scene of episode 1, “You Oughta Know,” kicked off season 2 with Kitty in her kitchen, dancing the “Macarena.” “Macarena” by Los Del Rio was a huge hit in the 1990s, and it continued to be a feel-good party track for years after its initial release in 1993. This That ‘90s Show season 2 soundtrack tune was a brilliant way to kick off the latest installment of the show, especially because it perceived Kitty as the typical, cringe-worthy grandma that she proved herself to be.

What made this reference even funnier, however, was when Leia finally arrived at the Formans. As the song played out, Kitty, Gwen, and Jay all sped towards the door in slow motion, which was an absolutely ridiculous way to score such a sequence. However, it was a brilliant way to kick off the first episode, and it was sweet to be reminded of the kind of loving home Leia was being reintroduced to.

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Ozzie Tries To Win Spice Girls Tickets On The Radio

Episode 1 – You Oughta Know

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Kitty’s Wayne’s World Quote

Episode 1 – You Oughta Know

While it was a small reference, Kitty’s new job at the high school led her to start saying, “Schwing!” Kitty tried to impress Red and Donna by showing off her knowledge of Wayne’s World as she served them lemonade, although her husband was far from impressed by her slang. Wayne’s World was initially released in 1992 and was originally a Saturday Night Live skit, but it became an instant classic and an incredibly easy movie to reference because of its hilarious lines of dialogue.

What was rather sweet and wholesome about this reference, though, was that Kitty genuinely enjoyed communicating with the younger generation. This made sense, considering the years she spent in That ‘70s Show with a group of teenagers running around her home. Her need to bond with the youngsters around her resulted in many of Kitty’s funniest quotes in That ‘70s Show, so it was great that she was still this way in That ‘90s Show.

7

Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” Music Video Recreation

Episode 2 – Something To Talk About

“Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb was a prominent track in episode 2, “Something to Talk About.” The daydream about finally regaining Jay’s trust after Leia nearly kissed Nate in That ‘90s Show was scored by Loeb’s 1994 hit. However, it also featured a That ‘90s Show season 2 cameo from the singer herself. The music video inspired Leia’s concept for earning Jay’s forgiveness, but there was more than one layer to this ‘90s reference.

“Stay (I Missed You)” was also a part of the film Reality Bites, which aired in the same year the song was released. Reality Bites was also a nostalgic factor the show embraced with these scenes. However, this sequence was also a bit of a meta-moment for That ‘90s Show, primarily because Loeb noted Leia’s sudden appearance in her apartment, and she was confused as to why a teenage girl was singing her song.

6

Jay’s Soul Asylum T-Shirt

Episode 2 – Something To Talk About

Another ‘90s reference in “Something to Talk About,” albeit a subtle one, was a nod to the band Soul Asylum. Soul Asylum rose to fame in 1993 with their track “Runaway Train,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994. Interestingly, the music video for “Runaway Train” focused on the images of missing children and teenagers, and lead singer Dave Pirner stated that the lyrics were based on his experiences with depression (via Spin).

This could have been a suggestion that Jay’s struggles with Leia’s dishonesty were more complicated than they appeared, although it was unlikely that That ‘90s Show had thought that much into the costuming decision. However, Jay’s choice of clothing showed that he had a good taste in music. Although there weren’t any mentions of Hyde in That ‘90s Show, it seemed that Jay Kelso might share similar traits with his parent’s old friend.

5

Wendy’s Yellow Cups

Episode 2 – Something To Talk About

During a brief moment in which Ozzie, Leia, and Gwen were lurking outside Nate’s bedroom, they were each holding one of Wendy’s famous yellow cups. In the 1990s, Wendy’s branding was vastly different from that of the present day, so this was a great small detail for the prop department of That ‘90s Show to include. The gang in That ‘70s Show generally hung out at The Hub, their local hotspot for fried food or pinball, but they also visited Fatso Burger, too.

That ‘90s Show revisited The Hub in season 1, although significantly fewer scenes were set at the location than in its parent show. However, it seemed more logical that in the ‘90s, the teenagers of Point Place had a lot more big-brand foods to choose from. Wendy’s expanded to several countries worldwide in the 1990s, and even though Point Place was in America, it was still a small town, so it made sense that the fast-food restaurant was gaining popularity there.

4

The Fake Mentos Commercial

Episode 3 – Just A Friend

As Steven Hyde’s counterpart, it made a lot of sense that Gwen was a frequent customer of Hot Topic. The store became incredibly popular in the 1990s after the first branch opened in Montclair, California, in 1989. Hot Topic itself was the ultimate pop culture reference and was immediately recognizable for its products aimed at fans of rock music, video games, and gothic attire. All of these factors fit Gwen perfectly, as she was the ultimate rebellious force in That ‘90s Show.

However, the context in which Hot Topic was brought up was simply brilliant. Leia’s summer job was an unusual choice for her, although it made sense, as she wanted to try to develop her bond with Gwen further. The Hot Topic set design was fantastically accurate, and it was even better with Seth Green reprising his cameo from That ‘70s Show as Mitch, the store’s manager. However, it was disappointing that Leia didn’t get a job at Yankee Candle like Kitty wanted. Yankee Candle was another prominent company in the ‘90s.

3

Gwen’s Love For Hot Topic

Episode 3 – Just A Friend

Ozzie’s Mentos-inspired commercial daydream scene was a particularly funny moment in the episode “Just a Friend.” The opening of the episode saw Ozzie knock back a Mento as if he were in the advertisement himself, breathing sharply in an over-the-top way that only worked in the context of a commercial. Ozzie constantly carried around a packet of the mints throughout the episode, but in the latter half, he slipped into a grainy TV sequence.

The entire commercial, from start to finish, was wild. It was hilarious that Ozzie was carried in on the Forman’s sofa by several bare-chested, muscled men, who did so without breaking a sweat. The two funniest and most nostalgic elements, however, were the tagline and the jingle. That ‘90s Show used the original Mentos song for the scene, which was brilliantly catchy, and Ozzie created his own tag, “It’s Mentos, b*tches,” which was simply ridiculous.

2

The Carmen Electra Scene

Episode 4 – Hold My Hand

Another celebrity cameo in That ‘90s Show was from Carmen Electra in episode 4, “Hold My Hand.” 1990s icon Electra famously worked alongside legendary artist Prince, who produced her debut studio album in 1993. Later in the decade, Electra became a prominent glamour model for Playboy, which made her appearance in That ‘90s Show even funnier. After Kitty was injured, she let her mind dwell on ridiculous hypotheticals, mainly that the women of Point Place were going to get their claws into Red.

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In a stupidly hilarious scene, Kitty started daydreaming about Electra giving Red a lap dance in their kitchen. The backdrop of their ordinary, residential home made Electra’s presence and actions even stupider, but it was even more absurd that Kitty believed Red had eyes for anyone other than her. However, her irrational fear only spawned because Red was suspiciously knowledgeable about Carmen Electra, although it was very funny that Kitty thought Red would use her availability to serve him a Shane ‘n Bake Chicken.

1

The Jay & Silent Bob Cameo

Episode 8 – Friends In Low Places

“Friends in Low Places,” the ending of That ‘90s Show season 2, featured a cameo from Jay and Silent Bob. The duo, portrayed by actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, were extremely popular in the 1990s because of their stoner-type humor and appeared in several Askewniverse films. Hysterically, the pair were often compared to Cheech and Chong, so their arrival was also a reference to That ‘70s Show’s Leo. Although drugs could have been to blame, Leia’s panic over the damage to the Forman’s house after her party was hilariously made even worse by Jay and Silent Bob.

In one of the most ridiculous moments of the show, Jay and Silent Bob crashed through the wall of Kitty and Red’s dining room in a car. Although their characters were referred to as Sonny and Bunch, it was immediately clear that That ‘90s Show was making a nod to Jay and Silent Bob, especially as it seemed likely that marijuana was to blame for their sudden appearance. However, what was the best part about this moment was that it was revealed that Sonny was actually Leo’s son.