That ’90s Show will see the return of characters from its predecessor, but the change with Jackie’s character further proves how much That ’70s Show‘s eighth and final season sucked. Many audiences either love or hate Jackie Burkhart, but her relationships on the show were some of the show’s best highlights. Her role in the upcoming sequel series may be minimal, but who Jackie ends up with plays into the stronger and weaker aspects of her character.
Jackie Burkhart actress Mila Kunis recently revealed that Jackie ended up marrying Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), and they now have a child together. While viewers will recognize that it’s a nod to Kunis’ real-life marriage to Kutcher, it raises the question of why Jackie and Kelso are together in That ’90s Show in the first place. By the end of That ’70s Show, Jackie realized she had feelings for Fez, and they eventually started dating. But Jackie and Kelso had a toxic relationship that involved a lot of cheating, distrust, and belittlement. Even though they were able to maintain a friendship through it all, they both also seemed happier in other relationships. Jackie and Fez ending up together may have been one of the most disappointing story decisions in season 8, but it also showed how unrealistic the relationship actually was for both characters.
While the That ’70s Show characters are hardly in That ’90s Show, having Jackie and Kelso back together with a kid isn’t just interesting for nostalgia purposes. It backtracks on a lot of her character development that was introduced in season 8. Her falling in love with Fez was rushed and seemingly came out of nowhere, but their ending up together showed she could overcome some of her discriminatory beliefs. Fez had also appeared to move on from his crush on Jackie, so them becoming a couple seemed to happen only to appease some viewers that may have wanted to see them together. The idea that she was able to completely move on from Kelso because of her relationship with Hyde was great. Since Danny Masterson won’t be appearing in the sequel series and Hyde won’t be with Jackie, it feels like the writers are repeating plot points by having her husband be Kelso of all people, and erasing her development.
Why That ’70s Show Season 8 Was So Bad
Season 8 of That ’70s Show suffered from poorly written episodes, lackluster comedy, and the loss of some of its main characters. Most of the series had revolved around Topher Grace’s Eric Forman, but Eric left after season 7 for Africa, after Grace wanted to pursue a movie career. Losing a main character of a TV show is often the point when the series starts to get stale. Television shows like The Office and Two and a Half Men (the latter of which Ashton Kutcher eventually starred in) suffered greatly in ratings and critical reception after losing their main stars. The introduction of newer characters like Randy also didn’t sit well with viewers because the character appeared to lack chemistry with his new group of friends. Randy was also too similar to Eric at times, and it really felt like he was a replacement instead of a new character.
With a revival on the way, now is the right time for season 8 to be redeemed. That ’70s Show has big questions that That ’90s Show can answer, and most of the cast members coming back means there is a lot of potential. Jackie and Kelso being married could show signs of maturity for both of them and could fully redeem their characters of their previous mistakes. That ’70s Show may have had a lousy final season, but That ’90s Show could be a more appropriate way to wrap up old character storylines while also putting a stronger focus on the next generation, similar to what other revival shows have done.
