That '70s Show

That ‘90s Show Works Because Of That ‘70s Show’s Plot Holes

That '90s Show has been a success, despite timeline inconsistencies, and it owes this to the many plot holes established in That '70s show.

The Netflix series That ’90s Show works against all odds and owes its success to the continuity errors of its predecessor, That ’70s Show. Sitcom sequels invite criticism, especially for series that hold an important place in pop culture. It’s easy to get it wrong by depending too heavily on showcasing past characters or creating inconsistencies in timing or overall plots. However, since the foundation of That ’70s Show was so flexible regarding consistency, it was the perfect candidate for a successful sequel like That ’90s Show.

That ’90s show picks up in 1995, about 15 years after the ending of That ’70s Show. Like its predecessor, it is set mainly in the Forman home in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin. The basic premise is that Donna and Eric’s daughter, Leia, decides to stay with her grandparents for the summer and discovers many of the same adventures that her parents had back in the 1970s. This, of course, includes a lot of ’90s nostalgia (and cameos from That ’70s Show’s central cast). Still, the show doesn’t try too hard to stay strictly to the established timeline and continuity, since it was never that solid to begin with.

RELATED:That ’90s Show Reviews Call It A Mostly Satisfying ’70s Follow-Up

That ’90s Show Exists From Ignoring That ’70s Show’s Timeline

That 90s show leia that 70s show season 8

The timeline in That ’70s Show has always been highly flexible. Over its 8 seasons, the show frequently contradicted itself and never apologized for it. Donna Pinciotti started with a little sister, but the character was tossed entirely out after appearing in one episode. The group was supposed to be in high school for most of the series, but they only graduated after considerably more than four years. Relationships like Steven Hyde and Jackie Burkhart ended suddenly with little explanation. Still, the plot and concept always worked.

This sporadic timeline is exactly why That ’90s Show exists. For Leia to turn 15 in 1995, she would have had to have already been conceived by the end of That ’70s Show, which doesn’t work since Eric was in Africa. Even if Leia was a premature birth, the timeline falls apart for Jay Kelso, who is older than Leia and should have been born in the show’s final season. Still, since That ’90s Show is established on the already flexible foundation of its parent show, there’s no reason for it to start worrying about consistency now.

How That ’90s Show’s Self-Aware Comedy Helps The Spinoff

That 90s Show Fez Kitty Foreign Exchange Student

That ’90s Show season 1 made several jokes about the inconsistencies in That ’70s Show, many of which are the same that audiences have been criticizing for decades. An example is Kitty Forman’s joke about how Fez, despite starting as a foreign exchange student, was never “exchanged back” after the school year or graduation. This self-aware comedy addresses the problem and therefore excuses itself from those criticisms. This is also true for future complaints since That ’70s Show has so thoroughly established its flexible timeline that criticism becomes redundant.

Not every sitcom sequel can do this the same way as That ’90s Show. The setup has the benefit of Red and Kitty Foreman, who are a consistent presence between both shows. Besides being grandparents and living in a new decade, they serve the same fundamental role, which gives the series all the consistency it needs. From there, That ’90s Show can do about anything it likes with its plot and timeline, and it will be easy enough for viewers to accept.

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