Summary
- That ’90s Show breaks the trend of referring to characters by their last names, honoring Jackie’s habit of using their first names, showcasing her maturity and motherly nature.
- The spinoff maintains similarities to the original series with cameos from Eric, Donna, Jackie, and Kelso, making it appealing to That ’70s Show fans.
- The name trend change in That ’90s Show could be a way to distinguish the two generations and highlight the differences between Eric’s friend group and his daughter’s friend group.
That 90s Show breaks a That 70s Show trend that Jackie Burkhart would approve of. The spinoff series premiered on Netflix on January 19th, 2023, with plenty of similarities to the original series. The show follows Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti’s daughter, Leia Forman, as she spends the summer with her grandparents, Red and Kitty Forman.
Various That ’70s Show characters have made cameos on the series, like Eric and Donna as well as Jackie and Michael Kelso. This has allowed the show to feel similar enough to the original for That ’70s Show fans to want to tune in as it honors the series. However, there have also been some differences that have made That ’90s Show feel fresh and original. One of these differences involving the characters would make Jackie very proud.
Unlike The Gang, None Of That ’90s Show’s Teens Are Referred To By Their Last Names
On That ’70s Show, the characters were mostly referred to by their last names, but this isn’t the case on the Netflix spinoff, That ’90s Show. Eric is referred to by his first name more than the other characters, but Steven Hyde often called him by his last name. Kelso was the character who was best known for being referred to by his last name, and the only one who refused to join in on this was Jackie. She always called Kelso by his first name Michael and was often seen yelling his first name at him.
This was recreated during their That ’90s Show cameo when Jackie walked into Red and Kitty Forman’s house and yelled at him for taking too long. It’s unclear why the series made this name trend change, but it could have been a way to distinguish the two generations. As time goes on trends change, and the way friends communicate and address each other changes too. Even if calling friends by their last name isn’t necessarily unique to the ’70s, it still showcases the differences between Eric’s friend group and his daughter’s friend group.
Why Jackie Almost Exclusively Referred To That ’70s Show’s Gang By Their First Names
By calling the That 70s Show characters by their first names instead of their last names like everyone else, Jackie separated herself from the gang. She was clearly more mature and uptight than everyone else, which is why she spoke more formally. When she yelled at Kelso and called him Michael, there was a motherly nature coming from her, like she was scolding him the way a parent would scold their child for bad behavior. While it may seem odd that she used everyone’s first name, like the That ’90s Show characters do, this is actually a crucial part of her character.