That '90s Show had a decent first season. It was solid, dependable, and a happy return to the franchise. The show has a lot of potential, but there are certain elements of the show that could make it great in the recently announced second season.
That '90s Show is said to "stand on its own", and, to its credit, the show keeps references and callbacks at a happy balance that feels just right. On the other hand, it's worth asking: is the show successful on its own, or did nostalgia for That '70s Show cause viewers to tune in? The answer may lie in the show's next season, and may determine whether it returns for a third.
More Conflicts
For the most part, the new cast of That '90s Show gets along fairly well. There are hints that there's an underlying friction to the group, however: Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide) and Nikki (Sam Morelos) have a frank discussion about not really caring for one another very much. The series does very little to explore the characters' relationship beyond a few, small scenes, however, so this aspect of their relationship is never expounded upon. There does exist conflict within the show: Eric (Topher Grace) and his inability to let Leia (Callie Haverda) grow up, Sherri's (Andrea Anders) resentment of Red (Kurtwood Smith), and, of course, Leia's relationship woes - but they're few and far between.
That '70s Show was at its best when it played characters against one another - whether it be Red versus Eric, Eric versus Donna (Laura Prepon), Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) versus Jackie (Mila Kunis), the show delivered on the cast's chemistry by constantly testing the boundaries of the characters' relationships. That '90s Show might be following in that same path, but in season 1, very little happens that elicits an emotional connection to these characters. Though the drama starts heating up by the finale, the show's over before the viewer can really absorb any of what's happened - hopefully season 2 dives right into these character interactions.
More Emotional Connections With the Characters
The series has a lot of heart in it, but it relies on nostalgic connections to build most of these emotional scenes. Take, for instance, Bob's (Don Stark) return to the series. It was emotional seeing Bob confess to being lonely because the audience knows how jolly the man is from That '70s Show. But if a newcomer watched the episode, they wouldn't have much reason to laugh at the intricacies of his relationship with Red and Kitty.
That '90s Show needs to give the audience a reason to care for its new cast in its second season. Among the core group, Nikki hardly gets any notable screen time despite being a core member of the gang. The character never has much of a scene with Leia, and their interactions mostly rely on them discussing their relationship with a separate character, but their final scene together is clearly banking on a sense of betrayal between Leia and Nikki that doesn't hit as hard as it could.
More Parental Dynamics
Part of the appeal of That '90s Show welcoming back the That '70s Show cast is seeing the characters grow up, and the show delivered in that arena. Donna, Eric, and Leia all have touching (and funny) moments together. They're actually some of the best in the show, and illustrate the characters' personalities so well. Take Donna's guest role in episode 5; when confronted with the possibility that her daughter may be having sex, she races down to Point Place and gives her a talk (and some condoms). Considering Donna's own past struggles during her first time with Eric, it felt like an earnest and natural look at the characters.
There's a lot of potential in giving the returning characters a slightly bigger role as well; Mila Kunis may have 'called bs' on Jackie and Kelso ending up together, but they do. And they're on their second remarriage. Despite this, Jay hardly ever references his parents, and doesn't get to share more than a cursory scene with them in episode 1. The comedic potential of seeing Kelso and Jackie try to help their son navigate a love triangle would make for an entertaining watch.
Stronger Characterizations
Though the That '90s Show characters have potential, they never necessarily reach the height of what they can be capable of. Several characters also fall into the same archetype; both Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan) and Jay (Mace Coronel) occupy the same niche Kelso fell into, and there hasn't been much of an effort to differentiate the two. While Kelso says Jay inherited Jackie's brains, this is more of an informed quality, and never really comes up again.
The most developed character among the teens is certainly Leia; as the main character, it's practically expected. But its predecessor was an ensemble. Even if it did focus on Eric, at the end of the day, the other characters all got their time to shine as well. Most of the gang is relegated to the B-Plot for most episodes. Seeing this new cast come into its own would really cement this series as its own entity.
More Episodes
This may very well be an issue with Netflix's binge-watching model. Sitcoms aren't as suited for shorter seasons; they relish in exploring their characters to their absolute core, and there's not really need to keep the story tight and focused when there isn't a strong plotline to follow. That '90s Show is coming out in a very different era of media when compared to That '70s Show; most studios will probably never return to the standard 20-episode order.
But That '90s Show needs, if not 20, more than 10 episodes. The episodes all clock in at under 30 minutes, and with only 10 episodes, it feels as though Leia's stay in Point Place is cursory and short. That may be a meta-commentary on Leia's own mindset of her summer fun being cut short, but it doesn't give the show enough room to breathe. It would be easier to swallow things like Leia kissing Nate if the two got to interact in some hypothetical episode, and the audience would sympathize more with Gwen's breakdown if they got to see her and Leia together for longer.
That '90s Show is far from perfect, but it's clear that the show has a lot of thought going into it. The cast and crew are all excited to be working on it - passionate for the material - and it's a fun, nostalgic trip to the '90s. There are just a few tweaks to the show that could catapult it from good to great.
That '90s Show is streaming on Netflix.