“That ‘90s Show” attempts to live up to predecessor

Trends today rely on the nostalgia factor of many decades before. Fashion trends such as grunge clothing and the reemergence of 90s music found in samples of today’s hits show the takeover of the past. “That ‘90s Show” uses 90s elements to present its decade-based show, but fails to live up to the humor and authenticity of its parent show, “That ‘70s Show”.

“That ‘90s Show” follows Leia, the teenage daughter of Eric Foreman and Donna Pinciotti, two characters whose romance defined the teenage drama of “That ‘70s Show”. Staying with her grandparents, the fan-favorites Kitty and Red for the summer, Leia finds herself in the shenanigans of teen life with her newfound group of friends.

While Leia and her crew are dorky and endearing, each character fails to show the depth of the ones from the former series. With only a 10-episode season, the series left me wanting more from the new kids. Furthermore, the characters newly formed bond made it hard to get attached to with such a short season. Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed the unique personalities of the gang.

One of the expected highlights from the show was the reappearance of the former series’ cast. Beloved characters such as Fez brought back the comedic element the new show tends to struggle with. Seeing how the old characters lives panned out was a nice touch, however the fate of characters not shown did leave lingering questions (including Steven Hyde, whose actor Danny Masterson is currently facing a rape trial, according to US Magazine). While understandably, many characters probably will not make an appearance, the ones who came back showed viewers what was so dearly missed about the series.

 If you’re a fan of “That ‘70s Show”, “That ‘90s Show” does a good job reviving the chaos and fun of Point Place, Wisconsin. While you should not expect the groovy vibes and perfect sarcastic humor of the former, you will have a good time watching this one.