Summary
That ’90s Showhad a good start with its first season, but it looks like season 2 has everything needed to take the series to the next level. In the age of sequels and reboots, it’s getting harder and harder for spinoff series to hold up to their legacy predecessors. It takes the right balance of nostalgia and new content to set the new show up right, and this can be difficult to achieve. Then, even if a first season successfully piques audiences' interest, season 2 is when things quickly begin to go downhill. Thankfully, things are so far looking good forThat ’90s Show.
That ’70s Showisn’t an easy series to live up to, and season 1 ofThat ’90s Showdid a fair enough job of getting the ball rolling. It was helpful that the majority of the original cast returned for an episode of two of the spinoff, with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp’s Red and Kitty holding the first season up on their shoulders. The new group of teenage characters also got a decent start, though they haven’t entirely lived up to their legacy predecessors yet. Overall, season 1 made it through, butThat ’90s Showseason 2’s trailer sets up a clear path for further success.
That ’90s Show Season 2: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
That ’90s Show season 1’s ending sets up future storylines and character returns. Here’s everything we know about That ’90s Show season 2 on Netflix.
The Cast Of That ’90s Show Has Grown Up A Lot In 1.5 Years
An Older Cast Allows For More Mature Comedy
Red and Kitty carriedThat ’90s Showseason 1, and this was a smart move on the part of the showrunners. These were two strong, foundational characters inThat ’70s Show, and the spinoff series needed all the familiarity it could get. After all, there wasn’t much reason to care about the new teenage characters at the beginning, and audiences were bound to be reluctant to accept the absence of the old gang. What’s more,the new cast was relatively young inThat ’90s Showseason 1, which makes it hard for the show’s target audience (’70s Showfans) to connect with them.
The young cast can begin to hold the series up for themselves, and That ’90s Show season 2 should have a much easier time tackling the mature topics of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.
Going intoseason 2,That ’90s Showis at an advantage in this regard. Callie Haverda, who plays Leia Forman, was only 15 when she began filming season 1 in 2022, but she was closer to 17 while filming season 2 at the end of 2023. Her age difference, as well as that of her castmates, is evident in Netflix’s trailer, andthis instantly raises the series’ perceived maturity. The young cast can begin to hold the series up for themselves, andThat ’90s Showseason 2 should have a much easier time tackling the mature topics of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.
Less That ’70s Show Cameos In Season 2 Is A Good Thing
There’s More Room In That ’90s Show Season 2 For The New Cast To Shine
Netflix has been pretty upfront about who will orwon’t be appearing inThat ’90s Showseason 2. While the majority of the legacy teen cast made cameos in the first installment, only Donna (Laura Prepon) has been confirmed for the coming episodes. While this is disappointing in the way ofThat ’70s Shownostalgia, it’s really a good sign forThat ’90s Show’s overall success. Spinoff shows can’t live on nostalgia alone, andconstant cameos from Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and the rest of the gang will make it impossible for the new teen cast to establish themselves.
Of course,That ’90s Showwill still have a lot to keep it connected toThat ’70s Show. Red and Kitty will still be a foundational feature of the series, just as they were for the parent series. Donna making occasional appearances helps with cohesiveness since it would be strange if Leia never talked to her parents, and the trailer forThat ’90s Showseason 2 revealed thatDon Stark’s Bob Pinciotti will be moving in across the street from the Formans. This will mean just enoughThat ’70s Showcast to balance things out without getting in the way.
The Love Triangle Plotline In That ’90s Show Season 2 Is Very On-Brand
Leia’s Story In Season 2 Feels Like That ’70s Show Without Being Too Similar
That ’90s Showseason 1 focused predominantly on welcoming audiences back to the Forman residence while establishing the new teenage characters, but season 2 can begin to dive into the nitty gritty. This has already been teased by Netflix’s trailer, which sees the follow-up to Leia’s big kiss with Nate at the end of season 1. This happened just before Leia went back to Chicago for the school year, and though Gwen caught them, Jay and Nikki hadn’t found out about it. Based on the scenes in the trailer, this will change as Leia again comes to stay with her grandparents for the summer.
The cat is clearly out of the bag in theThat ’90s Showseason 1 trailer, whereLeia seems to be stuck in a love triangle between Jay and Natewhile facing the wrath of Nikki. This feels pretty similar to the Jackie-Kelso-Hyde fiasco fromThat ’70s Show, so the plotline certainly has potential. Of course, the spinoff series can’t be too similar to its parent series since it would risk falling short in comparison. Still, Leia’s arc inseason 2 certainly looks like it will be a conflict and teen-hormone-fueled disaster, which is precisely what aThat ’70s Showspinoff should be.
The first eight episodes ofThat ’90s Showseason 2 will stream on Netflix June 07, 2025.
Season 2 Is The Make Or Break Moment Of A Streaming Series Like That ’90s Show
That ’90s Show Season 1 Was The Easy Part
Netflix seems to have done a great job setting itself up for success in the next installment ofThat ’90s Show, which is good since a second season is when the potential of a series is truly determined. It’s easy enough to get a handful of episodes right, especially when there’s so much nostalgia involved. It’s the next batch of episodes that determine whether a series has longevity.That ’90s Showwon’t be able to depend on audiences’ love forThat ’70s Showsince their desire to return to Point Place has already been satisfied by the first season.
Plenty of shows have received fair reception for the first season but fell flat in the second. Another recent sitcom reboot,How I Met Your Father, managed to get through its first installment without a hitch, but when the second season was more episodes of the same old thing, the series was canceled.Netflix, especially, is no stranger to the dangers of season 2.Shadow and Bone,Sex/Life, andDeadEndiawere all canceled after their second seasons, while shows likeThe Witcherlost favor after season 2.That ’90s Showwill have to fight to avoid being added to this list, even with this best possible setup.
That ’90s Show
Cast
That ’70s Show returns set two decades later with That ’90s Show, acting as a sequel but bringing back old cast favorites. Led by Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) Forman, the new cast arrives as the next generation, with the daughter of Eric and Donna, Leia Forman, leading the charge. Spending the summer with her grandparents, Leia makes new friends and forges new bonds in Point Place, Wisconsin. That ’70s Show series regulars make cameos in the show to maintain that sense of familiarity, and the show adopts the conventions of the ’90s as expected. That ’90s Show first aired on Netflix with a total of ten episodes.
