That '70s Show Fans Have An Idea About How Season 6 Should Have Gone
"That '70s Show" may have been rooted in its eponymous decade, but the series' immense popularity among millennials proves that the 1970s were just a jumping-off point. Although the pop culture references leaned towards "Star Wars" and Todd Rundgren, the ribald yet network-friendly sense of humor and epic burns in "That '70s Show" had a timeless quality that earned it 16 Emmy Award nominations and made it a hit in syndication.
Still, not all seasons of "That '70s Show" were created equal, and the series experienced a gradual decline capped off by its much-maligned eighth and final season following the departure of Topher Grace. For some fans of "That '70s Show," the series took a nosedive once the central gang of basement-dwelling teens graduated from high school at the end of Season 5, leading to a plodding, comparatively bleak Season 6. Here's how Season 6 could have been changed for the better, according to some fans of the show.
Some fans think That '70s Show should have followed the gang to college
Season 6 found the teens of "That '70s Show" in a post-high school haze, with Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) plotting their ill-fated move to Madison and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Jackie (Mila Kunis), and Hyde (Danny Masterson) embroiled in a drawn-out love triangle. Some fans think the middling season could have been salvaged had "That '70s Show" followed them to college -– with the caveat that no one strayed too far.
"I really wish it happened [with] some of the guys going to UW and Donna going to Marquette," wrote u/unstoppable_vante242 in the r/That70sshow subreddit. Other Redditors chimed in, adding that community college would have been a viable option as well. "It would've made sense if they were commuting to campus or if they were visiting home quite frequently," added u/dhruvlrao, with u/AKSqueege making a similar observation about staying local. Another fan, u/Fackos, suggested a time jump à la "One Tree Hill," which skipped four years ahead after graduation.
One fan argued that Season 6 onward could have taken place during breaks from college, allowing for Point Place-centric stories without stymieing character development. "Season 6 could be that first winter break," wrote u/generalzee, "where the gang is back together after going on separate little side adventures." Interestingly, that's the same route that "That '90s Show" has taken for the latest batch of Forman basement regulars, who will reunite over summer vacation in Season 2. Still, maybe the reboot will learn from its forebear and wrap things up once everyone graduates from high school.