That ‘90s Showoffers a joyous return to the world and universe of one of the best sitcoms of the actual 1990s.That ‘70s Showwas a delightful series that allowed its characters to grow up during a decade of rapid social change and completed their journey together after eight seasons and 200 episodes.That ‘90s Showbrings back original cast membersKurtwood SmithandDebra Jo Ruppas Red and Kitty Forman, respectively.It also includesthe original main characters Eric Forman (Topher Grace), Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), as well as a few delightful guest stars. However, one of the original characters is entirely absent.
Steven Hyde, the sixth member of the original friend group, was a main character in all eight of the original seasons. The child of a disruptive household who has many issues with the law, Hyde is effectively adopted by the Formans as a surrogate brother to Eric. Although he has romantic flirtations with both Jackie and Donna, he doesn’t end up with either of them. Given the accusations and lawsuit surrounding actorDanny Masterson,the series opts not to include the character.
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The Case Against Danny Masterson
In March 2017, Masterson was accused of sexual assault by three victims, which incited an official investigation from the Los Angeles Police Department. Although Masterson denied the allegations, a subsequent investigation by Netflix resultedin his firing from the cast of the seriesThe Ranch. After ending their partnership with Masterson completely, Netflix’s official response stated that the character would be written off of the show and placed a brief hold on the show’s production to adjust to the script changes.
The Ranchcontinued for five additional seasons after Masterson’s departure. In universe, the character Jameson Ford Bennett is presumed dead and barely mentioned for the rest of the series. Masterson has not appeared in any other studio movies or television shows since.He was arrested and officially chargedin 2020, with a 2022 case resulting in a mistrial. A new trial is set to begin early this year.
Is Hyde’s Absence Explained in ‘That ’90s Show’?
Hyde’s absence from the regular cast of characters makes sense within the context ofThat ‘70s Show’s universe.In the series finale, Hyde is briefly engaged to the stripper Samantha (Jud Tylor), but their relationship is terminated by the end of the final episode. Hyde’s flirtations with Donna and Jackie don’t pan out; Eric reunited with Donna after his studies in Africa, andThat ‘90s Showconfirms that they eventually married and raised a daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda). Although Jackie is in a relationship with Fez in the end, she refuses his offer of marriage.That ‘90s Showconfirms that she subsequently married (and divorced) Kelso, and that they have a son, Jay (Mace Coronel).
Hyde’s fate and character are not mentioned at all inThat ‘90s Show. AlthoughThat ‘90s Showfeatures many flashbacks to the original series, Hyde is not included or mentioned in any of them; the season finale “Kids in America” includes a sequence where Fez has a vision of his original friend group in flashbacks, but Hyde is not among them.
How ‘That ‘90s Show’ Moves Forward
Removing Hyde entirely was the right decision given the circumstances. It works in the series’ favor to not incorporate him in any way. Hyde had always had conflicts with Eric and gotten him into trouble, and it makes sense that the gang would eventually have a falling out. Calling attention to Masterson and his original performance, even to explain Hyde’s fate, would have only called attention to the issue.
Since Hyde was not actively involved in any of the main storylines at the end of the original series, his absence doesn’t create any inconsistencies. It’s also unnecessary to keep drawing to the past, asThat ‘90s Showis primarily about the new, younger generation of characters. While Eric, Donna, Kelso, and Jackie appear to establish their kids’ roles, they don’t play a central enough role for a discussion of Hyde to ever naturally work its way in.
It’s best to avoid writing the character off the series in a way that drags out the issue, which has harmed some other shows that removed problematic cast members.Netflix terminated their relationship withKevin Spaceyamidst the production ofHouse of Cards Season 6, but stillattempted to rework the seasonin order to incorporate his character. This was ultimately a creative failure that didn’t allow the series to move forward in a more progressive direction.
Other Guest Stars Could Appear in ‘That ’90s Show’
It’s also not necessary for Hyde to make an appearance considering the other guest stars that the show has in its favor. Leo Chingkwake (Tommy Chong), Bob Pinciotti (Don Stark), and Fenton (Jim Rash) all pop up in ways that are organic to the story, as they have primary relationships with the other characters. Considering that there were many other side characters in the original series worth revisiting, future seasons of‘That 90s Showwould have more than a few fun characters to draw from. Some fans might have forgotten that the original series featured guest roles by icons such asJoseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Green, Jim Gaffigan, Wayne Knight, Ashley Eckstein,andJenna Fischeramong others.
Masterson isn’t the only member of the original cast that is missing fromThat ‘90s Show. Sadly, original cast membersLisa Robin KellyandTanya Robertshave both passed away since the original show’s release, and their respective characters Laurie Forman and Midge Pinciotti are not referenced. If‘That 90s Showis renewed for a second season, hopefully, the show can find respectful ways to incorporate and pay homage to the careers of these two brilliant actresses.
That ‘90s Showdoesn’t just update the cultural references and technology of the original series to fit the 1990s; it also takes a more progressive angle in order to modernize the character. With more earnest conversations about sexual and racial dynamics, the inclusion of LGBT characters, and the removal of offensive caricatures,That ‘90s Showhas been able to replace any aspects of the original series that haven’t aged well with new storylines that reflect how times have changed. It’s helpful to simply leave Hyde in the past and move toward a brighter and more inclusive future forThat ‘90s Show.
The first season ofThat ’90s Showis now available to stream on Netflix.
