Prior to the start of the show, the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Topher Grace were unknowns in the world of Hollywood. ‘That ’70s Show‘ turned out to be a huge launching pad for their careers, and the show turned into a classic with its fanbase.
Lasting almost a decade, the FOX show aired 200 episodes along with eight seasons. Despite the remarkable longevity, fans are still asking for a reboot, which is a great sign. Though given the controversy surrounding Danny Masterson’s name, that might be less likely to occur.
With all the success, came inevitable criticism from its fanbase. Airing so many episodes and seasons, some storylines were bound to rub fans the wrong way. Particularly season 8 isn’t met with the biggest fanfare, Eric leaving the show really didn’t help the story nor did it help the viewership.
Turns out, fans weren’t all that thrilled with a storyline that took shape in the final season, pinning two stars of the show together. Fans never saw them in that light and according to many, it was rushed and awkward.
We’ll explore the relationship further, along with discussing what else fans weren’t too pleased with.
Questionable Finale
With Topher Grace opting to leave the show, many argue that it should’ve wrapped up as well. Clearly, the show wasn’t the same without him and it suffered during the final season.
Like so many other shows, final episodes are hard to pull off. In the case of ‘That ’70s Show‘, a lot of fans felt underwhelmed, especially considering Topher’s lack of involvement throughout the episode.
IGN reviewed the episode and in their eyes, the episode did not deliver. What fans fell in love with was the lightness of the show. The final episode might’ve had a tone that was way too serious.
“I wish I could say it was a great finale, but it ends up firmly in the “okay” heading as far as satisfying final episodes. The attempts to look back at the past are a mixed bag but are appreciated, as are the “one last time” moments given to many of the shows memorable bits.”
“But “That ’70s Finale” really isn’t that funny, and it suffers from some concluding scenes that are a bit too rushed, as there is an attempt to quickly wrap up some loose ends, while not properly answering some new questions these resolutions raise.”
Fans were further angered by the way some of the stories played out. In particular, the Jackie and Hyde romance. The love story took an unexpected turn, one the fans didn’t seem to appreciate.
jackie and hyde getting married would've been that 70s show finale at the end of season 7 if season 8 wasn't picked up by the network ….. pic.twitter.com/DOwrLnEaqO
— 🐞 (@7Osburkhart) September 24, 2020
Jackie & Fez
Some relationships just don’t work. We’ve seen this error time and time again, even on an iconic sitcom like ‘Friends‘. Who can forget the pairing of Joey and Rachel, the stars themselves opposed the romance but it was done anyway, and looking back, it proved to be a big waste.
The Jackie and Fez romance felt the same way, Fez chased Jackie during their many years together. Though an actual relationship just didn’t seem right. Fans wanted to see Jackie and Hyde together given their very real chemistry.
Ultimately, placing Fez with Jackie felt forced and rushed, according to a fan thread on Quora.
“Having Jackie end up with Fez was lazy, unacceptable writing. It made no sense. Fez was never in love with her, he just liked the idea of her.”
“The season 7 finale should have been the end of the show – they should have just extended the episode. Hyde would have proposed to Jackie after realized she didn’t sleep with Michael.”
“Personally, I preferred Hyde and Jackie as a couple. I really liked them together. He was everything she wasn’t and vice versa. They somehow completed each other.”
“Jackie and Fez on the other hand… I never saw the spark between them, but I can understand why they ended up together. Fez liked Jackie from the beginning of the show, always treated her like a princess and desperately wanted to be with her, so in a way it was kind of sweet, that she eventually realized, that Fez was the right man for her.”
Some would argue that the new writers didn’t have the same vision as the ones that put Jackie and Hyde together.
Who knows what really happened and if the show should’ve gone for the additional season, to begin with.
