WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for That ’90s Show part 3!While Laurie Forman technically isn’t featured inThat ‘90s Show, Netflix’s sequel series manages to wrap up a sad storyline for her character over 18 years afterThat ‘70s Show’s ending. With Red and Kitty maintaining their roles as the primary guardians of the Point Place teens inThat ‘90s Show, the sitcom maintains a welcome focus on theForman family treewhilecontinuing to reference the members who aren’t physically present. This includes Red and Kitty’s kids Laurie and Eric, the latter being the father ofThat ‘90s Show’s main characterLeia Forman.
Though Topher Grace’s Eric Forman appeared inThat ‘90s Show’s series premiere, the actor hasn’t reprised his role since. Meanwhile, there was already an understanding thatLaurie wouldn’t appear inThat ‘90s Show, as her original actress Lisa Robin Kelly passed away in 2013. GivenThat ‘70s Showrecasting Lauriewith Christina Moore didn’t work and resulted in the character gradually being written out, it makes sense that the sequel opted to avoid bringing Laurie back on-screen. Instead, her character’s role consists of references by Red and Kitty, which still helps to resolve some of her storylines fromThat ‘70s Show.
Kitty Implies That She Fixed Her Relationship With Laurie & Regrets Their Dynamic From That ’70s Show
Kitty Wishes She Spent Less Time Yelling At Laurie & More Time Listening To Her
In a subtle but meaningful line by Kitty inThat ‘90s Showpart 3, it’s implied that Laurie and her mother’s longstanding feud came to an end during the years afterThat ‘70s Show’s timeline. When Kitty and Red discuss their experiences raising teenage girls, Kitty mentions that she and her daughter would frequently get into arguments and that she would let it affect her dearly. However,Kitty now states that she regrets that dynamic they had growing up, suggesting their relationship has changed afterThat ‘70s Show:
When I had a teenage daughter, I did a lot of yelling, but I wish I could take all those moments back. Kids don’t steal trucks or, in my daughter’s case, rob a Kmart with her pastor for no apparent reason.
Whereas Red was hard on Eric and the two rarely saw eye-to-eye,Kitty struggled to connect with Laurie and the two often argued inThat ‘70s Show. Red and Eric still continue their playful insults inThat ‘90s Show, but Kitty seems to no longer be hard on Laurie. A few times now, Kitty has reflected on some of Laurie’s more notable actions and traits as a teen and young adult, which includes her daughter robbing a Kmart some time ago.
However, Kitty isn’t very judgmental when discussing these memories, rather appearing to be more concerned about Laurie’s younger years and relieved that they’re over. It’s still unconfirmedwhere exactly Laurie is duringThat ‘90s Show, but the hope is that she’s doing well during the sequel series after getting into so much trouble inThat ‘70s Show. Red always adored Laurie and was blinded to her faults when she was younger, soKitty’s more bittersweet reminiscing suggests their daughter may have turned a new leaf in adulthood.
That ’90s Show Part 3 Ending Explained
The ending of That ’90s Show part 3 ended on a cliffhanger, leaving the fate and relationships of several main characters entirely in the air.
Kitty’s Lines About Laurie In That ’90s Show Heartwarmingly Honor Her Character
The Spirit Of Laurie’s Character Is Maintained Through Kitty’s References In That ’90s Show
In addition to proving that Netflix’sThat ‘90s Showhasn’t forgotten about Laurieor her roles on some of the more dramatic storylines fromThat ‘70s Show,Kitty’s new references to her character are a great way to honor Laurie’s impact on the sitcom. Laurie added plenty of great humor to the show with the wild things she would get into, andfinding out that she once robbed a Kmart with a pastor is perfectly in character. When Kitty mentions these little details that weren’t revealed inThat ‘70s Show, the spirit of Laurie’s character is kept alive inThat ‘90s Showdespite her absence.
Laurie Forman’s finalThat ’70s Showappearance was in the season 6 episode “Going Mobile.” Laurie was only mentioned by characters during seasons 7 and 8.
Even without Laurie Forman actually appearing inThat ‘90s Show,Kitty mentioning her and giving updates on her life feels like she’s still part of the current story. It’s easy to imagine Lisa Robin Kelly’s Laurie getting into trouble at a Kmart, which feels like it could have been a real subplot inThat ‘70s Show. Through these references, Laurie’s story still continues in spirit and maintains an important role in the Forman family’s expandedThat ‘90s Showdynamic.
Where Topher Grace’s Eric Forman Is During That ‘90s Show Part 3
Topher Grace still doesn’t return as Eric Forman in That ’90s Show part 3, but the sitcom gives a compelling new reason for his absence.
Laurie’s That ’90s Show References Are A Great Way To Conclude Her Story
It’s Easy To Imagine Laurie’s Character In These Situations That Kitty Mentions
Compared to the alternative ways to deal with her character’s absence,Kitty and Red’s references to Laurie are a great way to honor her inThat ‘90s Show. After Lisa Robin Kelly’s death,That ‘90s Showhad a few options for how to address Laurie, such as recasting her, ignoring her entirely, killing off her character, or indirectly keeping her character around through references.That ‘90s Showopted for the latter, which avoids some potential problems.
That ‘70s Showalready proved that recasting Laurie wouldn’t achieve the same charm and life that Kelly brought to the character, soThat ‘90s Showwisely avoided repeating this. It also would have been a mistake to ignore Laurie entirely inThat ‘90s Show. The sequel series is centered on the Forman family, and it would be a disservice to her character’s impact onThat ‘70s Show. Furthermore,killing Laurie off would feel like a cheap way to deal with her absence, and would still require frequent focus and reflection from Red and Kitty to address the effects of losing their daughter.
While it’s tragic that Laurie and Midge are both gone fromThat ‘90s Show, the sequel series has thankfully honored their memories, stories, and actors through references from the returning characters.
WhileThat ‘90s Showseemingly revealed that Midge diedwhen Kitty mentioned “all” of Leia’s grandparents living in Point Place, it’s arguably a more believable development than unexpectedly giving Laurie the same fate. Midge Pinciotti’s actress Tanya Roberts passed away in 2021, with her character, like Laurie, having frequently experienced long periods of absences fromThat ‘70s Show. While it’s tragic that Laurie and Midge are both gone fromThat ‘90s Show, the sequel series has thankfully honored their memories, stories, and actors through references from the returning characters.
IfThat ‘90s Showpart 4 ends up including a Thanksgiving or Christmas episode, it may become more difficult to explain Laurie’s absence from Point Place. However, this also provides a more seamless way to reveal where Laurie is during the sequel series’ timeline, expanding on what happened to her and what other misadventures she’s faced over the years sinceThat ‘70s Show. ConsideringTopher Grace and Lisa Robin Kelly’s scenes together were some of the funniestacrossThat ‘70s Show’s eight seasons, having Eric mention his sister would be a fantastic way to continue honoring Laurie in the future.
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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.
That ’70s Show
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
