That ‘90s Show Part 2 Review: Something for Everyone in Another Point Place Summer

Featuring teen dramedy tropes worthy of a CW show and a wealth of niche cameos by stars of its era, That ‘90s Show Part 2 returns better than ever at catering to each generation watching.

Leia Forman returns to her grandparents’ house for another summer with her friends—but first they all need to get past that little “almost kissing her boyfriend’s best friend who is also her best friend’s boyfriend” thing. I wasn’t kidding about the tropes.

From breakups to summer flings to pregnancy scares, it’s impressive how familiar these are to the youth of any era. The more serious moments these characters face could easily have happened in either That 70s Show or a teen series set today.

Take that seriousness with a grain of salt, because, just as in the series’ first outing, this gang of not-quite-adults is more often than not just awkwardly finding their footing in the real world as those both before and after them already have.

Much as all ages can get something from this, the primary audience does still seem to be those who grew up watching the original series- young people seeing themselves in a setting twenty years previous.

While the first season achieves this in sometimes seeming to recreate That 70s Show against the backdrop of a new group of main characters, these episodes lean into being as true to their titular era as possible.

Everything rom the settings (Hot Topic!) to the cultural references (racial profiling of shoplifting kids!) feels like it could have come from a “TGIF” block of television. We’re pulled in even while knowing these are sly references geared for today’s audiences.

The cameos are as prevalent as ever, both in the characters from the original series (bit characters and regulars alike, appearing from a few minutes to multiple episodes) and in a wealth of stars who were a hit in the 90s—and some who haven’t been seen much since.

All that aside, That ‘90s Show isn’t a reboot, but rather a new series that plays regular tributes to its origins. As fun as it is to spend so much more time with Red and Kitty and relive the days of classic television, these things aren’t the center of the show.

That rests on the shoulders of Leia and her friends, who bring wit and heart to their adventures no matter how familiar they feel. In a world of remakes, That ‘90s Show builds on all its origins to define itself as a new series.

A lot of rebooted series strive to be the kind of show that families can watch together, but this is one of the few to be true to that, whether viewers see themselves in Red and Kitty, brief appearances by the original gang, or the new one at its heart.

Coming in at eight episodes (two less than season 1), part 2 leaves off on something of a cliffhanger, with multiple couples in flux, Red and Kitty set to jet off to Paris…and a car driving through a wall of the Forman house.

Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait for part 3. That ’90s Show isn’t anything revolutionary, but it builds on the best parts of itself here and leaves us waiting for what happens next—though certain Full House reruns might give us a hint.

 

What did you think of this episode of That ’90s Show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

That ’90s Show is now streaming on Netflix

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!