WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for That '90s Show season 1!Jackie and Kelso’s marriage in That ‘90s Show comically repeats the dynamic of their teenage romance, but forgets the progress they made at the end of That ‘70s Show. Picking up 15 years after the original series, That ‘90s Show brings back the majority of That ‘70s Show’s main characters for cameos or recurring roles, including Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis). When the iconic characters return for their one-scene cameo in That ‘90s Show’s pilot, it’s revealed that they are raising their teenage son Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel) and getting re-married for the second time.
In addition to the fact that they had an on-and-off romance until That ‘70s Show season 8, Jackie and Kelso getting back together wasn’t too surprising considering their actors are also married in real life. Still, That ‘70s Show ended with Jackie dating Fez, while Kelso moved to Chicago to be closer to his daughter Betsy. For better or worse, That ‘90s Show has already undone much of That ‘70s Show season 8’s developments, with Jackie and Kelso’s changes being fitting for the most nostalgic conception of their characters, but ignoring their personal growth across the original series.
Jackie & Kelso Divorcing & Remarrying Continues Their That '70s Show Dynamic
That ‘90s Show season 1, episode 1 reveals that Jackie and Kelso are on their third marriage, meaning they’ve already been divorced twice in the 15 years since That ‘70s Show’s series finale. This dynamic is incredibly familiar for the two characters, as they broke up and got back together numerous times throughout That ‘70s Show's timeline, always seeming to find their way back to one another. When throwing a child into the mix, Jackie and Kelso are connected forever on a deeper level, so continuing to get back together in their 20s and 30s isn’t unbelievable for their relationship.
In this way, their fates in That ‘90s Show make perfect sense for Jackie and Kelso’s future, even if their marriage was potentially just a way to see Kutcher yell “Damn, Jackie!” after Kunis impatiently screams “Michael!” at him. While they mention that they think this marriage will “stick” in That ‘90s Show, their history suggests this isn’t the case, so it won’t be shocking if their son Jay later mentions that his parents are getting divorced again. Still, it would be more satisfying to see That '70s Show's returning characters actually have growth in their relationship than continuing to exhibit the same toxic dynamic they embraced as immature teenagers.
Jackie & Kelso's Bad Marriage Undoes Their Growth In That '70s Show's Ending
The worst part about Jackie and Kelso being married in That ‘90s Show is that it rejects their personal growth seen in That ‘70s Show season 8. Kelso truly matured to become a good father for his daughter, which seemed to also imply that he wanted to create a stable home and make his relationship work with Brooke. Meanwhile, Jackie realized she didn’t want to be with a guy who cheated on her, disrespected her, and undermined her throughout their relationship, which is why she ended up with Fez instead of Kelso in That ‘70s Show season 8.
That ‘90s Show reveals that this progress was all undone almost immediately after That ‘70s Show’s ending, with both reverting to their most immature selves and seemingly failing to make any forward progress over the past 15 years. Jackie and Kelso’s marriage would have been perfect for That ‘90s Show if they had learned to let go of their destructive traits and treatment of one another, but their many divorces and re-marriages simply rehash the same problems they struggled with at age 17. To make it worse, there’s no telling what effect Jackie and Kelso's toxic relationship will have on their teenage son Jay, whose well-being should be their top priority.