WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for That '90s Show season 1!One of Red and Hyde’s most memorable arguments in That ‘70s Show is revived in That ‘90s Show, but Red’s perspective has now changed. Red and Hyde had one of the greatest dynamics in That ‘70s Show, as they often switched between exhibiting a caring father-and-son-type relationship to trying to purposefully anger each other and get under their skin. Because Red represented a more conservative perspective on life and Hyde symbolized the liberal counter-culture movement, the pair often engaged in hilarious arguments about politics, culture, and conspiracies, which are still relevant in That ‘90s Show.
Hyde’s ability to anger Red by bringing up certain subjects also became useful at times, such as how he criticizes the U.S. government in order to distract Red from Eric and Donna's California trip in That ‘70s Show season 5. Hyde suggests that the U.S. government is going to put tracking devices in their heads by 1984, ending his statement with “Damn U.S. government.” An angry Red responds by saying, “If the U.S. government decides to stick a tracking device up your ass, you say, ‘Thank you, and God bless America!’” While this is remembered as one of Red’s most iconic quotes, That ‘90s Show reveals that his trust in the government has since changed.
That ‘70s Show Makes Red Distrustful Of The Government
Much like Hyde being skeptical of the U.S. government’s influence in That ‘70s Show, Eric's father Red is now distrustful of the government after being convinced by conspiracy theories related to computers in That ‘90s Show. When Ozzie shows Kitty and Red how to use their home computer in That ‘90s Show season 1, episode 5, Red says he’ll stick to reading newspapers because they have "no wires connected to the U.S. government.” Back in That ‘70s Show, Red would have been furious with one of the teens for doubting the government’s integrity, but in That ‘90s Show's post-Cold War timeline, he’s just as distrustful of the system.
Red’s fear of the government watching him through computers in That ‘90s Show is also directly related to his fight with Hyde due to the relationship between the government, tracking devices, and invasions of privacy. While Hyde is one of That ‘70s Show’s characters not returning in That ‘90s Show, he likely would have agreed with Red about being distrustful of the machines. Kitty doesn’t share this skepticism, as she makes sure to say “Hi” to President Bill Clinton just in case he is listening through their technology.
Red Replaces Hyde As That '90s Show's Conspiracy Believer
Hyde was always the character spouting conspiracy theories throughout That ‘70s Show, primarily when in the Circle, so this element of the original show was largely missing in That ‘90s Show. However, Red changing his mind about being fine with the government tracking him solves this problem, as he’s apt to continue following conspiracies as the technology of the mid-1990s becomes more advanced. If Red is already this worried about relying on computers in 1995, it’ll be hilarious to see his reaction to the Y2K panic in That ‘90s Show’s future.
While Red takes over the anti-establishment side of Hyde’s character, it’s primarily That ‘90s Show’s new character Gwen who fills his role. Gwen is the politically-conscious, music-forward, Circle leader of That ‘90s Show, whose close friendship with Leia Forman mirrors the relationship between Hyde and Eric in That ‘70s Show. Through Red and Gwen, That ‘90s Show brilliantly carries over this key character role in the group dynamic from That ‘70s Show.