Leia Forman’s age in That ‘90s Show appears to conflict with the timeline of That ‘70s Show’s ending, potentially creating a plot hole. That ‘90s Show is set in the summer of 1995, picking up about 15 years after That ‘70s Show’s finale, which cut to black upon turning to New Year’s Day 1980. The sequel series follows Donna Pinciotti and Eric Forman’s teenage daughter Leia as she stays with her grandparents for the summer in Point Place, where she gets into many of the same rebellious activities as her parents in the ‘70s.
That ‘70s Show’s confusing timeline was one of the most notorious aspects of the sitcom, as it often muddled the character’s ages, consistency with the depicted year, and overall passage of time. However, since That ‘90s Show is only set during the summer, it shouldn’t run into as many problems with depicting the correct ages. That ‘90s Show’s teenage characters also begin the sitcom at a younger age than Eric and his 17-year-old friends were in That ‘70s Show season 1, so the spinoff can follow a more natural progression of time across seasons. Even still, Leia’s age in That ‘90s Show season 1 may already cause significant problems with the franchise’s timeline.
Leia Forman Turns 15 In That ’90s Show Season 1
That ‘90s Show season 1, episode 6 is set on Leia Forman’s 15th birthday. The series began on July 3, 1995, with Leia’s birthday seemingly only being about two weeks later, as returning That ’70s Show character Eric announced they were going to go to space camp for two weeks, and he appeared to still be there during her birthday party. When assessing the timeline, Leia was either born in late July or early August 1980.
Leia’s age in That ‘90s Show season 1 is the only confirmed age for the teens, so it’s unclear how much older Nate, Nikki, and Jay are than Leia, Gwen, and Ozzie. However, it seems that they’re no more than a year older than Leia, so Nate, Nikki, and Jay are likely only 16 years old. But, since That ‘90s Show‘s subsequent seasons will only be set during summer, the spinoff may never confirm the exact birthdays and ages of all the other characters.
Does Donna’s Pregnancy With Leia Create A ’70s Show Plot Hole?
In That ‘90s Show, the ages of Leia, Jay, and even Eric don’t align with the notion that the sequel series takes place 15 years after the original. If Leia was born in early August 1980, then Donna would have become pregnant with her in December 1979, yet Eric was still in Africa during this time. In this case, Leia’s age in That ‘90s Show is a plot hole for That ‘70s Show, unless Leia was born premature. If so, That ‘90s Show could make her conception fit the timeline by revealing that Donna became pregnant with Leia in January 1980, directly after Eric returned from Africa.
Still, That ‘90s Show‘s timeline has more problems. Donna mentions in That ‘90s Show’s premiere that Eric is 38 years old, yet he was only about 20 or 21 years old in That ‘70s Show’s finale. This means that Eric would be 36 years old at most in That ‘90s Show season 1’s 1995 setting, though the spinoff reveals he’s two years older. Similarly, Jackie and Kelso’s son Jay is able to drive in That ‘90s Show season 1, suggesting he’s at least 16 years old. For this to be true, Jackie would have given birth to him in early 1979, yet she was childless in That ‘70s Show‘s finale.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
