That '90s Show Has Set Up Nikki As Jackie Burkhart's Character Replacement
Within the new teen group dynamic, That '90s Show has positioned Nikki (Sam Morelos) as its closest replacement for That '70s Show's Jackie Burkhart. While the teens tend to share traits that overlap with some of the original characters, the parallels come closest as follows: Leia is similar to Eric/Donna, Gwen is a new version of Hyde/Donna, Ozzie comes closer to Fez, Nate and Jay both overlap with Michael Kelso, and Nikki's role is reminiscent of Jackie. However, unlike Jackie being younger than most of the group, Nikki's age appears to be slightly older than Leia and Gwen.
At the start of That '90s Show, Nikki parallels Jackie in that she seemingly only joined the gang because she's Nate's girlfriend, similar to Jackie only being "welcomed" in because she's Kelso's girlfriend. Of course, the rest of the gang actually enjoys hanging around Nikki, whereas Eric and Hyde disliking Jackie was no secret in That '70s Show's early seasons. Nikki and Jackie's parallels are also furthered by their family backgrounds, as both come from seemingly wealthier homes with higher expectations of their daughters that don't align with their chosen groups of friends.
That '90s Show Needed To Spend More Time On Nikki's Friendship With Gwen & Leia
An important aspect of Jackie's role in That '70s Show is that season 1 takes time to focus on her frenemy dynamic with Donna Pinciotti, establishing her position in the gang outside her relationship with Kelso. When Jackie finally dumps Kelso after her pregnancy scare, it isn't surprising that she's still hanging around the gang, as she ultimately fosters an important Friendship with Donna. Throughout season 1, Jackie and Donna are bonded by being the only two girls in the gang, and learn to actually enjoy each other's company despite often insulting one another.
Among the flaws of That '70s Show's gang is that they aren't too ashamed to take advantage of someone they may not genuinely care for. After Kelso kisses Pam Macy and Jackie briefly breaks up with him, the gang still opts to hang out with her because of her family's ski cabin. However, That '90s Show hasn't spent enough time reiterating the reason why Nikki still hangs with the gang every day after her breakup with Nate. It was clear that Nikki had become friends with Leia and Gwen in That '90s Show season 1, but they weren't properly developed as best friends in the same way as Donna and Jackie.
Nate & Nikki's Breakup Made Her Distance From Leia & Gwen Even Worse
While That '90s Show part 2 could have used Nate and Nikki's breakup to reinforce her Friendship with Leia and Gwen, the opposite happened due to That '90s Show season 1's ending twist. Since Leia and Nate had almost kissed, Nikki was furious with Leia and hardly spoke to her. Additionally, Gwen was caught in the middle given Nate is her brother and Leia is her best friend, so she couldn't leap to Nikki's side during the breakup. Though it seems likely that Nate and Nikki will get back together in That '90s Show part 3, the sitcom still needs to prioritize her friendships with Leia and Gwen.
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.
