Kitty Forman’s relationship with Leia in That ‘70s Show's finale, which last saw the original characters counting down to midnight on New Year’s Eve 1979. In the sequel series, Eric (Topher Gace) and Donna’s (Laura Prepon) daughter Leia (Callie Haverda) stays with her grandparents Red and Kitty for the summer, introducing a new generation of Point Place teens for the Formans to watch over.
Alongside Leia and her new teenage friends, That ‘90s Show is bringing back numerous characters from That ‘70s Show. While original teens Eric, Donna, Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Jackie (Mila Kunis), and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) will all be returning in guest roles, Eric’s parents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp) will be leading the main cast of That ‘90s Show. Similar to how Eric and Kelso’s absences in That ‘70s Show season 8 led Kitty and Red to receive greater screen time and more important storylines, That ‘90s Show will allow for a deeper dive into the two original characters’ emotional arcs as they approach being grandparents in the 1990s.
Kitty and Red leading That ‘90s Show also allows for the sequel series to address (and improve) notable storylines and character quirks from That ‘70s Show. One such story that will be fixed in That ‘90s Show is Kitty’s relationship with the female of her family. While Kitty enjoyed loving relationships with Red and Eric, the women in her family were all quite hostile toward her, which included her daughter Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly), sister Paula, mother Bea, and mother-in-law Bernice. Kitty’s insecurities were always exacerbated by her rejection from her female family , serving as one of the saddest aspects of the character’s overall story in That ‘70s Show. However, Kitty’s relationship with her granddaughter can finally fix this trend in That ‘90s Show, as the two are apt to foster a meaningful and loving bond when Leia comes to stay with her.
Considering Leia is described as a combination of her parents in of intelligence, kindness, and sarcasm, That ‘90s Show’s lead teenage character is set to create a bond with Red and Kitty that parallels Eric’s from That ‘70s Show. In this manner, Kitty will finally have a woman in her life who she genuinely shares a loving relationship with, making Leia the daughter she always wished for. Donna ended up taking over this role during That ‘70s Show season 8 after Laurie had been written out of the series and Eric had left for Africa, with Kitty stating she'll always love Donna like a daughter in the series finale. Of course, this became more literal in the future when Donna and Eric (presumably) got married and had a daughter. However, Kitty’s more direct familial relationship with Leia means that their relationship will improve upon the bond that she and Donna developed.
While Kitty grew to love every single one of That ‘70s Show’s original teens as her children, it didn’t change the fact that she was never accepted by the women in her life that were supposed to embrace her. Considering Leia is apt to exhibit the best parts of both Eric and Donna, there’s no doubt that she’ll be able to finally fill this missing relationship in Kitty’s story. Kitty always talked about how excited she was to have grandchildren back in That ‘70s Show, so the opportunity to grow closer to Leia by spending the summer together in That '90s Show seems like a dream come true for the character.