[Kendra Luehr]

Originally Posted by msstock87 (View Post) I have personally never talked to anybody that has liked season 8. Season 8 still makes me angry and ill to this day, and when I see the episodes on the TV schedule it always annoys me. My husband who likes to give everything a fair chance watched the first 10 minutes of episode one of season 8 and then turned it off and said " What the hell was that crap I just watched".

My basic rule is that if Donna's hair is blonde, the episode's a "no-go."

Originally Posted by MistyMountainHop (View Post) Not on this board. But there are a few people I've seen on tumblr who do. Many of the S8 writers were ones who'd written episodes during earlier seasons, including good J/H episodes. Unfortunately, they had to take their dictate from the new showrunners hired for S8, who explicitly stated in an interview (TV Guide, I believe; I remember reading it in the grocery store when S8 started to air) that they didn't like or understand J/H's romantic relationship and were reverting then back to their season-1 antagonism because that's what the S8 showrunners believed J/H were supposed to be like. But, clearly, the S8 showrunners didn't understand subtext. And they never should've accepted the job if they didn't like or respect how the characters had grown and changed over seven years. Josh Meyers was originally cast as Eric. There was no Randy. In the first ep of S8, Eric was supposed to have come back early from Africa because he couldn't stand being away from Donna, and everyone was going to talk about how much Africa had changed him (ha, ha). But the producers ultimately decided against this idea and created Randy for him. A lot of Randy's dialogue in the eps was obviously written with Eric's personality in mind.

I wonder why they hired people who clearly weren't in tune with what the audience wanted/loved? :/ I mean, sometimes things are beyond their control, but that's a pretty steep shift. You can't just go from being in love to antagonists. Or at least, not in the way that they handled everything.

Oh, was he really? I'd never heard that before! That's a much better idea to make a new character, IMO, because I think people would've been even harder on the actor than they already are. It's difficult to replace a beloved character without backlash. I personally didn't feel chemistry between Josh and Laura either, so that would've been a mistake just for that reason alone.

I just noticed the title of this thread, and it honestly makes sense. Fez came out on top more than anyone, after all.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by Kendra Luehr (View Post) My basic rule is that if Donna's hair is blonde, the episode's a "no-go."

Not a bad rule.

Originally Posted by Kendra Luehr (View Post) I wonder why they hired people who clearly weren't in tune with what the audience wanted/loved? :/

They probably were young and had never run a show before, so their salaries weren't all that expensive? Or maybe the higher-ups thought the show needed "fresh" ideas? But how does regressing the show to a bizarro version of S1 (that resembles nothing like how T7S S1 actually was) count as infusing it with "new ideas"?

Originally Posted by Kendra Luehr (View Post) I mean, sometimes things are beyond their control, but that's a pretty steep shift. You can't just go from being in love to antagonists. Or at least, not in the way that they handled everything.

Exactly. That kind of shift would've needed to be handled carefully and thoughtfully and with time. Eric and Donna's shift in the early seasons was written really well. Their story arc throughout S3 is all about how Donna's attempts to assert her independence make Eric insecure -- and how that insecurity spurs Eric to act more and more controlling -- which spurs Donna to pull away from Eric and start disrespecting him the way she feels disrespected (see "Backstage Pass;" not Donna's best moment). This leads to their breakup in an organic way, but it needed a full season of development to substantiate it. And even when they're broken up in S4, we get episodes that show their conflict and connection and all that.

Originally Posted by Kendra Luehr (View Post) Oh, was he really? I'd never heard that before! That's a much better idea to make a new character, IMO, because I think people would've been even harder on the actor than they already are.

Agreed. And though T7S fans often complain about Randy, he was the most tolerable part of S8 for me when I watched it. Maybe because he was new and didn't have a seven-year history the S8 showrunners and writers were destroying.

[Kendra Luehr]

Originally Posted by MistyMountainHop (View Post) Not a bad rule. They probably were young and had never run a show before, so their salaries weren't all that expensive? Or maybe the higher-ups thought the show needed "fresh" ideas? But how does regressing the show to a bizarro version of S1 (that resembles nothing like how T7S S1 actually was) count as infusing it with "new ideas"? Exactly. That kind of shift would've needed to be handled carefully and thoughtfully and with time. Eric and Donna's shift in the early seasons was written really well. Their story arc throughout S3 is all about how Donna's attempts to assert her independence make Eric insecure -- and how that insecurity spurs Eric to act more and more controlling -- which spurs Donna to pull away from Eric and start disrespecting him the way she feels disrespected (see "Backstage Pass;" not Donna's best moment). This leads to their breakup in an organic way, but it needed a full season of development to substantiate it. And even when they're broken up in S4, we get episodes that show their conflict and connection and all that. Agreed. And though T7S fans often complain about Randy, he was the most tolerable part of S8 for me when I watched it. Maybe because he was new and didn't have a seven-year history the S8 showrunners and writers were destroying.

lol Good question. :/ I find it interesting how they thought Jackie/Hyde made no sense, yet Jackie/Fez did? That's not to say I dislike Jackie/Fez, cuz I don't, I just...don't think they're all that compatible. The only hint at them was in S2, I believe? Because Jackie told Donna she had a crush on Fez. But just like the love triangle idea of Eric/Donna/Hyde, they seemed to drop that one pretty quick. Probably cuz they knew it made no sense.

I agree about D/E, so I have nothing intellectual to add. It doesn't help that I'm at work, so I'm writing/analyzing everything on auto pilot.

I can see why. I mean, there's no real reason to care about Randy, so he can easily be brushed aside/be less offensive than seeing your favorites get completely flipped around. I'd forgotten about it until recently, but were the same showrunners responsible for That 80s Show? Because if that's the case, I'm not surprised that it didn't make it past one season (if it even finished its season).

[msstock87]

Jackie and Fez made no sense. It was clear that any interest Jackie may have had in him, ended seasons ago and it was for so short I almost forgot about it! They spent so much time building Jackie and Hyde just to drop them was a knife to the chest.

[MistyMountainHop]

Once Jackie realized her main interest in Fez was his attention/worship and nothing romantic, it was over for them. Even when Donna accuses Jackie of "liking Fez" romantically, and Jackie -- freaked out -- agrees, one can reasonably interpret that Jackie is misinterpreting her jealousy of Patty. Jackie had gotten so used to Fez fawning over her (and took it for granted) that once Fez's attentions switched from her to another girl, Jackie was shocked. Fez was also a jerk to her when he dated Patty, so the switch was more than a 180. He did more than just ignore Jackie. He became somewhat nasty toward her.

That '80s Show aired in 2002 and was created by the creators of T7S (i.e. Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner).

[msstock87]

Jackie liked Fez's attention and worship and that's where it ended, and it ended in season 2. To be brought up again all those years later is complete bs.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by msstock87 (View Post) Jackie liked Fez's attention and worship and that's where it ended, and it ended in season 2. To be brought up again all those years later is complete bs.

Agreed. I really like the (true) friendship they developed in S7. Before then, Fez was "friends" with Jackie and friendly to her only to get something from her; namely, her romantic affection/attention. Once he realized and accepted she wasn't going to give that to him, he either ignored her or was jerky to her (until season 7).

[msstock87]

I did like the friendship that Jackie and Fez developed, but thats as far as it should have gotten.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by msstock87 (View Post) I did like the friendship that Jackie and Fez developed, but thats as far as it should have gotten.

Agreed. She and Hyde should've been together (and were in the actual T7S universe we didn't get on-screen).

[officialgamora]

Originally Posted by MistyMountainHop (View Post) Agreed. She and Hyde should've been together (and were in the actual T7S universe we didn't get on-screen).

At least we know MK and DM were being all lovey behind the scenes during s8 (now if only we could see the footage )

[MistyMountainHop]

[msstock87]

I wish there was a way we could do that.

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by msstock87 (View Post) I wish there was a way we could do that.

If we had the footage, it would be possible to make it happen.

Who's going to go Dumpster diving at the studio where T7S was filmed?

[msstock87]

I will come with you Lisa!

[MistyMountainHop]

Originally Posted by msstock87 (View Post) I will come with you Lisa!

Oh, gosh! You just volunteered both of us!

Where's Harry Potter's invisibility cloak when you need it?