Warning! Spoilers fromThat ’90s Showpart 3 ahead!
Summary
Everyone tends to forget about Donna’s big twist inThat ’70s Showseason 5, butThat ’90s Showhas revived the moment with a subtle Easter egg. While Donna’s story went through a lot of ups and downs inThat ’70s Show, some of her character’s biggest changes were more memorable than others.That ’90s Showhas the power to remind audiences of some of these more deep-cut events, retroactively layering on even more comedy. This is precisely what happened in part 3 of the Netflix spinoff when Donna threatened to send her daughter to a vaguely familiar location.
That ’90s Showpart 3returns to Leia’s story halfway through the summer of 1996, just a handful of weeks before she is due to return to Chicago for the school year. However, in the final episode, “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” it’s revealed that Eric is temporarily moving to California to work a Star Wars-related dream job. This changes Donna’s plans, andshe considers allowing Leia to stay in Point Place and attend school with her friends. However, thisThat ’70s Showcharacter is worried that her daughter will get into too much mischief (like she did), and therefore makes a serious threat.
That ’90s Show Cast, Character & Cameo Guide
Here’s a breakdown of the cast, characters, and cameos of That ’90s Show parts 1 - 3, including the returns of That ’70s Show’s many cameos.
Donna Threatens To Send Leia To Her Old Catholic School In That ’90s Show
Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow Is Back
Donna tells Leia inThat ’90s Showpart 3 that if she gets into any trouble,she will be sent to her old Catholic private school, Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. This was a place Donna herself had been horrified to attend, having been sent there by her father inThat ’70s Showseason 5. This was an ongoing joke among Eric and his friends for the remainder of the season since Donna was forced to wear a school uniform and endure the excessive discipline of her strict teachers.
Nothing else was said about Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow inThat ’90s Showsince Leia understood well enough that this wasn’t a place she would want to attend. Still, this was enough to remind audiences of this point inThat ’70s Show’s timeline, which got its start when Donna took off for California following her breakup from Eric.
Why Donna Was Sent To Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow In That ’70s Show Season 5
Bob Resorted To An Extreme Punishment
Eric broke up with Donna inThat ’70s Showseason 5, leading the latter teen to rush off, heartbroken, to California. This was where Midge had moved in the previous season, and Donna became determined to start anew with fresh scenery. Ultimately, Eric realized he had been dumb and traveled to California after Donna, convincing her to return to Point Plac. Of course,neither teen was supposed to leave Wisconsin to travel across the country, so they were both punished once they returned.
Surprisingly, Bob dealt out a much harsher punishment than Red, and Donna was pulled out of Point Place High for the remainder of her senior year and sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow.
Surprisingly, Bob dealt out a much harsher punishment than Red, and Donna was pulled out of Point Place High for the remainder of her senior year and sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. Her protests did nothing to change her dad’s mind, so Donna was forced to attend the school for the rest of the year. She was seen wearing her uniform throughout the season, but aside from this,Donna’s school was hardly mentioned untilThat ’90s ShowPart 3.
That ’70s Show Made Donna’s Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow Twist Pointless
Donna’s Catholic School Twist Was Basically Dropped
Though Donna changing schools was a big deal for a moment, the twist never really led anywhere. The strain it put on her relationship with Eric was negligible, andDonna even graduated high school with her friends despite not even going to the same school as them. It seemed instead thatThat ’70s Showused Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow as an excuse to change up Donna’s wardrobe, moving away from the lumberjack tomboy and easing into a more feminine look. Or, perhaps Donna was sent to a private school just so the boys could joke about her outfit.
Regardless, It’s good to see that this frequently forgotten moment fromThat ’70s Showhasn’t been left in the dust entirely. The twist might not have come to anything, but Donna threatening to send Leia to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow showed long-time fans how passionate she is about the subject. Donna is terrified of Leia repeating her, Eric, and the rest of the gang’s mistakes. What’s more, the mention of Donna’s Catholic school was just a fun way to referenceThat ’70s Showmore subtly than otherEater eggs inThat ’90s Show.
That ’90s Show
Cast
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.
