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Hola amigos, buenas vibras para todos.
**Hello friends, good vibes to all.
I remember that my beginnings with series go back to the 90's with titles like: Married with Children, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Nanny, although I wasn't a big fan of the latter, and of course That '70s Show, they are or were series that marked my days a lot because it was thanks to them that I discovered this world in which I am still immersed today; obviously they were not the pioneers but some of them did leave a great legacy, one that Kitty and Red decided to continue with this new installment, a little more woke and politically correct than its predecessor, but quite enjoyable or at least that was the impression it gave me.
For those who have not seen That '70s Show may find it a little complicated to grasp all the references that will be seen here and that are the real hook of this story so my advice is to try to find it if and only if you are interested in seeing this new adaptation. For the rest of you who have seen it, we know that that story was much more acidic and with a more frontal and direct humor, this is because at that time there was no filter and everything was more "acceptable". This does not mean that it was bad or good, they were simply other times and that's it. The thing is that this new plot does take care a bit of those old tricks and, as expected, touches on issues that are in the current conversation to try to fit better with the new generations. But well, let's talk a little bit about what this new adventure of the Formans is all about.
This sequel begins with Kitty and Red (Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith), the endearing parents and now grandparents who were instrumental in Point Place's life. They are Eric's parents who after a rather peculiar courtship with Donna married and had a daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda) who decides to spend the entire summer at her grandparents' house. During that time she will meet some young people who live in the neighborhood making many memories and experiences reappear in the quiet lives of the Formans reminding the viewers how affectionate and peculiar Kitty is and how deeply curmudgeonly Red is.
Once Leia arrives at the house is when this plot begins its journey. One that will be full of love stories, drugs, sex, but all under a much more careful and subtle mantle than at first glance you might think. It is no surprise to anyone that this type of adaptations, if the term fits, in most cases do not end up meeting the expectations of many because the times are different and because it is very difficult to capture the essence we saw in the original. Does that happen here? - Yes and no. There are many things that I did not connect with, mostly characters, but there are others that I must say that made me laugh and took me back 25 years, I think this happened because it was the same creators of That '70s Show who carried out this production.
This new installment, like the last one, does not have a specific plot, or if it does, it has more life situations, everyday things in the daily lives of teenagers, hence the weight and success depend entirely on their characters and how they are able to carry the series without being boring or tiresome. Comparisons are odious and I think that's the mistake we are all making because if, I include myself, wanting to put on a scale a product that is almost 30 years old with another made in 2022, obviously it will not be the same and that, I repeat, is not necessarily bad, it is just different in our perspective and eyes. This does not imply that the series is terrible but it is not a full ten either, very objectively speaking.
With that said, probably for a 20 year old person this series is incredible and that's fine, for me it wasn't that bad, I expected it to be worse. In general terms for being a short series, since its chapters are a little more than 20 minutes, very personally it never bored me, maybe because of one or the other acting or scene if I was a little off but at the end of the day they are very punctual things. As I said the hook are the references and the characters of the original cast that make sporadic appearances in the series, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama. Honestly, these are the parts that are most enjoyable because the essence of their characters can still be seen after so much time.
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What is my problem? - I felt that many of the things were forced, it's as if they wanted to look too much like what it was instead of trying to do something more original. I understand the "essence" thing, I've repeated it a lot today, but it wasn't necessary to make everything look so artificial, like a need to look good with everyone, both with my generation and with the new ones, and that's where this series gets lost a little bit. The culprits? - Some of the characters. I have nothing negative to say about Kitty and Red, they are the soul of this series, the anchor, the ones that hold EVERYTHING together, they are still funny, they still make you laugh, they are characters that you get attached to very easily and I am very thankful that they were there because otherwise... this would have been a complete failure.
Among the young and new characters Leia is perhaps the one with whom I felt the best. A character very similar to what her father Eric was, only that I noticed her very natural and genuine, I feel that in real life she may be a little bit like that, maybe that's why I didn't see her with such a false interpretation, making me like her a little bit. As for the rest of the friends, I confess that I didn't connect with any of them. Ozzie, who I don't know if he is gay in real life, I saw him too forced, trying to be the new Fez and I must say I didn't like Reyn Doi's acting at all, he has his decent lines or funny jokes but that's it. The rest very average all, I don't know, totally inconsequential in case there wasn't a second season, I'm sure you wouldn't remember any of them.
In short, a series that indeed brings us a bit of nostalgia with a setting in the mid-nineties and with all this we see a very standard juvenile plot that is able to make us pass the time without major surprises. I really liked the cameo of the actors from the first series, one of the best we saw, I think that's where the nostalgia I'm talking about plays and well, long live Kitty and Red, they are extraordinary. I think it was because of them that I decided to watch the series and believe it or not I don't regret it. I give it a 7/10 because all the references, the transitions between scenes, the style and the way it was filmed and some other situations of the plot were pretty decent and good. You can find it on Netflix and it consists of 10 episodes. Here is the trailer.
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Bueno mi gente por hoy es todo, espero que les haya gustado. ¡Un abrazo a todos, nos vemos en la próxima!
***Well my people that's all for today, I hope you liked it. ¡A hug to everyone, see you next time!
