WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for That ’90s Show part 3!
Summary
- Betsy Kelso’s age discrepancy continues a timeline plot hole issue in That ’90s Show part 3.
- Nate’s lack of knowledge about Betsy’s existence conflicts with his close connection to the Kelso family.
- Jay’s friends not knowing about Betsy raises inconsistencies due to their close relationship.
Michael Kelso’s daughter Betsy officially makes her debut on That ‘90s Show, but the character’s return continues a plot hole issue related to That ‘70s Show’s timeline. That ‘90s Show’s cast of characters includes plenty of familiar faces from the original sitcom, ranging from members of the original teen group to their former nemeses, like Mitch and Fenton. One of the most anticipated character returns was Betsy Kelso, who was born in That ‘70s Show season 7 and would be a teenager by That ‘90s Show’s timeline.
Picking up about halfway through the summer of 1996, That ‘90s Show part 3 introduces a grown-up Betsy Kelso (Kira Kosarin) as she returns to Point Place after studying abroad in Spain. Many of the details surrounding what happened to Betsy after That ‘70s Show are left unexplained, but it’s implied that she didn’t grow up in Point Place full-time and now is seemingly in college. In setting her up at That ‘90s Show’s version of Laurie Forman, Betsy’s age and introduction in the sequel series also conflict with the timeline of events laid out before That ‘70s Show’s ending.
Betsy Kelso’s Age Continues That ’90s Show’s Timeline Plot Hole
Betsy Should Only Be 16–17 Years Old In That ’90s Show Part 3
Since That ‘90s Show introduced the daughter of Donna and Eric and the son of Jackie and Kelso, the Netflix sitcom has created some plot holes that continue the original series’ notorious timeline issues. For instance, Leia turns 15 years of age in the summer of 1995, meaning she was born in the summer of 1980. Therefore, Donna would have had to already be pregnant in the fall of 1979 during That ‘70s Show season 8, even though Eric was in Africa at this time.
The same issue is created by Jackie and Kelso’s son, Jay, who is around 16 in That ‘90 Show part 1, meaning he would have already been born during That ‘70s Show. Betsy’s return further exacerbates this problem by implying that she’s about 18 or 19 years old in That ‘90s Show part 3’s timeline. It’s suggested that she’s in college, and Nate, who’s about 17, tells Jay that she’s older than them. But, considering she was born in 1979 during That ‘70s Show season 7, Betsy realistically should only be 17 years old in That ‘90s Show part 3.
It’s implied that Betsy primarily grew up in Chicago with her mother, Brooke. Kelso had moved to Chicago in
That ’70s Show
season 8 to be closer to Betsy and Brooke, which was used to explain Ashton Kutcher’s absence from most of the final season.
Nate Having Thanksgivings With The Kelso Family Complicates Him Not Knowing About Betsy
Does Kelso Not Keep Any Pictures Of Betsy Around The House?
Betsy’s age isn’t the only inconsistency regarding her character’s introduction in That ‘90s Show part 3. As it turns out, none of Jay’s friends had met her or even really knew about her existence before Nate hooked up with her. However, That ‘90s Show suggests that Jay and Betsy grew up together with a pretty close relationship, and it’s implied that she frequently comes to Point Place to stay with her father, stepmother, and half-brother.
An easy explanation is that she would have spent Thanksgiving with her mother, Brooke, but it’s still a jump in logic to believe that Nate knew nothing about Betsy before hooking up with her.
Nate even mentions that he spent Thanksgiving with the Kelsos, making it difficult to believe that he wouldn’t know anything about Betsy before That ’90s Show. While the Kelso family tree is known to be extensive and somewhat complicated, it’s likely that Nate would have seen pictures of Betsy around Michael and Jackie’s house and that she would have been mentioned, if not present, at Thanksgiving. An easy explanation is that she would have spent Thanksgiving with her mother, Brooke, but it’s still a jump in logic to believe that Nate knew nothing about Betsy before hooking up with her.