There are many different rubrics through which to view Fox’s That ’70s Show,
be it the introduction of a talented and completely relaxed and natural
new leading-man-in-waiting (Topher Grace), the introduction of a
lead-as-PR-savvy-huckster (Ashton Kutcher) or the introduction
of a mewing kitten we’re soon likely to completely forget about (I’m
looking in your direction, Mila Kunis).
For now, though, the most
interesting point of entry may be the rubric of Wilmer Valderrama, who
as mumbly foreign exchange student Fez for years flew under the radar
of his higher-profile costars, and yet somehow parlayed that into some
fine starlet tail (Mandy Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson, probably
a couple more that I’m forgetting) and now, in the zenith of MTV’s
creative genius, a brainchild-hosting gig for a show called Yo Momma,
where faded young SoCal natives “represent” their ’boroughs (West
Covina, Beverly Hills, Hollywood) by trotting out, yes, a litany of
mother-tweaking one-liners. I’m not sure, but I think I already either
saw this sketch on Saturday Night Live or daydreamed it while flipping through one of those little index card-sized book of “snaps” at American Eagle Outfitters.
The point of all this in relation to the fifth season DVD bow of That ’70s Show, you ask? Well, it actually helps it — this somewhat jarringly at-odds ascendancy of its players. That ’70s Show, created by 3rd Rock From the Sun
scribes Bonnie and Terry Turner and Mark Brazill, was always a very
loose-limbed show, built around a few large-handled character
archetypes and plenty of good-natured mockery and repartee. It wanted
to be funny, but just as importantly it wanted to be liked. It
was never conceived as — nor could it become, given its conceit and
adherence to a certain formula — a series powered by outrageously
clever story arcs — such as, let’s say, a gas shortage and the original sighting of a just-dead Elvis Presley. It’s the opposite of that, a show built around
banter and congeniality. Ergo, the more outsized its personalities get
off screen, the more attachment or identification it breeds for the
show, just through familiarity.
The fifth season finds Kutcher’s Kelso grappling with the hook-up and ongoing relationship between his ex, Jackie (Kunis), and Danny Masterson’s Hyde. He schemes, rants and, at one point, decides to get a job as a cop in order to “stay sexy forever.” Other highlights include “Hey Hey What Can I Do,” in which Eric (Grace) loses out on a job at a bank due to a bad reference from a very surprising source; “No Quarter,” in which Jackie moves in with Donna (Laura Prepon); and “You Shook Me,” in which Fez gets freaked out by a dream he has involving Kelso. Eric and Donna’s journey toward an apartment together and possible nuptials are also sprinkled liberally throughout.
Housed on four dual layer discs in four slimline cases in turn stored in a cardboard slipcase, That ’70s Show: Season Five includes all 25 episodes of the 2002-03 season, presented in full
screen and English Dolby surround sound. Along with the
requisite slew of introductory episode promos and a five-minute season overview, Masterson and Valderrama also sit for a
chat on the show. B- (Show) C+ (Disc)