Twitter recently talked about how Melissa was supposed to be a reoccurring girlfriend for Hyde according to her actress but faced racism and was unpopular with the cast and reduced to a one off. Aside from the racism in that decision, do you think based off that one episode that she would have been a decent reoccurring love interest? He never had one before Jackie so it would have been a major change - so do you, and how do you think it would have changed things for Jackie/Hyde if it would?
I heard that Melissa was supposed to be Hyde’s girlfriend during season 4, too, and that “Hyde Gets the Girl” (4x04) was produced during season 3 -- along with a few other early season 4 episodes -- but always intended to be aired during season 4. Unfortunately, I don’t have any primary sources for that information.
I think Melissa had a lot of potential as a character, but she’s used a device to give Hyde’s characterization an overhaul. This is also done via Jackie in “Prom Night” (1x19), but where that episode rewrites Hyde’s core for the better (i.e. from self-serving to self-sacrificing), “Hyde Gets the Girl” transforms Hyde into a socially inept boor – one who doesn’t even know to ask the girl he’s interested in if she wants a drink without being prompted
HYDE: So I'm gonna go grab a beer.
MELISSA: Thanks. Get one for yourself, too.
HYDE: No. I … can I get you a beer?
MELISSA: There you go. Thanks.
HYDE: Right.
This is their first interaction we see on-screen after their initial introduction. This characterization of Hyde contradicts what we’ve seen of him previously. In “Kelso’s Serenade” (2x21), for example, Hyde is shown bringing Jackie a Coke from the kitchen after their platonic “date”. She’s in the basement, and he brings the Coke downstairs to her. Granted, Jackie could’ve asked for it off-screen, but far more likely – considering the context of the rest of his treatment of her in the episode – he offered to bring her one without needing to be prompted.
Moreover, in “Jackie Bags Hyde” (3x08), Hyde self-corrects after he acts like an ass toward Jackie during their date, both reassuring her verbally that he wants to be on the date and offering her his soda to make up for his behavior.
Hyde’s OOC behavior aside, Melissa’s direct but mildly humorous reeducation of Hyde in his treatment of a potential girlfriend characterizes her as someone who respects herself and won’t accept disrespect from others. Combined with her first scene in the show, where she demonstrates a sarcastic sense of humor and a sense of fun, she could’ve been a great match for an in-character Hyde.
Unfortunately, Hyde and Melissa’s next interaction goes as follows:
HYDE: So, you havin' fun?
MELISSA: That reminds me. I have to go.
Melissa’s response indicates that her time talking with Hyde was unsatisfactory to her. But we don’t know why because we’re not shown their conversation. He could’ve been as awkward with her as he’d been during their introduction (i.e. “I like air. How about you?”), expressed a philosophy of life or ideas she doesn’t agree with, didn’t speak at all, or inadvertently insulted her. Again, we don’t know, and that lack of knowledge makes Melissa’s curt response to him come across as disrespectful. She doesn’t tell him directly that she’s not having fun or why. She expects him to read the subtext of her response, which is clear: no, she isn’t having fun.
To be fair, though, she might have suffered too many fools while dating. She might have no patience for Hyde’s conversation – or lack thereof – whatever it was. She might have felt disrespected by him during the conversation. She certainly seemed to feel disrespected by his (OOC) ineptitude about asking if she wants a drink, so if his conversation continued in that vein, then her desire to extricate herself from an uncomfortable situation – as efficiently as possible -- is absolutely understandable and justifiable.
Again, the issue here is that we’re missing the connecting dots to understand why she responds to his question the way she does.
Right after her announcement that she has to go, the following exchange takes place:
HYDE: Uh, Melissa, um … I was wonderin' if maybe you wanted to do somethin' sometime.
MELISSA: Sorry. I did something last night, and I already made plans for sometime.
I believe the writers’ intention here in Melissa’s response is to highlight Hyde’s continuing ineptitude at dating. But combined with her previous two reactions to him, she’s coming across as someone who, at best, misinterprets discomfort as disrespect and, at worst, lacks empathy.
Hyde is clearly feeling awkward and overwhelmed by how attracted he is to her. We see that from his initial reaction to her when Donna introduces them. But Melissa replies as if Hyde is being rude when he says, “I was wonderin' if maybe you wanted to do somethin' sometime.” This goes back to what we don’t see of their previous conversation. Perhaps he did insult her, intentionally or not. Or was so wholly awkward that he barely strung two coherent sentences together. If it’s the former, however, then I don’t believe she’d agree to go on a date with him at all.
More likely, she’s again trying educate him on how to interact properly with a romantic interest. And also to be fair to her, she’s not responsible for his feelings of awkwardness.
HYDE: No. Wait, wait. Uh, let me try that again. Um, look. If you're not doing anything Friday night, I'd like to take you out to, uh … to-to dinner and a movie. Pizza? The mall? Bowling?
MELISSA: I'd love to. Call me.
This exchange partially answers the question set up by their previous exchanges – but it comes too late in the episode. Melissa expects Hyde to be specific, to give her specifics, and not be awkward with her. As written in this episode, she has no patience for the vagueness Hyde’s feelings of vulnerability creates in his communication. Her treatment of him comes across as patronizingly maternalistic. Essentially, he’s written as an immature little boy who needs to be schooled by his more mature (potential) romantic partner.
HYDE: Call you? That's a little unorthodox. … [Upon seeing Melissa’s mildly disapproving expression.] I'll call you.
Hyde’s lines here reaffirm the boorish part of his new characterization. If, indeed, he exhibited this quality during their conversation at the party, her curtness toward him makes sense. What doesn’t make sense, though, is her even considering going on a date with someone like that. She should have – and would have – said, “I’m out,” and been done with him.
Because we didn’t get more episodes between them and more character development for her, we can’t fully interpret or understand the reasons behind Melissa’s reactions toward him. We have only the context of what happens in “Hyde Gets the Girl” to interpret her responses, and that episode skips a vital point of interaction between them.
Definitively saying she lacks empathy for Hyde is both unfair and isn’t supported by the facts. The possibility she lacks empathy does exist, however, as does the possibility she’s taking pity on his ineptitude by giving him cues if -- interpreted correctly by him -- will allow him to self-correct. She calls out his behavior in an effective but a hybrid assertive / passive-aggressive way. But in the long run, if she continued to try to “train him” using that method, her treatment of him could become toxic and abusive.
Another note about Hyde’s characterization in this episode conflicting with previous characterization of him. In “Eric Gets Suspended” (2x09), Hyde is shown conversing easily with his date (i.e. Patty). He isn’t inept, awkward, or boorish. One can reasonably say the difference here is that he’s not overwhelmed by his attraction toward Patty whereas he is by his attraction toward Melissa.
In “Punk Chick” (1x22), however, Hyde falls hard and fast for Chrissy. He declares he loves her during their first meeting, and he’s able to talk to her without being inept, awkward, or boorish.
I can’t say I like the direction Hyde’s character would have taken if his dynamic with Melissa had remained the same as it is in “Hyde Gets the Girl”. He and Melissa are not written as equals in that episode. She is clearly written as his superior – in her maturity level, her treatment of him, and in his ineptitude, awkwardness, and boorishness. Her having to school him continuously on proper boyfriend behavior wouldn’t be fair to her.
Further, him being cowed by the “tough love” method of her schooling wouldn’t be fair to him, someone who was abused and neglected by a mother who withheld her love and berated him for never being good enough. As set up in “Hyde Gets the Girl,” Melissa and Hyde’s relationship would be unhealthy for both of them.
Jackie and Hyde, on the other hand, are equals in their romantic relationship. They challenge each other to grow and change, both having to learn how to be in a healthy relationship. They teach each other how to think beyond their limited worldviews and how to show the other respect when the other fails at it. Not to say they don’t have their issues (often from inconsistent writing), but they’re shown to have a healing effect on each other. They both have flaws that are acknowledged (when bad writing doesn’t creep in). And, most importantly, they get the benefit of three seasons’ worth of episodes to explore their romantic relationship – the good and the bad.
Melissa and Hyde get one.
So I can’t say how Melissa and Hyde’s relationship might have affected or changed Hyde’s relationship with Jackie. It all depends on how Melissa and Hyde’s relationship would’ve been written.
