At this stage in their relationship, probably relieved that Jackie didn’t seem to be paying attention as she immediately talked cars with Red. Jackie previously made a negative remark about his mom in this same episode so it could have been worse. Maybe it was even a welcome distraction from his mama drama.
Hyde clearly smirks/smiles and looks at where she just went back under the car. He seems intrigued/amused by her. This might be the first time his perception of her (“shallow cheerleader”) is challenged, ironically sandwiched between her dumping Kelso the episode before (a surprisingly mature decision which delighted Hyde) and Hyde taking her to the prom the next episode (which many credit to be the seeds/foundation of a future romantic relationship).
It definitely seems interesting in hindsight given Jackie’s similarly dysfunctional relationship with her own mother.
As a T7S author, do you read stories from other authors, or does that interfere with your own creative thoughts? I'm guessing you may not have a lot of time either because of your own personal writing? I hope you continue to write too. Thank you!
Yes I read stories by other authors! But I don't feel as though doing so interferes with my own creative thoughts or influences my perceptions of the characters. Fanfiction in general feels, to me, a manner of creatively expressing one's own view of the characters in a unique situation not found in the original canon for exploring something -- feelings, themes, and so forth. That isn't to say views of characters can't develop of course (after all, reading meta would be pretty pointless if I wasn't intending to learn more about a different perspective).
However, if I worried about how reading a fanfic might interfere with my own creative process, I would never be able to read fanfic again (T7S or otherwise) because I'm writing (almost) every day of my life. I enjoy reading fanfic too much to give it up to be quite honest lol. You are right that I don't have a lot of time to read a lot of fanfic though. I read it when I can (before bed, commuting to work, etc.), but I am also trying to read more books this year (to varying degrees of success lol) so that also cuts into my fanfic reading time too. There simply aren't enough hours in the day, unfortunately!
I have tons of ideas to write, and no plans of stopping any time soon, so I hope to continue to write and post for T7S as well! Thank you! 💖☺️
It's Wednesday again, so here's a snippet from the next chapter of 'Flowers in Her Hair'. This is from Jackie's POV and features the beginning of a difficult conversation!
'Love, Wisconsin Style' should be updated later this week!
Her stomach roiled in a protest of nerves as she made her way downstairs. She went to the den first, finding her father exactly where she’d expected on Sunday morning—lounging in one of his leather chairs, drinking his morning coffee while he read the paper.
“Good morning, Kitten!” He said brightly as she appeared in the doorway.
“Morning Daddy,” she mumbled, feeling the anxiety start the slow climb up her throat. “Um, I have to talk to you and Mom about something—it’s important, and I need to talk to both of you about it now. It can’t wait.”
Something in her voice must have adequately communicated the severity of the situation, because her father immediately put the coffee and paper down, while concern furrowing his brow. “Is everything all right, Jackie?”
“Uh, no,” she said, wringing her hands together in front of her, “but I’d rather tell you both together.”
Her father was home infrequently, often far too wrapped up in the politics and business of Point Place, but his focus was on her as he stood from his chair and enveloped her in a hug. He pulled back and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze, before gesturing towards one of the comfortable leather chairs in the space. “Take a seat, I’ll go get your mother.”
She sat down as instructed, though one of her knees bounced against the urge to pace. She kept her hands occupied by picking at her nail polish while she waited for her parents to arrive. Eventually, she heard their voices carrying from down the hall.
“—I don’t know, it seems serious, Pam,” her father was saying.
“Oh, Jack.” Her mother’s tone was unworried and vaguely annoyed. “I’m sure it’s nothing so dramatic—watch, she’ll probably just want to discuss what type of car she wants for her birthday.”
Her father grumbled something she didn’t catch, and then her parents opened the door. Her father flashed her a warm smile, while her mother seemed more interested in inspecting her own nails and the rings on her fingers. But eventually, her mother looked up at her.
“Oh, honey, don’t pick at your nails, that’s a disgusting habit.”
“Sorry.” Jackie stopped immediately.
“Now, Kitten,” her father cleared his throat, “why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”
He reached for his coffee cup, but she raised a hand to signal him to stop.
“You might want to leave that on your desk, because um, what I’m about to share is a pretty big deal.” She had planned on just getting straight to the point, but as soon as she opened her mouth she started talking around it, babbling nervously. “Like it’s shocking, and I’m afraid if you tried to drink that now, you’d drop it on the carpet and then you’d have to get the carpet torn up, and I don’t think either of you want to be dealing with renovations in the house after you hear what I’m about to say—it’s that big.”
Her father retracted his hand from his coffee cup, his smile now forced and tense. “All right, I’ll wait until after you’ve told us your big news—so, what is it?”
“Well, the truth is, I’m—”
“Oh God—” Her mother gasped in dawning horror before the word got out, but there was nothing that could stop her from explaining to them what was happening.
I voted for ending the series at S7 as is. I'm a firm believer in "you can have too much of a good thing" and I feel strongly that T7S went on for longer than was necessary even with S7 itself. I simply wouldn't trust the execs, the show runners, or the writers to make a S9 worth my while after the travesty of the majority of S7 and S8's entirety.
I do have a question about that Hyde/Jackie exchange you pointed out. “We’ve been tip-top since the moment we met.” I know they’re clearly saying the opposite of what they mean. It’s the happiest we ever see Hyde. But didn’t they actually hate each-other when they first met? Or does this line reveal that Hyde always had a soft spot for her?
Hyde views Jackie as an invasive, obnoxious, disruptive presence in the basement in season 1 (before "Prom Night" [1x19]). He resents that she monopolizes Kelso's time, but that's on Kelso (not that teenagers, or many adults, often recognize the distinction).
Jackie reveals she experiences some aesthetic and sexual attraction to Hyde in "The Best Christmas Ever" (1x12). "Hyde, if you wanna make out, the answer's probably no." Not definitely. Probably. That specific word reveals so much about Jackie's interiority. Yes, the assumption is partly about her ego. But she's also willing to cheat on Kelso with Hyde. She wouldn't do that with someone she hates. The window is open only a crack, but it's open nonetheless.
Hate is the wrong word. It's often shorthand for more complex feelings. Hyde hates the Little River band's music. Hyde dislikes and resents the change that Kelso dating Jackie creates in his predictable and safe social space in Forman's basement (and among his friend group outside the basement).
The foundation of Hyde's soft spot for Jackie is built in "Prom Night".
Hi again! This is inquiring minds...the anon that asked about your top 10 favorite episodes. Didn't want to make too much work for you - but would be interested in why you selected each episode. Maybe a brief blurb? My intention is not for you to feel overwhelmed, but I'm curious about the list you gave! And wondering if perhaps those episodes have influenced your fanfiction writing? Thanks so much in advance for your time! P.S. ❤️ your writing!
It's not too much work at all and I'm not overwhelmed! I'm happy to talk about episodes I enjoy (originally from this ask for reference)! Again, chronologically not ranked!
1. 1x19 "Prom Night": A wonderful Hyde/Jackie episode from start to finish, I also super super love the Eric/Donna interactions. The interaction between the guys prepping for prom is also great, and shows them how they approach things differently. I think it's interesting that Hyde seems in favor of planning ahead, while Eric is keen on being spontaneous -- just looking at them, you'd almost think it'd be the opposite. The set and costume design is also perfect this episode.
2. 1x23 "Grandma's Dead": This episode is really just great and really exemplifies everything I love about this show. The family dynamics are really well written and well performed. The show does a really good job of incorporating humor where appropriate into a plot involving grief and death, which can be a difficult balance to strike. I think they're able to do it very well here.
3. 1x24 "Hyde Moves In": I've said it before that, aside from Kelso screaming at Jackie while she's sick, this episode is basically perfect to me. Much like 1x23, it handles a very difficult topic with smart writing and humor where appropriate, but also gravity where needed. Expanding the Forman family to include Hyde is one of my favorite decisions the writers made.
4. 1x25 "The Good Son": This episode just carries forward the previous episodes plot, further integrating Hyde into the Forman family. It's a good display of Hyde's real character, showing that he's a lot more than just an aimless slacker, and that in a supportive environment he has a lot of potential to flourish. This is also an excellent Red/Kitty episode, and I absolutely love Laurie and Eric's interactions around Eric's newfound jealousy with Hyde.
5. 2x07 "I Love Cake": Probably my absolute favorite Eric/Donna episode. Eric telling the guys about his goof in the circle and their reactions is genuinely hilarious. I also like this episode for Donna and Jackie's friendship moments, and how the writing shows that Jackie is actually exceptionally insightful about interpersonal dynamics. Overall a very funny and sweet episode that I always enjoy watching.
6. 2x21 "Kelso's Serenade": It goes without saying that this is a great Hyde/Jackie episode. Hyde comforting Jackie by spending time with her and listening to her, despite the fact that he doesn't really like her, makes for a few really interesting scenes that build on their character development. Likewise, there's a few really hilarious moments (i.e. Eric unknowingly breaking his own guitar, "Hey Eric, what rhymes with Donna", etc.).
7. 2x25 "Cat Fight Club": Another great Hyde/Jackie episode. We get a glimpse into Hyde's character through the Zen lessons, and the episode sheds a spotlight on Jackie and her feelings and vulnerabilities around her breakup. The episode treats her character and her feelings seriously, which I always appreciate. This is really specific but Donna wanting to attend dinner because she knows Red's going to be upset to hear about Kelso and Laurie dating and she wants to watch really endears her character to me.
8. 3x02 "Red Sees Red": Another great Forman family episode. The overarching subplot of Eric's budding confidence manifesting as sarcasm feels like it comes full circle with how much Eric stands up to Red. Watching Kitty trying to maintain some semblance of peace in the house and then her finally putting her foot down was also really nice to see. Also, Donna and Kelso running around upstairs trying to avoid getting caught during the bed checks is so funny (until Kelso's unsolicited touching happens, of course).
9. 3x08 "Jackie Bags Hyde": This episode is a quintessential Hyde/Jackie episode! The iconic moment of Chip getting punched out, Kitty and Hyde's talk in the kitchen, and the impromptu date are all really great scenes. Besides that, I enjoy the tension between Donna and Eric and the competing bbqs was a fun way to reveal Bob losing his store, as sad as it is.
10. 3x17 "Kitty's Birthday": I think this might be one of the funniest episodes in the entire series. All the Forman family scenes make me laugh, Red is particularly funny this episode, and it never fails to put me in a good mood. The square dancing at the end of the episode is so great and I love the outfits. I also really enjoy the scene where Hyde happens to remember Kitty's birthday, but doesn't tell Eric.
All of these episodes are great characterization episodes in my opinion that show a lot of depth, in addition to humor, so I admit that I think about them a lot when I'm writing. I appreciate your compliment! I'm grateful that some people enjoy my writing!
As a T7S fanfic author, what are your favorite episodes - let's say your favorite 10 episodes? "Inquiring minds want to know!" 😂 Or at least mine does.
Anon, I must admit I appreciate you asking for a list of my favorite 10 -- even if it was incredibly difficult for me to narrow it down to such a list!! 😂 My initial list had 21 episodes on it, but I think I was able to narrow it down enough to determine my top 10 favorite episodes (chronologically, not ranked):
1x19 "Prom Night"
1x23 "Grandma's Dead"
1x24 "Hyde Moves In"
1x25 "The Good Son"
2x07 "I Love Cake"
2x21 "Kelso's Serenade"
2x25 "Cat Fight Club"
3x02 "Red Sees Red"
3x08 "Jackie Bags Hyde"
3x17 "Kitty’s Birthday"
I had 11 honorable mentions, but that number likely could've expanded had I not been actively trying to restrain myself.
Hopefully that satisfies inquiring minds, unless you were looking for me to ramble about what I adore about each of these episodes. I can do that too, but I assume you're just looking for a list. 😅
