Why do you think so many characters in the show defend Kelso left and right, I wanna say it’s because he’s there friend but like he was a shitty friend on more then one occasion.
In the show and the fandom I see a lot of “boys will be boys” like when it’s talked about how he pressured Jackie into having sex I saw someone say that it wasn’t that big of a deal (even though let’s not forget Kelso is 2 years older not a big age gap but it matters when Jackie is 16 years old!!!) And they tried to say if anything Kelso was afraid of Jackie bc she was mean to him a lot 🤨
Also second part of the question realistically do you think anyone would continue there friendship with Kelso after he went to Chicago?
When it came to how Kelso treated Jackie, I think it was mostly because they were friends with Kelso longer. And maybe because they initially found Jackie to be a nuisance so they either felt she deserved the treatment or simply didn’t care enough about her to step in. Let’s also remember they are high-school teenagers who are often selfish, ignorant, self-serving and can be driven by lust and greed. At the beginning of T7S, Jackie’s only been very recently introduced to the group so that development of dynamics she made with each character was happening as the series progressed. This of course differs from the rest of the group, particularly Eric/Hyde/Donna/Kelso who have been close friends for years at this point.
I’ve expressed my hatred for “the bro code” before but it does seem like something Kelso would believe in but only when it came to how others treat him. He of course has no consideration to that as evident by him having sex with both Eric’s and Hyde’s sisters and hitting on both Eric’s and Hyde’s girlfriends while they were in relationships. And unfortunately, I do think the whole (equally misogynistic) rhetoric of “boys will be boys” was also attributed to Kelso being sympathized with rather than held accountable for his actions.
Donna has a few conflicting components to consider in their friendship. 1. She’s been subject to his sexual advances over the years, even while in a relationship with Eric and 2. She’s a proud feminist and Kelso exhibits essentially everything she’s supposed to hate. This is why her attitude at the beginning of S5 is so hypocritical and disappointing for me and other viewers.
I also think the age gap of two years between Kelso and Jackie is another layer to their abusive dynamic, one perhaps the show never thought fans would pay attention to. They were fortunate to have Kelso appear to lack the intelligence to make this problematic and actually forced the narrative that Jackie was the emotionally manipulative one (that Kelso was in fact the poor innocent victim of/drove him to cheat and lie to her incessantly).
As for friendships with Kelso post-Chicago… I’ll be honest, it depends. I’m answering this question considering two things:
2. Kelso and Jackie were about to have sex but didn’t actually go through with it because Hyde interrupted them (which I think is the most canonical assumption of the cliffhanger)
Hyde should have forfeited his friendship with Kelso back in S5 when he pulled all that stuff with Jackie. Their friendship took another hit when Kelso considered abandoning his child with Brooke, another vital soft spot for Hyde and his ethics. And of course after having sex with his newfound sister. Hyde unfortunately gave Kelso far too much grace for all these decisions. I’d like to think that the motel “incident” was the straw that broke the camels back on that particular (one-sided) friendship or at least the way it was. I like to think he took a step back from Kelso’s blatant immaturity until he stepped up, took accountability, and made right. At the very least, this “friendship” would require an actual conversation and perhaps a little physical altercation (years in the making beyond frogging one on the shoulder) to progress to an actually healthy state. Hyde would have to establish clear boundaries and Kelso would have to respect them or face the consequences.
Jackie is someone who has a huge heart and an incomparable capacity for forgiveness so I don’t doubt that she would forgive Kelso and remain friends with him. This can also be interpreted as a result of being groomed or in an abusive relationship with him so young. He’s someone Jackie would have difficulty letting go of. She says at the end of S5, “Michael needs me and it’s nice to be needed.” She may feel like she is obligated to be there for him. This could also be something that comes between her and Hyde post-Chicago as well. She’s also Betsey’s godmother and Jackie is definitely the kind of person to take those things seriously so like it or not, she’ll have a lifelong connection to Kelso at least in that capacity. I like to think they progressed to a point where their friendship is one based on support and respect, whereby they both recognize this is the healthiest way their dynamic should ever be.
Eric and Donna I think would depend on Kelso’s decisions post-motel. If he continues to be a manchild who sleeps with anything that moves and completely disregards those closest to him, this would be a relationship that would fizzle out as soon as the geographic distance is established. If he realizes his duty as a father, commits to the only woman who’s given him a reason to grow and mature (Brooke) and actually *gasp* mature, they’ll be friends who remain in contact despite geographic distance and meet up for major events.
Fez will follow Kelso to the ends of the earth, whether he’s making it a better place or setting it on fire.
Thanks for the great question! Keep ‘em coming!
