WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for That ’90s Show part 2!
Summary
Among the guest stars ofThat ‘90s Showpart 2 is Wayne Knight, who previously appeared in a fan-favorite episode ofThat ‘70s Show. Perhaps best known for his roles in ‘90s pop culture staplesSeinfeldandJurassic Park,Wayne Knight makes a cameo inThat ‘90s Showpart 2 as Bruce, a patient sharing a hospital room with Red Forman. While Red at first becomes annoyed with Bruce talking so much, he ends up giving Red some great advice that comes back around beforeThat ‘90s Showpart 2’s ending, leaving an important impact on the iconic character.
Though he only appears in a few scenes, Wayne Knight’scameo inThat ‘90s Showseason 2has a deeper connection to the original series.Knight previously appeared in the sitcom’s universe back inThat ‘70s Showseason 4, but his character wasn’t called Bruce in the 2001 episode. Knight’sThat ‘70s Showcharacter was part of an elaborate fantasy episode imagined by Eric Forman, whose name isn’t given as anything other than “angel.” While it may not seem like the two characters are connected inThat ‘90s Show, some details about Wayne Knight’s “Bruce” curiously hark back to his past role.
Wayne Knight’s “Bruce” Could Still Be The Angel From That ’70s Show Season 4
Bruce & The Angel have similar roles in That ’70s & ’90s Show
InThat ‘70s Showseason 4, episode 1, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Eric has an extended flashback sequence in which he imagines an alternate version of his life if he had never kissed Donna in the sitcom’s pilot. Like in the 1946It’s a Wonderful Lifemovie, Eric is taken through various points inThat ‘70s Show’s alternate reality timelinebyan angel, played by Wayne Knight. The angel is only visible to Eric throughout the episode, but he leaves a lasting impression on Eric as he finally realizes that “it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
That ’70s Showseason 4, episode 1
That ’90s Showpart 2, episode 7
Red Forman
Seemingly too similar to be a coincidence, Wayne Knight’s Bruce plays a similar role for Red Forman inThat ‘90s Showpart 2, episode 7. As Red and Bruce chat alone in the hospital room, Bruce remarks that when he leaves the hospital, he’s going to do all the things he ever wanted to do. In a euphemism for his death, Bruce elaborates that “when it’s time for [him] to clock out, [he’s] not leaving anything on the table.” Since this same sentiment was previously being discussed between Red and Kitty, it almostseemed as if Bruce was another angelic figure that Red had imagined.
How That ‘90s Show Compares To That ‘70s Show’s Alternate Future Episode
That ’70s Show imagined a future in which Eric never ended up with Donna, and now, That 90s Show has revealed the old main characters' true stories.
Like Knight’s angel character being imagined to helpEric move forward from breaking up with DonnainThat ‘70s Show, there’s still thepossibility that Knight is playing that same angelic guide for Red inThat ‘90s Show. After his conversation with Bruce, Red finally decides to take life by the reigns and go on the trip to Paris that he and Kitty never got to take. Consequently, even if Knight isn’t actually playing the same exact angel character fromThat ‘70s Show, Bruce is still somewhat of a guardian angel for Red in that episode.
1 Important Detail Suggests Red Wasn’t Actually Imagining Bruce In That ’90s Show
Red wasn’t the only one who saw him
Though Wayne Knight’s characters continue to play guiding roles forThat ‘70s Show’s Forman family, a specific detail in hisThat ‘90s Showreturn seems to debunk the theory that Bruce wasn’t real. When Red returns to the hospital room asking about Bruce,the nurse acknowledges the character’s existence by saying “he’s gone.”Therefore, Bruce can’t be an angel like Knight’s character inThat ‘90s Show, as he was a documented patient in that hospital room with Red.
That ’90s Show Cast, Character & Cameo Guide
Here’s a breakdown of the cast, characters, and cameos of That ’90s Show parts 1 - 3, including the returns of That ’70s Show’s many cameos.
Bruce would then return to the room just moments later to reveal that he had gone to smoke a cigarette, despite previously stating that smoking another cigarette would kill him. If Wayne Knight’s characters inThat ‘70s ShowandThat ‘90s Showare meant to be humorous guiding lights for the main cast, thenhe could realistically return as a different character in the future. With Red telling Bruce that his name is actually “Bob Pinciotti” and he should look him up, Knight could follow this trend and appear inThat ‘90s Showpart 3by recasting him as a new character who helps guide Bob for an episode.
With Red telling Bruce that his name is actually “Bob Pinciotti” and he should look him up, Knight’s next appearance in That ‘90s Show could follow this trend by recasting him as a new character who helps guide Bob for an episode.
Wayne Knight’s Dual That ’70s & ’90s Show Roles Paves The Way For More Actor Recasts
More actors could return to That ’90s Show in different roles
Now that Wayne Knight has appeared as two different characters inThat ‘70s ShowandThat ‘90s Show, he could be setting a precedent for more actors to be recast for the sequel show. The original series featured one-episode guest appearances from actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Justin Long, Lindsay Lohan, French Stewart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jenna Fischer, who could each realistically appear inThat ‘90s Showas new characters. As long as they aren’t interacting with the same characters fromThat ‘70s Show, seeing themreturn inThat ‘90s Showwouldn’t necessarily have to mean reprising their original roles.
Similarly, Brittany Daniel appeared as Eric’s Penny in That ’70s Show, but portrayed the character Sophie in the spinoff That ’80s Show.
That ’90s Show
Cast
That ’70s Show returns set two decades later with That ’90s Show, acting as a sequel but bringing back old cast favorites. Led by Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) Forman, the new cast arrives as the next generation, with the daughter of Eric and Donna, Leia Forman, leading the charge. Spending the summer with her grandparents, Leia makes new friends and forges new bonds in Point Place, Wisconsin. That ’70s Show series regulars make cameos in the show to maintain that sense of familiarity, and the show adopts the conventions of the ’90s as expected. That ’90s Show first aired on Netflix with a total of ten episodes.
