How 'That '90s Show' Handles Danny Masterson's Character Hyde

Danny Masterson isn't involved in That '90s Show, Netflix's new sequel series to That '70s Show, due to his pending sexual assault trial. However, his character, Steve Hyde, was a vital part of the main show, serving as one of the main people in the teen friend group and a foster son to Red and Kitty Forman (played by Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, respectively). So, how exactly does Hyde factor into That '90s Show?

The answer is: not one bit. Despite the fact that most other prominent cast members — including Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis — make appearances, Hyde is not so much as referenced in Season 1. His name isn't mentioned, and there are no vague allusions to the gang's Led-Zeppelin-loving, trouble-making sixth member.

He's even conveniently left out of a hallucination/flashback. Wilmer Valderrama's Fez gets high in the Forman family's basement and sees Eric Forman (Grace), Jackie Burkhart (Kunis) and Michael Kelso (Kutcher) as if they were in the room with him. (The show uses archival That '70s Show footage to achieve this effect.) In reality, Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon) walks in, and Fez notes that "the old gang is here." However, Hyde is not involved in his hallucination at all.

There's no word on if That '90s Show hopes to incorporate Hyde in future seasons (which Netflix has yet to greenlight). Masterson still is facing multiple rape charges, so it seems unlikely. When the accusations against Masterson first surfaced, he was fired from his and Kutcher's Netflix sitcom The Ranch. That show opted to kill off his character, Rooster Bennett — though it was notably off-camera and under unclear circumstances. However, he was still regularly referenced, due to his importance to the show's characters.

That '90s Show implies that the main crew hasn't kept in close contact in the nearly two decades after That '70s Show ended — and the main focus is on a new generation of kids, anyway. It would not be farfetched to see a situation where That '90s Show continues but never references Hyde in any way.

About That '90s Show on Netflix

That '90s Show is the Netflix sequel series to FOX's hit sitcom That '70s Show (1998-2006). It features returning cast members Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp as Red and Kitty Forman, respectively, alongside a new group of teens played by Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Reyn Doi, Sam Morelos and Maxwell Acee Donovan. However, these beloved That '70s Show cast members return for guest appearances: Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Tommy Chong and Don Stark. While the focus here is on the kids, fans of the original show will be pleased to know the lead character, Leia Forman (Haverda), is the daughter of Eric Forman (Grace) and Donna Pinciotti (Prepon). Leia and her friends get into all kinds of hijinks, not unlike the original cast of characters, so the spirit of the original series is alive and well. Netflix has renewed the show for a 16-episode Season 2.