Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘That ‘90s Show’ follows the story of Leia Forman, who arrives at her grandparents’ house in Point Place to spend a summer away from her parents. She is excited to make new friends and experience the things like falling in love and kissing someone for the first time. Over time, she develops an attraction for Jay Kelso. After a little miscommunication about their feelings, they come clean with each other and end up in a relationship that lasts the entire summer. By the end, however, things take a very drastic turn, which leaves their fate uncertain. If you are wondering what happens to Leia and Jay, then we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD
Why do Leia and Jay Break Up?
Leia and Jay didn’t have a lot of things in common, but they ended up liking each other. At first, both of them tried to have the upper hand by not expressing their feelings first. This led to unnecessary complications between them, but by Leia’s birthday, they’d set aside their differences and officially started dating. Despite their mutual attraction, the problem of Leia’s departure lingered in their relationship.
Gwen had previously warned Leia not to think about dating Jay because he was known to entertain relationships over the summer, which he would bring to an end when it was time to go back to school. Even though Jay likes Leia, he still follows his pattern when he starts considering breaking up with her as the summer comes to an end. He discusses this with Nate, who unintentionally passes on the information to Leia who is completely taken by surprise.
Jay argues that there is no point in being in a relationship when they are going to be miles away from each other for the next nine months. Leia tries to convince him otherwise but is heartbroken when she finds the rest of the group siding with Jay, calling it the practical thing to do. Knowing that she can’t make Jay change his mind, Leia is forced to accept that their relationship has run its course. This also leads her to change her mind about coming back to Point Place for the next summer, something that she was already looking forward to, considering the strong bonds she had forged this time around.
Leia and Jay’s Future in That ’90s Show
Jay breaks up with Leia because he believes that none of them should be tied to the other for so long, especially when both of them have the prospect of meeting someone else. It’s not that he doesn’t like Leia. He is just taking a practical approach to things until Kitty Forman convinces him otherwise. Discovering that Leia has made up her mind not to return to Point Place next summer, Kitty makes Jay realize that there is still a lot to look forward to even if he and Leia are going to be miles away from each other.
Jay realizes that he has feelings for Leia and decides to pursue them no matter what. Just as Leia is about to leave for Chicago, he shows up at the Forman house and tells her that he has changed his mind. He believes that they have something special together and they should give the long-distance relationship a shot, even if things might not be so easy between them for the next nine months. Unbeknownst to him, things have taken a very different turn for Leia.
In processing her break-up with Jay, Leia ends up striking an unexpected understanding with Nate. Things go so far that they almost kiss each other, but don’t get the time to process this newfound attraction. Before Jay shows up to profess his love, Nate and Leia decide to give each other a call to talk things over. Later, Leia tells Jay that she is confused and needs some time to process things. Unaware that his best friend has also developed feelings for her, Jay bids farewell to Leia believing that they might get back together.
Considering that Leia first fell in love with Jay, there is a possibility that she might end up with him after all. While things did get complicated due to Nate, this confusion might just have been the heat of the moment, especially considering that both of them were in a very vulnerable place at the time. Leia was sad over her break-up and Nate had been trying to process the gradual change in his and Nikki’s relationship. By the time they call each other, they will have had some time to think it through. They wouldn’t want to hurt their friends’ feelings and might call off the entire thing. This means that Leia will be open to exploring her feelings for Jay and see whether or not they can brave the problems posed by a long-distance relationship.
Read More: Do Leia and Nate End Up Together in That ’90s Show? Theories
