It very much vacillates between being a sharp and funny comedy (like Kelso at the beginning with the keg location) and a pretty dumb show (like when Eric and company find the keg). I realized watching this that That 70s Show is a show where in most episodes, I roll my eyes at least a couple times and laugh at least a couple times. This episode has some funny moments with another good 70s-era plot line: a keg party.
#That 70s show season 1 episode 3 tv#
Finally, I love that That 70s Show routinely uses 1970s TV stars in guest roles but Danny Bonaduce is not one of my favorites.Įric and Donna find a keg in the road when they ditch study hall and decide to throw a party. Also there is a younger sister for Donna in this episode who is never heard from again. I think there are pros and cons to the two different approaches.
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It's so interesting to watch shows from the 1990s compared to the 1970s and how often they used multiple plot lines compared to 70s shows which didn't often have real strong "B" stories, much less "C" or "D" stories. The plot bouncing back and forth between Eric at Fatso Burger, Donna's party and furthering the Eric & Donna sexual tension just doesn't work. This is an episode where That 70s Show can't seem to settle down and stick to a cohesive plot. Donna's parents are going to be out of town and Donna and Eric are tempted to do something. The side story of Red fixing things around the house is funny too mostly thanks to Debra Jo Rupp's reactions.Įric gets a job at Fatso Burger over Kelso. You may learn in the coming episodes and seasons that I am not always the biggest fan of Laura Prepon, but she is really good in this episode feeling at odds between how she feels and what both her mother and friends are telling her. Not everything about this episode is graceful and it doesn't need to be, but it deals with it in a realistic way, especially a realistic way for teen boys and girls to interact then (and still now). That 70s Show always did a sneaky good job of dealing with gender issues while set in a decade where the world was changing. Red is bored after his hours were cut back on the plant and he drives Kitty crazy by fixing things he doesn't need to. It is cheap laughs and brings the episode's momentum to a halt.ĭonna doesn't think it's a big deal that she beat Eric in basketball but her mother and Jackie disagree. Something that doesn't work in this episode (and didn't work in the pilot either) is the adults doing a voice-over for the kids (or vice-versa in the pilot). Although it's a little sad to watch Kelly now knowing what happened to her life, she is perfect for this part. We also get to meet Lisa Robin Kelly as Eric's older sister, Laurie, in this episode. This episode is more consistently funny than the pilot as Kitty trying to hide the obvious fact that she's throwing a party for Eric. Let me just say, the Petticoat Junction discussion is hilarious at the beginning of this episode even though most people watching it today probably don't even know what they're talking about in that scene. The episode loses some momentum when the kids head to the concert, but it still does a good job of building the 70s culture.Įric can't stop his mother from throwing a surprise birthday for him while he and Donna wrestle with their feelings for each other after their kiss.
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It's handled with a lot of humor and the scene with high Eric talking to his parents is pretty funny. I know that would become a staple of the show, but it could have been a turn off in the pilot and instead they went for it. I also think it was a little gutsy of them to do a "getting high scene" in the pilot. We really get to know the personalities of so many of the characters within the first couple minutes of the pilot. The plot really isn't even that important here, the character development is. While it's a little hard to judge since I know the show well before this re-watching, I think the pilot of That 70s Show does a great job of world building. Eric gets his parents' Vista Crusier, but then disobeys them by taking it out of town where the car breaks down.