Eric Forman
Encyclopedia
Eric Albert Forman is a fictional character
and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show
between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace
, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill
. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the basement, where he and his five friends hang out. He has a doting mother with impending separation anxiety and menopause
(Kitty Forman
), a crabby, strict, Korean War
military veteran
father (Red Forman
), a promiscuous
older sister (Laurie Forman
), and his best friend who later becomes his foster brother (Steven Hyde
). He was the program's main protagonist
until he was written out due to Grace's departure from the series. However, despite Eric's absence, he is frequently mentioned in Season 8. He makes a brief cameo appearance in the final episode titled "That '70s Finale
".
sense of humor. He also smokes marijuana with his friends in his basement.
Eric is often picked on for his slight stature, and other characters have likened him to "Opie" (for the character Opie Taylor
, from The Andy Griffith Show
), and Archie Andrews
. Other unfortunate nicknames include "Foreplay
" (by Casey Kelso), "Foreskin
" (by Donna), "Zitty Stardust" (in reference to him being unable to take a pimple-free yearbook photo), "Scrawny Little Neighbor Boy" (by Hyde), and "Dumbass" (by Red).
His girlfriend Donna
is physically stronger, smarter, and larger than he, a fact which is cause for many jokes by all who know them. Donna is seen beating everyone individually on more than one occasion.
Though physically weak, Eric can show a surprising amount of courage and even physical power when necessary. When incensed enough he will stand up to anyone, even his father, and during these moments he can be surprisingly eloquent. He stood up to Red when he was troubled about Kitty's apparent pregnancy and told him to be a man for her. He also stood up to both of his parents in his insistence on marrying Donna, despite their repeated attempts to stop him. He threatened Casey Kelso with serious injury if he hurt Donna, and even defended his father by punching another teenager (David Milbank) who had informed him that Red will eventually lose his job at the auto parts plant. He also beat a Green Bay Packers
fan up during a game, after the fan (along with Red) repeatedly insulted Eric for wearing a Chicago Bears
jersey; however, Eric turned to violence only when the fan insulted Red for telling him to stop arguing once the game had finished, as Red only saw the argument as being appropriate banter between opposing fans during the game. This made Red proud enough to remark that his son had the "Forman Rage".
Eric's best friend is rebel Steven Hyde
. When Hyde's mother left town at the end of the first season, Eric tried to persuade his parents to do something about his best friend's living conditions and thus Hyde was invited to live with the Formans, which he does for most of the series. And when Red was quick to throw Hyde out after an arrest for possession of drugs, Eric attempts to rescue him by proving Red's hypocrisy.
Of his group of friends, Eric seems to dislike Jackie
the most. In an early episode, Red tells Eric that Jackie is his favorite out of his friends because she can fix cars (which is surprising, because Jackie is very petite and narcissistic), Eric replies that she's not one of his friends. Eric finds Jackie boring, shallow, obnoxious, long-winded and utterly useless. Conversely, Eric only seems to find Jackie attractive when not hearing her voice in any way, stating at one point: "Good God, she is hot!" (after picturing her in a bikini and, at the advice of Hyde, silent). She believes she gets a free pass into the circle because she happens to be dating someone in the group. Jackie is generally demeaning towards Eric due to his effeminate qualities, dorkiness and physical weakness, and believes him to be unworthy of Donna (although she doesn't think much of Donna, either), which causes Eric to dislike her even more.
However, as the series progresses, it is shown that they develop a tolerance for each other and eventually a friendship. As early as season two, after Jackie breaks up with Michael Kelso
, Eric stands up to comfort her. When Kelso begins to date Eric's sister Laurie, Eric realizes that he wants Jackie to continue to hang out in the basement, simply because it makes Laurie uncomfortable. Eric is the first person Jackie told when she suspected she was pregnant in the first season and they have been known to occasionally help each other out. In the episode "Jackie's Cheese Squeeze," Eric admits that they are "friends", as long as they don't refer to each other as such in public, and in the season seven finale, Jackie calls Eric from Chicago and admits that she's always cared for him and considers him a good friend.
Eric is a well-known fan of science fiction
, such as Star Trek
and especially Star Wars
, in which he compares himself to Luke Skywalker
. This is cause for much ridicule at the hands of his exasperated family and friends. He is known to keep a collection of Star Wars models and figurines. He is also known to have a large, beloved collection of G.I. Joe
. He listens to artists such as Led Zeppelin
, KISS
, Aerosmith
, Pink Floyd
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
, Queen
, Styx
and Rush
. He is also a Beatles fan and has been known to liken his group of friends to them, accusing Jackie of "breaking up the band" with her romantic entanglements with Kelso and Hyde (calling her Yoko, in reference to Yoko Ono
). It is also hinted that he is both a Batman
and Spider-Man
fan, having Spider-Man bedsheets and a considerable number of comic books, most of them bearing the Marvel Comics
logo with the titular character on the covers. When he fought a fan at the Packers game, he tells Red that he learned his moves from Spider-Man;
coincidentally, Topher Grace starred as Eddie Brock, a character who obtains powers very similar to Spider-Man, thus transforming him into the monstrous Venom in Spider-Man 3
in 2007.
Eric has had many typical teenage jobs over the series. He has worked at Fatso Burger, Price Mart, a dog food factory, and as a waiter at the Holiday Hotel (all of the business names were fictitious). At the beginning of the series, Red vehemently opposed Eric's attempts to get a job during the second season citing that it would interfere with his school work and make it harder for him to get into a good college located far away. Kitty supported Red by designating Eric's job as being her "precious little baby boy". When Eric announced his marriage proposal to Red and Kitty, Red fired him from his job at Price Mart so he couldn't make the money to get married. Kitty cost him a potential job at a bank for the same reason. Red and Kitty even went so far as to revoke their offer to pay for Eric's college tuition in a final act of desperation to put a stop to the wedding but were unsuccessful. In season seven Eric was much ridiculed by his father when he took a year off from school and work to contemplate his future and enjoy being lazy. Eric took pleasure in the contempt Red had for this decision.
Eric is usually very supportive of his friends, even though it is very rarely reciprocal. On several occasions, when the gang found themselves in a predicament as the result of a prank gone awry or some other unforeseen circumstance, the rest of the group would take off, leaving Eric to absorb the brunt of the trouble, after which the gang (mainly Hyde) would hassle and tease Eric for getting into trouble (as in Stolen Car, Eric Gets Suspended, Eric's Hot Cousin and Rip This Joint). This has much to do with Eric's trusting nature and indicates that what he lacks in physical strength and courage, he more than makes up for in strength of character. Eric however, has been known to get his revenge on his backstabbing friends from time to time, such as when Kelso took the gang on a "dine-and-dash" without telling them and the group eventually abandoned Donna and Eric at the restaurant. Eric and Donna exacted their revenge by serving a batch of brownies which they referred to as "Special Brownies". However, in this case, the "special" ingredient that Eric and Donna had included was Ex-Lax. This was a particular problem for Fez, whose girlfriend had arrived to make amends with him, just as he was running for the bathroom. At times, however, Eric's friends will come to his aid when he's truly at the end of his rope. His less morally inclined friends are quick to take advantage of him and sometimes take his willingness to help them for granted. However, Eric is also quick to stand up for himself whenever he feels he has been wronged by his friends' actions. Although in later episodes he seemed to become more selfish, babied by his mother, and lazy.
Eric is also quite stubborn, which has on several occasions brought bad luck to himself. For example, when Donna calls from California and when Kitty tries to tell him, Eric refuses to even listen to his mother and (when he finds out the call) later scolds her for not telling him. Also, when Hyde was about to get kicked out of the Forman's house for his drug use, Eric tells Red that he also does drugs (despite Donna telling him not to), only to find out that Hyde gets to stay.
Eric's mother, Kitty, typically supports Eric against the wishes of her husband and she often scolds Red for being too hard on him. However, she also does not consider Eric to be a man and often refers to him as her "precious little baby boy". Eric appreciates his mom's support but her overblown displays of affection often leave him feeling embarrassed. At times, Kitty's love for Eric borders on Hitchcockian
. His mother is often insecure about being replaced by Donna as the woman in Eric's life. Their rivalry is played up in many episodes (often comically, but sometimes to the point of it being problematic). In theory, she's okay with a sexual relationship between Donna and Eric (even pressing the two to discuss it with her); however, in reality, she goes into a depression after learning that Eric and Donna had sex and considers Donna a harlot who has stolen her baby boy away from her. Eric reassured Kitty that he would always need her because, "[Red]'s going to be riding [his] ass for the rest of [his] life". When Eric tells his parents about his plan to spend a year teaching in Africa, his mother is less than thrilled. This is most notably and comically presented when, the morning after his announcement, Kitty fixes everyone at the breakfast table a smiley-face breakfast with eggs and bacon and then hands Eric a plain pancake and says, "nothing smiling up at you, nothing." Even with a couple of days before his departure, Kitty reveals that she hid mailed notifications that Eric must receive certain vaccinations before he can leave. Eric protests his mom's actions but she still tries to dissuade him, stating that the needles used for the vaccinations are "as big as sausages" and "will hurt a lot".
In the episode "Eric's Birthday", the gang is acutely aware that Kitty has planned a surprise party for Eric, despite her claims to the contrary. This annoys Eric because he believes that surprise parties are for kids, which indicates that Kitty won't accept the fact that he is becoming a man. However, throughout the episode "Magic Bus", Eric expects Kitty to throw him a surprise party even though she and the gang constantly tell him that there is no surprise party. He becomes upset when he realizes that his mother is telling the truth. After Eric disobeys his parents' orders not to go forward with his plans to marry Donna, Red finally deems Eric a man and offers his blessing while a devastated Kitty turns on Red for allowing her "precious baby boy" to get married. Though Eric and Donna call off the wedding, they decide to move, which causes Kitty even more grief. She's even less pleased when she learns that Red is fine with it.
Eric's relationship with his older sister, Laurie, is based on mutual ridicule and contempt. Eric repeatedly mocks Laurie for being a whore while she chides him for being weak and less favored by their father. On several occasions, Eric and Laurie have tolerated each other and have even shown a brother-sister bond. When Eric saw his parents having sex, Laurie tried to comfort him, which included hugging him and stroking his hand. In the middle of a fight between the two, Hyde tried to break it up, and the two teamed up on him, complimenting each others insults. Eric once even defended Laurie from Red. After discovering that Laurie moved out and was living with a man, Red, having been forced to face reality about his daughter's behavior and reputation, attempted to alienate her. Sympathizing with her, Eric attempted to defend Laurie, saying that Red was being too hard on her. Laurie once told Eric and Donna to move away after they got married and even cried during her apology. Eric tasted the tear and, having deemed it legitimate, replied "I have a sister!" and hugged her. Laurie appeared to have turned a new leaf but soon regressed back to her old habits of mean-spirited and lacivious behavior.
(Laura Prepon
), the girl next door
. Their relationship had been one of the show's main storylines and had endured many ups and downs. They have been friends since they were children and, in the first season, their friendship evolves into a romantic relationship. In early episodes, a jealous Hyde tries to steal Donna from Eric. This plotline was discarded until the It's a Wonderful Life episode, when it is revealed that Hyde was waiting for Donna after the Todd Rundgren
concert that the gang had gone to in the pilot. This episode suggests that, had Eric and Donna not kissed, Donna would have ended up with Hyde and Eric with Big Rhonda. Eric would have spent the rest of his childhood trying to win his father's approval, even going so far as to kowtow
to him. It is revealed that, had this scenario played out, the entire group would have experienced drastically different (and worse) lives. The exception is Fez, who seems more or less at ease with his situation.
In "That 70's Pilot", Donna kisses Eric on the hood of the Vista Cruiser
. The next few episodes deal with the aftermath of the kiss. Apparently, Eric and Donna are not dating. Eric and Donna almost kiss after a fight in "Battle of the Sexists". In "The Keg", they kiss again, in the same location. Two episodes later, in "Drive In", they make out in the same place and officially begin dating.
After many failed attempts, Eric and Donna lose their virginity to each other in the season two episode "The First Time" where Donna's parents are renewing their vows.
In "The Promise Ring", Donna is put off by Eric's gift of a promise ring, feeling trapped in the relationship. She confesses to Eric that she was unsure that their relationship would last forever, sometimes seeing herself alone. Eric, distraught and angry, realizes how different he and Donna are from each other and breaks up with her.
After this, Eric does his best to get over Donna, with little success. He tries to start new relationships but often fails. Meanwhile, Donna begins dating Casey Kelso, Michael Kelso's older brother. He has a "bad boy" persona and, although unreliable and occasionally immature, Casey manages to impress Donna and Eric's family. Later on, however, Donna ends up skipping school to get drunk with Casey. Eric and Kitty witness this and decide to intervene. In a group discussion in the Formans' living room, Casey dumps Donna, deciding she isn't worth the trouble. Donna realizes that Eric was right for her all along but Eric rejects her, stating that he "can't be her second choice".
Unable to handle Eric's (and Casey's) rejections, Donna runs away to California with Kelso, who was running away from Jackie (Jackie wrongly believes that Michael has agreed to marry her). Donna decides that she does love Eric and tries to call him. However, she can't get in touch with him because he is "busy". When Eric finally finds out about her calls, he tries to call her back but can't work up the courage. Hyde solves Eric's dilemma by stealing some of his money, buying him a plane ticket to California, and sending him on his way. Eric arrives in California and, finding Donna at a beach, reunites and reconciles with her. They then return to Point Place.
In the fifth season, Eric and Donna become engaged, despite widespread discouragement (and anger, in the case of Kitty, Red and Bob). However, they refuse to call off the engagement and remain engaged until the end of the sixth season. Eventually, they both begin to experience pre-wedding jitters (cold feet
) and Eric, acting upon these feelings, abandones his wedding rehearsal. He then returns in the next episode and Donna forgives him.
In the season seven finale, Eric leaves Point Place to teach in Africa
, in order to earn a scholarship for his college education (behind the scenes, Topher Grace left the show in order to appear in Spider-Man 3
). Eric breaks up with Donna, off-screen, during the eighth season.
In the show's finale, Eric returns from Africa on New Year's Eve to find Donna sitting on the hood of the Vista Cruiser. Eric confesses that he thought about her every day while he was gone and that he was a "dumbass" for leaving. Donna, in tears, kisses Eric. They renew their relationship shortly before the transition into the next decade.
, Hyde's co-worker at Grooves. Despite Eric's absence from the show, he was mentioned in every episode of the season. Also, that same year, Kelso had left Point Place but, being in Africa at the time, Eric never knew that Kelso had left. Near the end of the season, Red remodeled Eric's bedroom to make a sewing room for Kitty.
, which aired on Thursday May 18, 2006. In the final episode, Eric arrives shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve. He apologizes to Donna for leaving and Donna tells him that "things are a lot different now", at which point they kiss. Before going inside, Eric, nervous about reuniting with his friends, mentions how he needs to find a way to take off the edge. He solves his problem their favorite way: one last round in The Circle together with Kelso, Hyde, and Fez. He then gives Kelso a plastic rhino horn toy for his daughter and delivers the final line of the series: "Hey guys, last one upstairs... has to call Red a dumbass!".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill
Mark Brazill
Mark Brazill is a television creator and executive producer. He is most well-known as being the co-creator of the FOX situation comedy, That '70s Show which aired for eight seasons, and also co-created the series' in-direct spinoff, That '80s Show which was cancelled by Fox after its first season...
. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the basement, where he and his five friends hang out. He has a doting mother with impending separation anxiety and menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
(Kitty Forman
Kitty Forman
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by comic actress Debra Jo Rupp. Kitty is a nurse but sometimes takes a break from her career to make peace in the family. She also has a very recognizable laugh and a fondness for square dancing...
), a crabby, strict, Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
military veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
father (Red Forman
Red Forman
Reginald Albert "Red" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Kurtwood Smith.-Biography and personality:Red is one of the classic archetypes of the "grumpy man"...
), a promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
older sister (Laurie Forman
Laurie Forman
Lauren Anne "Laurie" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. She was originally portrayed by Lisa Robin Kelly and later by Christina Moore....
), and his best friend who later becomes his foster brother (Steven Hyde
Steven Hyde
Steven James Hyde III, known as Hyde by his friends, is a fictional character from the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Danny Masterson. He is Eric Forman's best friend and by the end of season one, his de facto adopted brother...
). He was the program's main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
until he was written out due to Grace's departure from the series. However, despite Eric's absence, he is frequently mentioned in Season 8. He makes a brief cameo appearance in the final episode titled "That '70s Finale
That '70s Finale (episode)
"That '70s Finale" is the series finale of the long-running sitcom, That '70s Show. The series ran on Fox for eight seasons, and the episode aired on May 18, 2006...
".
Personality
Eric is a nice guy at heart. He is also generally geeky, physically weak, and somewhat clumsy. He is a smart-aleck teenager with a lightning-fast wit and a sarcastic and deadpanDeadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
sense of humor. He also smokes marijuana with his friends in his basement.
Eric is often picked on for his slight stature, and other characters have likened him to "Opie" (for the character Opie Taylor
Opie Taylor
Opie Taylor is a fictional character in the American television program, The Andy Griffith Show which was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968...
, from The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
), and Archie Andrews
Archie Andrews (comics)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
. Other unfortunate nicknames include "Foreplay
Foreplay
In human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physically intimate acts between two or more people meant to create desire for sexual activity and sexual arousal. Either or any of the sexual partners may initiate the foreplay, and they may not be the active partner during...
" (by Casey Kelso), "Foreskin
Foreskin
In male human anatomy, the foreskin is a generally retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect...
" (by Donna), "Zitty Stardust" (in reference to him being unable to take a pimple-free yearbook photo), "Scrawny Little Neighbor Boy" (by Hyde), and "Dumbass" (by Red).
His girlfriend Donna
Donna Pinciotti
Donna Marie Pinciotti is a fictional character and one of the two female leads in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, appearing in all eight seasons...
is physically stronger, smarter, and larger than he, a fact which is cause for many jokes by all who know them. Donna is seen beating everyone individually on more than one occasion.
Though physically weak, Eric can show a surprising amount of courage and even physical power when necessary. When incensed enough he will stand up to anyone, even his father, and during these moments he can be surprisingly eloquent. He stood up to Red when he was troubled about Kitty's apparent pregnancy and told him to be a man for her. He also stood up to both of his parents in his insistence on marrying Donna, despite their repeated attempts to stop him. He threatened Casey Kelso with serious injury if he hurt Donna, and even defended his father by punching another teenager (David Milbank) who had informed him that Red will eventually lose his job at the auto parts plant. He also beat a Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
fan up during a game, after the fan (along with Red) repeatedly insulted Eric for wearing a Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
jersey; however, Eric turned to violence only when the fan insulted Red for telling him to stop arguing once the game had finished, as Red only saw the argument as being appropriate banter between opposing fans during the game. This made Red proud enough to remark that his son had the "Forman Rage".
Eric's best friend is rebel Steven Hyde
Steven Hyde
Steven James Hyde III, known as Hyde by his friends, is a fictional character from the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Danny Masterson. He is Eric Forman's best friend and by the end of season one, his de facto adopted brother...
. When Hyde's mother left town at the end of the first season, Eric tried to persuade his parents to do something about his best friend's living conditions and thus Hyde was invited to live with the Formans, which he does for most of the series. And when Red was quick to throw Hyde out after an arrest for possession of drugs, Eric attempts to rescue him by proving Red's hypocrisy.
Of his group of friends, Eric seems to dislike Jackie
Jackie Burkhart
Jacqueline "Jackie" Beulah Burkhart is a fictional character and one of the two female leads on the Fox Network sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Mila Kunis.-Personality:...
the most. In an early episode, Red tells Eric that Jackie is his favorite out of his friends because she can fix cars (which is surprising, because Jackie is very petite and narcissistic), Eric replies that she's not one of his friends. Eric finds Jackie boring, shallow, obnoxious, long-winded and utterly useless. Conversely, Eric only seems to find Jackie attractive when not hearing her voice in any way, stating at one point: "Good God, she is hot!" (after picturing her in a bikini and, at the advice of Hyde, silent). She believes she gets a free pass into the circle because she happens to be dating someone in the group. Jackie is generally demeaning towards Eric due to his effeminate qualities, dorkiness and physical weakness, and believes him to be unworthy of Donna (although she doesn't think much of Donna, either), which causes Eric to dislike her even more.
However, as the series progresses, it is shown that they develop a tolerance for each other and eventually a friendship. As early as season two, after Jackie breaks up with Michael Kelso
Michael Kelso
Michael Christopher Kelso usually referred to simply as Kelso by his friends is one of the five male leads on Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by Ashton Kutcher. Tall, lanky and long-haired , he is the dim-witted pretty-boy of the group, coasting through life on his good looks...
, Eric stands up to comfort her. When Kelso begins to date Eric's sister Laurie, Eric realizes that he wants Jackie to continue to hang out in the basement, simply because it makes Laurie uncomfortable. Eric is the first person Jackie told when she suspected she was pregnant in the first season and they have been known to occasionally help each other out. In the episode "Jackie's Cheese Squeeze," Eric admits that they are "friends", as long as they don't refer to each other as such in public, and in the season seven finale, Jackie calls Eric from Chicago and admits that she's always cared for him and considers him a good friend.
Eric is a well-known fan of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, such as Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and especially Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, in which he compares himself to Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
. This is cause for much ridicule at the hands of his exasperated family and friends. He is known to keep a collection of Star Wars models and figurines. He is also known to have a large, beloved collection of G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
. He listens to artists such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
. He is also a Beatles fan and has been known to liken his group of friends to them, accusing Jackie of "breaking up the band" with her romantic entanglements with Kelso and Hyde (calling her Yoko, in reference to Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
). It is also hinted that he is both a Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
fan, having Spider-Man bedsheets and a considerable number of comic books, most of them bearing the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
logo with the titular character on the covers. When he fought a fan at the Packers game, he tells Red that he learned his moves from Spider-Man;
coincidentally, Topher Grace starred as Eddie Brock, a character who obtains powers very similar to Spider-Man, thus transforming him into the monstrous Venom in Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
in 2007.
Eric has had many typical teenage jobs over the series. He has worked at Fatso Burger, Price Mart, a dog food factory, and as a waiter at the Holiday Hotel (all of the business names were fictitious). At the beginning of the series, Red vehemently opposed Eric's attempts to get a job during the second season citing that it would interfere with his school work and make it harder for him to get into a good college located far away. Kitty supported Red by designating Eric's job as being her "precious little baby boy". When Eric announced his marriage proposal to Red and Kitty, Red fired him from his job at Price Mart so he couldn't make the money to get married. Kitty cost him a potential job at a bank for the same reason. Red and Kitty even went so far as to revoke their offer to pay for Eric's college tuition in a final act of desperation to put a stop to the wedding but were unsuccessful. In season seven Eric was much ridiculed by his father when he took a year off from school and work to contemplate his future and enjoy being lazy. Eric took pleasure in the contempt Red had for this decision.
Eric is usually very supportive of his friends, even though it is very rarely reciprocal. On several occasions, when the gang found themselves in a predicament as the result of a prank gone awry or some other unforeseen circumstance, the rest of the group would take off, leaving Eric to absorb the brunt of the trouble, after which the gang (mainly Hyde) would hassle and tease Eric for getting into trouble (as in Stolen Car, Eric Gets Suspended, Eric's Hot Cousin and Rip This Joint). This has much to do with Eric's trusting nature and indicates that what he lacks in physical strength and courage, he more than makes up for in strength of character. Eric however, has been known to get his revenge on his backstabbing friends from time to time, such as when Kelso took the gang on a "dine-and-dash" without telling them and the group eventually abandoned Donna and Eric at the restaurant. Eric and Donna exacted their revenge by serving a batch of brownies which they referred to as "Special Brownies". However, in this case, the "special" ingredient that Eric and Donna had included was Ex-Lax. This was a particular problem for Fez, whose girlfriend had arrived to make amends with him, just as he was running for the bathroom. At times, however, Eric's friends will come to his aid when he's truly at the end of his rope. His less morally inclined friends are quick to take advantage of him and sometimes take his willingness to help them for granted. However, Eric is also quick to stand up for himself whenever he feels he has been wronged by his friends' actions. Although in later episodes he seemed to become more selfish, babied by his mother, and lazy.
Eric is also quite stubborn, which has on several occasions brought bad luck to himself. For example, when Donna calls from California and when Kitty tries to tell him, Eric refuses to even listen to his mother and (when he finds out the call) later scolds her for not telling him. Also, when Hyde was about to get kicked out of the Forman's house for his drug use, Eric tells Red that he also does drugs (despite Donna telling him not to), only to find out that Hyde gets to stay.
Relationship with family
Eric's relationship with his parents centers around his attempts to prove to them that he is mature and independent. Eric's father, Red, is a notorious authoritarian and often refers to Eric as "dumbass" and "boy". He frequently threatens "to put his foot in Eric's ass". Red finds Eric lacking the qualities which he feels a grown man should possess, including physical strength, sportsmanship, and interest in manly pursuits, like hunting and fishing. Despite the fact that Red's strict parenting often prevents intimate father-son moments,Red truly cares for his son and on rare occasions displays genuine fatherly love such as in "That Wresting Show" and "Street Fighting Man", as well as when he learns that Eric is a good hunter and chose not to shoot a deer because he didn't want to. Oddly, Eric is, in many ways, a younger version of his father. Both display a dry sense of humor and tend to be the sanest people in their circle of friends.Eric's mother, Kitty, typically supports Eric against the wishes of her husband and she often scolds Red for being too hard on him. However, she also does not consider Eric to be a man and often refers to him as her "precious little baby boy". Eric appreciates his mom's support but her overblown displays of affection often leave him feeling embarrassed. At times, Kitty's love for Eric borders on Hitchcockian
Hitchcockian
Hitchcockian is a general term used to describe film styles and themes similar to those of Alfred Hitchcock's films.-Characteristics:Elements considered Hitchcockian include:*The cool platinum blonde....
. His mother is often insecure about being replaced by Donna as the woman in Eric's life. Their rivalry is played up in many episodes (often comically, but sometimes to the point of it being problematic). In theory, she's okay with a sexual relationship between Donna and Eric (even pressing the two to discuss it with her); however, in reality, she goes into a depression after learning that Eric and Donna had sex and considers Donna a harlot who has stolen her baby boy away from her. Eric reassured Kitty that he would always need her because, "[Red]'s going to be riding [his] ass for the rest of [his] life". When Eric tells his parents about his plan to spend a year teaching in Africa, his mother is less than thrilled. This is most notably and comically presented when, the morning after his announcement, Kitty fixes everyone at the breakfast table a smiley-face breakfast with eggs and bacon and then hands Eric a plain pancake and says, "nothing smiling up at you, nothing." Even with a couple of days before his departure, Kitty reveals that she hid mailed notifications that Eric must receive certain vaccinations before he can leave. Eric protests his mom's actions but she still tries to dissuade him, stating that the needles used for the vaccinations are "as big as sausages" and "will hurt a lot".
In the episode "Eric's Birthday", the gang is acutely aware that Kitty has planned a surprise party for Eric, despite her claims to the contrary. This annoys Eric because he believes that surprise parties are for kids, which indicates that Kitty won't accept the fact that he is becoming a man. However, throughout the episode "Magic Bus", Eric expects Kitty to throw him a surprise party even though she and the gang constantly tell him that there is no surprise party. He becomes upset when he realizes that his mother is telling the truth. After Eric disobeys his parents' orders not to go forward with his plans to marry Donna, Red finally deems Eric a man and offers his blessing while a devastated Kitty turns on Red for allowing her "precious baby boy" to get married. Though Eric and Donna call off the wedding, they decide to move, which causes Kitty even more grief. She's even less pleased when she learns that Red is fine with it.
Eric's relationship with his older sister, Laurie, is based on mutual ridicule and contempt. Eric repeatedly mocks Laurie for being a whore while she chides him for being weak and less favored by their father. On several occasions, Eric and Laurie have tolerated each other and have even shown a brother-sister bond. When Eric saw his parents having sex, Laurie tried to comfort him, which included hugging him and stroking his hand. In the middle of a fight between the two, Hyde tried to break it up, and the two teamed up on him, complimenting each others insults. Eric once even defended Laurie from Red. After discovering that Laurie moved out and was living with a man, Red, having been forced to face reality about his daughter's behavior and reputation, attempted to alienate her. Sympathizing with her, Eric attempted to defend Laurie, saying that Red was being too hard on her. Laurie once told Eric and Donna to move away after they got married and even cried during her apology. Eric tasted the tear and, having deemed it legitimate, replied "I have a sister!" and hugged her. Laurie appeared to have turned a new leaf but soon regressed back to her old habits of mean-spirited and lacivious behavior.
Relationship with Donna
Eric's first love is Donna PinciottiDonna Pinciotti
Donna Marie Pinciotti is a fictional character and one of the two female leads in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, appearing in all eight seasons...
(Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...
), the girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
. Their relationship had been one of the show's main storylines and had endured many ups and downs. They have been friends since they were children and, in the first season, their friendship evolves into a romantic relationship. In early episodes, a jealous Hyde tries to steal Donna from Eric. This plotline was discarded until the It's a Wonderful Life episode, when it is revealed that Hyde was waiting for Donna after the Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
concert that the gang had gone to in the pilot. This episode suggests that, had Eric and Donna not kissed, Donna would have ended up with Hyde and Eric with Big Rhonda. Eric would have spent the rest of his childhood trying to win his father's approval, even going so far as to kowtow
Kowtow
Kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. An alternative Chinese term is ketou, however the meaning is somewhat altered: kòu originally meant "knock with reverence", whereas kē has the general meaning of "touch upon ".In Han...
to him. It is revealed that, had this scenario played out, the entire group would have experienced drastically different (and worse) lives. The exception is Fez, who seems more or less at ease with his situation.
In "That 70's Pilot", Donna kisses Eric on the hood of the Vista Cruiser
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
The Vista Cruiser is a station wagon built by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors from 1964 to 1977. It was based on the Oldsmobile Cutlass/F-85 model but prior to the 1973 model year it utilized a wheelbase which was longer than that of the Cutlass/F-85 sedan.Unlike most station wagons, it...
. The next few episodes deal with the aftermath of the kiss. Apparently, Eric and Donna are not dating. Eric and Donna almost kiss after a fight in "Battle of the Sexists". In "The Keg", they kiss again, in the same location. Two episodes later, in "Drive In", they make out in the same place and officially begin dating.
After many failed attempts, Eric and Donna lose their virginity to each other in the season two episode "The First Time" where Donna's parents are renewing their vows.
In "The Promise Ring", Donna is put off by Eric's gift of a promise ring, feeling trapped in the relationship. She confesses to Eric that she was unsure that their relationship would last forever, sometimes seeing herself alone. Eric, distraught and angry, realizes how different he and Donna are from each other and breaks up with her.
After this, Eric does his best to get over Donna, with little success. He tries to start new relationships but often fails. Meanwhile, Donna begins dating Casey Kelso, Michael Kelso's older brother. He has a "bad boy" persona and, although unreliable and occasionally immature, Casey manages to impress Donna and Eric's family. Later on, however, Donna ends up skipping school to get drunk with Casey. Eric and Kitty witness this and decide to intervene. In a group discussion in the Formans' living room, Casey dumps Donna, deciding she isn't worth the trouble. Donna realizes that Eric was right for her all along but Eric rejects her, stating that he "can't be her second choice".
Unable to handle Eric's (and Casey's) rejections, Donna runs away to California with Kelso, who was running away from Jackie (Jackie wrongly believes that Michael has agreed to marry her). Donna decides that she does love Eric and tries to call him. However, she can't get in touch with him because he is "busy". When Eric finally finds out about her calls, he tries to call her back but can't work up the courage. Hyde solves Eric's dilemma by stealing some of his money, buying him a plane ticket to California, and sending him on his way. Eric arrives in California and, finding Donna at a beach, reunites and reconciles with her. They then return to Point Place.
In the fifth season, Eric and Donna become engaged, despite widespread discouragement (and anger, in the case of Kitty, Red and Bob). However, they refuse to call off the engagement and remain engaged until the end of the sixth season. Eventually, they both begin to experience pre-wedding jitters (cold feet
Cold feet
Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.Cold Feet may also refer to:*Project COLDFEET, a CIA operation in 1962*Cold Feet, UK television series*Cold Feet Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.Cold Feet...
) and Eric, acting upon these feelings, abandones his wedding rehearsal. He then returns in the next episode and Donna forgives him.
In the season seven finale, Eric leaves Point Place to teach in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, in order to earn a scholarship for his college education (behind the scenes, Topher Grace left the show in order to appear in Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
). Eric breaks up with Donna, off-screen, during the eighth season.
In the show's finale, Eric returns from Africa on New Year's Eve to find Donna sitting on the hood of the Vista Cruiser. Eric confesses that he thought about her every day while he was gone and that he was a "dumbass" for leaving. Donna, in tears, kisses Eric. They renew their relationship shortly before the transition into the next decade.
Season eight
The eighth season opens with a recap of the events from the season seven finale. Eric is now away in Africa and his family and friends have continued on with their lives. Offscreen, he has broken up with Donna (prior to this, he was ignoring and avoiding her phone calls and even told her he had to "go teach" in order to get off the phone). Donna soon found new love in RandyRandy Pearson
Randy Quinn Pearson is a fictional character introduced during the eighth and final season of That '70s Show, portrayed by Josh Meyers...
, Hyde's co-worker at Grooves. Despite Eric's absence from the show, he was mentioned in every episode of the season. Also, that same year, Kelso had left Point Place but, being in Africa at the time, Eric never knew that Kelso had left. Near the end of the season, Red remodeled Eric's bedroom to make a sewing room for Kitty.
Return
Eric made a brief appearance in the (series finale), titled That '70s FinaleThat '70s Finale (episode)
"That '70s Finale" is the series finale of the long-running sitcom, That '70s Show. The series ran on Fox for eight seasons, and the episode aired on May 18, 2006...
, which aired on Thursday May 18, 2006. In the final episode, Eric arrives shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve. He apologizes to Donna for leaving and Donna tells him that "things are a lot different now", at which point they kiss. Before going inside, Eric, nervous about reuniting with his friends, mentions how he needs to find a way to take off the edge. He solves his problem their favorite way: one last round in The Circle together with Kelso, Hyde, and Fez. He then gives Kelso a plastic rhino horn toy for his daughter and delivers the final line of the series: "Hey guys, last one upstairs... has to call Red a dumbass!".