When it comes to reminiscing about the awkwardness of adolescence, no sitcom captures this as perfectly as That ’70s Show. The show follows the misadventures of Eric Forman, and his friends Jackie, Kelso, Hyde, Donna, and Fez in Point Place, Wisconsin.
Even if the show concluded in 2006, many would consider it as one of the best TV sitcoms ever made. While the show’s focus was primarily centered towards comedy, it also focused on several other topics relevant to adolescence. That ’70s Show captures the uncertainty that teenagers face growing up, as well as the importance of assuming responsibility. Also, let’s not forget the show had its fair share of romantic moments and heartbreaks that still tug on our heartstrings to this day.
However, as popular as it was, even That ’70s Show is not without its flaws. For all of the burns, reprimands, Circle moments, insults, and nervous laughter, there are still several things about That ’70s Show that do not make sense. Even after the show ended several of these unresolved elements still leave us scratching our heads.
Here is a list of 15 Things That Don’t Make Sense About That ’70s Show.
15. They Refer To Each Other By Last Name… Except Jackie
As far as friendships go in That ’70s Show, the relationship between Eric and his friends is as peculiar as they come. For some reason, Eric and his male friends mostly tend to address one another using their last names (with the exception of Fez whose real name is unknown).
Even Donna has more than once called some of her male friends by their last name, and vice versa. For such a close group of friends it is still unknown why they don’t address each other by their first names.
Jackie is the only exception – unlike her friends, not once in eight years did she ever call any of them by their last name. For such minor detail, we can’t help but wonder what the deal was with their naming situation. Was it a sign of camaraderie? Friendly mocking? We may never know.
14. That ’80s Show
When That ’70s Show ended in 2006, it seemed as though the show’s universe had finally reached its conclusion. However, it underwent an unexpected revival thanks to the spin-off series, That ’80s Show. Even though the show features several of the writers and production staff from That ’70s Show, it is not an official sequel to the series. Although, the show does take place in the same universe as the protagonist of That ’80s Show is Forman’s cousin.
Unlike its predecessor, That ’80s Show was a failure and ended after just 13 episodes.
If it had been successful, it could have featured several tie-ins to show how Eric and the rest of the cast from That ’70s Show are adapting to life in the ’80s.
13. That’s A Groovy Timeline, Man
Despite its name, That ’70s Show has had several issues regarding the timeline. Due to a series of errors, much of the show’s timeline is inconsistent.
In real life, the show lasted for eight years from 1998 to 2006. However, in the show’s timeline, the events occur in half the time, from 1976 to 1980, which is why they spent more time in high school than they normally should.
Furthermore, the show also features several anachronistic moments that don’t really coincide with the show’s timeline. One of the most notable is that, even though the show’s universe takes place over the course of four years, they still somehow celebrate eight Christmases. Ironically, the show never really maintained its focus on the seventies after the first season.
12. The Show Lasted Too Long
That ’70s Show will always have a special place amongst those who grew up watching this series everyday after school. Regardless of how popular it was, it does not really make sense that it lasted as long as it did.
After Eric and Kelso left the show following the events of season 7, the eighth season did not really serve any purpose or have much impact. What’s more is that the show even tries to replace Eric with Randy Pearson played by Josh Meyers.
Overall, the final season only served to unnecessarily drag on the show until it finally reached New Year’s Eve of 1979.
During that time, fans were forced to watch wave after wave of forced stories.
11. Randy Who?
After Eric and Kelso left, you would think that That ’70s Show would find a way to end the series on a good note. As mentioned in the previous entry, the show should not have gone on for eight seasons.
After Eric leaves for Africa in the season 7 finale, it seemed that there was no other means for the show to develop. Instead, Donna ends up falling for Eric’s replacement, Randy. Originally meant to replace Topher Grace as Eric, the idea was shot down and Randy became just another bland character.
In the end, the only thing fans of the show got out of this was a character whose interactions with Donna seemed more forced and unnecessary than they needed to be. Considering her history with Eric, it’s obvious that Donna and Randy’s relationship was not meant to last.
10. Fez And Laurie’s Marriage
The season 5 finale of That ’70s Show was certainly one of the more unexpected episodes in the series. Rather than risk being sent back to his country, Fez and Laurie decide to get married so that he can stay and live as an American citizen.
News of Fez and Laurie’s engagement was so shocking, the revelation gave Red a heart attack.
When an event like that sends Red Forman to the emergency room, you would think that it would be constantly mentioned until the series’ conclusion. For some reason the subject of Fez and Laurie’s marriage later vanishes from the show’s plot entirely. After Laurie disappears from the show, the status of their marriage remains unknown.
Are they still together or are they divorced? In the end, Fez and Laurie’s relationship is one of the series biggest loose ends.
9. The Water Tower
When it comes to Point Place, Wisconsin, one of its most iconic landmarks is its water tower. The tower serves as a local hangout for Eric and his friends, and was also the scene of several incidents – including Fez’s first arrest.
While the water tower may be an important part of Eric’s hometown, it also poses a major security risk – it was responsible for causing the passing of Charlie Richardson.
After so many people got injured and arrested there, you would think the water tower would have been closed off or at least renovated. If either of those had happened, Charlie wouldn’t have passed away.
Furthermore, even if the many falls may have affected his intelligence, it does not make sense that Kelso survived so many without suffering serious injuries.
8. Eric’s Basement
The Circle is one of the most recurring running elements in That ’70s Show – it is where they basically get together to do some illegal activity, while discussing their feelings or talking about current events in their lives. While the Circle has occurred in several locations such as the photo hut, the most common spot is Eric’s basement.
After Red catches them in the act in the season 7 finale, it looks as though the Circle’s time in Eric’s basement is over.
However – even after Red learns about the Circle – Hyde, Kelso, and other characters still manage to take part in the Circle in Eric’s basement. What is even more unusual is that Red still allows them to use his basement after Eric leaves for Africa.
7. Strict Authoritarian Red
As far as fathers go, no one comes close to raising kids like Red Forman. While he may not show it, Red does care about his family’s well-being. However, he does have an unusual way of showing it. He holds absolute authority in his house and instantly commands respect and fear from Eric and the guys – even Donna and Jackie know better than to cross him.
Considering how hard he is on Eric, we can’t help but wonder where he went so wrong with Laurie. In the show, Laurie is depicted as a spoiled brat. Unlike, his son, Red tends to let his daughter get away with almost anything.
As his first born, and only daughter, it does not make sense that Red would allow her to become such a selfish and self-centered individual.
6. Hyde’s Family Tree
Even though he is a conspiracy theorist and a slacker, Hyde is one of the smartest characters on the show. It’s not all that surprising considering he has been taking care of himself for most of his life.
Even by sitcom standards, Hyde’s family situation is nothing short of confusing. From a young age, he lived with just his mom Edna, after his legal dad Bud, left them. After Edna and Bud get back together, they abandon Hyde and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Hyde later discovers that he has an African-American biological father named William Barnett, as well as a half-sister named Angie.
However, even though he and Barnett have a good relationship, they are not seen together much. If anything, Hyde appears to prefer spending more time with the Formans than he does with Barnett.
5. Mila Kunis’ Age
The role of Jackie is one of the best performances of Mila Kunis’ career. However, unlike her other cast members, Jackie was younger than she appeared. During her audition she lied about her age – she originally told the show’s producers she was 18, when she was really 14 years-old.
Despite later uncovering her ruse, the producers still allowed her to play Jackie, as no one else could pull off her character that well. Still, it is surprising that the show’s producers never did a more thorough background check on Mila before giving her the part, especially considering she had prior acting experience.
They still allowed Mila to go and act like an 18-year-old girl, even letting her and Kutcher kiss despite the fact she was underaged by six years.
4. Donna’s Sisters
Did you ever wonder what Donna’s life would be like if she had siblings? Well as it turns out, she did. One of her sisters Tina, makes an appearance in the episode “Eric’s Burger Job", while her older sister Valerie is mentioned in “Eric’s Birthday”. However, following the episode “Vanstock”, neither of Donna’s sister are ever seen or mentioned again.
It turns out that for some unknown reason, Donna’s sisters were removed from the show’s plot, making her an only child.
Despite not being part of the main cast, it is still puzzling that the writers would include Donna’s sisters, only to erase them afterwards. Even after this question has been brought up several times, the show’s writers never bothered to address it.
3. Eric’s Reason For Leaving
In the season 7 finale, Eric decides that he wants to be a teacher. The only problem is that he wants to teach kids in Africa. Despite protests from his friends and family, Eric goes through with his decision and leaves his old life behind him.
While noble, there is only one problem with Eric’s decision – it feels completely forced for someone like him, as one of the show’s laziest and most selfish characters. On the other hand, despite his flaws, he cares deeply about Donna, which is why his decision to suddenly move to Africa is so baffling.
After all the time and effort he’s put into getting Donna to fall in love with him, it seems unlikely that he would leave her behind. Especially considering that his decision would involve so many regrets.
2. Fez’s Country
Fez has been a source of great comedic relief, but he is also responsible for one of the show’s most popular running gags. When asked about where he comes from or when comparing his life in America with life from his country, he never gives a clear answer about where he’s from.
Fez’s home country has been the source of speculation and mystery for years.
Even after the show reached its conclusion, the location of his home is never revealed. Despite so many hints and suggestions, its impossible for fans to come up with a definitive answer to one of the show’s greatest mysteries. Even after Fez’s close friend comes to visit, the gang is left even more in the dark than they were before.
1. Lawbreaker Kelso
As the resident “jock” of That ’70s Show, Kelso is the group’s resident jokester and rarely takes anything seriously. Even after he became a cop to support his pregnant girlfriend, he still manages to screw things up. However, despite all the dumb things he’s responsible for, he rarely gets into trouble with the law.
While he has done some jail time, his offenses at the time were minor. Especially when compared to some of his more serious misdemeanors, which include “borrowing” a police car and letting it get stolen, as well as burning down the Police Academy with a flare gun. Under normal circumstances, such crimes would have landed him a few years in jail. Yet somehow, he manages to get away without facing any major repercussions.
The only plausible explanation for this is that Kelso must have a lot of “dumb” luck.
What other groovy aspects of That ’70s Show did you realize made no sense? Let us know in the comments!
