The 10 Best Episodes of That 70s Show

There aren’t many shows quite like That ‘70s Show. Airing on Fox from 1998 to 2006, the series was one of the network’s flagship shows, earning continuously positive reviews from critics, consistently high ratings, and a total of 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Following its conclusion at the end of its eighth season, That ‘70s Show would only continue to grow in popularity as the years went by, ranking highly among entire generations of viewers for its likable characters, relatable topics, and nostalgic look at 1970s suburbia and pop culture. The long-running success of the series even resulted in a short-lived spin-off (the universally panned That ‘80s Show) in 2002, and an upcoming continuation of the series with Netflix’s That ‘90s Show.

That ‘90s Show will follow a new generation of Point Place teenagers, some of whom are directly related to the principal characters of That ‘70s Show (such as the main character, Leia Forman — the daughter of Eric and Donna, and the granddaughter of Red and Kitty).

As we learn more about That ‘90s Show in the months to come — including when the series will premiere and which actors will be returning from the original series — we thought we’d take a look back at some of the greatest episodes of That ‘70s Show there is.

10. “Hyde Moves In” (Season 1, Episode 24)

One of the more serious storylines explored throughout That ‘70s Show is the problematic relationship Hyde shared with his parents. The biggest turning point in this thread came near the tail end of season 1, with his mother abandoning him to live in their decrepit, rundown home without anyone to care for him, leaving Red with a difficult decision to make.

Arguably the biggest plot development from That ‘70s Show’s first season was seeing Hyde move in with the Formans, becoming something like an adopted son to them after the emotional neglect he suffered from his own parents. It’s an episode that showed that — despite his constant rough surface and surly demeanor — Red was always ready to make the right decision, taking in Hyde as one of his own.

Plus, Red’s expletive-filled outburst at the end of the episode is quite possibly his best scene in the entire series.

Now streaming on Peacock.

9. “A New Hope” (Season 1, Episode 20)

An always enjoyable aspect about That ‘70s Show was seeing its integration of 1970s pop culture, weaving in a ridiculous amount of period-accurate TV shows, movies, and music into its episodes. One of the best examples of this was “A New Hope,” which sees the gang check out the newest movie everyone’s been talking about — a certain space opera flick called Star Wars.

Seeing Eric and Kelso completely geek out over quite possibly the biggest movie of the 1970s was a delight, but what made “A New Hope” even more interesting was its more dramatic moments. Facing the prospect of his dad’s workplace shutting down, Eric grapples with the news that Red might soon be unemployed, all the while facing off with an old elementary school rival who’s vying for Donna’s affections.

“A New Hope”

It’s an entertaining episode that mixes drama with plenty of homages to George Lucas’s sci-fi epic, including a memorable dream sequence where all the characters are cast in Star Wars-related roles (Eric as Luke, Red as Obi-Wan, etc.). It also marks the beginning of Eric’s obsession with Star Wars — a defining characteristic that would carry over in the following seasons.

Now streaming on Peacock.

8. “Class Picture” (Season 4, Episode 20)

To celebrate the twentieth episode of the series’ fourth season (heh), That ‘70s Show arranged for a special episode that looked back at the lives of the friend group, showing how many of them met one another.

Unlike other shows — which tended to opt for a “clip show” approach that reutilized footage from past episodes of the series — “Class Picture” offered entirely new scenes showing the gang in the various stages of their life. Important questions such as how Fez met everyone or what Eric and Donna’s first interaction looked like when they were kids are finally explored in embarrassingly full detail.

“Class Picture”

Narrating the episode and providing setups for the flashbacks are the gang in the modern day, who reminisce while waiting in line for their high school yearbook picture to be taken. It’s a fun episode that provides a lot of much-needed backstory in regards to what everyone’s friendships have looked like over the years, as well as what they were like when they were much younger — like Kelso being an academic overachiever or a young Eric falling in love with Donna at first sight.

Now streaming on Peacock.

7. “Red Sees Red” (Season 3, Episode 2)

After discovering Eric and Hyde’s casual … uh, recreational activities in “Reefer Madness” (see further down on this list), Red cracks down, installing strict new rules for everyone to follow. Before long, the house becomes something like a prison, with Red going above and beyond to monitor everyone and prevent them from breaking any of his rules.

“Red Sees Red” follows the hilarious aftermath of Hyde’s arrest n “Reefer Madness,” finding Red characteristically deciding to double down on his authority in typical Red fashion. However, like every time Red grows even more hardheaded than usual, he’s only doing it because he loves his kids and wants to protect them, even to the point of limiting their personal freedoms.

“Red Sees Red”

In his own way, it’s actually kind of a sweet gesture — that is, if Red didn’t go absolutely crazy locking the house down and turning it into his own personal jailhouse.

Now streaming on Peacock.

6. “Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die” (Season 3, Episode 4)

Halloween specials are a wonderful part of any TV series, with shows presenting somewhat darker, albeit still comedic storylines centered around their characters in the Halloween season. “Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die” may not have been the first Halloween-themed episode to premiere on That ‘70s Show, but it’s almost certainly the best.

A spoof of several Alfred Hitchcock movies, the main characters find themselves living out different scenarios taken straight out of a Hitchcock movie. After almost falling off the roof, Eric suffers from an intense fear of heights (Vertigo); upon being mistaken for Red, Kelso is hounded relentlessly by the neighborhood paperboy who demands his weekly payment (North by Northwest); Fez spies on the Pinciottis next-door, and begins to suspect Bob killed Midge (Rear Window).

“Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die”

Sprinkled throughout are references to pretty much all of the Master of Suspense’s greatest filmmaking achievements, from the famous shower scene in Psycho to the iconic attack of the birds in the aptly-titled The Birds. It’s a wonderfully original and inventive episode that makes clever use of its inspiration.

Now streaming on Peacock.

5. “Eric’s Panties” (Season 3, Episode 6)

Time and time again throughout That ‘70s Show, events occurred that greatly tested the foundation of Eric and Donna’s long-running relationship. One of the most notable of these came early in season 3, when Donna stumbled upon a mysterious pair of panties she found in Eric’s car.

An amusing mystery lies at the heart of this episode, with wholly unexpected results lying at its conclusion. But even more that, “Eric’s Panties” shows just how somewhat unstable Eric and Donna’s relationship was near the start of the series, each of them being prone to wild jealousies upon the slightest provocation.

“Eric’s Panties”

Fortunately, Eric and Donna would work through their issues here, growing stronger and more trusting of each other as a result. It’s an episode that juxtaposes their eventual maturity much later in the series, displaying one of the earliest arguments they have that threatens to undo their entire relationship.

Now streaming on Peacock.

4. “Garage Sale” (Season 2, Episode 1)

Possibly one of the funniest aspects of That ‘70s Show is the heavy tongue-in-cheek allusions to the main characters’ recreational marijuana use — something the show only indirectly alludes to through its famous “circle” scenes in the Formans’ basement.

Even funnier than the younger characters’ marijuana use, though, is the occasional instances where the otherwise straight-laced, authoritative parents end up indulging the kids’ pastime activities themselves — the best example of this being season 2’s “Garage Sale.” After the adults accidentally eat a batch of Hyde’s signature “special brownies” during the Formans’ garage sale, Hyde and Eric have to look after them while they’re under the brownies’ effects.

So much about this episode makes it worth seeing. There’s Red singing “Peter Cottontail” and trying to remember out who he sold Eric’s car to; Bob going on and on about how much he loves salt on his potato chips; or Kitty bursting out with uncontrollable giggles in that fantastic, infectious, high-pitched laugh of hers.

Now streaming on Peacock.

3. “Dine and Dash” (Season 3, Episode 13)

A classic episode from That ‘70s Show’s early years, “Dine and Dash” follows the gang as they go to an expensive restaurant after Kelso agrees to treat them to a nice dinner. When it comes time to pay the bill, however, he notifies his friends that he has no intention of paying, prompting them to play a high-stakes game of “dine and dash” (leaving without paying the bill).

An ingenious concept for an episode, “Dine and Dash” features all the characters at their best: you have Kelso’s sheer recklessness when it comes to flaunting the rules; Fez hitting on the head waitress whom he’s got a crush on; and Eric and Donna behaving as the de facto responsible ones in the group, chastising everyone else when they try to leave without paying.

“Dine and Dash”

But of course, without any way to pay for their dinner, they all end up fleeing the restaurant one by one, lying and betraying one another to avoid footing the bill. It’s pure chaotic fun, concluding with one of the best pranks in the series, as seen when Eric and Donna make a very special batch of brownies as payback for the entire affair.

Now streaming on Peacock.

2. “Reefer Madness” (Season 3, Episode 1)

Season 3 of That ‘70s Show kicked off with a bang with the game-changing premiere, “Reefer Madness.” Following Hyde’s arrest for possession at the end of season 2, Red furiously decides to kick him out of the house, not wanting him to negatively influence Eric or Laurie. To save Hyde, Eric decides to reveal the truth about his own marijuana usage to Red. Meanwhile, Donna learns that Jackie is the one actually responsible for Hyde’s arrest in the first place, complicating matters even further.

“Reefer Madness”

There’s a lot going on in “Reefer Madness,” the episode where Red and the rest of the adults finally learn about what exactly Eric and his friends have been doing in the basement. Complimented by its interweaving storylines, it’s an episode that leaves you openly wondering what will happen next: Will Red really kick Hyde out? Will Eric actually tell Red he smokes weed? Will Jackie do the right thing and tell everyone that Hyde only took the blame for something she was guilty of in the first place?

It’s one of the better episodes in That ‘70s Show’s earlier seasons, which is definitely saying something. The inclusion of Red’s anti-marijuana PR — an overly-dramatic but unbelievably funny riff on 1936’s Reefer Madness — is also reason enough for it to rank so highly on this list.

Now streaming on Peacock.

1. “That ‘70s Show Finale” (Season 8, Episode 22)

By 2006, it was fair to assume That ‘70s Show had more or less run its course. Suffering from the absences of star Topher Grace and fan-favorite Ashton Kutcher, the series garnered mixed reviews throughout its final season, with most fans and critics reacting negatively to the show’s declining humor. When it came time for the series to officially conclude with its two hundredth episode, however, all the mistakes made in season 8 were forgotten, paving the way for a suitably emotional farewell.

On New Year’s Eve, the residents of Point Place prepare to say goodbye to the 1970s, all the while looking forward to Eric’s return home from Africa. As they wait to usher in the new decade, Kitty wonders whether she’s really ready to sell the house and move to Florida with Red, as Jackie realizes her true feelings for Fez.

“That ‘70s Show Finale”

Regardless of how you felt about the series’ last season, there’s no denying what a fitting conclusion “That ‘70s Show Finale” provided for the show. It was a comedic and heartwarming goodbye to the ‘70s, complimented by the sobering reunion between Donna and Eric.

Now streaming on Peacock and Sling TV.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Richard Chachowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and pretty much every movie to ever exist (especially Star Wars).