It was New Year's Eve, 1979. For eight years, we’d been sitting in that wood-paneled basement in Point Place, Wisconsin, breathing in the "smoke" and listening to Eric Forman get called a dumbass. But by the time the last episode of That '70s show actually aired on May 18, 2006, things felt weird. Really weird.
Topher Grace was gone. Ashton Kutcher was gone. We were left with Randy, a character most fans try to pretend never happened.
Yet, against the odds, the finale—appropriately titled "That '70s Finale"—managed to stick the landing. It didn't try to be The Sopranos or Seinfeld. It just tried to say goodbye to a decade. Honestly, watching it back now, there’s a massive sense of relief that they brought the original cast back for those final few minutes. Without Eric and Kelso, it wouldn't have been a finale; it would have just been a random Thursday in Wisconsin.
The Return of the Prodigal Dumbass
Let’s be real: Season 8 was a struggle. When Topher Grace left the show at the end of Season 7 to go do Spider-Man 3, the heart of the show stopped beating. Eric Forman was the glue. He was the neurotic, Star Wars-obsessed center that everyone else revolved around. Replacing him with Randy Pearson (played by Josh Meyers) was a bold move that, frankly, didn't work. Randy was too handsome, too confident, and just... not Eric.
So, when the last episode of That '70s show begins, the tension isn't about the New Year. It's about whether Eric is actually going to show up from Africa.
The plot of the finale is pretty simple, which is why it works. It’s December 31, 1979. The characters are freaking out about the 1980s. Red and Kitty are considering moving to Florida (classic retiree move), and the basement gang is preparing for one last "circle."
Ashton Kutcher’s Michael Kelso returns early in the episode. He’s working as a security guard at a Chicago strip club (of course he is) and sports a slightly shorter haircut. His return brings back that chaotic, lovable idiot energy that the final season desperately missed. Seeing Kelso fall off the water tower—one last time—felt like a warm hug from a very clumsy friend.
Why the "Circle" Mattered More Than the Plot
The "Circle" was the show's signature move. It was a clever way to show the kids getting high without actually showing the weed, thanks to the rotating camera and the lingering smoke. In the last episode of That '70s show, the final circle is a masterpiece of nostalgia.
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They’re all there. Hyde, Kelso, Fez, Jackie, and Donna.
They talk about nothing and everything. They reminisce. Fez finally feels like he fits in. Hyde is, as always, the cynical philosopher of the group. But there’s a shadow over it because Eric isn't in the chair. The empty seat is a character in itself.
Then, it happens.
Just as the party is peaking upstairs and the countdown is starting, Eric Forman appears in the driveway. He meets Donna outside. It’s not a big, dramatic movie moment. It’s quiet. He apologizes for leaving. He tells her he missed her. They don't necessarily "get back together" in a way that guarantees a wedding, but they reconnect. It’s messy and human.
The Fate of the Couples: Jackie, Hyde, and Fez
One of the most controversial parts of the final season was the romantic shuffling. For years, fans were split between Jackie and Kelso or Jackie and Hyde. The writers decided to throw a curveball and pair Jackie with... Fez?
Yeah, people still hate that.
In the last episode of That '70s show, we see the payoff of the Fez and Jackie "romance." After years of Fez pining after her and Jackie treating him like a footstool, they finally share a real kiss on the water tower. Is it earned? Most fans say no. But in the context of the finale, it serves as a way to give Fez—the perpetual outsider—a win before the credits roll.
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Meanwhile, Hyde ends up exactly where he should be: owning Grooves. He’s the one who stays behind. While everyone else is looking toward the '80s with fear or excitement, Hyde is the king of his own little vinyl empire. He’s the guy who grew up the most, even if he’d never admit it.
Red and Kitty: The Real Heart of Point Place
While the kids were the stars, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp were the foundation. Red Forman spent eight years threatening to put his foot in someone’s ass, but in the finale, we see the cracks in his tough exterior.
Red and Kitty decide not to move to Florida.
Why? Because they realize that their lives aren't just about the weather; they're about the house. The house where all these neighborhood kids grew up. When Red gives his final "dumbass" of the series, it’s not out of anger. It’s a badge of honor.
The most emotional moment isn't even a line of dialogue. It’s Kitty looking at the empty basement. She knows the era is over. The '70s are dying, and her "extra" children are moving on.
What You Might Have Missed in the Final Minutes
If you watch the last episode of That '70s show closely, there are some deep-cut references for the fans:
- The Vista Cruiser: The car that defined their freedom is a focal point. It represents the ability to leave Point Place, but also the vehicle that brought them back.
- The License Plate: The end credits usually feature a Wisconsin license plate. In the finale, the year on the tag finally flips to '80.
- The "Hello Wisconsin!" Scream: The final voice we hear isn't Eric or Kelso. It's the group.
The show ends on a countdown. 10... 9... 8...
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The camera moves out of the basement, up the stairs, and into the empty driveway. The kids have run upstairs to greet the new year. As they hit "one," the screen goes black.
The Legacy of the Ending
Looking back from 2026, the last episode of That '70s show holds up better than the season that preceded it. It understood that sitcom finales aren't about solving world hunger; they’re about saying goodbye to a specific feeling.
The '70s were a time of transition—post-Vietnam, pre-digital, a weird middle ground of disco and denim. By ending the show the second the clock struck 1980, the creators preserved the characters in amber. They never had to deal with the hair metal of the '80s or the cynicism of the '90s.
How to Revisit the Finale Today
If you're planning a rewatch, don't just jump into the final episode. To really appreciate it, you have to remember how fractured the cast was at the time.
- Skip most of Season 8: Seriously. Just watch the first episode and maybe the one where Kelso leaves.
- Focus on the parents: Pay attention to Red and Kitty’s subplots in the final few episodes; they carry the emotional weight.
- Watch the credits: The final credit sequence is a montage of the past eight years that hits harder than the actual plot of the finale.
The show wasn't perfect. The Fez/Jackie thing was a mistake. Randy was a mistake. But the final five minutes? They were exactly what we needed. They reminded us that no matter how much you want to leave your hometown, there's always a part of you that stays in the basement with your friends.
Next Steps for Fans
If the nostalgia is hitting hard, your best move is to check out the "That '90s Show" spin-off on Netflix. It brings back Red and Kitty in the same house, and you get to see exactly what happened to Eric and Donna’s daughter. It’s the closest thing we’ll get to a true "Episode 201" and it handles the legacy of the original characters with a surprising amount of heart. Or, just go find a clip of the final circle on YouTube; it still holds up as one of the best "goodbyes" in sitcom history.