That '70s Show: The 20 Best Episodes Ranked (2024)

That ‘70s Show remains one of the most beloved sitcoms of the era, with its hilarious cast of characters, period setting, and sharp writing making it a truly endearing watch, but That '70s Show's best episodes are way more than that. That '70s Show's period setting was never just a novelty, as it had a huge fanbase, just like other popular sitcoms of the time like Seinfeld and Friends. However, That '70s Show was different, as it looked into the dysfunctional and social lives of a group of friends in high school, and the colorful characteristics of the '70s added more pizazz.

That '70s Show is still highly regarded as one of the best American sitcoms, as it accurately depicted growing up in the Midwest in the 1970s. The series was both a nostalgia trip for grown-ups and a bizarre, hilarious history lesson for younger audiences. It is 200 episodes of pure teenage chaos, and the best episodes establish That '70s Show's long-running gags, capture the essence of the characters and their relationships, or simply delve into the greatest pop-culture moments of the 1970s.

20 "Halloween"

That '70s Show Season 2, Episode 5

It isn't just the fancy dress gags that make season 2, episode 5, "Halloween," so entertaining. On October 31, the gang decides to visit their old elementary school that's now burned down. They find their old permanent records, and the information uncovered rattles the group. It's revealed that Eric was responsible for Hyde's first time in trouble and that Donna used to streak, and Jackie admits that Fez was a better kisser than Kelso. This That '70s Show episode is playful and hilarious, but its true value is the continued evolution of the group's dysfunctional but somehow perfect bond.

19 "That ‘70s Finale"

That '70s Show Season 8, Episode 22

Though the series' quality dipped in the later seasons, as main characters left the show to pursue movies, That '70s Show impressively lasted for precisely 200 episodes. Season 8, episode 22, "That '70s Finale," thankfully managed to return to the quality of the early seasons, as the very last episode of the show tied up all the loose ends, brought back Eric and Kelso, and was a satisfying send-off for its beloved cast and characters before they returned decades later for That '90s Show. This final episode contained all the heart of the overall series, allowing the finale to stand out as a top contender.

18 "Misty Mountain Hop"

That '70s Show Season 5, Episode 12

Some of the best That '70s Show episodes are those that took the gang on the road, and season 5's "Misty Mountain Hop" is a prime example. The episode sees Jackie ask Red, Kitty, Eric, and Donna to clean out her family's ski cabin, not knowing that Hyde, Fez, and Kelso were planning to use the place for their own marijuana-induced purposes. Kelso gets his hand stuck in a vase while looking for his weed stash, and Red's overall suspicious attitude pays off for an episode that feels very much like the spirit of That '70s Show.

17 "Parents Find Out "

That '70s Show Season 2, Episode 19

Eric and Donna's sex life is always a topic of conversation early in the show, as Eric and Donna work to have intimate moments under the nose of Red and Kitty. However, in season 2, episode 19, "Parents Find Out," they get caught red-handed. They're forced to go home and admit to their parents that they got caught having sex in Eric's car by a police officer. The way Red and Kitty handle this is the highlight of the episode, further enforcing the idea that these classic Midwest parents are the true stars of That '70s Show.

16 "Cat Fight Club"

That '70s Show Season 2, Episode 25

That '70s Show's best episodes often go in surreal directions, which is the case for season 2, episode 25, "Cat Fight Club." Hyde tries to teach Jackie how to be tough and act "zen," which is a perfect example of how Hyde and Jackie are a great couple. Red finds out that Kelso has been dating Laurie, too. However, the big scene in "Cat Fight Club" delves into the future. The episode's imagining of 1997 is ironic since That '70s Show season 2 was filmed in 1999. It's one of those meta, joke-within-a-joke moments that the writers of this sitcom were so known for.

15 "Eric's Hot Cousin"

That '70s Show Season 4, Episode 14

Season 4, episode 14, "Eric's Hot Cousin," plays upon a common storyline in the show where an attractive relative visits the town, and everyone loses their minds. Eric's cousin Penny rolls into town and has a revenge plan set for Eric following a time when Eric got her stuck in a revolving door. The whole episode is hilariously cringe, especially when even Eric starts to fantasize about Penny, too. Some of the best episodes of That '70s Show include laughs at Eric's expense, and "Eric's Hot Cousin" came in with this at full swing.

14 "Going To California"

That '70s Show Season 5, Episode 1

That '70s Show season 5, episode 1, "Going to California," sees Eric head to the West Coast to beg Donna to come back to Point Place with him, which naturally means some touching moments. However, it's the events back home that make this episode among the best of the series. This is when a bored Jackie and Hyde first begin their odd relationship, which leads to an ongoing storyline. Then, there is the gang's efforts to keep Red from finding out about Eric's trip, which involves them hilariously picking a fight with the man. This results in some of the best one-liners of That '70s Show.

13 "Dine And Dash"

That '70s Show Season 3, Episode 13

In one of the show’s most brilliantly executed gags, season 3, episode 13, “Dine and Dash” opens with Kelso offering to take the gang out for dinner after he gets $100 from his grandmother. The rest of the group soon finds out Kelso has no intention of paying the bill before he skips out on it altogether – imploring his friends to do the same. What follows is a hilarious game of moral chicken as each member of the gang sneakily exits one by one. "Dine and Dash" also has a refreshing and unique setting, as the gang never returned to the restaurant, but for obvious reasons.

12 "Red Sees Red"

That '70s Show Season 3, Episode 2

Season 3, episode 2, "Red Sees Red," is another example of the parents stealing the show, and it has the most appropriate title ever. Most of the humor in the series stems from Red's angry rants and being too hard on the teenagers, but he totally boils over when he finds out about Eric's marijuana use. Red enforces a strict curfew that the gang refuses to abide by, and he then starts setting booby traps and goes too far. It's one of the rare times audiences see Red being unfair for no real justifiable reason, but it's still hilarious.

11 "Tornado Prom"

That '70s Show Season 4, Episode 15

Not only is "Tornado Prom" a funny and even heartwarming episode, but it's also responsible for one of the most prominent That '70s Show fan theories. The episode sees Eric head out into bad weather to pick Donna up for prom, hilariously driving right by a tornado in the process. It also sees a Jackie fantasy in which each of her friends takes on the roles from the Wizard of Oz. It's all great fun, but the subtle radio announcement that a teenage boy was swept up in the tornado has led to the theory that Eric was really in a coma following the storm, and the rest of the series is Donna imagining that life went differently.

10 "Water Tower"

That '70s Show Season 1, Episode 21

Season 1, episode 21, "Water Tower," sees the gang attempt to paint a pot leaf on the town’s water tower. After Hyde convinces Kelso to continue painting, Kelso falls and breaks his arm – leading Jackie to blame Hyde for the incident. The episode is important since it started a running gag in the series involving the water tower, which has also continued into That '90s Show. Since these types of inside jokes are the heart and soul of That '70s Show, "Water Tower" simply couldn't be left out.

9 "Reefer Madness"

That '70s Show Season 3, Episode 1

Ironically named after a 1936 exploitation movie about the negative effects of marijuana, season 3, episode 1, "Reefer Madness," sees the gang getting busted for smoking the herb. After two full seasons of the gang’s infamous "circles" going unnoticed, they’re finally caught in the episode after the police apprehend Hyde — who takes responsibility for the whole group of teens. It's another Hyde-centric episode that makes audiences empathize with the character, showing how much of a lost soul he is as opposed to the troublemaker he's mistaken for.

8 "Canadian Road Trip"

That '70s Show Season 3, Episode 23

Another quintessential episode of That ‘70s Show, season 3, episode 23, “Canadian Road Trip,” follows Eric, Kelso, Fez, and Hyde as they hunt for beer across the Canadian border. Things soon go from bad to worse when they realize Fez has forgotten his green card — leaving them at the mercy of a group of Mounties. The episode’s comedy comes from the steadily mounting precariousness of the gang’s situation, as they grow more and more desperate in their attempt to escape from the clutches of the law, only to inevitably make things worse.

7 "Class Picture"

That '70s Show Season 4, Episode 20

While it comes as a surprise that season 4, episode 20, isn't related to marijuana, which the gang loves so much, "Class Picture" is still a That '70s Show best episode. “Class Picture” sees the gang reminisce about their past, as well as how they first met — shedding some hilarious light on the gang’s younger days. The episode serves as a great encapsulation of what makes the show so beloved on the whole, with its perfect mix of humor and heart working in the episode’s favor. Seeing so much of younger versions of Eric, Hyde, and Kelso partake in their first circle is a highlight.

6 "The Keg"

That '70s Show Season 1, Episode 6

As one of the earlier episodes of That '70s Show, "The Keg" perfectly captures the kind of teenage shenanigans that made the series so successful to begin with. The episode sees the gang excited to throw a party in an abandoned pool with a free keg they found, but they are stumped when they realize they don't have a tap. From there, plenty of chaos ensues as they attempt to get their hands on one, proving just as difficult as purchasing a keg would have been. Kitty gets drunk, Red gets mad, and the That '70s Show gang never gets to drink any beer.

5 "It’s A Wonderful Life"

That '70s Show Season 4, Episode 1

The That '70s Show episode, "It's a Wonderful Life," is the season 4 premiere, picking up after the events of Eric and Donna's breakup in season 3. A depressed Eric wishes that he and Donna had never kissed, which kicks off a dream inspired by the classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life. Eric is taken by an angel, played by Wayne Knight, through an alternate future in which Donna had ended up with Hyde instead. The result is a fun episode full of hilarious '80s references. This episode was only made better by That '90s Show, which revealed that Eric's imagined future for Kelso and Jackie wasn't far from the truth.

4 "A New Hope"

That '70s Show Season 1, Episode 20

Although That ‘70s Show's pop culture references aren't thrown in the audience's faces all the time, in a way that was likely very tempting to, when the show does make a reference to important cultural milestones, it does it well. Season 1, episode 20, "A New Hope" is a case in point. The episode chronicles what it was like to see Star Wars: A New Hope for the very first time. Few moments in That '70s show are as satisfying as when Red is blown away by the sci-fi movie, as he had been critical of Eric being excited about it for the whole of the first season.

3 "Eric’s Panties"

That '70s Show Season 3, Episode 6

In one of the show’s most hilarious episodes, season 3, episode 6, "Eric's Panties," Eric’s new lab partner appears to take a shine to him. Offended when Donna fails to express jealousy over their time together, Eric finds himself in hot water when Donna finds a mysterious pair of underwear in the back of his Vista Cruiser. Watching Eric and Donna work themselves up into a frenzy over the course of the episode is equally frustrating and uproarious. The That '70s Show episode also includes a fun story for Red, in which he is forced to change his diet, making him even crankier than usual.

2 "Hyde Moves In"

That '70s Show Season 1, Episode 24

It’s no secret that Steven Hyde doesn’t exactly have the most functional family in the world. With an absent father and a contentious relationship with his mother, he’s abandoned completely in season 1, episode 24, “Hyde Moves In.". The Formans let Hyde stay with them, kicking off some of the show’s most heart-warming relationships — specifically the ones between Hyde, Red, and Kitty. Hyde's softer moments in That '70s Show were always a highlight, and the same is true for Kitty's most motherly scenes. "Hyde Moves In" had all of this in one.

1 "Garage Sale"

That '70s Show Season 2, Episode 1

In season 2, episode 1, "Garage Sale," Hyde bakes some extra special pot brownies, which turn out to be a hit — especially with Red — who proceeds to sell Eric’s car in his altered mental state. That '70s Show best episodes tap into exactly what audiences want to see, and a high Red Foreman is precisely that. The episode’s subversion of what audiences have come to expect from the show is what makes this so brilliant, with Hyde and Eric proceeding to give the adults of That '70s Show a comical lecture. It was simply excellent comedy, effectively solidifying That '70s Show as a timeless classic.

that 70s show

TV-14

Comedy

Sitcom

That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.

Cast

Topher Grace , Mila Kunis , Ashton Kutcher , Mark Brazill , Laura Prepon , Wilmer Valderrama , Debra Jo Rupp , Kurtwood Smith

Release Date

August 23, 1998

Seasons

8

Network

FOX

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Writers

Mark Brazill , Bonnie Turner , Terry Turner

Showrunner

Gregg Mettler

Main Genre

Comedy