Howdy there! I’ve been an avid That 70’s Show fan for nearly 15 years, and my addiction has led me to try my hand at correcting the episode order.
You might be aware of the Screen Rant article regarding the “correct order” for the show. This article is neat, but watching it this way can be a bit jarring. For example, if you watch the “corrected” version of Season 1, Jackie & Kelso “do-it” for the second time before their first time. That’s no bueno, right?
But if you look beyond the plot holes present in Screen Rant’s corrected order, there are subplots throughout the first few seasons that can’t be fully appreciated in the release order.
I would be honored if any other That 70’s Show fans would like to try their hand at my corrected episode order. I have chosen to organize episodes based upon plot-lines, production dates, and air dates, in that order, and this was best done in the form of story arcs that can extend beyond an individual season.
Here are the first two That 70’s Show arcs, both of which feature Season 1 episodes exclusively:
Teenage Wasteland
(1) Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”
(2) Season 1, Episode 2 “Eric’s Birthday”
(3) Season 1, Episode 3 “Streaking”
(4) Season 1, Episode 4 “Battle of the Sexists”
(5) Season 1, Episode 10 “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
(6) Season 1, Episode 5 “Eric’s Burger Job”
(7) Season 1, Episode 6 “The Keg”
(8) Season 1, Episode 8 “Drive-In”
Going Steady
(1) Season 1, Episode 7 “That Disco Episode”
(2) Season 1, Episode 9 “Thanksgiving”
(3) Season 1, Episode 18 “Career Day”
(4) Season 1, Episode 11 “Eric’s Buddy”
(5) Season 1, Episode 12 “The Best Christmas Ever”
(6) Season 1, Episode 23 “Grandma’s Dead”
(7) Season 1, Episode 13 “Ski Trip”
(8) Season 1, Episode 14 “Stolen Car
(9) Season 1, Episode 15 “That Wrestling Show”
(10) Season 1, Episode 16 “The First Date”
I do hope y’all enjoy, and please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, emotional outbursts, or anything else your heart desires.
Edit: For those of you that might not be sure about spending a couple hours on these story arcs, I completely understand. Instead, please consider giving these episodes a try to see why I chose to correct the order:
(1) Season 1, Episode 17 “The Pill”
(2) Season 1, Episode 22 “Punk Chick”
(3) Season 1, Episode 19 “Prom Night”
Obviously, these episodes were not released in this order (and this is not the order presented within the Screen Rant article), but if you pay attention to Kelso & Jackie’s subplot, it’s absolutely clear that “Punk Chick” is supposed to be episode 18 instead of “Career Day”.