That '90s Show Part 3 Twist Makes Ignoring Eric Forman Way More Difficult

Published Sep 13, 2024

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WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for That '90s Show part 3!While That ‘90s Show’s cast of characters is centered around Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of That ‘70s Show’s Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), as she spends her summer vacations in Point Place with her grandparents, Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith). With Red and Kitty taking over as Leia’s guardians in the sitcom, Donna and Eric have taken the backseat in the sequel series.

However, while Eric and Donna live in Chicago rather than Point Place, Laura Prepon frequently appears as Leia’s mother when she comes to visit in That ‘90s Show. Given how often Donna returns during each batch of episodes, it makes Eric’s absence far more noticeable. Topher Grace made a cameo in That ‘90s Show’s pilot episode when dropping off Leia in Point Place, but hasn’t appeared since. The sitcom has had some clever ways to excuse his failure to return, but That ‘90s Show part 3’s ending sets up a twist that may complicate Eric’s continued absence.

That '90s Show Part 4's School Year Timeline Tease Complicates Eric Forman's Absence

That '90s Show Part 3's Ending Hints At Picking Back Up During The School Year

While That ‘90s Show was initially set up with the format that each season would follow Leia and her friends’ misadventures in Point Place over summer vacations, that could come to an end after part 3’s cliffhanger. That ‘90s Show part 1 documented the summer of 1995 while the timeline of That ‘90s Show parts 2 and 3 depicted the summer of 1996, but it now seems as if part 4 may not have a summer setting. Rather, the cliffhanger finale of part 3 suggests That ‘90s Show part 4 could pick up during the school year.

A composite image of Leia looking up thoughtfully in front of the cast of That '90s Show cheering while watching TV in the basement

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Toward the end of That ‘90s Show part 3, Donna returns to Point Place to reveal that Eric got his dream job shadowing George Lucas and writing a book about the making of the Star Wars prequel movies in San Francisco. This means that Eric is moving to California, so Donna gives Leia the choice to stay in Chicago, move to San Francisco, or move to Point Place full-time with Red and Kitty. However, on the last night of summer vacation, Donna catches Leia and her friends sneaking onto the Point Place High School roof and having a Circle.

It’s easy to believe that Eric could go a summer without seeing Leia while he’s in San Francisco for work, but it begins to become a problem if he continues to be absent from big family events and holidays.

That ‘90s Show part 3 ends on a cliffhanger that leaves plenty of uncertainty regarding how Donna will punish Leia and whether she’ll be able to attend school in Point Place. Therefore, it seems likely That ‘90s Show part 4 will pick up where part 3 ended, kicking off the story as school begins in the fall of 1996. While this sets up more variety in storylines for That ‘90s Show, the school year setting would make Eric’s absence more difficult to justify.

That '90s Show showrunner Gregg Mettler told TVLine that "opening up the show to holidays and to visits – and, god forbid, to school year stuff – is all on the table."

If focusing on the first semester of school, That ‘90s Show part 4 will more than likely extend into the holiday season. It’s easy to believe that Eric could go a summer without seeing Leia while he’s in San Francisco for work, but it begins to become a problem if he continues to be absent from big family events and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even after Eric was missing from That ‘70s Show season 8 in Africa, he made sure to be back in Point Place to spend New Year’s Eve 1979 with his friends and family.

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Using Eric Forman’s new Star Wars writing job is both a fitting tribute to his biggest pop culture obsession from That ‘70s Show and a believable excuse for why he won’t be making frequent appearances in That ‘90s Show alongside Donna. While Eric is going to be in San Francisco full-time, Donna decided that she’ll split her time between San Francisco with Eric and Point Place with Leia, as her father, Bob, also moved back to the small Wisconsin town.

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Eric reasonably wouldn’t come back with Donna each time she visits Point Place, but it would be quite ridiculous if he never once returned for a quick weekend through the fall. It’s likely that George Lucas will be working over the holidays to prepare for the new Star Wars movies, but Eric’s boss would certainly at least give him a weekend to see his daughter and family in the fall of 1996 – three years before the next Star Wars movie actually premieres in theaters.

Eric’s job can explain away the majority of his absences, but not from every big family moment in the sitcom. Leia’s 17th birthday, Christmas at That ‘70s Show’s Forman family house, and Leia’s high school graduation are among some of the important events that Eric can only miss so many of before That ‘90s Show starts to betray his character and commitment to his daughter. Regardless of how many more seasons Netflix gives That ‘90s Show, Eric will have to return at some point if the timeline moves into the school year rather than just the summer.

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Topher Grace as Eric Forman in That '90s Show with Kitty in the background in the kitchen

Topher Grace isn’t the only major original That ‘70s Show cast member who has yet to reprise their role again after That ‘90s Show part 1, let alone the pilot episode. The series premiere also saw the returns of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis as Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart, the parents of That ‘90s Show’s Jay Kelso, with the two actors later revealing that they’re unlikely to reprise their roles another time. Wilmer Valderrama also appeared in three episodes of That ‘90s Show part 1 as Fez, but didn’t return as his That ‘70s Show character in subsequent installments.

Returning OG That '70s Show Characters In That '90s Show
Character	Actor	Returning "Parts"
Eric Forman	Topher Grace	1
Donna Pinciotti	Laura Prepon	1, 2, 3
Michael Kelso	Ashton Kutcher	1
Jackie Burkhart	Mila Kunis	1
Fez	Wilmer Valderrama	1
Kitty Forman	Debra Jo Rupp	1, 2, 3
Red Forman	Kurtwood Smith	1, 2, 3
Bob Pinciotti	Don Stark	1, 2, 3
Fenton	Jim Rash	1, 3
Leo	Tommy Chong	1, 2
Mitch Miller	Seth Green	2, 3
Betsy Kelso	Kira Kosarin	3
Earl	Robert Clendenin	3

However, Topher Grace’s absence is more notable given his character’s daughter is the central character, his wife frequently appears, and his parents are the prominent adult figures. Grace has yet to reveal whether he’ll reprise his role as Eric Forman in That ‘90s Show’s future, but previously noted to Topher Grace even joked on Twitter about how he couldn’t “wait” to be reunited with the cast on “That ‘00s Show, debuting fall 2038.”

Based on his previous comments, it seems the door is still open for Grace to return as Eric Forman again. The issue could potentially be related to his busy schedule, as the actor also has the movie Flight Risk releasing in 2024 and is filming the Glen Powell movie Huntington. Whatever the case, there’s hope that Topher Grace will still be able to return as Eric Forman to depict some important moments with Leia on-screen before That ‘90s Show comes to a close.

Sources: TVLine, ET