#S7xE25

[thatseventiesbitch]

Well what do you know ... I had one more in me.

I am thrilled to share the original script for S7xE25 "Til The Next Goodbye" with you all. There's lots of Eric/Donna goodness in this script - I was hoping there would be. 🥺

Read on for my summary of the differences between the table draft and the episode that aired!

Jackie and Kelso's scene to start the episode is nearly identical, but there's an added line about the Chicago sports teams that makes me (a transplant Chicagoan) laugh:

The rest of the scene is the same. It ends with Kelso offering to stay awhile and get a burger with Jackie.

Next up we have the scene in the Forman kitchen with Eric, Donna, Red, Kitty, and Bob. It's written a little differently in the table draft:

Donna bought Eric travel books for the extremely nervous traveler lol 🥺🥰 (Also - can I get that series?? Asking for a friend.)

I also like how she pushed back on Kitty here on Eric's behalf, reminding her that her adult son can make his own decisions... well, until Kitty glares at her and Donna ducks behind Eric to get out of the swing zone 🤣

Then we have the scene of the gang in the basement.

In the table draft, Eric isn't worried about his mom throwing him a surprise going away party.

Eric, Donna, and Hyde's cut dialogue here made me laugh out loud. 😂

Kelso's recounting of dropping off Jackie - and Donna's about her calling several times to criticize her outfit - are the same as in the episode. Then Jackie calls, and Hyde's surprised she wants to speak to Eric.

Eric and Jackie's dialogue is a little different (more sentimental, I'd say):

The scene ends the same way, with Jackie asking to speak to Red after she's finished talking to Eric.

The next scene is Fez and Charlie talking on the driveway, and then Eric and Donna approach. Fez tells the story about what a good friend Eric is because he poured soda all over him after he fell into a hole Kelso and Hyde lured him into 🙈. It's word for word, except Charlie interjects a few lines.

It's particularly clear in this draft that their original plan was to set up Charlie to be a regular in season 8 following Topher and Ashton's departure. As I think most of us know, Charlie's actor, Bret Harrison, got offered his own show called The Loop, resulting in T70 writing him off in the first episode of S8 by saying he died falling off the water tower. I am personally in the I-would-definitely-have-preferred-Charlie-over-Randy camp, even though they still might've tried pairing him up with Donna to manufacture angst. This gives me an idea for a What If story. Hmm...

There's also this added exchange at the end of the scene, mocking Fez's sentimentality and manhood 🙄

Next is Hyde and Leo at Grooves, discussing Loud Girl. The scene is word-for-word up until this point:

Leo provides more of his stoned insight: "I mean, you guys fight sometimes but deep down you really care about her. There's no shame in that." 🥰

Speaking of Charlie... here's another scene he had with Fez and Eric, that was greatly shortened in the aired episode:

*Wonders about how Fez's S8 storylines would have been different if Charlie was around instead of Randy* 🤔

The scene continues with this:

Which leads directly into the guys' final circle.

Eric says, "Hey, pass me some more courage!" to start the scene and then they go into the exact dialogue from the episode.

The following scene with Red and Kitty lecturing the guys in the kitchen while they're stoned out of their minds is also word-for-word to what aired. It ends with Red saying he can't think of any worse punishment than sending Eric to Africa, so guess what pal, he's going to Africa!

Hyde and Leo's next scene about Loud Girl, Chicago, and Leo watching the store for him is also nearly identical. I'm not including screenshots because of the image limit.

Up next, Eric and Kelso at the hospital getting their shots. In the table draft, Red came along with them, too. Well, until he heads across the street to get a beer. 😂

Kelso is extra pervy towards Donna.

I prefer their interaction from the aired episode, where she gives him a painful wedgie when he asks her to help him with his pants. 😅

Eric and Kelso's goodbye moment is similar, but I can see why some of the superfluous lines were cut.

I think it's obvious that the show was acknowledging here that both actors/characters would be leaving in S8.

In the draft, Eric and Donna's goodbye scene is next. It's in his bedroom rather than on top of the Vista Cruiser.

I kind of laughed at Fez realizing he crossed a line and that this is too intimate of a moment for him to witness, but I'm just not a big fan of the Fez-creeping-on-E/D-from-closets joke to begin with so, meh. I feel fine that this was cut.

I do love that among Eric's "bare necessities" for the year away are his GI Joe's and Donna's bra (🤣), and also the stage direction that when they hug, "it's obvious that neither of them wants to let go." 🥹😭

But overall, I prefer the scene that aired in the episode.

The scene in the episode is longer, and includes more sentimentality from Eric (he tells her she's his best friend, and that he loves her so much).

It's interesting that they flipped the line, "I'll be back before you know it, and then we'll have our whole lives to spend together." In the table draft it's Eric who says it, but in the episode it's Donna's line.

And finally, I think thematically it makes more sense for Eric and Donna's last scene on the show (theoretically anyway, we all know that Topher came back for a cameo in the series finale but they probably didn't know that then) to be on the Vista Cruiser. It's a natural bookend to their story; it subtly reminds us how far they've come when they reminisce about having their first kiss.

Eric and Red's scene is next. It's very similar, but with a few different lines.

Donna packing crackers so Eric doesn't get car sick on the way to the airport is sweet/wifey of her, but it is that same ridiculous infantilizing of Eric routine that the writers really leaned into in S7 (and eventually T90S, too). 🙄

I liked Red's final line in the actual episode better. "You lose that knife, don't come home," always gets a big laugh from me.

Finally, the goodbye scene on the driveway.

Kitty has, of course, thrown him a going-away party. She has a banner printed, but there's a mix up and it wishes him a "HAPPY RETIREMENT, FRANK!" 😂

Leo's already doing a bang-up job watching the record store for Hyde, *lol*

And there's some more Fez and Charlie interaction, making me wonder - again - how Charlie staying on as a main cast member in season 8 would've changed storylines for Fez, and for everyone else...

Eric and Hyde's scene is very similar, except Eric starts to get sentimental and Hyde immediately shuts it down.

Bob has a surprisingly nice interaction with Eric (before introducing his oompa band). 🙄

Kitty's goodbye to Eric is similar - she hugs him and doesn't let go until they have to pull her off of him *lol*

But I missed Eric's line from the episode about, "I'm really only allowed one carry-on." I wonder if it was improvised.

Just like in the episode, Eric's car won't start and so his friends and family push the Vista Cruiser from the driveway for his series exit. I get by with a little help from my friends, right? 🥹

Now, there is one more Very Important scene in this episode: the one with Hyde knocking on Jackie's motel room door in Chicago.

I hit the image limit for this post so I can't include the last screenshot. But I'll type the last page of the script in case any Zennies wanted to see it:

Hyde: Y'know, okay. (THEN) Is everything alright?

Jackie: Everything's fine. I just didn't expect -

(Kelso enters wearing just a bathrobe and carrying a bucket of ice)

Kelso: I checked and no one can see us doing it from the parking lot.

(Kelso sees Hyde, screams, and throws the bucket of ice in the air. Ice flies everywhere. The moment is frozen until...)

Hyde: You son of a -

(Kelso turns to run out the door. Hyde grabs his robe. As Kelso bolts, Hyde holds onto the robe which peels off Kelso as he disappears out the door)

Kelso (OS): I'm nude!

Fade Out.

It's very similar to what aired, and imo doesn't hold any extra clues as to what Jackie and Kelso did (or planned to do) in the hotel room. The writers left it purposefully vague and open to interpretation.

The tag at the end of the episode is what aired - Kelso running around the parking lot naked, grabbing a fedora to cover his privates, and then running into two attractive women and flirting with them.

Whew, that was a long one! Thanks for reading along with me, @thatseventiesbitch and check out some of the other original That '70s Show scripts I've posted!

S2xE20 "Kiss of Death" S2xE22 "Jackie Moves On" S2xE23 "Holy Crap!" S2xE26 "Moon Over Point Place" S3xE23 "Backstage Pass" S4xE2 "Eric's Depression" S5xE21 "Trampled Under Foot" S6xE20 "Squeezebox" S7xE8 "Angie"

[thatseventiesbitch]

Eric and Donna’s love languages?

Thanks for the question, anon! This one really made me think. Curious if others have thoughts as well.

I think Eric's top love language is words of affirmation.

Reasoning:

Eric experiences a deficit of this in his life. In fact, pretty much all of the people he's surrounded by tell him that he's not good enough, all of the time - including his parents (Kitty, usually unintentionally). Donna choosing him makes Eric feel good about himself, but even he often doubts it. Hearing from her regularly that she loves him and why she loves him is important to his self esteem. A few examples:

In S2xE3 The Velvet Rope, Eric can't answer the bouncer when he asks him why Donna's with him - but Donna can. Later that night when she and Eric talk about it, she has an answer for him right away. She's with him because he's smart and funny and treats her well. She reminds him that she doesn't care what other people think about their relationship and doesn't take their opinions into consideration - and Eric's confidence is immediately boosted.

At the end of S6xE17 Happy Jack when Eric and Donna make up, Eric says he's sorry for what he did in her bathroom (*lol*) and that he wants to move past this, he loves her. Donna agrees and Eric is quick to point out that he said I love you, and doesn't she love him too? He needs that reassurance from her (even at this point in the series/their relationship)

'I love you' carries weight to Eric, they are not just meaningless words. We know this because of his reaction in S2xE7 I Love Cake. Towards the end of the episode he admits to Donna that he freaked out and said that he loved cake (*lol*) because he was scared to be vulnerable and admit that he loves her, because he's afraid of losing her one day. He also warned Casey Kelso in S4xE26 not to say 'I love you' to Donna if he didn't mean it, causing Casey to accuse him of being the love police 😂.

Eric also uses his words to affirm Donna - he tells her he loves her frequently and easily after their first initial speed bump (see: S2xE16 The First Time, S5xE1 Going to California, S6xE20 Squeezebox, S7xE25 'Til The Last Goodbye, etc) and will make off-hand comments about how he feels about her like, "Oh, you are so the girl for me," "You're as wicked as you are gorgeous," etc.

I think Donna's top love language is quality time.

Reasoning:

When she was having a tough time with her parents' arguing, her instinct was to escape and go be somewhere else/do something with Eric (see: The Velvet Rope [S2xE3], Romantic Weekend [S3xE16], etc). We also clearly see her react strongly - negatively - to not receiving her parents' undivided, focused attention (or really, any of their attention 😑), so we know that's significant to her.

She shifted around other priorities in her life in order to spend more time with Eric/be closer to him (i.e. not attending Marquette for college because it was further away from him and she didn't want that, purchasing the trailer in season 6 because she thought that would be the foundation for a good marriage, etc).

She and Eric are shown to like just being with each other, laying together, not even necessarily having to say anything. In S5xE1 Going to California she says, "I was so scared I'd never be like this with you again." It's her safe space - next to Eric.

When Eric's upset/going through something, she's always there with him, giving him one-on-one time and her uninterrupted focus. Whether he's just lost a grandparent, whether he's considering delaying college to stay home and help his family, or he's being vulnerable and telling her how he felt when he thought she'd slept with someone else - Donna always gives Eric her full attention and makes him feel listened to, too. Its how she shows love as well as how she likes to receive it.

[thatseventiesbitch]

Spreading positivity :) What would you pick as your five favorite Eric/Donna scenes of the show? And what do you see as both of their greatest strengths as individual characters and as a romantic partner?

Hi! These are great questions - love them. Also love talking about something else! Thanks so much. 😊

Favorite Eric & Donna Scenes (this was soooo tricky!):

Their couch scene in S2xE2 "Red's Last Day"

Their first 'I love you' in S2xE7 "I Love Cake"

Cuddling in the back of Kelso's van in S5xE1 "Going to California"

The scene at the end of S4xE1 "It's A Wonderful Life" when Eric's memories of them flash

Their goodbye on the Vista Cruiser before Eric left for Africa in S7xE25 "'Til The Next Goodbye"

I think Eric's greatest strength is what Donna says about him to their daughter in That '90s Show - that he has a good heart. It's the reason she always came back to him/forgave him, it's the reason he was the glue who held the gang together. As a romantic partner, and specifically as Donna's partner, I think his greatest strength is his consistency, his stability. As Kelso once said about Eric, "You don't offer much in the way of excitement, but if it's the same old same old the girl's after, look out!" That's just who Eric is - he's dependable, responsible, boring even - and that's exactly what Donna was missing/what she needed in her life so desperately. Eric's always there for her - even when they're broken up - he's lived 20 steps away from her his whole life.

I think Donna's greatest strength is her self-assuredness. She really knows who she is. From the very beginning of the series we knew who Donna was, too. Feminist, big goals, one of the guys but couldn't be pushed around by them. She wasn't going to be controlled by anyone - not her parents, not her boyfriend. As a partner, she's incredibly forgiving. She forgave Eric for some very major transgressions throughout their relationship, when you think about it. Kissing another girl - before they were exclusive, true, but she was still incredibly hurt by it. Killing her cat (and lying to her about it)! Leaving her at the altar (or the rehearsal dinner, whatever)!! Deciding to go to Africa without talking to her about it. Breaking up with her from Africa - in a letter! Being a sexist jerk - more times than I can sit here and count. But again, 16 years later she tells their daughter that no matter how many times Eric screwed it all up, she always went back to him because of his good heart. Because underneath the dumbassery, he is a genuinely good man who is capable of reflecting and growing and changing. And Donna's capable of forgiving him time and time again - and she forgives him easily once she's made up her mind, no hoops to jump through (unlike Jackie, *lol*).

[thatseventiesbitch]

Yep. A lot of people think that scene in "Eric's Naughty No-No" is implied to be about, ahem, butt stuff.

Which becomes a running gag that other characters (at least Hyde) continue to make jokes about throughout the series. Pretty typical for the time and That '70s Show's particular brand of sexist/off-color humor.

For instance, in S7xE1 Eric says (about Donna's new hair color):

Eric: It's good, I think it's a sign that you're loosening up. Like maybe now you might like that thing I try in bed that makes you mad. Donna: I won't. Eric: I'll still try.

Later, in that same episode:

Kelso: Alright! Eric traded in Donna for a hot blonde! (Donna turns around) Oh crap. She looks exactly like Donna! Hyde: That is Donna, you moron. Only now she lets Forman do that thing he's been tryin'. Donna: Eric! Eric: Hyde! (to Donna) I said maybe.

There's also this deleted scene from S7xE25 "Til The Next Goodbye" that I posted before:

Donna: Eric, I don't care if you're going to Africa. I'm not doing that. Hyde: Yeah Forman. If she lets you do that now, no reason for you to ever come back. Eric: No. Look -

What do you think eric and Donnas sex life is like? like who is the top there and who is the bottom haha

Well. We actually know quite a bit about their sex life, canonically.

First of all, it's... er. Frequent. 🤣 After they work through the awkwardness of their first time, Eric and Donna spend the rest of the series unable to keep their hands off each other.

By S3xE19 "Eric's Naughty No-No", they had already done it 100 times (thanks to Eric keeping count ). By S6xE13 "Won't Get Fooled Again", he tells Pastor Dan that he's lost count/his tracking system became unwieldly, but that the number is now in the 'zillions' 🤣. There are multiple episodes where they can't stop having sex: S3xE11 "Who Wants It More?", S6xE2 "Join Together". At one point they take a vow of celibacy due to a pregnancy scare, but that only lasts a few episodes before they break it in S6xE22 "Sparks". We even know that both Eric and Donna masturbate, thanks to S6xE17, "Happy Jack"!

We also know a lot about when Eric and Donna took different intimate steps in their relationship. They had their first time, of course, in the aptly titled S2xE16 "The First Time". But they also:

French kissed/tongue kissed for the first time in S1xE9 "Thanksgiving"

Made out for the first time in S1xE8 "Drive In"

Went to second base for the first time in S1xE22 "Punk Chick"

Went to third base for the first time in S2xE8 "Sleepover (This one is implied rather than completely explicit, but to paraphrase Nikki and Ozzie from T90S, 'Cuddling under a blanket usually = touching 'it', it's simple sex math' 🤣, plus they both told their friends they did some new stuff).

So, there's a bunch of information for you. I don't know if it answered your questions, but it's probably the best I can do. *lol*

[thatseventiesbitch]

my  f a v o r i t e  Eric & Donna Moments #41

“You’re gonna be back before you know it, and we’re gonna have our whole lives to spend together.”

[thatseventiesbitch]

Another Eric/Donna deleted scene, this time from S7xE25 Til The Next Goodbye. It is the version that aired when the episode aired live, but it’s been cut for syndication.

 This is right after Eric’s asked Donna to not let his mom plan some big going-away party for him. He’s worried she’s going to plan something elaborate with like, doves. Cue Hyde’s comment.

[thatseventiesbitch]

Another deleted (extended) Eric/Donna scene from S7xE25 Til The Next Goodbye.

This is right after Eric tells Donna there’s something really important he needs her to do for him and she says, “Eric, I don’t care if you’re going to Africa. I’m not doing that.”