"Eric's Burger Job" is the fifth episode of the first season of That '70s Show, and fifth episode overall. It aired on September 27, 1998.
Synopsis[]
Eric has a tough boss at the town's first fast-food burger joint; Donna's party gets out of control.
Plot[]
While hanging out in the basement, Donna mentions Bob and Midge go out of town for the weekend, putting her in charge of the house and babysitting her little sister Tina. Donna's hope to spend time with Eric alone at her house is dashed when Eric doesn't get the message and instead the gang convinces her to throw a party at her place. Donna begrudgingly agrees.
Eric wants to get a job and is thinking about applying to the local fast-food joint Fatso Burger owned by Jack Burkhart. While Kitty is opposed to the idea, Red leaves him with advice that “work is work” and ”only quitters quit”. After rehearsing with Red, Eric heads to Fatso Burger where Hyde, Fez, and Kelso are applying as well. The manager Ricky interviews all of them and, between Kelso and Fez commenting ridiculous things and Hyde being his usual bluntly honest self, Eric is the only one who does well and gets hired.
Jackie asks her father why Kelso wasn't hired, only for Jack to point out his immaturity to her. Not helping Kelso's case is his conviction that he was not hired because of his good looks.
Eric swings by Donna's and announces to her he got the job. He's also unsure to be able to make it to her party on Saturday. For the rest of the week, whenever Donna invites Eric to hang out with her, he blows her off because of his job, all the while becoming more and more tired and frustrated.
Saturday night. The party is in full swing, but Donna is clearly uninterested. After Kelso arrives wearing a toga, Jackie leads him inside to talk. They sit in Bob and Midge's bedroom where, frustrated by Kelso's dimwitted antics, Jackie starts questioning their future together, only for Kelso to put an end to the conversation by accidentally popping Bob and Midge's waterbed.
Meanwhile, Kitty visits Eric at work and sees that he is miserable. She makes him sit down to eat his dinner that she brought and encourages him to quit, knowing that Red would understand. Donna visits Eric at work too and asks him to come to her party, but, remembering Red's advice, he blows her off again.
The party ends with Hyde, Kelso, and Fez trying to raid the fridge in the Forman garage for more beer, only for a very much amused Red to catch them red-handed. When Eric finally finishes his shift and comes to Donna's, he finds out Bob and Midge already came back. He announces to his parents he is quitting his job, and is surprised when Red does not oppose his decision at all.
Some time later Eric asks Ricky how he first started working at Fatso Burger. Ricky tells him that when he first started here, he was originally going to go to college, but then he was promoted to assistant manager which prompted him to give up on higher education and stay here. After hearing his confession, Eric bluntly tells Ricky that he quits and leaves.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Topher Grace as Eric Forman
- Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart
- Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso
- Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde
- Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti
- Wilmer Valderrama as Fez
- Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman
- Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman
- Tanya Roberts as Midge Pinciotti
- Don Stark as Bob Pinciotti
Special Guest Star[]
Guest Starring[]
Also Starring[]
Quotes[]
- [The Interview]
- [Why do you want a career at Fatso Burger?]
- Eric – I just think it will be a wonderful experience
- Kelso – My girlfriend's dad owns it
- Fez – I love the uniforms
- Hyde –To unionize the workers, man
- [Tell me; what do you consider your best quality?]
- Eric – I'm a real people person
- Hyde – I don't answer stupid questions
- Fez – I speak Dutch
- Kelso – My eyes. Oh, I guess my butt too.
- [Name something about yourself you consider a weakness.]
- Eric – I allow people to boss me around
- Fez – I love Chocolate
- Hyde – I'm brutally honest. Pinhead
- Kelso – [While deep in thought, his chair tips backward and he falls to the ground]
- [Where do you see yourself in five years?]
- Eric – Fatso Burger
- Fez – Covered in gold chains
- Kelso – Rock-star. Oh wait, no, movie-star. No, yeah rockstar
- Hyde – In prison
- Jackie – I, am in love with a doofus
- Red – It was kinda a hairnet, nametag, nothing kinda job
Trivia[]
- The title of the episode “Eric’s Burger Job” refers to Eric getting hired to his first job at Fatso Burger.
- First and Last appearance of Tina Pinciotti.
- Additionally Tina is jokingly referenced in "Vanstock". In all subsequent episodes, Donna is an only child.
- First appearance of Ricky.
- First appearance of Fatso Burger.
- This is the first episode in which we hear the classic "dumbass" insult, but it's not Red who says it: it's Eric, behind the back of his boss Ricky.
- It is revealed that Jackie’s father Jack (despite being a successful lawyer) also owns Fatso Burger. However later on in Season 5 in the episode Black Dog after Jack is arrested and sent to prison for bribery and embezzling $60,000 he was removed from both of his positions. In Season 8, Fatso Burger's new owner Mr. Visotsky is introduced.
- It is revealed that Red’s first job was at a slaughterhouse.
Music[]
- do you feel like we do | PETER FRAMPTON
- what do you want from life | THE TUBES
- more than a feeling | BOSTON
- yours is no disgrace | YES