"The Keg" is the sixth episode of the first season of That '70s Show, and sixth episode overall. It aired on October 25, 1998.
Synopsis
Eric and Donna find a full keg of beer in the middle of the road and decide to throw a party.
Plot
Eric and Donna decide to blow off class on a Friday afternoon. While driving around, they find a keg full of beer in the middle of the road. After bringing it back to the basement, the gang decides to throw a kegger, but does not know where. Kelso accidentally answers the question by bringing up his and Jackie’s secret makeout place: a vacant house that Jackie’s mother, a realtor, is using for open house sessions.
On the evening of the same day, Red and Kitty have invited Bob and Midge. After Midge and Kitty bring up Eric and Donna taking a tub of ice and plastic cups, believing it was all for a school project, Red and Bob put two and two together and go out looking for them. While they’re away, Kitty and Midge watch Rich Man, Poor Man and get drunker and drunker.
The gang arrives at the vacant house, where Jackie gives them the green light to throw a party in the empty swimming pool, believing it will be just the six of them. It’s only then that the gang realizes they don’t have a tap to operate the keg. While Kelso leaves to buy one, people start arriving, the gang charging them for entry.
Kelso goes to a liquor store and manages to buy a tap, but unfortunately comes across the gang’s bully classmates Destroy and Give-Back (known for their schtick of breaking other people’s stuff before returning it), who take his tap, break it and give it back. When the bullies show up at the party and insult Kelso for "buying a broken tap", he explains to them that they were the ones who broke it. After Eric accuses them of ruining the party, they demand their money back, which Eric gives them, but not before ripping the bills in half as payback.
Newly confident, Eric decides to save the party by running home and stealing Red’s tap. During his absence, Jackie’s mother comes along with clients, only to find all the partygoers standing in the swimming pool. Meanwhile, Red and Bob visit the same liquor store where Kelso bought the tap, where a kid tells them where the gang is.
After stealing the tap with no difficulty due to Kitty and Midge being completely drunk, a triumphant Eric comes back to the party, only to find his friends, Red, Bob, and two cops, with all the other partygoers gone. Hyde and Kelso try to take the keg away, but Red chases them off. After coming home, Eric and Donna reflect on the events of the day. Eric lists all the bad things he did and starts freaking out, only for Donna’s praise to calm him down.
Meanwhile Red, Bob and the two cops hang out in the empty pool drinking beer from the keg, until one of the cops shamelessly calls Donna hot, angering Bob. After the cops tell the men to leave when they try to take the keg with them, Red spitefully takes his tap back.
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
Guest Star
- Mark Bramhall as Mr. Pridewell
Guest Stars
Also Starring
- Eve Plumb as Pam Burkhart
- Christopher Michael Moore as Art
- Michael James Reed as Cop #1
- Glen Beaudin as Jake
- Unknown as Cop #2
Trivia
- The title of the episode “The Keg” refers to Eric, Donna, Hyde and Kelso finding a full keg of beer in the middle of the road while they cut class and ultimately decides to throw a keg party in an abandoned house.
- First appearance of Pam Burkhart.
- Last appearance of Principal Pridewell.
- First and Last appearance of Destroy.
- First and Last appearance of Giveback.
- When Kelso wants to buy a tap at the liquor store, he insists he is 18 years old. While the episode makes it look like he is pretending for the sake of being able to buy the tap (and it might have been the original intention), the Season 2 episode "Halloween" reveals that, having been held back in the first grade, Kelso is one year older than the rest of the gang. While there is nothing in the show to definitely confirm it, Kelso might indeed already be 18 as of this episode.
- This was Eve Plumb’s only appearance as Pam Burkhart. The character would later be recast in Season 6 with Brooke Shields playing her instead of Plumb.
Goofs
- Pam shows the house to clients in a scene that takes place during the late evening.
Music
- king of kings (theme)
- the night chicago died | PAPER LACE
- smoke on the water | DEEP PURPLE