Why Eric From That '70s Show Was The Absolute Worst

Eric had the capacity to be something of a cad to his friends and parents, but when it came to Donna, the love of his life, he could be an outright jerk. He was a consistent, shameless mansplainer, despite the fact that he, more than anyone, was aware of Donna's keen intelligence. He took it personally when Donna — who, gasp, is a girl — beat him at basketball. He did his level best to make her jealous when she failed to sufficiently flip out over another girl's interest in him. And that breakup? It happened because Donna was uncomfortable wearing a promise ring, which Eric made clear constituted a promise that they'd be "together forever."

Any 17-year old in their right mind would be leery of such commitments, but even when the pair finally did get engaged, it was Eric who failed to follow through. The pair's impending wedding was a focal point of the entire sixth season, and in its penultimate episode, Eric disappears before the wedding rehearsal — and remains missing for an entire day, only phoning the Forman house once to let everyone know he's okay, and then speaking only to Hyde. (Hyde even asks if he wants to talk to Donna, and Eric apparently refuses.)

Indeed, Eric seems to have a series-long penchant for looking gift horses right in the mouth, and it takes a months-long trip to Africa (thanks to Grace's departure from the show for its final season, and return for a cameo in the finale) for him to seemingly mature enough to finally appreciate his great parents, loyal friends, and attractive, patient girlfriend. We like to think that in the eighties, he was — in the show's parlance — a bit less of a dill-hole.