That '70s Show, Season Seven

This season is the swansong of the solid, fun humour of this classic sitcom. Unfortunately, it was not the end. Principals Topher Grace (Eric Forman) and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) were making their exit after this season, and the show made the foolish decision to move on without them for a poorly conceived final season. Season Seven revolves around Eric trying to find his way in life after bailing on his wedding to long-time sweetheart Donna (Laura Prepon). The best episodes come in the first half of the season, as Eric decides to take a year off and try various activities. Roller disco skater, chiropractor and filmmaker are among his various failed careers. The best episode comes early in the set when Eric spearheads a mission to trench a grumpy old man's yard and ends up in jail, pants-less. Oddball and zany gags like this populate the entire season; they are a trademark of the funny, tightly written sitcom. The most satisfying aspect of this season is that by this point the audience has watched these characters long enough to like them and develop empathy. The cast members play off each other like a well-oiled machine by this point, to paraphrase director David Trainer in his commentary. The director commentaries for three episodes are fascinating to long-time fans, providing backstage insights that only the director of every episode of the show would know. Two featurettes, one on the actors and one on the writing team, appear boring and thrown together though. This season marked the end of a fantastic run and the resurrection of the classic sitcom plot structure, but with moments of drama and authentic emotion thrown in for good measure. Watch the last episode of the season for confirmation of this. At the end, it’s still a show about friendship.