Randy Pearson
Encyclopedia
Randy Quinn Pearson is a fictional character
introduced during the eighth and final season of That '70s Show
, portrayed by Josh Meyers
. He first appeared in the second part of the season premire episode.
Randy represented the turning point from the mindset of the 1970s to the mindset of the 1980s (enjoying music by Journey
), still laid back but developing distinctive yuppie
mannerisms and critical of the Jimmy Carter
administration. He is hired by Steven Hyde
to help run the record store, and also becomes a love interest for Donna Pinciotti
(Laura Prepon
).
, as the actor who played him, Topher Grace
, chose to leave the series after the seventh season, for his appearance in Spider-Man 3
.
to build a sewing table for Kitty
), and full of ideas (such as telling clients in the record store that Leo is one of the Allman Brothers to boost sales). As the season progresses, however, some of his flaws resurface, he reveals he dated a lot of women before Donna.
Randy is also into music, managing bands and being a part of one. He has a drum kit
at his apartment, but he doesn't use it.
The main source of others' jokes about him is his long poofy hair, which he sometimes emphasizes by allowing them call him girl's names and making comparisons between his hair and hair of female stars. He also jokes with Donna about them being a couple with him behaving girly and her behaving manly
, similar to her past relationship with Eric.
Randy also often mentions his grandmothers. One of them used to put money in his piggy bank
when he was a child before her death, leading him to be disappointed about the amount of money once he breaks it. The other one has polio and is in a wheelchair. He never mentions his parents except for the time he said they were divorced.
hates him when he starts showing quite a luck at winning prizes hidden under Pepsi
caps but Fez's hatred gets worse when he sits on his chair. Also, when Fez was trying to hide from his crazy ex Caroline, Randy purposely says his name loudly so Caroline can see them and Fez calls Randy "Son of a bitch" but they eventually get along. It's implied that Fez's contempt for Randy is because he's not Eric or Kelso. He resents someone new in the entourage. Randy also seems to not have as much trouble with the transition or a lot of life as Fez has.
When Kitty sees him kissing Donna in Eric's room, she becomes angry at both Randy and Donna. Kitty and Donna end up by explaining themselves and reconcile, but she didn't speak with Randy again after that. However, in one episode following that incident, Randy says that he won a bet against Kitty which implies that they were back on good terms. Red comes to like Randy after he helps him build a sewing table.
left the show to star in Reaper
, and the character of Randy was hastily created. Randy was disliked by many fans, his sudden introduction and relationship with Donna after her off-screen breakup with Eric were particularly singled out as distasteful. As a result, Randy's character was quietly phased out of the show, appearing for less and less time as the show approached its conclusion, and appearing in only one scene in the finale.
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Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
introduced during the eighth and final season of That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, portrayed by Josh Meyers
Josh Meyers
Joshua Dylan "Josh" Meyers is an American actor, known for being a cast member of the sketch comedy MADtv and playing Randy Pearson in the eighth and final season of That '70s Show...
. He first appeared in the second part of the season premire episode.
Randy represented the turning point from the mindset of the 1970s to the mindset of the 1980s (enjoying music by Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
), still laid back but developing distinctive yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
mannerisms and critical of the Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administration. He is hired by Steven Hyde
Steven Hyde
Steven James Hyde III, known as Hyde by his friends, is a fictional character from the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Danny Masterson. He is Eric Forman's best friend and by the end of season one, his de facto adopted brother...
to help run the record store, and also becomes a love interest for Donna Pinciotti
Donna Pinciotti
Donna Marie Pinciotti is a fictional character and one of the two female leads in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, appearing in all eight seasons...
(Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...
).
Character creation
The Randy character was introduced primarily as a replacement for Eric FormanEric Forman
Eric Albert Forman is a fictional character and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the...
, as the actor who played him, Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
, chose to leave the series after the seventh season, for his appearance in Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
.
Age
Unlike the other characters on the series, his age and birthdate is never revealed, but it is implied that he may be a little older than the other characters (excluding the adults).Personality
Randy appears as a laid back, gentle and polite young man, old-fashioned when it comes to women, ladies man, good with tools (as when he helps RedRed Forman
Reginald Albert "Red" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Kurtwood Smith.-Biography and personality:Red is one of the classic archetypes of the "grumpy man"...
to build a sewing table for Kitty
Kitty Forman
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by comic actress Debra Jo Rupp. Kitty is a nurse but sometimes takes a break from her career to make peace in the family. She also has a very recognizable laugh and a fondness for square dancing...
), and full of ideas (such as telling clients in the record store that Leo is one of the Allman Brothers to boost sales). As the season progresses, however, some of his flaws resurface, he reveals he dated a lot of women before Donna.
Randy is also into music, managing bands and being a part of one. He has a drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
at his apartment, but he doesn't use it.
The main source of others' jokes about him is his long poofy hair, which he sometimes emphasizes by allowing them call him girl's names and making comparisons between his hair and hair of female stars. He also jokes with Donna about them being a couple with him behaving girly and her behaving manly
Role reversal
In psychodrama, role reversal is a technique where the protagonist is asked, by the psychodrama director, to exchange roles with another person on the psychodrama stage. The former assumes as many of the roles of the other as possible and vice versa...
, similar to her past relationship with Eric.
Randy also often mentions his grandmothers. One of them used to put money in his piggy bank
Piggy bank
Piggy bank is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the "mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th century. These items are also often used...
when he was a child before her death, leading him to be disappointed about the amount of money once he breaks it. The other one has polio and is in a wheelchair. He never mentions his parents except for the time he said they were divorced.
Interactions with the others
The first people Randy comes in touch with are Hyde, Kelso and Leo, joining their "circle". He is liked by most of the gang. FezFez (That '70s Show)
Fez is a fictional character and one of the four male leads on the Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by Wilmer Valderrama. He was the foreign exchange student in a group of six local teenagers.-Origins:...
hates him when he starts showing quite a luck at winning prizes hidden under Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
caps but Fez's hatred gets worse when he sits on his chair. Also, when Fez was trying to hide from his crazy ex Caroline, Randy purposely says his name loudly so Caroline can see them and Fez calls Randy "Son of a bitch" but they eventually get along. It's implied that Fez's contempt for Randy is because he's not Eric or Kelso. He resents someone new in the entourage. Randy also seems to not have as much trouble with the transition or a lot of life as Fez has.
When Kitty sees him kissing Donna in Eric's room, she becomes angry at both Randy and Donna. Kitty and Donna end up by explaining themselves and reconcile, but she didn't speak with Randy again after that. However, in one episode following that incident, Randy says that he won a bet against Kitty which implies that they were back on good terms. Red comes to like Randy after he helps him build a sewing table.
Relationship with Donna
Randy dated Donna for about half of the final season. At first, they insist they are "just friends," but Fez and Jackie get suspicious that Donna is cheating on Eric. It turns out Eric had broken up with Donna (offscreen), and Randy was her rebound. Donna becomes irritated that Randy is a "man slut" (he has apparently dated a lot of women). When Bob Pinciotti announces he is selling the house, Randy offers to let Donna live with him. At first she agrees, but later realizes moving in would potentially ruin her past plans, and breaks up with him. Randy is upset, but after making a few last efforts to win her back he cheerfully assents to friendship. Apparently, Eric and Randy have never met: Randy comes around after Eric leaves for Africa, and is not around when Eric returns. However, Randy knows that Eric does exist because the gang mentions him frequently.Series Finale
In the last two episodes, Randy makes a brief appearance near the beginning of each episode. In the first half, he is seen twice trying to win Donna back after she previously broke up with him. In the second half of the finale, he appears in only one scene. He only has one line but most of the scene he only stands there. However, he is seen one last time doing a weird dance in a scene transition. He is never seen or mentioned again for the rest of the episode. He is the only regular cast member not to appear in the New Year's Eve party scene or the gang's final circle.Reception and Criticism
Originally, the character of Charlie Richardson, who was introduced in the final three episodes of the seventh season, and the first episode of the eight season in a flashback sequence, was meant to take Eric's place in the eighth season. However, Bret HarrisonBret Harrison
Bret Michael Harrison is an American actor and singer known predominantly for his work on comedies such as The Loop, Grounded for Life, Reaper and Breaking In.-Early life:Harrison was born in Tualatin, Oregon...
left the show to star in Reaper
Reaper (TV series)
Reaper is an American television series that focuses on Sam Oliver, a "reaper" who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell.The series originally ran on the CW from September 25, 2007 to May 26, 2009....
, and the character of Randy was hastily created. Randy was disliked by many fans, his sudden introduction and relationship with Donna after her off-screen breakup with Eric were particularly singled out as distasteful. As a result, Randy's character was quietly phased out of the show, appearing for less and less time as the show approached its conclusion, and appearing in only one scene in the finale.
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