Warning! This article contains minor spoilers for That ’90s Show.
Eric’s Star Wars obsession was a great running gag throughout That ’70s Show, but That ’90s Show makes his love of Star Wars even funnier. In the 1995-set Netflix sequel, Eric and Donna (Laura Prepon) have a teenage daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda), who decides to spend the summer in Point Place, Wisconsin with grandparents Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red (Kurtwood Smith). Eric makes a cameo in the series’ first episode, “That ’90s Pilot,” and while he’s grown up since That ’70s Show ended, aspects of his personality remain the same in That ’90s Show, especially his deep love for Star Wars.
Eric’s love for Star Wars has been well-documented during That ’70s Show‘s timeline. The That ’70s Show season 1 episode “A New Hope” shows Eric, Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), and Hyde (Danny Masterson) seeing Star Wars and becoming obsessed, though only Eric continues with the passion throughout the series. That ’90s Show proves that Eric’s Star Wars love hasn’t faded; he’s named his daughter after Princess Leia, and mentions in the pilot episode that he wanted to make her middle name Tatooine. However, while Leia’s name is a great nod to her father’s fandom, That ’90s Show also finds a way to make Eric’s Star Wars love hilarious.
Eric’s Star Wars Career Pays Off That ’70s Show
That ’90s Show found a great way to pay off That ’70s Show through Eric’s career. In the years since That ’70s Show‘s finale, Eric has become a college professor, teaching a class called The Religion of Star Wars. Considering Eric’s Star Wars obsession in That ’70s Show, this is a hilarious yet perfect career choice for Eric. It’s great that he’s managed to turn his Star Wars passion into a career, and since The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi were released in the time between That ’70s Show‘s end and That ’90s Show, Eric has plenty of material to nerd out over during classes.
In addition to being a funny detail, Eric’s Star Wars class is also a great payoff of That ’70s Show because it shows he’s continued his love for teaching. Eric decides to become a teacher in That ’70s Show season 7 and ends up accepting a position to teach kids in Africa in order to help pay for college. It’s great to see that Eric still has a passion for teaching and is able to combine that with his Star Wars fandom by teaching a class on such a specific topic. That ’90s Show manages to hilariously continue Eric’s Star Wars obsession in a way that’s also perfect for Eric’s career.
Why Leia’s Name In That ’90s Show Is So Ironic
That ’90s Show reveals that Leia’s name is quite ironic. Although her father has a deep love for Star Wars, Leia doesn’t seem to feel the same way. In “That ’90s Pilot,” she’s visibly annoyed when Eric quotes Master Yoda and snidely tells Eric, “Master Yoda was a puppet from a fake world with some guy’s hand up his butt.” It’s understandable that Eric’s daughter Leia might be less than enthused about Star Wars, especially because it’s her father’s nerdy obsession. Leia’s dismissal of Star Wars ends up making her name funnier considering the fact that she’s named after one of the franchise’s most iconic characters.
Leia’s annoyance over Eric’s Star Wars reference also gives her something in common with her grandfather Red. In That ’70s Show, Red grew irritated with Eric’s constant Star Wars references, and he continues this by groaning along with Leia at Eric’s Yoda quote. Leia may have inherited Eric’s dry sense of humor and endearingly dorky nature, but it doesn’t seem like his love of Star Wars has passed down to his daughter. While it would’ve been fun to see Leia in That ’90s Show also be passionate about Star Wars, it’s funnier that she doesn’t seem to care about the movies at all.
