Storylines
Donna's relationship with next-door neighbor Eric Forman is often the main focus of the series. However, it was tumultuous at times, having suffered two break ups during the show's run. Despite this, Eric and Donna often act as the "parents" of the group, being mature and responsible when their friends are not, as for example in episodes like Dine and Dash. Another episode that would illustrate their parenthood of the group is when they had just broken up and Eric took them all out and returned late. He and Donna engaged in an argument because Eric gave Fez ice cream and Donna was angry because now he wouldn't be hungry for dinner. When Fez was to be deported, she and Eric were upset because "their" Fez was leaving. Eric was sometimes threatened by the fact that he feels inferior to her, especially during the third season, when she gets a job as a disc jockey.
Donna and Eric lost their virginity to each other in Season Two, after many failed attempts to "do it." Their sexual activity was revealed once in a very humiliating manner, when a policeman caught them having sex in the back of Eric's car and took them back to his parents home, where Red forced Donna to tell her parents or else he would tell them. This further cemented Kitty's subconscious view of Donna as a rival for the role of being the primary woman in Eric's life.
In the beginning of the series, Hyde was also interested in Donna along with Eric. Donna made her choice clear, however, when she blew off her "study date" with Hyde to hang out with Eric. Even after the relationship between Eric and Donna was established, for a short time Donna usually went to Hyde when she felt unsure about her relationship and needed to talk about it. In such circumstances, Hyde usually referred to her as the "Hot Neighbor Girl" and to Eric as the "Scrawny little Neighbor Boy," or some variation on these. Though a romantic relationship between Donna and Hyde was never established, Hyde initially liked Donna and would have been interested in her if Eric had not kissed her first (as stated in the episode "It's a Wonderful Life"). Hyde still tried to win Donna in the beginning, when she and Eric weren't together. There are even some comments by Fez during that season that mock Hyde over these failed attempts. When the gang went up to Jackie's father's cabin for a ski trip, Hyde decided to kiss Donna and was slapped for his efforts, ending his infatuation but not their close friendship. Hyde never showed any significant interest in Donna again.
Toward the end of Season Three, Donna's job as a disc jockey was taking priority over her relationship with Eric, causing her to blow their dates off. While Donna genuinely felt that she was right to do this and was simply following her goals through to their logical conclusion with wanting to be a writer and a news woman, her actions provoked a bad response in the normally even-keeled Eric, who felt that Donna was not taking him and/or their relationship seriously. Unable to resolve the conflict, Eric broke up with her in the third season finale The Promise Ring. Throughout season four, much awkwardness ensued over rights to the basement and trying to find new relationships. Donna was a bit annoyed at just how many girls were interested in Eric and happily mocked him when his attempts at finding a new girlfriend backfired. When she found out he dated another while they were apart (he kept it a secret), she was absolutely furious—believing he cheated on her.
During the fourth season, Donna began dating Casey Kelso (Luke Wilson), older brother of Michael Kelso. Even though he was flaky, a few years older than she was, and against Donna's feminist beliefs, Donna thought Casey was the perfect boyfriend, for he seemed to be sensitive, good-natured, laid back, and easy-going. Eric saw Casey for what he was: an oversexed frat boy who just wanted to sleep with Donna and move on to the next girl. Eric tried to warn Donna but she ignored him, and he then threatened to hurt Casey if he hurt Donna.
Donna ends up skipping school to get drunk with Casey. When Eric and Kitty witness this, they - along with Red and Bob - decide to intervene, and, in an animated discussion in the Formans' living room, Casey dumps Donna, deciding that his relationship with her is not worth the hassle, also admitted that he never loved her. The realizations of her own overconfidence, poor judgment and being dumped in front of the people who meant the most to her came as a shock to Donna, who regarded herself as an ideal feminist, but who'd fallen for the type of man she always swore she would never be with.
Hurt, humiliated and heartbroken, Donna turned to Eric, who offered his sympathy. When a shook up, crying Donna told him she wanted to be with him again, he refused, believing that she did not really want him for who he was but simply wanted a way to feel better about herself and would most likely dump him when someone better came along. A tearful Donna pleaded with him to take her back but he refused to be her "second choice". Eric was unwavering in his decision, until his father and mother pointed out to him that he was being an idiot. Even Kitty, who normally doted over him, called him a "dumbass."
Unable to handle being rejected by her first love, an emotionally-wrecked Donna fled Point Place for California, where she lived with her mother and tried to sort out her feelings. She decided she truly did love Eric and tried to call him but couldn't get hold of him; she suspected he no longer wanted her and had moved on to another girlfriend, leaving her rather depressed. But then, to her delight, Eric showed up in California looking for her, and the two very romantically reunited and returned to Point Place. When Donna came home from California, the normally easy-going Bob sent her to a Catholic school as punishment, an act that Donna deeply resented and hated for the remainder of the school year. This occasion also gave the writers/creators an opportunity to change Donna's common "lumberjack" attire as she now wore, for a few episodes, the school's uniform consisting of a plaid skirt, a white shirt, and long white knee-high socks. Her new looks also provided openings for jokes from the boys about Donna's sexiness, which underlies their views of her throughout the series, no matter what type of attire she is wearing.
In season five, Eric ignored the objections of their friends and proposed to her at the water tower, which Donna accepted. Once Red and Kitty found out about the engagement, they were shocked. Kitty in particular, reacted badly, claiming that Donna was trying to snatch her "baby" away from her. Despite enduring a great deal of flak (mostly from Red), Eric stayed loyal to Donna and their marriage plans, to where finally Red accepted that his son had become a man and gave them his blessing. Donna and Eric prepared to leave Point Place together and go to college in Madison. However, just as they were packing their stuff in the Vista Cruiser, Fez and Laurie announced their marriage so Fez could stay in the country after graduation. Red was so shocked at this, he had a heart attack. As a result of this, Eric had to stay in Point Place and help support the family. Donna ended up putting off going to college in Madison so that she could stay with Eric. Eventually though, their wedding fell through at the end of season six; when Eric, worried that marrying Donna would hold her back, failed to show up for their rehearsal.
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