| Randy Pearson | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Somebody To Love" (episode 8.02) |
| Last appearance | "That '70s Finale" (episode 8.22) |
| Portrayed by | Josh Meyers |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Ms. Lady Lovely Locks, Poofy Hair |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | College student Record shop clerk |
| Family | Nana |
| Significant other(s) | Lisa Connors (ex-girlfriend) Linda (ex-girlfriend) Summer (ex-girlfriend) Missy (ex-girlfriend) Donna Pinciotti (ex-girlfriend) |
| Nationality | American |
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 premiere 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).
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The Randy character was introduced primarily as a replacement for Eric Forman, as the actor who played him, Topher Grace, chose to leave the series after the seventh season, for his appearance in Spider-Man 3.
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).
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 Red 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.
The first people Randy comes in touch with are Hyde, Kelso and Leo, joining their "circle". He is liked by most of the gang. Fez 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.
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.
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.
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 Harrison 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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