That ’70s Show: Why Was Donna Sent To Catholic School

Donna Pinciotti was separated from her closest friends when she was sent to Catholic school in That ’70s Show season 5. Laura Prepon played the key character for all eight seasons of the Fox sitcom, appearing in a total of 200 episodes between 1998 and 2006. The comedy served as Prepon’s first real acting gig before moving on to shows like October Road, How I Met Your Mother, and Are You There, Chelsea?. Interestingly enough, the actress went on to get a starring role in Orange Is the New Black, a series that cleverly connected to Prepon’s time as Donna.

That ’70s Show season 5 was set entirely in the year 1978 and began shortly after Donna and Kelso relocated to California. Donna left Point Place after a breakup and subsequent rejection of former lover, Eric. Seeing as her mother Midge moved to California, Donna decided to leave her old life behind for a fresh start. Eric realized how much he loved Donna, forcing him to disobey his parents and chase after her in the season 5 premiere. He ended up winning her over before the trio traveled back to Wisconsin where they were met with strict punishments.

Whereas Red and Kitty took away Eric’s privilege of driving the iconic Vista Cruiser, Donna faced a tougher punishment from her father, Bob. Normally easy-going, Bob was consumed with anger regarding his daughter’s recent actions. To teach her a lesson, he enrolled Donna at a local Catholic school for her senior year. Not only was the school called Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, but it also met the abusive stereotypes that surround Catholic institutes. More importantly, the Catholic school arc also gave the series a new subplot to play around with.

The Catholic School Subplot Allowed The Series To Change Donna’s Look

Though Donna no longer attended school with her friends, she spent most of her free time with Eric and the group in the Forman basement. Aside from the new rules she had to follow, Donna was required to wear a school uniform. This allowed the series to stray away from the character’s traditional “lumberjack” look and instead, had her wear a traditional plaid skirt, white blouse, and knee-high socks. The outfit was the target of intense mocking from her friends, especially the boys. They would often make inappropriate jokes aimed at her appearance in cold opens. Prepon also made it a point to share her dismay regarding the outfit throughout the season.

In addition to the outfit, Donna’s time at Catholic school was important to her relationship with Eric. Going to a different school added another difficulty in their romance. Rather than let it separate them, the pair saw it as an extra challenge to overcome. If anything, Donna’s punishment brought them closer together, and they actually got engaged not long after. Thankfully, Donna, and more importantly, Prepon, wasn’t forced to wear the Catholic schoolgirl outfit for too long. The core young figures, aside from Jackie, graduated high school by the end of That ’70s Show season 5.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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