Red Fired Up

Original Airdate:	May 8, 2000
Writer:	Dave Schiff
Director:	David Trainer

To Eric's astonishment, Red gives him a lot of approval at work, but Eric suspects it's because Earl, another employee who Eric calls a 'dumbass' lightening rod, deflects Red's anger away from him. Donna tells Kelso that Jackie's never coming back, so, to everyone's horror, Kelso and Laurie begin dating openly.

Kelso confides to the gang that he's hurting and lonely without Jackie, but his friends offer no sympathy. Eric is amazed and puzzled that Red actually treats him with some respect at work; he even laughs when Eric makes a joke about Earl, a deadbeat employee. When Donna tells Kelso that he can forget about ever getting Jackie back, he finally begins to get the message. He tells the guys that there are a lot of women in the world, and he hasn't seen nearly enough of them naked. Eric tells his friends that there's a guy at work who deflects Red's anger from him. It's like Earl's a "dumbass" lightening rod. Kelso comes to pick Laurie up for a date and encounters Kitty and Hyde. Hyde observes that Kelso and Laurie could make the dumbest babies ever. Kitty starts to laugh, but then says it isn't funny. Red tells Kitty that Eric's doing a great job at work unlike his other employee Earl. Kitty says she just thinks it's nice that Red gave Earl a job, since they've known him forever. Eric tells Kelso that the basement is off limits to Laurie even if Kelso thinks she's his girlfriend. The gang think Kelso's a moron, and Hyde observes that actually Kelso doesn't even like Laurie. Kelso says the point is that Laurie is always willing to have sex. When Donna tells Jackie that Laurie and Kelso are dating, Jackie says her only hope is that the bitch will make Kelso miserable; Donna says she doesn't think that's going to be a problem. In a split screen, simultaneous conversation, Kitty confronts Laurie and Hyde talks to Kelso about how idiotic it is for them to be dating. Red fires Earl, but not before screaming at him for fifteen minutes and making him cry. Eric tells Kitty that Red is just mean, but Kitty sets him straight. She said Red tossed and turned all night about having to fire Earl. As for the screaming, that's just how Red expresses himself. Red yells at Eric because he cares, says Kitty. Jackie tells Eric how much she hates his slutty sister. She and Laurie have a confrontation when Laurie tells her that as Kelso's new girlfriend she isn't comfortable having Kelso's old girlfriend hanging around. Jackie isn't fazed and tells Laurie that Eric wants her there which Eric confirms. The two girls trade insults, and Laurie tells Jackie she'd better watch her back.

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