Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
" I Never Met the Dead Man" - Season 1, Episode 2 (The Family Guys Podcast)
224 Plays1 year ago
Join Tougie and Cyn as they discuss "I Never Met the Dead Man!" The episode follows Peter as he teaches his daughter Meg how to drive. Due to his terrible advice, they crash into a satellite dish, disrupting the city's cable. Peter begins to suffer from television withdrawal but finds new life in outdoor activities, driving his family to exhaustion. Meanwhile, Stewie plots to destroy the world's supply of broccoli with a weather control device so Lois cannot force him to eat the vegetable.
Check us out in video form on YouTube!
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to The Family Guys Podcast
00:00:16
Speaker
Hello everybody and welcome back to The Family Guys, a new podcast here where to steal a line from one of my favorite podcasts, an OSW review, a show where we will chronologically critique each and every episode.
00:00:34
Speaker
of Family Guy. My name is Doogie, joined by my good pal, Mr. Sim for the win.
Nostalgia and Excitement for Rewatching Family Guy
00:00:40
Speaker
And today, we are recapping episode two of Family Guy, season one, episode two, entitled, I Never Met the Dead Man. Sin, first and foremost, how are you?
00:00:57
Speaker
I'm watching going back and watching these. I've been since we talked about this, I already had been a couple of years since I was had been like because I always rewatch things, but it's been a couple of years. Going back and watching these has just brought so much joy into me and evoked so many different memories that it's just I'm
00:01:21
Speaker
I'm in a great place. It's just awakening all that nostalgia and bringing back the humor and it's just been an absolute treat and I can't, I'm just so excited to keep going with this.
00:01:34
Speaker
I feel like I voiced the how are you kind of awkwardly, but that's just because of the general sense of excitement for this.
Recap of Episode 1 and Introduction to Episode 2
00:01:41
Speaker
We had an absolute blast with episode one covering the pilot episode of Family Guy. Make sure you check that out if you haven't already as we dive deep into the genesis of the show and a whopper pilot episode where
00:02:01
Speaker
So many classic bits that you might not expect to have been there. We talked about the makeup of the show and how the format was basically already there. It was a very fun conversation to break down that episode. But today, we get to focus on episode two, I Never Met.
00:02:21
Speaker
The Dead Man Sin. Is there anything else to kind
Favorite Characters and Relatability
00:02:25
Speaker
of mention here? I mean, you know, obviously we'll get into some of the notes behind the show and stuff like that in the episode itself. But in terms of kicking us off here, what direction do you want to go?
00:02:36
Speaker
I have a question that I think we should put in here. We didn't cover it in that first episode, but kind of a two-parter here that I think people out there are gonna want to know who is your favorite Family Guy character, if you can choose one, and which one do you think most closely resembles who you are as a person? Oh my God.
00:03:06
Speaker
Like, who do you relate to the most in that show? Now, see, this is tough because I feel like most people would want to say, like, I can relate to like the positive aspects of a character, but every character has their negative aspects.
00:03:28
Speaker
So it's like, I want to say like in some ways I could relate to Chris, but not in the negative sexual deviant ways that have been established for that character over the years.
Character Complexity and Humor
00:03:50
Speaker
God, I'm not.
00:03:52
Speaker
That's such a loaded question, isn't it? It is. What are you doing to me? Right out of the gates, putting me on the spot. Unreal. If I had to choose, which is impossible. It will. I think I'd have to go with Brian. I think I'm more of a Brian than any other character. Your favorite character, Brian?
00:04:20
Speaker
I think so because it is the one that I can relate. Well, okay. Maybe not favorite character. The one that I can relate to the most is probably Brian. Like if I had to say like, okay, you're who I am as a person gets assigned to a character and what's the least awkward fit. It's probably Brian.
00:04:38
Speaker
That's exactly who mine is for who I think I'm most similar to in both kind of ways. It's who I am. I can be a bit of a nihilist, pessimist type and have that sort of wit and sarcasm, then also sometimes
00:04:55
Speaker
Think a bit too highly of your own intelligence at times and get humbled. Yeah, I can speak enough about who I am, including my shortcomings. And that's definitely who I am. As for favorite character, though, since the beginning, and even as he has evolved, it has to be Stewie. He's just the depth that he has. And again, him being the primary reason I kind of fell in love with that show, just with that whole aspect of
00:05:22
Speaker
him being an evil genius, wanting to take over the world and kill his own mother. In my head, I'm like, there's so many, you know, minor characters that will get into being able to talk about a bit more in depth as the show goes on, but there's so many good minor characters as well. Like, there's no way he's my favorite character.
00:05:49
Speaker
But I have to be honest, like one of the characters that came to mind for me because of the absurdity of it is James Bottom Tooth III. That was the first character to pop into my head for a character that just makes me laugh like hell. You know, it probably is Stewie as well.
00:06:14
Speaker
It's so tough to pick a favorite character. I feel like your first question of like what character, you know, is, you know, like which one can you relate to the most or which one would you be? I feel like that's a little bit easier than favorite. But yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to why Stewie is probably up there, if not the number one and especially two, because for you guys,
00:06:39
Speaker
you know, that do have the Stewie choice, because you're certainly not alone in that. It's because in a way, I think he is the focal point of the show, you know, even more so than Peter. You know, you can't imagine a family guy without any of these characters, but I feel like Stewie is probably at the top of that list for most people, but that's a loaded question. It is, absolutely. Yeah, another one of my favorites is honestly Tom Tucker.
00:07:05
Speaker
Um, cause it's just, I feel like that's some of Seth's best best writing that he has, uh, in, in the show. And, and one of the, one of my, my favorite scenes between him and Diane is in this one. I was going to say we get some of the depravity, uh, Tom Tucker in this episode. Oh man. Wow. Successful man hated and hates his wife. Like such an old thing, but it's played so well. Oh.
00:07:36
Speaker
Before we get into the episode itself, I wanted to go over a couple of the notes here. I mentioned at the end of our last episode that this episode debuted on April 11th. Of course, the pilot episode was held after the Super Bowl on January 31st, 1999. So you had a little bit of a break before this episode came out as the official premiere.
Impact of Historical Events on Family Guy
00:07:58
Speaker
And similar to the last one, I kind of enjoyed going back and looking at who directed what and who was involved in the creation of the show.
00:08:06
Speaker
or this particular episode. And this episode was directed by Michael Dante DiMartino, which is a name I wasn't familiar with, but is someone who would go on to massive success with Nickelodeon, co-creating Avatar the Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra. Two shows that I, you know, didn't appeal to me, but I know are held in very, very high regard. So...
00:08:31
Speaker
speaks positively there. And it was written by Chris Sheridan, who would be with Family Guy essentially for all but 2004 up until 2022. Numerous Emmy nominations there for Chris Sheridan as well as a part of the show. But the biggest note since you brought it up, the voice of James William Bottomtooth. There you go. And a lot of other voices of the show, too. Again, just the
00:08:59
Speaker
incredible versatility of everyone involved here. The thing that stood out to me, though, was we talked about the astounding number for the pilot, the audience number for the pilot, which, of course, was boosted by the fact that it debuted after the Super Bowl. Twenty two million people counted as the, you know, view count for that pilot. But for the premiere here, and I'm trying my best not to mix up the words pilot and premiere. They're too damn close.
00:09:28
Speaker
14 million people watched this episode. Now it's an eight million viewer drop, but the fact that 14 million people still tuned in for this debut episode, essentially. Yeah, that retention number is outrageous for an animated comedy that, you know, had so much to live up to.
00:09:55
Speaker
from debuting with such a bright spotlight upon it. Nearly two-thirds retention, 63.6%. That's crazy, particularly because it debuted after the freaking Super Bowl, which is one of, if not the most watched event in the States. Yeah. I mean, it is every year. I mean, it's up there at the very least, if not outright the most watched thing. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy.
Main Storyline of Episode 2
00:10:22
Speaker
But with that said, let's get into the episode itself. Again, the second ever episode of Family Guy, I never met the dead man as we kick it off with Stewie in the front yard on his Sesame Street phone trying to get in contact with the Pentagon.
00:10:43
Speaker
Tremendous setup for a joke, but as he gets into a disagreement on the phone, he shoots the phone and mentions that he's already shooting at a fifth grade level. Not my favorite ending to a joke if we're a cold open. I gotta be honest, they had me up until the really kind of campy already shooting at a fifth grade level. I don't know what it was, but it just didn't land for me compared to Jemima's Witnesses that kicked off the first episode. Jemima's Witnesses is good. This one, I think,
00:11:13
Speaker
Yeah, it's, I mean, we, I initially learned when I was thinking back to Mike, okay, what year did this come out? Blah, blah, blah. Is this reference? Is this like a really bad joke? But no, like calling Biden hadn't happy in that and everything like that. I don't think it's a school shooting reference or anything like that, or trying to play off controversy in that way. Yeah.
00:11:33
Speaker
It's not the strongest. Definitely not the strongest, but I love the whole lead up to it. Like talking on like he's essentially talking to a, you know, recorded playbacks that you get on those play phones and having an argument with that, which the concept for that, I think is funny enough, that brat joke, not really being the strongest. Yeah, it's forgivable for me.
00:11:58
Speaker
That's fair. It's it's interesting that you mentioned Columbine, right? Because that would happen, what, nine days after this episode. Yeah. And just the obvious effects back when in the US, people cared about that shit for more than two days. The obvious effect that that would have on a show like this
00:12:25
Speaker
Now, obviously for season one, it's already in the can, like you can't change it, but just how much?
00:12:34
Speaker
kind of comedy would be affected by a major event like that, you know, affecting Family Guy heading into season two. And then obviously you talk about, you know, 9-11 is not all that far away and how that would shape, you know, what you could and couldn't say and what you could and couldn't joke about.
00:12:56
Speaker
Um, we talked about it in our episode one breakdown. I mean, they, they went for it with that first episode and just, you know, within a short amount of time, real life events. Kind of, you know, I'd say changing things, not just family guy, but most shows in terms of what could and couldn't be talked about. It did make me wonder a little bit just how the trajectory of the show might have changed just because of those events.
00:13:25
Speaker
Yeah, it's very interesting to think of that. And especially how, as you mentioned, so much changes after those events. And it's always a good thing when Congress speedily and hastily writes crazy legislation very quickly and passes laws very quickly. That's never led to anything negative. Patriot Act, drug war, we're fine. Yeah, it's, again, everything down to the timing of when everything happens. There's also a joke that,
00:13:56
Speaker
actually was written and I think even aired before the event happens that everyone thinks is a reference to that, but it's actually could give, I know the Simpsons gets so much credit for quote unquote, you know, telling the future in so many ways, but there's instances of family guy where they hit the nail on the head. And we'll talk more about that when we get there, but it's a has to do with Osama bin Laden.
00:14:18
Speaker
That, honestly, I thought you were going to be referencing Bruce Jenner. Because they do have that moment where Stewie says, Bruce Jenner's a beautiful woman. And then later on in the series, once Bruce transitions and
00:14:40
Speaker
They make the joke in regards to Caitlyn Jenner that just got to have a whole portion dedicated of the show of just being like, hey, remember when we got that 100% right? Uh-huh, yeah. So yeah, they certainly leaned into things, especially off the back of, like you mentioned, The Simpsons and predicting things properly and stuff like that. The main part of this episode starts the crux of the entire episode.
00:15:08
Speaker
Really? I mean, it's one of the two main issues.
Meg's Driving Test and Family Dynamics
00:15:11
Speaker
Stewie refuses to eat his broccoli. It's a very good B story. Yeah. It's an, and it's interesting to see the B story get introduced before the A story. You don't actually see that too much. And for those of you who don't know a story, B story, it's just, you usually have to go into the interlocking storylines in an episode. So you're cutting back and forth between them, particularly in animation.
00:15:36
Speaker
Stewie says to Lois, damn you, damn the broccoli and damn the Wright brothers. After Lois tries to do the airplane trick to get him to eat. And Stewie then plots to kill the broccoli. I actually had a Mandela effect in this one. I thought this is when he made the reference to I guess the pilot was JFK June. And it's not actually it's not this one. I'm like, oh, wait, I totally thought it was.
00:16:05
Speaker
That accident hadn't even happened yet, right? That was later in 99, yeah. Imagine if they did make that. Oh my god, yeah, months before, shit. Holy crap, he'd be getting the secret service knocking on his door.
00:16:24
Speaker
You get the well, you know, it's crazy because I know you had this in your notes and because we already mentioned it, you know, we talk a lot about the show and how it changed and stuff like that. The famous story of Seth MacFarlane and how different 9-11 could have been for him and talk about how the show could have changed. The show would have been over, to say the least, that he caught that flight. I mean, it might be the most famous story of people who. Yeah.
00:16:53
Speaker
for one reason or another, you know, didn't end up being where they planned on being. Yeah. And for those unaware of what we are talking about, I'm sure many people do know about this, but to cover all of our basis here, I mean, it was, he's said it in interviews and it's, you know, obviously confirmed and things like that. But Seth MacFarlane was scheduled for flight 11, which is of course, one of those, uh,
00:17:15
Speaker
Don't know how to say it. One of the flights involved in 9 11, one of those fateful flights that ended up crashing at everyone on board being killed. And the reason he missed it is he's late to the airport because he is hungover. And I'm not as a, as a sober former alcoholic here. I'm never ever going to advocate drinking and, you know, heavily partying and things like that, particularly that, you know, often and things like that. But wow.
00:17:45
Speaker
what a, again, just that's, that's such an, that's a trip to think about. Like there's so many words to put into it and words I can't even find right now, but that is just what, that sometimes just feels like Providence. Hey, Rhode Island.
00:18:06
Speaker
I mean, that's the thing, though, right? Like, we talked a lot about the history and the foundation of the show. But, you know, since we got to that point, it's like, hey, you can't talk about how the history of the show and how things could have been different and how the show was changed by real world events, given, you know, the showrunner himself could have, you know, been killed that day, essentially, and just turned into this cult hit.
00:18:32
Speaker
And maybe not, maybe not, maybe. But I think, I think the way our system works, the popularity I already had, it would have just been this cult classic of. Two to three seasons worth of a show. And I think it would have gone down instead as one of the biggest what ifs in television history. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
00:18:52
Speaker
Another big aspect of this episode, the storyline, is Meg trying to pass her driving test. Normal girl. It's so crazy to see this. This is who Meg was.
00:19:05
Speaker
Lois can't take her out driving because she has a piano lesson to give. I didn't realize they established Lois as like, oh yeah, she knows how to play piano on the piano lessons because that comes back a couple of times throughout the series. And Peter can't take her because Star Trek is on and in fairness to both of them, Star Trek was here first.
00:19:26
Speaker
Oh,
Hosts' Favorite Shows and Social Media Influence
00:19:27
Speaker
my God. I'm honestly sick. McFarland is a huge, huge Star Trek fan, as evidenced by him also making a parody of Star Trek live action. Yes. I still haven't watched, by the way. I think I need to give that a shot. Yeah. The Orville. I haven't watched it either just because in fairness, I've never given Star Trek an honest shot. Me neither. That so like science fiction, he shows like that often aren't my first thing to go towards.
00:19:57
Speaker
You know, when I think about, I guess, kind of the entertainment that I consume.
00:20:04
Speaker
Um, you know, being on YouTube, I happen to watch a lot of stuff on YouTube anyway, like that, that's a good amount of my consumption. Then you have like, you know, live events, sports, stuff like that. Um, but then I am, I am more the type to watch a Sopranos, a Breaking Bad succession. Like those are, you know, series, series grounded in reality, so to speak, as opposed to the science fiction, the approach is normally my go to. Yeah. I'm.
00:20:33
Speaker
Obviously, I like some of the comedies and stuff, but I have a good variety, honestly. But if someone said, okay, you got to watch Star Trek or this other fantasy show, I will always go for more fantasy or historical fantasy. I love The Last Kingdom shows like that. I loved Breaking Bad. I did watch The Sopranos only once through all the way. Fantastic show. Wow.
00:20:57
Speaker
And then, of course, I watch The Office, but I don't really double down. I've watched a bit of Parks and Rec, or like Home, whatever. What is that one about all the real taters and shit? That fandom's gonna kill me.
00:21:11
Speaker
I don't even know.
00:21:29
Speaker
The thing I like about Last Kingdom, it is more grounded in history and reality, early medieval period, Anglo-Saxon versus Viking. I'm a big old history frickin' nerd. We both are, in fairness, which again is another foundation of the friendship. Sin, how often do you think about the Roman Empire?
00:21:49
Speaker
Yo, my girlfriend asked me that like a while ago and I'm like, what the hell are you talking about? Cause she said one of her friends wanted to know and I was like, interesting. It was a tech. Yeah. Yeah. I learned that. Apparently it's a tech talk trend. I should get my wife, one of these gays, but I, I'm afraid of doom scrolling forever.
00:22:06
Speaker
Same, same, I've avoided it too. It's funny because my wife asked me the same thing. Her in regards to TikTok, she's like, I just don't think I'll like it. Oh, that's all she does now is just constantly scrolling. In fairness to her, she has a pretty solid algorithm where it's mostly either food related or arts and crafts related. Oh, that's good. My girl would be so fucked up.
00:22:29
Speaker
I'm afraid to know what TikTok would think my algorithm should be because as it is, you know, I still have a Facebook, you know, I think for the reason most people our age do keep in contact with family that, you know, it's a little bit easier to do it that way. I have never once clicked on Facebook reels, but all my Facebook reels happen to be. And I'll literally bring it up right now as an example. All of my Facebook reels, what they happen to be,
00:23:00
Speaker
Um, is, is attractive women. It is trying to get me to click on reels because it is nothing. But these. Tech talks of or it's a Facebook reels of people. Uh, just attractive women like Sir Tom Brady. Wow. There's one right here of. We'll go with a curvy woman who is.
00:23:30
Speaker
you know, modeling her, her, her, you know, her new bra and underwear. There is one of a woman's standing at a counter where she's very obviously trying to be like, Hey, look at my ass, click on this video. So why don't you watch a lot of porn? Apparently.
00:23:50
Speaker
Apparently I do. They they know me so well. Oh, it turns out those those incognito tabs don't they can't they can't bypass the algorithm. Oh, the Al Gore rhythm is everywhere. Oh, God. So Peter's watching Star Trek.
Humor and Cutaway Gags in Family Guy
00:24:12
Speaker
And we get introduced to William Shatner for the first time and his spastic pants splitting movements.
00:24:20
Speaker
I love that. That's such a brilliant visual gag. Holy crap. It leads to a cutaway where Peter talks about how we can't teach Meg the drive essentially. And it's like, remember your trip to the Southwest in which Peter hits the Roadrunner.
00:24:45
Speaker
and states, oh my God, did I just hit that ostrich? And wily coyote, of course. No, it's fine, keep going. The absurdity is just, oh, it's perfect. And you know, Peter's back on the couch and states, you know, I don't miss a thing. And then watching Star Trek. Holy crap, she's black.
00:25:15
Speaker
Oh, the quick turnaround jokes, man, where you state one thing and then the complete opposite is known to be true. That is some of the funniest comedy. Honestly, in my opinion, in the world is when it's just just those quick turnarounds like they happen, the snap of a hat, like the setup for the joke is a statement that's just totally mundane. And then it gets completely contradicted in two seconds. And I don't know why I find that so hilarious, but it's just it, uh, it gets me every time.
00:25:45
Speaker
Eventually, Peter renegs and agrees to teach Meg how to drive.
00:25:52
Speaker
Although instead, he teaches her how to race as she stops at a red light in an Amish man on a horse and buggy pull up. He tells her the rules of the road as they race. And Meg wins as the Amish man has the abandoned ship. The buggy goes off a hilltop and explodes. It cuts to the horse who also then explodes.
00:26:20
Speaker
Um, as Peter gives her good credit, but does mention that she failed to flip him off. Just, just fucking ridiculous, man. Yes. Absolutely ridiculous.
00:26:36
Speaker
Just picking up where it left off. Just the absurdity of it, like just the absurdity of the buggy exploding. And then, of course, it cuts to the horse and it's the anticipation. It's like, oh, is it going to explode? I love anticipation jokes like that. Also, fun fact, no lines were said, but the Amish guy also voiced by Seth MacFarlane with his grunts and cries. You can hear Seth MacFarlane in it. God damn, he is everywhere. Oh, dude, the count for just how many different characters he's voiced. I I shudder to think what the number is.
00:27:08
Speaker
Peter's back watching television, and we get a reference to the TV show, Chips, which features an Eric Estrada cameo. Just ridiculous. As we cut back to Stewie, who, through reading a book, has discovered that cold kills the broccoli. Because frozen broccoli definitely isn't in my freezer.
00:27:36
Speaker
Yeah. I was like, are we going to fact check that? I mean, for sure. It's, it's different to free. Can it grow in the cold is the question, but I didn't, I didn't research that. So I'm saying any agricultural experts out there probably know the answer. We get another glimpse of a TV show that Peter enjoys, uh, fast animals, slow children.
00:27:58
Speaker
this is honestly one of my favorite gags in the whole show of the cuts back and forth between this kid and a tiger running full bore and it comes back later which we'll talk about as as the show progresses but i think it's one of the most brilliant cuts in in in the show
00:28:22
Speaker
We get another joke about having to adopt a kid like Rosie O'Donnell and Peter. Are you implying that Rosie can't drive? Which, oh my God. Just again, much like the first episode, quick hit rapid fire jokes. If something doesn't get you, something else will.
00:28:49
Speaker
It brings us to... Yeah, something's gonna break you down. There's something for everyone out there and the fact that he has a sense of humor that wide where he's able to throw in so many different things and get so many different people, that's just, again, a whole nother level. We go back to Meg, who's taking her driver's test. She pulls up at a red light and a cop pulls up beside her. So she guns it.
00:29:20
Speaker
gets pulled over, fails the test, and failing the test she asks, is it because I didn't flip him off? Which again, very solid joke. We cut to Peter, eventually he explains about how he's had disappointments in his life. Cutting to the birth of Meg.
Comedic Chaos in the Town
00:29:43
Speaker
the doctor proclaiming it's a girl and Peter decked out in sports paraphernalia quote, can you check again? It's funny enough that he has all that shit like, and then he says, can you check again? Like, Oh my God. And the first real shot at Meg sucks.
00:30:05
Speaker
You know? Oh, yeah, I never actually thought of it like that. Yeah, that's like maybe the first hint at that's where the character could go is that she's a disappointment from day one. Right. I legitimately never thought of it like that. Wow. Yeah. Because like you mentioned in our episode one review, like her start is as normal girl.
00:30:29
Speaker
You know, it wasn't from day one, Meg sucks and let's all make fun of Meg. It was just like, yeah, she's just a normal teenager with her, her normal concerns. And should I get lip filler? Cause that's the popular thing and what the beautiful women are doing.
00:30:43
Speaker
Yeah, so I appreciated this joke from that perspective. But as Peter and Meg continue to drive home from Meg failing her driver's test, Peter crashes as he is distracted by somebody watching fast animals, slow children in their living room. And he crashes into the town's satellite dish, knocking out television service to all of Kohag.
00:31:11
Speaker
And when the TV cuts out.
00:31:15
Speaker
It's no longer the tiger running. The tiger is visibly biting something and shaking his head. Like just the whole like the concept that he caught the guy and we're showing him just absolutely murking this pork. And that's of course what it cuts off on a big cliffhanger. I don't know. It's I that's honestly just one of my favorite visual gags because like
00:31:43
Speaker
I don't know what it is about that. I find that concept of fast animals, slow children, the way it's shot, running back and forth, and then just eating the guy. Like the concept of that being on TV and being a show is incredible at everything else. And it's just chef's kiss. As the town surrounds Peter and Meg, Peter tries to throw Bigfoot under the bus.
00:32:07
Speaker
This isn't about me, this is about you. Peter then transitions to blaming Meg, which turns into another cutaway gag where Peter talks about the time he used a bush to try and sneak into the movies.
Edgy Humor and Stereotypes
00:32:27
Speaker
Anyone already did a movie?
00:32:30
Speaker
Ultimately, Peter is able to disperse the crowd by gaining sympathy for Meg by stating that she lost her arm in Nam.
00:32:45
Speaker
God, I like the crap. The funniest thing about that is like the crowd's reaction to it is that like, that's another one of those things. Like when you mention it, everyone's like, ah, Jesus Christ, what a horrible set. And that, yeah, that's the whole crowd reaction. Oh, what a sense of sore. They don't, they don't stop and think about it not being possible. It's just immediate. Oh, fuck. Nom.
00:33:07
Speaker
We got another cutaway gag of Peter embarrassing Meg this time in math class. He's in a towel, fresh out of the shower, opens the door. When you're gonna shave your legs, can you clean the drain? It's like a carpet in there.
00:33:25
Speaker
Peter stakes up a deal with Meg, which Meg immediately gives away the deal to Lois when they walk in the house. But the deal is that he will buy her a convertible when she gets her license. And Meg accepts the deal with Peter, proud of his daughter. You're going to make some Jewish guy a great wife some. Jesus.
00:33:53
Speaker
It's fucking terrible. It's awful. And it's stereotypical, but it's goddamn hilarious. And yeah, another one of those things where it's like, yeah, not sure if that would be on the air today, but goddamn, I'm sure glad it is and was. We cut away to the news of Tom Tucker and old Diane Simmons, um, finding out that the news is out in Kohog.
00:34:21
Speaker
So Tom proclaiming, I can say anything I want. I'm the Lord Jesus. Get beat up some midgets. Just such a crazy character. Oh my God. Diane responds. I just plain don't like black people. And then, uh, I think the best part of that, Oh no, it happens later. Doesn't it? Or no, no, no here. Yeah. Where he says, Oh guys, we're still on in Boston. Yeah. Oh.
00:34:51
Speaker
Boston's never had a historical race issues, I'm sure.
00:34:55
Speaker
No, not at all. That's the, again, such a little joke is obviously geographically accurate, but you could choose a lot of different things, but they choose Boston after she says she doesn't like black people. That is just on the, like on the nose in a way that's just so funny. And it's one of those, I think 10% are jokes where it's like the jokes funny enough, but you add in a little bit more detail and then it even sucks people in more who understand historical context and things.
00:35:26
Speaker
We cut away to Stewie, who is working on his weather-controlled machine to destroy the broccoli, which only sees his plan amplified by Peter dragging home the satellite dish behind the park. To amplify the signal. Hey, I see you. I see you. We hear from Chris, who mentions from Lois that he heard that his dad knocked out
00:35:55
Speaker
the cable on a chat room on America Online. And I feel old. I was going to say your experiences with AOL, because for me, my first real experience with social media is I feel like I had an ICQ account, but I don't recall it too much.
00:36:22
Speaker
Um, for the most part, for me, social media really kicked off with Myspace. Okay. Yeah. That's the half that started for me in high school, Myspace. Yeah. Um, yeah, I was, I was in AOL chat rooms. The first started out in AOL online, like kids chat rooms. They had a whole like kids chat rooms that were supposed to be kids. I used to get in trouble. It's supposed to be kids. Yeah.
00:36:48
Speaker
Oh yeah, that's the thing. They had what were called hosts in there, hosts of the chat who like monitored chat and like looked out for fucking creeps, obviously.
00:36:57
Speaker
Yeah, you like couldn't cuss in there. And I remember just being a, you know, cause that, you know, as a kid, like, and as we see today, when you're behind a screen, you have a lot more balls. So I remember like just doing these weird things, calling the host chat police and saying F you and getting like booted and then an email fucking sent to my parents. And my parents.
00:37:22
Speaker
My mom was like, hey, at least you put the apostrophe before the EM. I said, like, fuck them all. My mom, an English teacher forever.
Digital Communication and Pop Culture References
00:37:34
Speaker
Like, yeah, I got in a lot of trouble with. But yeah, that that was, you know, that was about as much moderation as it got. Then get older and with my same buddy, Alex, that was another thing we used to do was go on adult chat rooms at night. And yeah, thinking back on that,
00:37:53
Speaker
There's some inspeakable fucking things happening in those. The internet has come a long way. We'll save that.
00:38:03
Speaker
Brian walks into the room and mentions the time, you know, as Peter's talking about giving up TV, Brian mentions the time that Peter tried to give up candy as it cuts to Peter as the blueberry at Wonka's factory. Willy Wonka, are you sure you have nothing to tell me if you didn't take anything? And Peter just yell like, hey, shut up, Wonka!
00:38:27
Speaker
is another line that I still think about anytime I see Wonka mentioned. Yeah, again, just...
00:38:38
Speaker
It's one thing to make pop culture references and be successful in your joke telling. It's another thing that your jokes can infect the minds as we kind of talked about on the last one. Those pop culture things and those actors where you have a whole group of people who are fans of the show who can only think of that when they see here or anything. They can only find the reference. That's why the show stands the test of time.
00:39:03
Speaker
Peter's not taking the television being out as he calls a friend in Boston to describe a TV show to him. Stating it's just not the same, it's like radio. We get another cutaway gag that I, when I think of Family Guy, this one's up there, for some reason. Are you gonna tell me what I wanna know or am I gonna have to show you my ass?
00:39:31
Speaker
Which to child me was the funniest joke family guy ever made. This is a classic to me. Yeah, it's absurd. Forget it. Without seeing his ass, this is just radio.
00:39:53
Speaker
we cut away to Meg getting bullied in class Christmas story style with an inner monologue as she debates whether or not to reveal the truth about who knocked out the cable and the monologue was actually the I'm pretty sure the narrator for the wonder years to
00:40:12
Speaker
There you go. As Meg admits to doing it, the students all throw paper at her and the teacher just fucking strong arms as a mug into the wall behind her. Also a bottle of whiskey gets thrown at the wall and breaks behind her. I don't know where the whiskey came from, but that's another good visual gag in there. We cut ahead one week later as Peter and Brian are drinking at the clam for the first time.
00:40:41
Speaker
And Peter wonders what Scooby-Doo is doing right now as it cuts to the Scooby-Doo murder files. With the proper voice of Fred, Frank Welker. Yeah, Frank Welker had a cameo in this with the voices.
00:41:07
Speaker
Which, I mean, I adore Frank Welker. You know, you talk about my childhood and Scooby-Doo was up there. That might have been the number one for me in terms of kid shows.
00:41:25
Speaker
You know, whether it be the classic TV show or the movies that came out in the 90s, early 2000s, I gotta do it. As someone born in the 90s, gotta shout out Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Jesus Christ, what a movie. And I mean, Frank Welker, Christ, he deserves his own podcast just in terms of what he's done. He's voiced Garfield. He made the sounds for and voiced Nibbler on Futurama, I mean,
00:41:55
Speaker
God bless Frank Welker, absolute voice acting legend. But the crux of the joke is Fred saying that the gang is dealing with one sick son of a bitch, which is to hear the voice of Fred say that as Fred. That was a joke for me. That was a joke for Peter.
00:42:22
Speaker
And we end at the bar with Brian dropping the line. Hey, Barkeep, whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry martini around here the first time we hear that line? That would be repeated plenty of times. Oh, yeah. Again, classic line. At night, Peter trying to sleep has dreams of television in the Wizard of Oz fashion.
00:42:48
Speaker
dreaming of alf kilican and uh bewitched as well which again you mentioned it on the first episode a lot of the old references and there was no way a show like this wasn't kind of mentioned the wizard of oz on numerous numerous occasions so was it gilligan i always thought it was like the reference to like uh that book lost in space or
00:43:17
Speaker
No, it wasn't both because Gilligan was in space. Well, maybe it was. I could have sworn it was Gilligan in a rowboat with a robot. I didn't understand the robot. I thought maybe it was lost. Yeah. Or the diary. Oh, shit. Now now my timelines are mixed. I'm not the diary. But what is that? It got turned into a movie, but I believe it was a book.
00:43:39
Speaker
something of a space traveler. What the hell? Diaries of a space traveler or something like that? Yeah, it was something along those lines where they had like a robot, but I think it's actually lost in space where it's the kid and his robot. So I'm looking at lost in space and the robot's definitely familiar, so maybe it was a combination of the two.
00:43:59
Speaker
Maybe, yeah, I don't know, but, ugh, it's bugging the crap of me that I can't remember that other movie and that was a book, whatever. It'll come to me after we stop recording and I'll be mad. Oh yeah, instantly. That's fine. You have Peter finally breaking after this nightmare as he creates his own television by creating an apparatus that allows him to have a cardboard square in front of him
00:44:29
Speaker
to make the real world television, which is pretty on point for what would happen over the next couple of years.
Satirical Reality and TV Culture
00:44:38
Speaker
Reality television really being a thing, you know? I mean, had the real world debuted yet by this point? Real world season one.
00:44:48
Speaker
I feel like it debuted either late 90s. Oh, Jesus Christ. Yeah, the real world started in 92. Oh, what? Yeah, I forgot it started that soon. I just remember my sister watching it. That and Road Rules, because my sister was a fucking major reality TV junkie. Yeah, that and Road Rules were like her two go tos. Those are like the beginnings of reality TV, at least from my perspective. I can't believe it started in 92. Yeah, with the real world, New York, and then
00:45:17
Speaker
Yeah, this 1999, they had pretty much a season a year in 1999, would have been the real world Hawaii, AKA season eight. So, yeah. So I mean, the concept of reality TV, it was very much there, but I just find it interesting, the idea of,
00:45:38
Speaker
what I'm seeing, I'm turning into a broadcast because of where we are now in the world of live streaming. There's just something about that to me that was very interesting. The camera on your phone and everything's being recorded constantly. If not by you, then by CCTV and yeah, it's nuts.
00:45:57
Speaker
Peter sees Quagmire going to work as a pilot and comments on his crazy get rich with schemes. Imagine having a job. As Peter tours the town, he comments on what he sees. He sees a couple of old, an old couple walking. He calls it CBS. He sees some black guys playing basketball. All right, UPN.
00:46:28
Speaker
And then sees Meg's school, and he's like, alright, 90210. As Peter is again embarrassing Meg at school, Meg finally reveals that Peter is the one that ruined television, to which a mob descends upon Peter again. Lois shows up to try and calm down the crowd.
00:46:51
Speaker
And they do a really cool cut where it's like what happens in TV shows, well, you'll see the beginning of a conflict. And then when it comes back on, you'll see the beginning of the conflict again. And sometimes it was from like a different perspective and a different shot. And that's what it was in that one, too. It was really, really cool. Yeah, Peter comments like, ooh, it looks like some boobs about to get lynched. Let's watch. And then it cuts the commercial. Uh-huh, yeah. As Lois tries to calm the crowd down, Peter calls it a chick flick.
00:47:21
Speaker
Lois's appeals finally win the town over though stating that it's broken the curse of television. We end up getting another cutaway gag that I couldn't believe was this early because I quote this one still as well of Charlie Manson in jail watching TV saying if I haven't seen it, it's new to me.
00:47:42
Speaker
I can't believe how many of these jokes that I still think about and quote to this day are in the first two episodes. I know it's I don't really like I just again didn't realize it just how and like the first episode had so many but yeah this one too like it's
00:48:02
Speaker
Just, I think that just goes to show how loaded it was. Like you said, just the jokes per minute, jokes per second in the early seasons, particularly in the pilot are just so rapid that you barely have a chance to react. But yeah, going back and watching this, the sheer amount of stuff that I still reference being in these early episodes is impressive for sure.
00:48:28
Speaker
We cut back to Peter and Lois in bed at night, and Lois appeals to Peter about all the things he should be thankful for, and Lois references making love, and Peter's like, oh good, I thought you were talking about murdering the children for their organs and beer money. Which is just insane, but...
00:48:49
Speaker
It kicks off Peter's arc of being broken from the curse of television, including saying good morning to the son who drops a murder-sized group of raisins on the tap.
Comedic Family Bonding
00:49:00
Speaker
That is actually one thing I reference all the time. It's always a good morning with two scoops of raisins, Peter.
00:49:10
Speaker
Meg again asks Peter to continue the driving lessons to which Peter responds, there's plenty of time to drive when you're dead. As the griffins go fishing where they catch the creature from the black lagoon. Oh, that's what it is. I'm like, is that just something? There is a reference I'm missing. Okay. Okay.
00:49:31
Speaker
They cloud watch where Peter points out the Batman symbol and the man who has a dog symbol and Brian sprints, which is so dumb. And then the family is in the driveway trying to dunk and Peter face plants into the garage. Yeah, this is the first gag montage that they've, I think is in this show. And God damn, is it brilliant.
00:49:58
Speaker
particularly the next one where they're gonna have a picnic and then a bull comes out of nowhere as he's trying to set down the red picnic blanket. Like that's just something so good about the early episodes. Is it just so much random absurdity in there? That it just, it hits you right in the face and it just does not give you a moment to breathe.
00:50:21
Speaker
The television finally comes back as the satellite has been fixed, as the Griffins, Sans Peter, are sitting on the couch just begging for a break at this point, as Peter is just running them ragged with trying to live life. As the television comes back on, Tom is caught about to spank Diane at the news desk. Commenting on how his wife can't see this anyway, so it's fine.
00:50:51
Speaker
My wife's in Rhode Island. She can't see it. That frigid hags in Rhode Island. Guys, actually, we're back on a co-op. I believe that producer guy is voiced by Seth Green. Another little bit part that he did. Peter's ready to head back out this time to the Bavarian Folk Festival. Mentioning those Germans will get you.
Cultural Cycles and Historical Gags
00:51:19
Speaker
Oh man, it wouldn't be the last German joke in this episode. The family of course wants to watch TV as Brian's on the floor massaging his feet commenting, my dogs are barking. I know that's an old term, but holy hell has that made a resurgence. The term like for your feet and your toes calling them your dogs. That is made of a resurgence to the point where my 10 year old niece
00:51:48
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, it is like my parents were up visiting my wife and I just after Christmas. And my niece and nephew tagged along. And they they went out for a walk or something. I think we had a broadcast that day for the eSports side of things.
00:52:08
Speaker
and my wife had to work, but, or no, she didn't have to work, but she had something going on, Christmas break. But regardless, my niece came back in the house and she's like, oh, my dog's a bark, and she took her shoes off. I'm like, where the hell did you hear that? And then I found out it's made of a surgeon's online and on TikTok. Wow, okay. Yeah, it's crazy how things are cyclical like that. The names especially, like my grandmother's name was Evelyn.
00:52:37
Speaker
I didn't hear that whatsoever. Growing up, my mom probably maybe heard it a little bit. And then now, actually my ex, one of her cousins had a daughter named Evelyn. And I've met someone else who has a kid named Evelyn. And I'm like, wow. I was even at one point being like, oh, I should, I might like theoretically name a daughter Evelyn, call her Evie. Like that's cool. Like that's cute and shit. But yeah, it's crazy how things, cultural things like that are like just cyclical.
00:53:05
Speaker
I can't wait for the return of Gertrude and Beatrice. Oh, God. Sorry. Some names should stay in the past. Oh, God. Well, as the family watches TV trying to appeal to Peter with Star Trek, William Shatner shows up at the Griffins wig and all after his car broke down as Peter convinces Shatner to go with him to the Bavarian festival.
00:53:36
Speaker
Before we continue on with that though, we have Stewie testing his device and effectively causes a rainstorm to happen. We cut back to Peter and Shatner at the festival, but first we see a set of sausage stands.
00:53:55
Speaker
A German guy with a mustache next to the Polish stand as he assaults the Polish attendant and claims the stand as his own and then threateningly glances at the Czech sausage stand next to the Polish stand. And I have to correct them on this one being the frickin' nerd that I am, especially in World War II. Czechoslovakia came first. They, Austria, and the Sudetenland were...
00:54:22
Speaker
We're all we're all occupied and essentially annexed before the invasion of Poland, but fucking love that gag anyway. We see Peter and Shatner on a merry-go-round, but then they decide to run home barefoot in the rain while Lois, who went out to teach Meg how to drive, is petrified as Meg is at the wheel and can't really tell what is going on.
Meg's Driving Mishaps and Dramatic Twists
00:54:49
Speaker
Do you remember the first time you drove in the rain as like a learning driver? Is not fun. Like real rain. Well, I mean, you get probably more real rain than I do. But I remember the first time I hydro planed and it was the worst butt buckering feeling in the world to feel your car sliding and nothing in control. Terrifying.
00:55:12
Speaker
I go very, very slowly to this day in the weather. I just, I don't fuck around with it at all. Like it's, I don't care if it takes me an extra hour to get home. At least I know I'm going to get home, you know? Yeah, absolutely. We cut back to Stewie who, uh, is, is assaulted by his own device. That's a strike of lightning hits him and knocks him off the roof.
00:55:37
Speaker
Meg, who cannot see, hits William Shatner in the road, killing him dramatically and exposing his beer gut in the process. We cut to Peter in a full body cast in the hospital who still refuses to watch TV much to his family's dismay until a nurse puts on the television
00:56:01
Speaker
and walks out of the room stating, just pee in the pan and don't bother me unless you're flat lining.
Conclusion and Future Dynamics
00:56:09
Speaker
American healthcare, baby. Fireworks. What is going on? And why does, so you give a thumbs up and your camera just said off the 4th of July behind you.
00:56:23
Speaker
What is happening? I've done weird stuff like this all the time, and this is multiple times across a couple different podcasts that we do. That weird shit has appeared behind me, and I... What the hell? It's delightful. That's all I know. Oh, my God. Peter is finally snapped out of his anti-television stance by watching a Klondike commercial with amplifying
00:56:49
Speaker
requirements, you know, would you would you impersonate a monkey? Would you kill a guy? Oh, I have a I have a weird remembrance that when it was aired on TV, I could be completely wrong. They didn't have on the gunshot and the guy screaming afterwards. I believe that may have been cut, but I don't remember. I could just be misremembering and be an interesting thing. But clearly it's on.
00:57:17
Speaker
The streaming platform. Yeah, there's a gunshot in the screen. As clearly he would kill someone for a Klondike bar. Indeed. Another classic gag for them. We wrap up the episode. Peter's back at home watching TV. Meg has secured her license. Lois preaches about the joys of family as Peter cuts her off and fades to black.
00:57:42
Speaker
all is well again but we get our first post-credits scene as Stewie is once again refusing to eat the broccoli he tries to pass it off to Brian and it results in he and Brian bickering back and forth for really the first time that we get to see a look at that dynamic between those two which is a great little tease for things to come oh absolutely you know that's that's a
00:58:05
Speaker
Duh, they honestly have probably one of the best dynamics in television, much less cartoon thing, but yeah, that being the beginning of it, and I think, ooh, yeah, honestly, I think so many ideas, like he may have, and how things evolved, it's just things he wrote in there, and that's why I love all these rapid-fire jokes, is because he probably got so many ideas from how things were received, or looking back, and being like, wait a second, Brian and Stewie, this dynamic could be interesting, like, oh, and it's, yeah, so good.
00:58:35
Speaker
Again, the seeds were set so early on for so many aspects of the show that would just continue to flourish and develop moving on. But that brings us to the end of episode two. Send any final thoughts on
00:58:54
Speaker
this particular episode, I don't, now this is considered a classic episode. I have to admit though, I did enjoy the first one that much more. And it's probably just because of the realization of how strongly they started off and just how many, for me, classic jokes and gags happened to be packed into that one episode. It was gonna be very difficult for any episode to beat John Madden yelling football.
00:59:22
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I think the second episode is actually slightly weaker than the pilot. I when I watched it back, I'm like, I remember the Stewie Bee story being a little bit funnier than it than I'm getting from it now. It's still funny, but I for some reason remembering his whole quest to kill broccoli as being much, much funnier maybe because I was younger and and just was still like just loving that whole Stewie trying to dominate the world and
00:59:49
Speaker
and just being a complete Bond villain, essentially, in so many ways. But yeah, it's obviously still a fantastic episode. But yeah, that B story of Stewie trying to kill a Brock that was not as funny as I remember it. Definitely a thumbs up episode yet again. They are two for two in terms of starting off this series incredibly strongly.
01:00:12
Speaker
It sets us up for episode three, Chitty Chitty Death Bang is coming up next, which follows Stewie's first birthday party that was supposed to be at Cheesy Charlie's. As well, Meg becomes friends with a girl named Jennifer.
01:00:40
Speaker
that leads Meg to joining the Heaven's Gate inspired death cult because she's a teenager who's trying to fit in. I'm excited for this one too. I mean, there isn't an episode in season one that I won't be excited for, but I'm intrigued to see if this one lives up to my recollection. Yes, definitely.
01:01:07
Speaker
Any final thoughts here, Jerry Springer style, any final thoughts here for this episode before we wrap it up for tonight? No, not at all. I mean, again, I just going back and watching these just brings so much joy to me and I cannot wait for us to continue here, especially with this next one because I have very, very, I remember this one being, I think the funniest one I'd ever seen up to this point when I watch them in order. I for some reason remember this one being such a high point and I'm excited to watch Chitty Chitty Death Bag.
01:01:37
Speaker
Well, with that, everybody, we will bid you adieu for this episode again. Our links to everything are in the description, whether or not you're watching this or listening to this on your audio platform of choice. You can follow us both on Twitter. And of course, I mean, hey, if you are someone who knew us from before we started talking about the Family Guy side of things, you're probably already familiar with what we do. But hey, if you have an interest in sports and stuff, yeah.
01:02:01
Speaker
You can catch us on the YouTube side of things as well. But for now, we will say goodbye and we'll see you next time for episode three.