Patriot Games (Family Guy)

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Family Guy Episode

"Patriot Games"

Episode no.:

Prod. code:

4ACX25

Airdate:

January 29, 2006

Writer(s):

Mike Henry

Director:

Cyndi Tang

Guest star(s):

Tom Brady, Carol Channing, Bob Costas, Jay Leno, Troy Brown

"Patriot Games" is an episode from season 4 of FOX animated television series Family Guy. Guest starring Tom Brady, Carol Channing, Bob Costas, Jay Leno, and Troy Brown, all as themselves. The episode title references the Jack Ryan novel/film, Patriot Games.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

At Peter's high school reunion, Peter pretends to be a big-shot millionaire to impress his classmates, but the truth comes out when he meets Tom Brady and loses all self-control. Peter makes a drunken run for the bathroom, knocking several people over. It impresses Brady and lands Peter a spot on the New England Patriots football team as the starting center. Life is great for the Griffins until Peter's new high profile goes to his head (Tom can't take Peter's showboating) and he's traded to the London Silly Nannies. Peter decides to turn them around and stage a game between the Silly Nannies and the Patriots. The Patriots cause his team to run away, leaving Peter facing the Patriots alone. He attempts to play, but he is overwhelmed and defeated. However, Tom Brady compliments Peter on having the nerve to stand up to them.

Meanwhile, Stewie becomes a sports bookie. After Brian loses $50 betting on Mike Tyson to beat Carol Channing on Fox Celebrity Boxing (somehow, Channing keeps managing to survive so many blows, exhausting Tyson), he's savagely beaten by Stewie when he can't pay up in a Mafia-esque style. After they go to the bank and he settles the debt, Stewie offers "one free hit" to make up for it. Brian leaves Stewie in suspense as to when the free hit will be delivered, until Stewie is overcome with paranoia. At the very end of the episode, Brian then pushes Stewie in front of a London bus.

[edit] Notes

American Football is not currently played professionally in England, but NFL Europe does have teams in The Netherlands, and Germany. London has hosted an NFL Europe team in the past.
When the episode originally aired on FOX, when Lois gives the the finger at a camera, it was blurred out. When the episode was shown in reruns on Adult Swim, the blur effect was removed. It is also removed on the DVD version.
When Lois, Meg, Stewie and Chris go to the theatre to see a purported Alan Ayckbourn play, the marquee misspells his surname as 'Ayckbourne'.

[edit] Cultural references

Fred Flintstone stammers "Bet-bet-bet-bet!" as he did in The Flintstones episode "Betting Freddy".
According to DVD commentary, the way Stewie severely beats Brian up is based on the show's take on The Sopranos.
Stewie telling Brian to "Clean himself off" and tosses him a towel at him is similar to when Juntao tossed a towel to a badly hurt James Carter in Rush Hour.
Lois mentions Peter frivolously spending money on a wax sculpture depicting Gwyneth Paltrow having sex with Harriet Tubman.
The song Peter sings while showboating after a touchdown, "Shipoopi," is from the 1957 Broadway play The Music Man.
The Silly Nannies dance around a maypole and sing Gilbert and Sullivan's "'Tis Twelve, I Think" from The Sorcerer.
Whilst in England Lois watches a program on the digital channel BBC Four. The show depicted is a parody of the channel's intellectual, esoteric and often ponderous content.
The Silly Nannies run away from the Patriots and into a carriage very similar to the one in the Disney movie Cinderella.
Announcers Al Michaels and John Madden can be briefly glimpsed during the "Shipoopi" number. (Madden had earlier appeared in the show's pilot episode, Death Has a Shadow.)