Hell Comes to Quahog

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“Hell Comes to Quahog”
Family Guy episode
Peter, Brian, Stewie and Meg meet the car salesman.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 3
Written by	Kirker Butler
Directed by	Dan Povenmire
Guest stars	Tyce Green
Production no.	4ACX33
Original airdate	September 24, 2006
Season 5 episodes
Family Guy - Season 5 September 10, 2006 – May 20, 2007
Stewie Loves Lois Mother Tucker Hell Comes to Quahog Saving Private Brian Whistle While Your Wife Works Prick Up Your Ears Chick Cancer Barely Legal Road to Rupert Peter's Two Dads The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou Airport '07 Bill and Peter's Bogus Journey No Meals on Wheels Boys Do Cry No Chris Left Behind It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One Meet the Quagmires
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List of Family Guy episodes

“Hell Comes to Quahog” is the third episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on 24 September 2006.^[1][2] The episode title is a reference to the 1987 cult film Hell Comes to Frogtown.^[3] The plot follows Meg Griffin requesting her parents buy a car for her. At the showroom, however, her father Peter Griffin buys a tank instead of the car Meg was interested in. Meg decides to get a job at Superstore USA, which destroys the economy of Quahog. The episode comes full circle when the store is destroyed by Stewie and Brian Griffin using the tank.^[4] The episode received mostly positive reviews from IGN, with one negative comment. Several scenes throughout this episode were censored for television airing.^[3]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Production 3 Cultural references 4 Reception 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Plot

Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland spend the evening at The Drunken Clam, but Peter is informed he has to pick up Meg from the skating rink, so Peter and his friends go and continue their celebrations there, however, they forget to collect Meg and leave without her. After skating home in the rain, Meg informs them she would like a car, so Peter takes her to the car showroom, where she shows an interest in a 1995 Volvo 940, only to be over-ruled by Peter when he decides she should have a tank. Peter begins to use the tank to his advantage and not allowing Meg to use it, despite the fact the money used was for her. After recklessly driving through the neighborhood and running over Joe's legs and flattening them, the tank is impounded.

Meg decides to get a job and is hired by Superstore USA, despite Brian informing her of his views on its conduct towards employees. The shops in Quahog become bankrupt because of Superstore USA's new complex and citizens are informed there will be frequent and sporadic electricity blackouts because of Superstore USA's increasing power-demand, thus leading Peter and Brian to protest outside the shop. After entering the store to prevent others going in, Peter returns outside wearing an employee's uniform as he has been hired.

Later, Meg is instructed by her boss to fire Peter for slacking on his duties, however she chooses her family over her job. Meanwhile, Brian, intent on destroying the superstore, retrieves the tank and drives it through the entire shop with Stewie's aid, returning outside to fire ammunition at it, completely destroying it and injuring Meg's former boss; as a result, Quahog gets its electricity supply back.^[5]

[edit] Production

Much of the music was throughout the episode was written by Walter Murphy, who was selected to perform the 1970s song, A Fifth of Beethoven, which was played at the roller rink scene, as well as other music played in the episode which follows the style of Elmer Bernstein's theme to Stripes when Brian and Stewie are destroying the store.^[3] Several variations were made to "the ice man" scene, who was originally meant to be fighting with his wife, but was changed for legality reasons.^[6] Several scenes and gags had to be removed from television broadcasting and only available for the DVD version, as they were deemed inappropriate.^[7] When Brian recalls being stroked too hard by a mentally retarded minor, he retaliated to bite the hand of the child, but this was censored on television. The final scene censored from television airing was Chris laughing excessively at one of his own jokes, concluding with "Oh, I peed and pooped".^[3] The man driving in a Hummer while watching Madagascar in his car exclaims "Dude, those animals are so fucking funny", this scene was unintentionally broadcast in Canada and some parts of the USA, however was censored for later showings.^[8][9]

[edit] Cultural references

The show title, Hell comes to Quahog is a comedic pun of 1987 cult film, Hell Comes to Frogtown.^[3] In the beginning, Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland are playing ping pong and lose their last ball. Peter then goes over to Mr. Moose who says "Knock-knock." Peter exclaims "Ping pong balls!" And ping pong balls fall on him. This is a reference to Captain Kangaroo. When Peter points the tank at Lois, she exclaims "Boccie Balls!" This is a reference to the 1984 comedy film Splash.^[3] When the television commercial informs citizens of the electricity blackouts they will encounter, an animated version of The Electric Company opening theme is shown.^[3] The Pepperidge Farm commercials shown on the Griffin's television were real commercials in the 20th Century, but have not been shown on TV for 10-15 years.^[6] When Peter enters Superstore USA in protest, he exclaims to the employee "when I walk into Superstore USA, I get the sensation [shouting] that I'm standing on a mountain top with the wind blowing through my hair!", a reference to quotes used by York Peppermint Pattie during their advertisements.^[3] Peter performs in a fictitious Broadway musical version of the 1984 film Red Dawn.^[7] When working, Meg feeds Sloth, a fictional character from The Goonies.^[3] There is also a reference to Jurassic Park when the Superstore USA employee runs into the bathroom to run away from the tank. While protesting outside of Superstore USA, Peter chants the popular Queer Nation slogan "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it."

[edit] Reception

IGNs Dan Iverson gave the show a positive review, commenting that some of the gags were "extremely funny". He quoted that the "the episode had it all, from the Electric Company bit to making fun of people who drive Hummers and watch movies like Madagascar", noting that other shows, as well as Family Guy "took jabs at stores like Wal-Mart" previously. Iverson commented that the episode "may have lagged a little in the middle".^[10] The episode accumulated a Nielsen rating/share of 5.7/8.^[11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "Hell Comes to Quahog" at Family Guy Wiki.
• "Hell Comes to Quahog" at TV.com
• "Hell Comes to Quahog" at the Internet Movie Database