Friends Without Benefits

"Friends Without Benefits" is the seventh episode of the eleventh season and the 195th overall episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 9, 2012, and is written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and directed by Jerry Langford. The episode focuses on Meg, who has become infatuated with a popular male student, only to find out he's in love with Chris.

Plot

While at the cafeteria with her friends Patty, Esther, and Ruth, at school, Meg confides her infatuation with a popular boy at school, Kent Lastname (Chris Cox). Esther suggests that she ask Kent out, yet Meg admits that she fears certain rejection.

Meanwhile, the next morning, Brian and Stewie read Meg's diary, which confirms her long term obsession with the boy.

As Meg walks down the street, daydreaming about Kent, she causes Mayor Adam West to drive into a tree. Mayor Adam West is alright as he had arrived at a nest when he traded jobs with a bird. She realizes that she cannot go on without Kent, and successfully asks him out. When he turns up at the Griffins' house, Kent shows himself to be particularly friendly to Chris. After the date, Meg tries to kiss him. Kent politely declines and then reveals to Meg that he is gay. To add insult to injury, he admits that he has feelings for her brother, Chris.

In a small side plot, Stewie mishears Kent mentioning Meg's "brother" and believes Kent is interested in himself rather than Chris.

The next day, Meg is in tears, and Brian isn't able to avoid her by keeping silent as Peter and Lois are, so he reluctantly listens to her story about Kent. Questioning him further, she admits to Brian that Kent has feelings for Chris. Brian suggests Kent may be confused about his sexuality.

As Kent pursues a reluctant Chris, Meg decides that if she cannot have Kent, then Chris being with him is the next best thing. She asks Chris to sleep with Kent, and when he refuses, she attempts to drug Chris into having sex with him. She tells Kent Chris is gay and to come to Chris's room, with Chris "pretending" to be asleep, as he is not open about his sexuality. After Chris shows Meg a photo he has been keeping of the two of them for years, she decides not to drug Chris. However, she forgets to tell Kent, and, later that night, Kent shows up at Chris's room expecting a submissive Chris, but instead discovers Chris is straight. They confront Meg, now forced to reveal her plan. Both boys are extremly horrified and Kent angrily leaves, deeming Meg a complete psycho and wanting nothing to do with her. Meg is unhappy and Brian talks to her about it, reassuring her that all it will take is one drunk guy impregnating her and refusing to have an abortion, and she'll have trapped her mate for life. Stewie comes in stating that his bottom was affected by poison ivy.

Reception

Ratings

On its original airing it was watched by 5.64 million viewers, receiving a 2.8 share in the 18-49 demographic making it the 2nd most watched show that night on Fox in both the 18-49 demographic and total viewers beating Bob's Burgers and American Dad! but losing out to The Simpsons.^[1]

Critical reaction

Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, calling it "the funniest Meg-centric episode in years".^[2]

References