420 (Family Guy)
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"420" (also known as "Episode 420") is the 12th episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
''. It premiered on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
in the United States on April 19, 2009. The title of the episode is a reference to the term "
420 420 may refer to: * 420 (number) * 420 (cannabis culture), informal reference to cannabis use and celebrations on April 20 **California Senate Bill 420 or the Medical Marijuana Program Act *AD 420, a year in the 5th century of the Julian calendar * ...
" used in cannabis culture; "Episode 420" premiered on bicycle day, April 19th, the day before April 20 (4/20), on which a
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
holiday is celebrated centering on the consumption of
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
. "420" focuses on the character
Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
after he is arrested for
drug possession The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate the ...
, which prompts him to launch a campaign to legalize cannabis with help from Stewie; the liveliness of their campaign convinces
Mayor West Mayor Adam West is a fictional character voiced by actor Adam West on the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. He was depicted as the mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the show is set. He appeared on a recurring b ...
to legalize the drug, and most of Quahog's population begins using it. The episode was written by Patrick Meighan and directed by
Julius Wu Julius Wu is an American animation director. He has directed several episodes of the animated series ''Family Guy''. Wu has also served as a director, assistant director and storyboard artist on ''King of the Hill'' and ''The Oblongs'', before ...
. While it received positive reception from critics for its story line and cultural references, it generated controversy from the
Venezuelan government Venezuela is a federal presidential republic. The chief executive is the President of Venezuela who is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. Legislative power is vested in the National Asse ...
for its topic and received criticism from the
Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers ...
during a rerun. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 7.40 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by
Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...
and
Kerrigan Mahan Kerrigan Patrick Mahan (born January 27, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has had voice roles in ''Lensman'', ''Zillion'', ''Vampire Hunter D'' and ''Crying Freeman'', as Goldar in ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' and ''Power Rangers Zeo'', ...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.


Plot

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
,
Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
,
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
and
Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
are annoyed when Quagmire adopts a stray cat named James and prefers to spend more time with him than with them. When Quagmire goes to Vermont to buy him a birthday present, they decide to shave James as prank, but it backfires when Peter accidentally kills him. He and Brian decide to hide his body, but are pulled over by the police who, after ignoring Peter's blood stains and beer, arrest Brian when they find him in possession of
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
. He is bailed out by the family and put on
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
for drug use. He attempts to use Stewie's urine when Joe arrives to perform a
drug test A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of dr ...
, only to be caught by Lois, who chastises him for going to such lengths and tells him that he has to change if he intends on doing so. However, Brian decides to start a campaign to legalize cannabis in Quahog. He and Stewie perform an enthusiastic musical number, and soon after the entire town rallies behind them in their cause.
Mayor West Mayor Adam West is a fictional character voiced by actor Adam West on the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. He was depicted as the mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the show is set. He appeared on a recurring b ...
passes a law to legalize the drug, and everyone (except for Lois, her father
Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter ...
, and the kids) starts smoking it; the town has improved as a result, with milestones such as an increase in productivity and a decrease in crime. However, Carter begins to lose money in the timber industry since hemp is being used to manufacture many products, particularly paper, and he bribes Peter to help him with an anti-marijuana campaign. Lois, however, points out that their methods are uninspired, explaining that Brian only succeeded because he was passionate about legalizing cannabis. Carter decides to bribe Brian to join his cause by publishing and shipping his novel, ''Faster Than the Speed of Love''. Brian resists at first, but Stewie suggests he at least perform a number about the health risks of cannabis, since the book does not have enough merit to sell on its own. Brian reluctantly complies, and the drug becomes illegal once more. Unfortunately for Brian, when his novel is released, it is universally panned by literary critics and does not sell a single copy. Brian laments that he sacrificed his core beliefs for nothing, but Lois intervenes because he helped ban cannabis (and she also points out how Stewie got to build a nice fort from all of Brian's unsold books). A distraught Quagmire arrives at the household and informs Peter that he is still looking for James and offers a reward of $50. Peter nonchalantly takes the reward, admits that he killed him and slams his door before Quagmire has a chance to react.


Production

The episode was written by series writer Patrick Meighan for his second writing credit of the season, the first being "
Road to Germany "Road to Germany" is the third episode of the seventh season and the fourth episode in the '' Road to...'' series of the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19 ...
", and directed by former ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...
'' and ''
The Oblongs ''The Oblongs'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Angus Oblong and Jace Richdale. It was Mohawk Productions' first venture into animation. The series premiered on April 1, 2001 on The WB, and was removed on May 20th, leaving the la ...
'' director
Julius Wu Julius Wu is an American animation director. He has directed several episodes of the animated series ''Family Guy''. Wu has also served as a director, assistant director and storyboard artist on ''King of the Hill'' and ''The Oblongs'', before ...
before the conclusion of the series' seventh production season. During the episode's production, the character of James the cat was originally colored white, but MacFarlane decided that it bear orange fur after he thought that white was a fairly dull color. The featured musical number "A Bag o' Weed" was based on "
Me Ol' Bamboo "Me Ol' Bamboo" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers for the motion picture '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. It was originally written to be choreographed as a morris dance (although the dance has much more in common with the Căluşari ) for ...
" from '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. In addition to the regular cast, voice actor
Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...
and voice actor
Kerrigan Mahan Kerrigan Patrick Mahan (born January 27, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has had voice roles in ''Lensman'', ''Zillion'', ''Vampire Hunter D'' and ''Crying Freeman'', as Goldar in ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' and ''Power Rangers Zeo'', ...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors
Lori Alan Lori Alan (born July 18, 1966) is an American actress and voice actress. She has played a long-running role as Pearl Krabs on the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. She also voiced Diane Simmons on ''Family Guy'', the Invisible ...
, Chris Cox, actor Ralph Garman, writer Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin and writer John Viener also made minor appearances. "Episode 420", along with the seven other episodes from ''Family Guy''s eighth season and seven from the seventh season, was released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on June 15, 2010. The DVDs included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various other crew and cast members from several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature that discussed the process behind animating "Road to the Multiverse", and a mini-feature entitled ''Family Guy Karaoke''. The set also includes a reprint of the script for the episode.


Cultural references

Peter, who tries to shave Quagmire's cat in the episode, ends up killing it and cutting it six times because of the legend of cats having nine lives. As he is arresting Brian, one of the police officers states that he will not release him since he is a "
family guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
". In their campaign, Brian and Stewie perform their musical number, '"A Bag o' Weed", to the tune of "
Me Ol' Bamboo "Me Ol' Bamboo" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers for the motion picture '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. It was originally written to be choreographed as a morris dance (although the dance has much more in common with the Căluşari ) for ...
" as featured in the film '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. During the song, a picture of
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
(who also wanted marijuana legalized) is shown. Towards the end of the musical number, Shaggy from the television show ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'' can be seen among the crowd, referencing a number of jokes about his stoned-like demeanor. After cannabis is legalized, its effects include phenomenal ratings for ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
''. Peter then tries to set up a cutaway joke but can't due to being high, and ends up listing the names of celebrities whom he does not like in a text crawl. While helping out with Carter's smear campaign, Peter comes up with an advertisement that involves
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
claiming that the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
was started by smoking cannabis. The campaign is then dropped after Carter informs Peter that
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
holds Hitler's image rights and they cannot smear it. He later tries to film a new advertisement which informs that unlike the events of the film ''
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' (released in some international markets as ''Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies'') is a 2004 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and star ...
'', he made it there earlier since he was not stoned. He then says
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
was cast on '' How I Met Your Mother'' based on his work in that film, and brings up a point that confuses him: since
Josh Radnor Joshua Thomas Radnor (born July 29, 1974) is an American actor, filmmaker, author, and musician. He is best known for portraying Ted Mosby on the popular and Emmy Award–winning CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother''. He made his writing and dire ...
is already an adult, why is the narrator of the show voiced by
Bob Saget Robert Lane Saget (May 17, 1956 – January 9, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Saget played Danny Tanner on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'' (1987-1995), and reprised the role for its Netflix sequel '' Fulle ...
? Carter later tells Brian that he will release his novel with an
Oprah's Book Club Oprah's Book Club was a book discussion club segment of the American talk show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey started the book club in 1996, selecting a new book, usually a novel, for viewers ...
induction. The crudely animated cutaway featuring a man smoking a joint and his dog trying to encourage him to give up the drug refers to similarly animated anti-marijuana advertisements sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the
Partnership for a Drug-Free America Partnership to End Addiction, first known as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) then later as the Partnership at DrugFree.org, and The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, is a New York, New York, New York City-based nonprofit, non-profit ...
.


Reception

"Episode 420" was viewed by 7.40 million viewers on its original airdate, receiving a rating of 4.3/6 in Nielsen ratings. The character Brian was awarded the 2009 Stoner of the Year award by the magazine ''
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exha ...
'' due to this episode, marking the first time an animated character received the honor. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Ahsan Haque of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
rated the episode an 8.5/10, commenting that it "worked out quite well mainly due to the superb musical number". He called the storyline "pretty cohesive" with a "very few truly random jokes thrown in here", though he did criticize the killing of the cat as "over-the-top" and the large amount of blood which he called "disturbing". Genevieve Koski of
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
stated that the episode "showed admirable restraint ..with its pot-centric plot", and called the musical number "truly spectacular". She graded the episode B, behind the ''
Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...
'' episode “ The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly” which received a rating of B+; and the '' American Dad!'' episode “
Delorean Story-an The fifth season of ''American Dad!'' originally aired on the Fox network from September 28, 2008, to May 17, 2009. It consisted of twenty episodes and was released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. ''American Dad!'' follows the dysfunction ...
” which received a rating of A. The TV Critic's Robin Pierson gave the episode a 54/100; in his review, he appreciated the plot structure, especially the randomness of Peter's list of hated cultural icons. He did, however, criticize the featured musical number; he referred to it as a "waste of time" and claimed that "jokes about Texans, Michael Jackson, and Helen Keller are so obvious." The
Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers ...
, a frequent critic of ''Family Guy'' and series creator Seth MacFarlane, branded a June 6, 2009 re-airing their "Worst TV Show of the Week", due to its emphasis on the legality of cannabis.


Controversy

The
Venezuelan government Venezuela is a federal presidential republic. The chief executive is the President of Venezuela who is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. Legislative power is vested in the National Asse ...
reacted negatively to the episode and banned ''Family Guy'' from airing on their local networks, which generally syndicate American programming. Local station
Venevisión Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros. History The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establis ...
was threatened with financial sanctions for broadcasting the show, which was avoided by airing an episode of ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...
'' instead and they aired public service films as an apology. Justice Minister
Tareck El Aissami Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah (; ar, طارق زيدان العيسمي مداح; born 12 November 1974) is a Venezuelan politician serving as Minister of Industries and National Production since 14 June 2018, and as Minister of Petroleum sin ...
stated that any cable stations which refuse to stop airing the series would be fined and he also claimed that it promoted the use of cannabis. The government then displayed the clip of which featured Brian and Stewie performing the featured number and then stated that ''Family Guy'' is an example of how the United States supports cannabis use.


References


External links

* {{Family Guy (season 7) 2009 American television episodes American television episodes about cannabis Animation controversies in television Television controversies in Venezuela Censorship in Venezuela Family Guy (season 7) episodes