Peter's Two Dads
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Peter's Two Dads" is the tenth episode in the fifth season of the American animated television series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on the
Fox network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
in the United States on February 11, 2007. The episode was written by Danny Smith and directed by
Cyndi Tang Cyndi Tang-Loveland is an American animation director. She has directed several episodes of the animated series '' Family Guy'' and ''King of the Hill. Tang has also served as an assistant director and as an animator on ''The Simpsons'' and '' ...
, with Greg Lovell as co-director. The plot follows
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 ...
traveling to
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, along with
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 ...
, to find his biological father, after he accidentally kills his stepfather at Meg's birthday party. Meanwhile, after Lois hits Stewie, he becomes fascinated with it and goes to great lengths to have her hit him again. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 7.97 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Dan Conroy,
Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and ...
,
Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...
and
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, for the episode's song entitled "Drunken Irish Dad", at the
59th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 59th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards honored the best in artistic and technical achievement in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2006, until May 31, 2007, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. T ...
.


Plot

Meg, who is turning seventeen, asks Lois and
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 ...
if she can have a
birthday party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
, preferably a teenager-type party with a
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
playing at her house. Unfortunately, Peter and Lois offend her by throwing her a kiddie-type party, with games such as Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and reveal that they got her age wrong as they bought sixteen candles. At the party, Peter dresses up as "Pee Pants the Inebriated Hobo Clown", and tells Meg that he got her "a dozen scarves" as a gift which he then proceeds to regurgitate as one long scarf, as he has actually tied and swallowed them (which Lois says he was not supposed to do), causing him to cough and
vomit Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenterit ...
. Peter hands Meg the long scarf, regurgitates his long johns from his stomach, and then crouches in pain following the ordeal. He then gets drunk, and attempts to ride a unicycle down the steps, but falls off and crushes his father, Francis, who later dies in the hospital from the accident after calling Peter a "fat stinking drunk". A disappointed Peter feels Francis did not care about him, and after giving up drinking and trying crack (which
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 ...
notes is not a good substitute), he sees a hypnotherapist (
Bruce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...
), who helps him discover that Francis was not his biological father. When Peter confronts his mom,
Thelma Griffin ''Family Guy'' is an American animated comedy series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Characters are only listed once, normally under the first applicable subsection in the list; very minor characters are listed with ...
, she reveals that she had an affair with an Irish man named Mickey McFinnigan, who is Peter's biological father. Brian and Peter travel to a village in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
to find Mickey, who they discover is the
town drunk The town drunk (also called a tavern fool) is a stock character, almost always male, who is drunk more often than sober. Uses in fiction In fiction, the town drunk character serves a number of functions. The town drunk may serve merely as ...
. At first horrified, Peter finds out it is considered an honorable position in Ireland by the locals. Mickey refuses to believe that Peter is his son and mocks him. Lamenting that he would only be able to convince Mickey of the truth if he were a "fat stinking drunk", Peter recalls Francis' last words to him and challenges Mickey to a drinking contest, which he wins. Mickey finally believes that Peter is his son, feeling that nobody but a member of his own family could beat him in something like a drinking contest. Peter is excited to have formed a bond with his real father, but Brian points out that while Francis may not have been Peter's real father, he did raise Peter like he was his own son, showing that deep down, Francis really did love Peter. Peter accepts this, but is still willing to have Mickey as his biological father. The three and the bar patrons sing and dance to "Drunken Irish Dad".


Subplot

After discovering Stewie opening most of Meg's presents, Lois realizes he is going through the "mine" phase. She later discovers him going through her jewelry, and when she tells him to stop and take everything off he snaps a pearl necklace to pieces so she spanks him. He runs off in fear and tears, but quickly realizes that he actually enjoyed being hit and might be "one of those people" so he goes to great lengths in order for him to get spanked again. Lois gets annoyed at his antics but, not wanting to hurt her child again, refuses to punish him despite him begging her to. When Stewie hears himself begging Lois to rub dirt in his eyes and violate him with a wine bottle, he realizes he has problems and stops.


Production

This episode marks the third appearance of Francis Griffin. As of now, episode writer and series co-executive producer Danny Smith has written all ''Family Guy'' episodes to date to feature Francis when he was alive. Show creator Seth MacFarlane comments that the episode came together and played great from start to finish. Prior to the making of the episode, there had been several different ideas and disagreements for Peter's father's appearance. MacFarlane comments that he had always pictured Peter's father to be a fat, drunk
leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. ...
. The negativity of Francis was becoming "dull to write for", hence the storyline of Peter finding his biological father. MacFarlane also mentions not having ideas to write for Kevin, Joe Swanson's son, who was mentioned in a later episode that he died in the war of Iraq ( Stew-Roids). A deleted scene showed Peter pretending to quit drinking, but continuing quietly was one of several scenes that was removed from airing as it and the others were described by the producers to be "not going anywhere." The scene with Peter in the hypnotherapist's office was censored for television; a portion of the scene, which sees hypnotherapist Bruce discuss Peter's genitals and reproductive organs, was cut out. When Peter comes to the realization that Francis is not his real father and when Stewie dreams about being tortured by Lois, a harp sound can be heard; MacFarlane comments that even small things like that take a lot of work to produce. The alcohol bottles being pushed by the airplane that Peter and Brian are traveling on were animated by computer, as is the taxi driving along the street. On the DVD commentary, MacFarlane notes that the scene would not have looked good without computer aid. He said it makes the animations seem more realistic than without a computer. The two men circling each other for fifty years and waiting for the other to throw the first punch was not broadcast for television. In addition to the regular cast, actor Dan Conroy, actress
Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and ...
, actor
Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...
, and voice actor
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Alex Breckenridge, Chris Cox, writer Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin and writer John Viener made minor appearances.


Cultural references

Stewie draws a picture of
David Tua Faumuina To'aletai Mafaufau David Tua (born 21 November 1972), best known as David Tua, is a Samoan-New Zealand former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. A highly ranked heavyweight contender for most of his career, Tua was kno ...
on the wall to try to get Lois to hit him. It also mocks the main character's decisions in ''
Pet Sematary ''Pet Sematary'' is a 1983 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. The novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and adapted into two films: one in 1989 and another in 2019. In November 2013, PS Publishing r ...
'' when Peter buried Francis' body at the same cemetery to resurrect him, but decided against it after Francis, as a zombie, jumped out of the grave in a jump scare, remarking "Okay, maybe I'll bury him in a regular cemetery." Peter briefly transforms into
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
after discovering his biological father is not Francis: this is a reference to ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'', and although the show could not receive rights to reproduce the original music, the scene was still broadcast. Before Peter and Brian leave to Ireland, Meg tells Peter she loves him, in which he replies, "That'll do, pig, that'll do", which is a reference to the film ''
Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Maj ...
''. When Francis showed up as a ghost along with
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until it ...
and Obi-Wan Kenobi,
Hayden Christensen Hayden Christensen (; born April 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader in the ''Star Wars'' media franchise. He first appeared in the prequel trilogy films, '' Star Wars: Episode ...
(who played Anakin Skywalker in the
Star Wars prequel trilogy The ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was re ...
) also appears and says "And I'm Hayden Christensen!", as a reference to the ending of the 2004 remastered
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
release of ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
''. The song Chris and Herbert sing at the party and up in a tree is " Friends and Lovers" by
Gloria Loring Gloria Loring-Lagler (born Gloria Jean Goff; December 10, 1946) is an American singer and actress. She is known for playing Liz Chandler on ''Days of Our Lives'' for six years (1980–86). She and singer-actor Carl Anderson performed the duet " ...
and Carl Anderson.


Reception

In a significant decrease from the previous week, the episode was viewed in 7.97 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratings. The episode also acquired a 2.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, being slightly edged out by ''
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 Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'', while still winning over '' American Dad!''. A reviewer from ''Boxxet'' commented that "when I checked the schedule and saw the title of this episode was 'Peter's Two Dads', I was a little torn. First, the Peter-centric episodes generally have a much higher chance of going off the rails," following on to comment that "the episode that we did see still left me with something of a mixed reaction." concluding with a positive comment that the episode "was well constructed."
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 ...
's Ahsan Haque noted that "despite a couple of underdeveloped plotlines and an overabundance of offensive and uncomfortable jokes, this week's episode of ''Family Guy'' somehow manages to succeed with just enough truly hilarious moments and actual story elements." MacFarlane has said that this is one of his favorite episodes, alongside " PTV" and "
Road to Rhode Island "Road to Rhode Island" is the 13th episode of the second season and the first episode of the '' Road to ...'' series of the American animated television series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 30, 2000. In t ...
."


References


External links

* {{good article Family Guy (season 5) episodes 2007 American television episodes Television episodes set in the Republic of Ireland Television episodes about birthdays sv:Family Guy#Mickey McFinnigan