Go, Stewie, Go!
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"Go, Stewie, Go!" is the 13th episode of the eighth season of the
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
comedy series Television comedy is a category of broadcasting that has been present since the early days of entertainment media. While there are several genres of comedy, some of the first ones aired were variety shows. One of the first United States television ...
''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
''. It originally aired 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 ("brush"). Twelve species ...
in the United States on March 14, 2010. The episode features Stewie after he auditions, cross-dressed under the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
Karina Smirnoff Karina Smirnoff (born Karina Smyrnova, January 2, 1978) is a professional ballroom dancer. She is known as a professional dancer on ''Dancing with the Stars,'' where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. M ...
, for a female role in the American version of '' Jolly Farm Revue'', and eventually ends up falling in love with a female co-star on the show. Meanwhile,
Lois Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English C ...
finds herself attracted to
Meg Meg is a feminine given name, often a short form of Margaret, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc. It may refer to: People *Meg (singer) (born 1980), Japanese singer *Meg Baird, American musician *Meg Bateman, Scottish writer * Meg Bellamy, British ac ...
's surprisingly normal boyfriend, after she is asked by
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 su ...
to realize her advancing age. The episode was written by
Gary Janetti Gary Vincent Janetti (born March 22, 1966) is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known for his work on ''Will & Grace'', ''Family Guy'', and '' Vicious''. Career Janetti has written for ''Family Guy'', and was an exe ...
and directed by Greg Colton. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving
criticism Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative or positive qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed response. , ''the act of giving your opinion or judgment about the ...
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 Conservatism in the United States, conservative political pundit L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which ...
. According to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, it was viewed in 6.72 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Stephen Bishop,
Mo Collins Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965) is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series ''Mad TV''. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show. She was a ...
,
Colin Ford Colin Lee Ford (born September 12, 1996) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Wheeler in '' Daybreak''; Joe McAlister in '' Under the Dome''; the voice of Jake on ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates''; Mikey on '' Can You Teach ...
,
Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, musician, producer, comedian, and television writer. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2011). His other film ap ...
,
Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
,
Nana Visitor Nana Visitor ( ; born Nana Tucker; July 26, 1957), is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and Jean Ritter in the television series ''Wildfire''. Early life Nana Tucker ...
and
Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actor. She began her career as a child actor, starring in the films '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994), '' One Fine Day'' (1996), ''Independence Day'' (1996), and '' Hope Floats'' (1998), ...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Go, Stewie, Go!" was released on
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 ki ...
along with ten other episodes from the season on December 13, 2011.


Plot

Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
, walking in drunk, notices that Stewie has resumed watching ''Jolly Farm Revue'', after previously swearing off the show in " Road to Europe". Remembering a story he had seen in the local newspaper, Brian tells Stewie about upcoming auditions for an American version of the show. Jumping at the opportunity, the two show up to the auditions, but quickly learn that there is only one female role remaining. Determined to win a spot on the show, Stewie decides to cross-dress as a woman, naming his new identity "
Karina Smirnoff Karina Smirnoff (born Karina Smyrnova, January 2, 1978) is a professional ballroom dancer. She is known as a professional dancer on ''Dancing with the Stars,'' where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. M ...
". Beginning his audition, he starts by telling a completely fabricated story. Convincing the producers that he is telling a true tale, he wins the role. The next morning, on the first day of filming, Stewie as Karina introduces himself to the rest of the cast, and quickly falls in love with a female co-star named Julie. Another co-star, Randall, objects to the new role that Karina was cast to play, and takes Julie away from him to prevent their friendship. As they continue shooting, however, the two develop a friendly relationship, eventually deciding to hold a sleepover, where they become even closer. The next day, Julie professes her love for Karina by wishing that she was actually a boy, causing Stewie, as Karina, to come on to her. Julie insists that she is not a
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
, so Stewie decides to unveil his true identity to the entire cast during a live taping of the show. Shocked that Karina was actually a boy, Julie's mother refuses to let her speak to him, with Stewie left to regret his decision to come out as a cross-dresser, and decides to go get ice cream with Brian, as he can no longer wear that dress. Meanwhile, Peter begins notifying Lois about her advancing age, including her minor strands of gray hair. This makes her extremely self-conscious, and soon Lois becomes aware of her lust for a younger man. After introducing her new boyfriend, Anthony, to the family,
Meg Meg is a feminine given name, often a short form of Margaret, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc. It may refer to: People *Meg (singer) (born 1980), Japanese singer *Meg Baird, American musician *Meg Bateman, Scottish writer * Meg Bellamy, British ac ...
goes on to make out with him on the family couch, with Lois watching over nearby. Jealous of her daughter's new-found love, she begins hitting on Anthony. Later that day, Lois sends Meg to pick up her grandfather, leaving her all alone with Anthony. The two then begin making out on the couch, but Meg returns to the house only a few moments later and discovers them. Angry at her mother for ruining her chance at having a normal boyfriend, Meg threatens Lois to lay off of him, pulling out one of her own teeth in frustration. Lois quickly agrees, but is still angry with Peter for continually insulting her. She confronts him about this, and he admits that he was actually embarrassed about his own advancing age, as well as his lack of fitness, and was only insulting Lois in order to distract her from the fact that she could be with a much better-looking man. He apologizes for his behavior, and Lois forgives him.


Production and development

The episode was written by returning writer
Gary Janetti Gary Vincent Janetti (born March 22, 1966) is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known for his work on ''Will & Grace'', ''Family Guy'', and '' Vicious''. Career Janetti has written for ''Family Guy'', and was an exe ...
, his first episode since the fourth season episode " Stewie B. Goode". In addition, the episode was directed by series regular Greg Colton, before the conclusion of the seventh production season. The episode was Colton's second for the season, the first being the season premiere, "
Road to the Multiverse "Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series ''Family Guy''. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 20 ...
", which received high praise from critics. The episode saw the third re-appearance, the first being an equally brief appearance in "
Spies Reminiscent of Us "Spies Reminiscent of Us" is the third episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series ''Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 11, 2009. The episode pays homage to the 1985 comedy film ''Spies Lik ...
" and the second in "
Road to the Multiverse "Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series ''Family Guy''. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 20 ...
", by former main cast member Mike Henry as the voice of
Cleveland Brown Cleveland Orenthal Brown Sr. is a fictional character from the animated television series ''Family Guy'', and its spin-off series ''The Cleveland Show''. He is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family and is best known for his mild-mannered d ...
. The actor had previously left the role on ''Family Guy'', in order to star as the character in his own spin-off, entitled ''
The Cleveland Show ''The Cleveland Show'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry (voice actor), Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Family Guy'', and the second television ...
''. "Go, Stewie, Go!", along with the eleven other episodes from ''Family Guy''s eighth season, was released on a three-disc
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 ki ...
set in the United States on December 13, 2011. The sets include brief audio commentaries by various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes and animatics, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "
And Then There Were Fewer "And Then There Were Fewer" is the hour-long season premiere of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 26, 2010. The episode follows the citizen ...
", a mini-feature entitled "The Comical Adventures of ''Family Guy'' – Brian & Stewie: The Lost Phone Call", and footage of the ''Family Guy'' panel at the 2010
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
. In addition to the regular cast, musician Stephen Bishop rerecorded his single "It Might Be You", actress
Mo Collins Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965) is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series ''Mad TV''. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show. She was a ...
appeared as a little girl, voice actor
Colin Ford Colin Lee Ford (born September 12, 1996) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Wheeler in '' Daybreak''; Joe McAlister in '' Under the Dome''; the voice of Jake on ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates''; Mikey on '' Can You Teach ...
appeared briefly as Randall, actress
Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
appeared as Mother Maggie, actor
Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, musician, producer, comedian, and television writer. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2011). His other film ap ...
appeared as Meg's new boyfriend Anthony, voice actress
Nana Visitor Nana Visitor ( ; born Nana Tucker; July 26, 1957), is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and Jean Ritter in the television series ''Wildfire''. Early life Nana Tucker ...
appeared briefly as the audition caller and voice actress
Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actor. She began her career as a child actor, starring in the films '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994), '' One Fine Day'' (1996), ''Independence Day'' (1996), and '' Hope Floats'' (1998), ...
appeared as Julie. Recurring guest voice actors
Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, musician and radio host best known as the host of ''The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series ''Family Guy'', former entertainment reporter and impress ...
, writer Gary Janetti, writer Danny Smith, writer
Alec Sulkin Alexander Matthew Sulkin (born February 14, 1973) is an American screenwriter, producer, and voice actor known for his work on ''Family Guy'' and ''The Cleveland Show''. Career Sulkin began as a writer for '' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilb ...
, actress
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.


Cultural references

Although never specifically referenced or mentioned in the episode itself, Stewie's alter-ego is named after well-known ballroom dancer
Karina Smirnoff Karina Smirnoff (born Karina Smyrnova, January 2, 1978) is a professional ballroom dancer. She is known as a professional dancer on ''Dancing with the Stars,'' where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. M ...
, who had previously danced professionally on the American television reality show ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. Most of the storyline following Stewie is a homage of the 1982 film ''
Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by Sydney Pollack from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, D ...
''. The episode's title is also a reference to the song "Go, Tootsie, Go" played during the photo-shoot montage in the film. A similar scene featuring the song was slightly modified, replacing "Tootsie" with "Stewie," in the lyrics to the song. Another song from the film, "
It Might Be You "It Might Be You" is a song with music written by Dave Grusin and lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman. It was performed by singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop in the 1982 film ''Tootsie'' starring Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange. The song wa ...
" by Stephen Bishop, is played during the closing credit sequence. As Stewie and Brian watch a recorded episode of ''Jolly Farm Revue'', Stewie notes the introduction of several new characters to the show. The television screen is then shown, as Karina reveals the characters to his co-star, Julie. The new characters include parodies of the ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' characters
Big Bird Big Bird is a Muppet character designed by Jim Henson and built by Kermit Love for the children's television show ''Sesame Street''. An bright yellow anthropomorphic bird, he can roller skate, ice skate, dance, swim, sing, write poetry, d ...
, who describes himself as a "large bird," and a self-described "grouch" named "Moody Green Garbage Creature", who resembles
Oscar the Grouch Oscar the Grouch is a List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Jon Stone for the PBS/HBO children's television program ''Sesame Street''. He has a green body, no visible nose, and lives in a Sesame Street (fiction ...
, and
butch and femme ''Butch'' and ''femme'' (; ; ) are Masculinity, masculine (Butch (lesbian slang), ''butch'') or Femininity, feminine (Femme, ''femme'') identities in the lesbian subculture that have associated traits, behaviors, styles, self-perception, and s ...
versions of
Bert and Ernie Bert and Ernie are two List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet characters who appear together in numerous skits on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. Ernie acts the role of the naivety, naïve and exuberant troublemaker, whil ...
, who try to protect Karina and Julie from Oscar. After sending Meg out on an errand to pick up her grandfather, Lois continues to seduce Anthony, having been interested in him since Peter had begun insulting her about her advancing age. Quickly returning after forgetting the car keys, Meg discovers her mother making out with her new boyfriend on the couch. The bass jingle used extensively in the long-running
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' is then heard, with the scene pausing, before transitioning to the ''Jolly Farm'' studio. In a surprise visit to the
Griffin family The Griffin family is a fictional family and main characters in the animated television series ''Family Guy'', and who also appear in ''The Cleveland Show''. The Griffins are a dysfunctional family consisting of the married couple Peter and Loi ...
home, Julie unexpectedly appears when Stewie opens the front door. Expecting Julie to recognize him, he forgets that he is not dressed as Karina, causing him to hurriedly change clothing, while pretending to have an argument with his fabricated persona. A similar scene is featured in the 1993 film '' Mrs. Doubtfire'', starring actor
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
. Stewie and Jolly Farm make a reference to
Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 (PA103/PAA103) was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 "Clipper Maid of th ...
, a Boeing 747-100 destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 occupants. Large portions of the plane fell onto Lockerbie, which killed 11 people, escalating the death toll to 270. A song features on Jolly Farm that explicitly describes debris from the newly disintegrated plane falling into Lockerbie, sung in the fashion of a nursery rhyme.


Reception

In an improvement over the previous two episodes, the episode was viewed in 6.72 million homes in its original airing, according to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. The episode also acquired a 3.5 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'', as well as the series premiere of ''
Sons of Tucson ''Sons of Tucson'' is an American sitcom starring Tyler Labine, Frank Dolce, Matthew Levy and Benjamin Stockham. It premiered on Fox on March 14, 2010. The show was announced as a midseason show to air on Sunday nights at 8:30 pm ET/PT in b ...
'', in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. Reviews of the episode were mixed, calling the storyline a " material in the long-running dysfunctional yet affectionate relationship between Brian and Stewie," while criticizing its multiple cultural references. Emily VanDerWerff of
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an 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 created in ...
called the episode a "pleasant surprise," enjoying Stewie's storyline, while criticizing the subplot between Lois and Meg. Ramsey Isler of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
was much more critical of the episode, however, saying that "while there a couple of funny moments, there are more misses than hits," giving the episode a 6 out of 10. In a subsequent review of ''Family Guy''s eighth season, Isler listed "Go, Stewie, Go!" as being "full of the lowest of the lowest-common-denominator "jokes", with heavy reliance on toilet humor and the characteristic cutaway gags that have steadily gotten more random and less funny." In contrast, Jason Hughes of
TV Squad Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles, and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could b ...
praised the episode, saying that it " an emotional glimpse into the characters." Naming the episode as its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for "strong sexual content," 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 Conservatism in the United States, conservative political pundit L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which ...
called the episode a "nauseating new low," criticizing multiple scenes, including Lois making out with a minor, as well as the confrontation between Brian and Karina at the bar. The PTC also criticized
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...
for attempting to "elicit disgust" throughout the episode by " incest and rape" in order to "provoke ." The episode was heavily criticized by families of the victims of
Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 (PA103/PAA103) was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 "Clipper Maid of th ...
for the nursery rhyme, "It's raining babies and luggage and limbs and Daddy doesn't come home", which explicitly describes the debris from the disintegrating plane falling into
Lockerbie Lockerbie (, ) is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, located in south-western Scotland. The 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town had an estimated population of in . The town came to international attention in December 1988 when ...
.


References


External links

* {{Family Guy episodes, 8 2010 American television episodes Family Guy season 8 episodes Cross-dressing in television