Power Over Peter | |
---|---|
Season 2, Episode 20 | |
![]() | |
Air date | January 30, 2000 |
Episode Guide | |
Previous Lethal Weapons |
Next When You Wish Upon a Weinstein |
Power Over Peter is the twentieth episode of the second season of Family Guy. It is the thirty-eighth episode, overall.
Synopsis[]
After Peter's drinking becomes a huge problem to his family, with him beating his family up drunk, Peter to the point where he beated them up in a drunken rage, and now Peter when he out of controland he needs to control himself. Meanwhile, Meg gets braces and get them locked with Neil's.
Plot[]
Flashbacks at the beginning establish that Neil and Meg knew each other since elementary school. With Neil liking her then and Meg hating him then as well. With us seeing him ask her out through elementary, middle and high school, only to get the same response: "No." In the present, Meg's about to open up to Kevin about loving him, but Neil ruins her moment and twists it to be about him and Meg beginning to date, with Kevin sending his respects to their relationship. Meg's ready to completely tear into Neil, but decides to go on a more deeper level, telling him she never cared for him and never would. And the same answer he gets from his advances will always be the same: No. Regardless, Neil swears that one day, "Meil" will happen, or "Neg".
Later on that night, Peter's about to head out to hang with his Beer Bar Buddies at the Drunken Clam, but before he leaves, Lois and the family, including Peter and Lois' parents, give a miniature intervention to get him to lay off drinking for the night, yet Peter in his typical fashion, lies to them behind their back to get them to allow him to go hang with his friends. With them heading to the Clam to begin a beer run throughout Quahog, with it being used as the starting space. Before they head out to continue it, Peter decides to bring Horace along upon seeing him being lonely and having no one else in the bar. After a montage of the five getting into hard drinking, Peter wakes up the next morning with a hard hangover and finds out that he beaten up his family in a drunken fantasy. This event causes Peter to realize that his drinking is a bigger problem than he thinks and leads him to seeing Brian's psychiatrist, Dr. Kaplan, for help. The two begins talking about where this drinking issue started and leads to Peter explaining far back as his childhood. The doctor, through Peter discussing with him, decides that Peter should ween off the drinking.
Meanwhile, due to Peter beating her up drunk, Meg’s teeth are ruined and has to wear braces temporarily to straighten them back out. Despite Lois telling her nobody will care, Meg gets mocked more at school by Connie and even Principal Shepherd for having braces. And when it can't seem like things will get worse, Neil catches her and thinks the braces are a way to connect more with him. Meg at first tries to ignore him until she gets her braces get locked with Neil's, leaving her stuck with him. Neil tries to flirt with her, thinking of it as romantic for them to be more "connected by love", but Meg just thinks of this situation as a nightmare come true.
on her locker and Neil helps her out. Leading to them to have to wait it out due to Meg needing the braces to fix her teeth. After the time she needed to wait, they head to the dentist and have them fix the braces and
While Peter tries to stick to it, he immanently breaks it almost comically instantly, leading the family to need to double down hard on him. With them hooking a wire onto him to make sure he's not breaking his promises and give him extensive DUI tests (even for when he went out to buy some milk). And it leads to him becoming more and more agitated. Leading to searching for other outlets like smoking crack, cigarettes and even doing cocaine. Eventually, his friends notice how bad of shape Peter's been in without drinking and help him break the promise and going back to drinking through playing his favorite game Drink the Beer. As usual, Peter gets drunk and ends up going even more off the rails by him causing a car crash disaster. So bad that Kaplan, when Brian goes to pencil another meeting, declines, saying "[Peter's] a lost cause".
After the family criticize Peter to his limit, he finally delivers a monologue to both his family and his father about how everyone needs some security, while pointing out their own securities that are like his beer (some being Lois' being her piano, Meg's being Kevin, and Francis' being Christianity), and that a little security is a valuable thing in life.
In the end, the episode is revealed to be a revealed to be an episode from an reality TV show that Peter put his story in and the Griffins are watching the live premiere of it. Francis tries to launch a speech about the dangers of alcohol, he's abrubtly drowned out by the end credits.
Characters[]
Major Roles[]
- Peter Griffin
- Lois Griffin
- Meg Griffin
- Brian Griffin
- Francis Griffin
- Thelma Griffin
- Carter Pewterschmidt
- Babs Pewterschmidt
- Horace
- Glenn Quagmire
- Cleveland Brown
- Joe Swanson
- Neil Goldman
- Mort Goldman
- Muriel Goldman
- Dr. Kaplan
Minor Roles[]
- Chris Griffin
- Stewie Griffin
- Mr. Weed
- Father Bob
- Principal Shepherd
- Connie D'amico
- Doug
- Scott
- Patty Patterson
- Beth Bethany
- Mr. Magoo
- Charles Durning
- Florence Stanley
- Norm MacDonald (Played by Adam Carolla)
- Death
- Kevin Swanson
- Chucky Pewterschmidt (Mentioned)
- Josiah Griffin (Mentioned)
- Change for a Buck (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Randall Fargus (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Sam Waterston (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- John G. Brennan (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Patrick Warburton (Non-Speaking Cameo)
Quotes[]
- To view the full script in PDF, press the thumbnail.
- [In the cold open, the family plus Peter's extended are watching the NHL, with the game being Bruins against the Rangers when Stewie steps in]
- Stewie Griffin: [clear his throat] Attention, family. I've been thinking about this for a while, so it's best to get this out.
- Lois Griffin: Okay, honey.
- Stewie: When this world will be mine soon, I've been thinking about how to deal with you all. And as intolerable as you may be, I can't help but acknowledge all the good you've all done to me. So, I've decided to make all of your deaths instant mercy kill. All of your deaths will be quick, clean and as painless as I can make it. W
- [As he finishes up, one of the Rangers launches the puck into the Bruins' goal on the TV]
- Meg Griffin: Awwww.
- Chris Griffin: BOOO!
- Peter Griffin: He's not even try!
- Francis Griffin: COWARD!!
- Stewie: So you want to be that way, hmm?! Then fine! I'll play your ways.
- Francis: Guys, wait, he's going for a redemption!
- Stewie: Oh you bet old man! I'll kill you all in an excruciating manner. All your deaths will be slow and painful and will I'll take great joy in all of them. What do you say to that? Hmm?
- [As he said this, one of the Bruins launches the puck into the Rangers' goal on the TV and the family cheered in victory]
- Peter/Lois: Alright!!!
- Chris: Yaay!
- Meg/Thelma: Woo-hoo!
- Francis: Finally he's gettin' it!
- Stewie: Yes, well, I'm glad you're all on board.
- [Stewie flees the scene]
- Peter Griffin: [narrating] My name is Peter Griffin. Age 43, Reside on Spooner Street with my family. And I have a drinking addition.
- [In the evening, Peter's sitting at the kitchen table drinking something. Brian then cuts around Peter's behind]
- Brian: Whoa, ass ahoy. Say, uh, when are you leaving to go drinking, Peter?
- Peter: Eh, in about 15 minutes. Why you asking?
- Brian: So we can know how much time we have before anything bad happens.
- Peter: We?
- Brian: Everyone, come in.
- [As if on cue, Lois, hold Stewie, Meg, Chris, Francis and Thelma enter and stand beside Peter beside him at each side of the kitchen table. He then looked at them with distraught.]
- Peter: Is this because I crapped in the yard last week?
- Lois: Okay... By the way, I know my r******* brother Chucky didn't really fall through the ice.
- Lois: Peter, we just don't know feel right about your drinking recently.
- Peter: Lois, honey, alcohol doesn't affect-
- The Griffins (sans Peter): It does!
- Francis: You contacted us at three in the morning!
- [In a cutaway, in the wee midnight to early morning hours as Francis and Thelma sleep in their new apartment in Quahog Acres. As the two have they're dreams, they're woken up by the phone next to their bed]
- Thelma: Your turn.
- [Francis goes to answer the phone]
- Francis: H-Hello.
- Peter (slurring): Hey, wha-- what are-- what are you doing?
- Francis: Peter, I was sleeping.
- Peter (slurring): Yeah, I was just out with my bros. Wha-- what are-- what are you doing?
- Francis: I just told you.
- Peter: Aw, that's right, I just-- I just asked that. I forgot. Hey, hey, this song made me think of you, so wa-- listen to this song.
- [Peter plays a snippet of a song called "Burn in Hell!"]
- Peter: Wasn't that awesome? (beat) So w-- so wha-- so what's you doing?
- [Francis sighs as the cutaway ends]
- Francis: And was the sixth time this week! And it's Thursday!
- Brian: You crushed me on your bed.
- [In a cutaway, Peter wakes up from a hangover above the sheets with Lois next to him]
- Peter: Brian, can you get the paper? [after a beat] Brian? [after another beat starts to get worried] Brian, you okay, boy?
- [As Peter gets up, Lois is shocked to see a crushed Brian from under Peter's spot on the bed, breathing for air as the cutaway ends]
- Meg: You mistaken me for mom and had sex with me for twenty minutes.
- Lois: Yeah, we're not showing that cutaway.
- Chris: Actually, it was fifteen minutes, though neither finished, so in technicalities, it's still going
- Peter: Okay, so I might have done some things I don't remember, but relax. It's not that bad.
- Francis: Yeah, sure, relax. It's not like you're just hanging with a bunch of guys sitting around with a black marker and a checklist of the Ten Commandments.
- Chris: Heh-heh, thou shalt get drunk. Yeah!
- Lois: Chris, you're 13, don't talk like that.
- Meg: (sighs) Dad, I know I don't speak up much and it's really hard for me to talk about my feelings, but we're not doing this because we want to be hard on you. We're all doing this because genuinely care about you. If Grandpa going out of his way to come to intervention says anything about how willing we are to care for you and you're well-being, I-I don't know what will
- [As Meg finishes her speech, she tries to hold herself as she was saying what was coming from the heart. but she caught off by Peter belching in her face]
- Meg: DAD! Oh, of course he doesn't listen to me.
- Brian: That speech would've been more powerful it if came from anyone else.
- Francis: Oh, yeah.
- Thelma: Absolutely.
- Chris: No doubt in my mind.
- Lois: She's not ready for emotional speeches.
- [In a POV shot, Peter wakes up on a hangover and looks around while rubbing his head]
- Peter: Oh, God, what a night.
- [His car is totaled into a fire hydrant and water is flowing out. Cleveland, Quagmire and Horace exit the car, rubbing their heads
- Cleveland: What did we do last night?
- Quagmire: Whatever we did must have been wild! Giggity gig- ow, my head!
- Peter': Okay, look, I see some tensions rising, so I think if we all just take a few deep breaths and talk this-
- [Peter runs outside and hides in the backyard tree]
- Thelma: Peter Griffin, get down from there this instant!
- Peter: NO! You're all gonna yell at me!
- Peter: Thanks for allowing me to use you, Mr. Kaplan, seeing as you're usually Brian's psychiatrist. I just hope you can fix me.
- Dr. Kaplan: Son, you're talking to someone who's done this for forty years and not once had a failed case.
- Meg: Don't read too much into these, Neil. These are temporary and I'm only wearing them because father smashed my teeth while drunk
- [Francis and Brian are in the sunroom talking]
- Brian: I'm telling you. Hillary Clinton could be the next president.
- Francis: Oh, bite me dog. She's such a whor-(Francis stops himself)
- Brian: She's such a what, Franci-?
- Francis: Shut up. (pulls Brian's ears up) Listen
- [Noticing the sound too, Brian along with Francis look out the door to the living room, where Peter is sitting there with a lighter and a crack pipe. They exit and approach Peter]
- Brian: Peter, what are you doing?
- Peter: Crack.
- [Beat]
- Brian: Oh, okay.
- Francis: Yeah, normal Peter behavior.
- [The two head back to the sunroom, but after a small beat, come back to Peter]
- Francis/Brian: Wait, what the FUCK?!
- Peter: Hey, at least I'm not drinking, Brian.
- Brian: Yeah, this isn't exactly a good substitute...
- Francis: Screw substitutes all together. Where in the hell did you get crack?
- Peter: From Blacks.
- Brian/Francis: What?
- Peter: Yeah, right behind Black's Hardware Store. There's a white guy selling it.
- Meg: The thing is that nobody should know that we're having this conversation, Neil.
- [The rest of the family, sans Chris breaks down the door of her room, from leaning on it, revealing that they were listening in on her conversation.]
- Meg: You guys were spying on us?!
- Lois: Uh... no, honey. We're, uh, illusions.
- Meg: God, is there anyone else that has been spying on us?
- [Chris then falls through the ceiling]
- Chris: I wasn't listening to you in the attic!
- Meg: GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!
- Chris: Okay!
- [Chris then proceeds to slam through the wall.]
- Brian: Hey, Peter, just thought we check on you... OH MY GOD!
- [Peter is obviously under the influence]
- Peter: Guv'ment came and took my baby!
- [Peter lights his cigarette with a lighter and takes a puff on the couch, as Brian and Lois watch from the kitchen]
- Brian: I can't believe Peter's smoking. When I told him that doing crack wouldn't help him, I didn't mean for him to get addicted to something else!
- [The kitchen phone began to ring and Lois picked it up]
- Lois: Hello?
- Francis: Oh, uh, hello prosty.
- Lois: (sighs) What do you want, Francis?
- [The scene shifts to show Francis hiding behind the couch as Thelma is angrily tearing the living room apart (opening drawers, looking under tables, etc.)]
- Francis: Uh, out of curiosity, do you have any cigarettes lying in your house? Thelma's having a bit of cigarette meltdown in the apartment.
- Lois: What?
- Francis: Look, I have much time 'cause she thinks I might have taken them due to past experience, and when she finds me, she told it's on sight, but the big reason why she's so nice is due to smoking at least one a day, and if doesn't have one, she becomes a beast! And uh, I've ran this with doctors and the working theory is that she seems to have this weird tie to her cigarettes?
- Thelma: WORTHLESS!
- [Thelma throws a drawer that gets nearby Francis]
- Francis: Please! I don't want to sleep in the yard again!
- Brian: Hey, someone’s back from their session. What Kaplan had to say?
- Peter: Oh he said I’m fine. The beer incident was just an overdose and he told me if I play my drinking cards right, I can drink and keep my family safe. That sort of thing.
- Brian: Well I'm glad you're learning more self-control.
- Peter: Yeah (camera zooms out to reveal the rest of the family, sans Peter and Brian, in protective gear) So, you guys can take off the protective gear now.
- Francis: Well, I uh...
- Meg: I just my teeth fixed sooo...
- Chris: Ehhh...
- Lois: Nooooo..
- Thelma: I'd give him a week.
Songs[]
- Dear Booze (Originally planned but cut due to time)
Trivia[]
- This first episode to not used scripted censoring. When Brian and Francis realize Peter's doing crack, they both yell "What the fuck?!", completely free of scripted censoring (though it's bleeped out on television airings).
- During the cutaway gag where the family's watching the NHL, Brian and Francis, two characters who've been should to understand Stewie, surprisingly don't respond to Stewie (not even look at him).
- Carter and Babs had a former son named Chucky who was mentally disabled and was put down under the fake story that he fell through the ice while ice skating. Which Lois remembered and use it as a way to get Carter and Babs to come to her husband Peter's drinking intervention.
- Peter reveals to be the most paying customer at The Drunken Clam, to the point Horace specially have a poster of Peter with the quote: "Most Likely Person to Get Drunk"
Cultural References[]
- Once Peter smokes the crack, the family finds Peter hugging a pillow and lying on the floor saying the government took away his baby. This is parodying the film Losing Isaiah, where Halle Berry is a drug addict who has her baby taken away.
Continuity[]
- Brian's repeats the line "Whoa, ass ahoy." from "Death Has a Shadow"
- The episode expands upon the flashback in "Mind Over Murder" where Peter was given whiskey when he was younger.
- Thelma and Francis have revealed to move into Quahog Acres as planned in "Between Sanity and Madness"
Deleted Scenes[]
- A complete cut song originally planned to be part of the episode called Dear Booze
Season 2 | ||||||||
#01 | Road to Rhode Island | #02 | I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar | #03 | Dammit Janet! | |||
#04 | Running Mates | #05 | Screwed the Pooch | #06 | If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin' | |||
#07 | Peter Griffin: Husband, Father, ... Brother? | #08 | Let's All Go to the Hop | #09 | Employee for Fire | |||
#10 | He's Too Sexy For His Fat | #11 | Fore Father | #12 | The Kiss Seen Around the World | |||
#13 | Good Ol' Fargy Love | #14 | Neighbor Pains | #15 | The Story On Page One | |||
#16 | Missionary Impossible | #17 | Between Sanity and Madness | #18 | To Love and Die in Dixie | |||
#19 | Lethal Weapons | #20 | Power Over Peter | #21 | When You Wish Upon a Weinstein | |||
#22 | The Guyfathers | #23 | The Thin White Line |