Breaking out Is Hard to Do
Encyclopedia
"Breaking Out Is Hard to Do" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Family Guy
. It originally broadcast on July 17, 2005, guest-starred Dat Phan
and Brian Tochi
, and was written by Tom Devanney. The episode sees Lois
becoming addicted to the rush of shoplifting
; she, however, is soon arrested and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Peter successfully smuggles her out of the prison, and the Griffins begin a new life in "Asiantown" away from where they are high profile fugitives, only for Joe to track them down and attempt to arrest them. Overall, the episode was received positively by critics and media sources.
realizes she is short on money to pay for food. She pretends to return a ham to the meat department but decides to hide it in her purse instead. Hooked on the thrill of shoplifting, she begins stealing other items, quickly becoming addicted to theft
. She begins to indulge in large shoplifting sprees, including stealing a Matisse
painting, which arouses the suspicion of Brian. While attempting to steal from an auto parts store, Lois is caught by Brian, who tells her she is doing wrong and that her stealing is not going to solve problems. Lois accepts his reasoning, but as she loads up the car to return her stolen goods, she is caught by Joe and arrested.
In court, Lois is sentenced to serve three years in prison. The Griffin household turns to chaos in Lois' absence, and the family realizes they need to break Lois out of jail. During a visit to Lois in the prison, Peter
smuggles her out by stuffing her into his mouth. As Lois' escape is realized, the Griffins jump into a laundry van, where they escape to Quahog's Asiantown and rent a run-down apartment to begin new lives. Chris
begins a career as a rickshaw driver, Stewie takes a job at sewing shoes (but is fired after sewing a shoe to his hand, and replaced with a baby). Peter becomes a sumo wrestler
, but is spotted by Joe on the television shortly after. Joe successfully tracks the family down and pursues them through Asiantown, leading them into the city sewers. Lois decides to surrender and face the consequences, but as Joe attempts to detain her, he slips in the sewer and is almost swept off a nearby ledge. Lois pulls Joe to safety, and in gratitude, Joe manages to get Lois' sentence cancelled, and life returns to normal for the family.
action figure, but broadcasting standards prohibited them to show it. During the "Take On Me
" sequence, Family Guy had obtained full rights to use the "Take On Me" music video completely, but animators re-produced the video to make it easier for production. Originally, a joke had been drafted showing Brian standing next to a tabloid newspaper with a picture of Kirstie Alley
and commenting on her weight, only for her to enter the grocery shop in Godzilla-like size and throw items from the shelves, but the sketch was removed to save time during the episode. The Matisse painting shown in the Griffins' dining room is only animated similar to an actual Matisse painting due to a legal issue with the paintings. The episode production staff spent a lot of time deciding what would be Lois' motivation for stealing en masse.
An unused scene was drafted showing Chris, directly after hearing Lois' prison term, flashbacking back to him watching Six Feet Under, seeing a same-sex couple kissing, and exclaiming "Oh, come on!" The song based around Glen Quagmire was sung and recorded by professional studio singers who sing at events such as the Academy Awards
. The scene following Peter saying to Lois: "I had to do that thing which you usually do for me" showing Peter attempting to give himself fellatio
and falling down the stairs was repeatedly fought by broadcasting standards, but they eventually allowed the scene. In the original episode draft, Peter was to be seen falling down the stairs, and Stewie's foot was to be lodged inside Peter's anus
, where he was to lose his shoe. Peter breaks the fourth wall
and begins to speak with viewers during his interview with the sumo wrestling employee; Executive Producer David A. Goodman
comments in the episode DVD commentary that this is "one of the few times, maybe the only time, when [the show] can step out of format and point out the format." The "CBS
Asiantown" logo shown on the Griffins' television was prohibited from broadcast on the televised version of the episode.
" — a song released by a-ha
in 1984
while fetching milk for Lois. He then breaks out on the other side, with no understanding of what just happened. Lois calls on Brian saying he was too busy eye-balling Glenn Close
on Redbook
magazine. Peter riding Falkor the luckdragon is a reference to fantasy novel The Neverending Story
. The chase sequence between Lois and Joe is a reference to a sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark
as Joe is pulled along by the attached garden hose and pulls himself under the moving car. Peter goes to a book club while Lois is gone, and it could be seen the members are reading The Lovely Bones
. The Griffins escaping out of their apartment to evade Joe is a reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
, with the rest of the chase through Asiantown being a reference to Revenge of the Pink Panther
. The police helicopter pilot in Asiantown stating he pretends he is shooting at Jamie Farr and Alan Alda when firing rockets is a reference to the actors of M*A*S*H. Joe shooting down two TIE fighters while flying through the sewer is a reference to Star Wars
. Characters from 1985 adventure–comedy film The Goonies
are seen talking with the Griffins in the sewer. The episode title is a reference to the song, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."
Also seen throughout the Asiantown is a few misspelled Katakana (One of the Japanese Alphabets) words. However it is close to the english word equivalent and is great for someone learning to read the Kana Alphabet.
" video by a-ha
, it's a perfect blend of what this show does best, combining nonsense, the '80s and some neat animation. The lead-in, the punchline and the execution of the whole scene is handled so well that it might be one of the show's most memorable ever." In her review of the episode, Kim Voynar of TV Squad wrote "This was, overall, a very funny episode. Lots of funny references—the Trix Rabbit, Karl Malden, MASH, Star Wars, "Three's Company
" The funniest moment for me, was the bit with Stewie walking in on Brian cross-dressing. That alone was worth the price of admission."
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It originally broadcast on July 17, 2005, guest-starred Dat Phan
Dat Phan
Dat Phan , is a Vietnamese American stand-up comedian.-Early life:When he was a child, he, his mother, and nine of his siblings emigrated from South Vietnam to the United States. They suffered financial hardships throughout his childhood...
and Brian Tochi
Brian Tochi
Brian Keith Tochihara , better known as Brian Tochi, is a U.S. actor, screen-writer, movie director and producer. He was widely recognized as the most popular East Asian child actor working in U.S. television during the late 1960s through much of the 1970s having appeared in various T.V. series and...
, and was written by Tom Devanney. The episode sees Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
becoming addicted to the rush of shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
; she, however, is soon arrested and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Peter successfully smuggles her out of the prison, and the Griffins begin a new life in "Asiantown" away from where they are high profile fugitives, only for Joe to track them down and attempt to arrest them. Overall, the episode was received positively by critics and media sources.
Plot
During a grocery shopping trip, LoisLois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
realizes she is short on money to pay for food. She pretends to return a ham to the meat department but decides to hide it in her purse instead. Hooked on the thrill of shoplifting, she begins stealing other items, quickly becoming addicted to theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
. She begins to indulge in large shoplifting sprees, including stealing a Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
painting, which arouses the suspicion of Brian. While attempting to steal from an auto parts store, Lois is caught by Brian, who tells her she is doing wrong and that her stealing is not going to solve problems. Lois accepts his reasoning, but as she loads up the car to return her stolen goods, she is caught by Joe and arrested.
In court, Lois is sentenced to serve three years in prison. The Griffin household turns to chaos in Lois' absence, and the family realizes they need to break Lois out of jail. During a visit to Lois in the prison, Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
smuggles her out by stuffing her into his mouth. As Lois' escape is realized, the Griffins jump into a laundry van, where they escape to Quahog's Asiantown and rent a run-down apartment to begin new lives. Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
begins a career as a rickshaw driver, Stewie takes a job at sewing shoes (but is fired after sewing a shoe to his hand, and replaced with a baby). Peter becomes a sumo wrestler
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
, but is spotted by Joe on the television shortly after. Joe successfully tracks the family down and pursues them through Asiantown, leading them into the city sewers. Lois decides to surrender and face the consequences, but as Joe attempts to detain her, he slips in the sewer and is almost swept off a nearby ledge. Lois pulls Joe to safety, and in gratitude, Joe manages to get Lois' sentence cancelled, and life returns to normal for the family.
Production
"Breaking Out Is Hard to Do" is the first Family Guy episode to be written by Tom Devanney. When Stewie attempts to asphyxiate himself in the supermarket, he was originally meant to state "Either I was a C-section or you’re Stretch Vagstrong", which would have been a reference to the Stretch ArmstrongStretch Armstrong
Stretch Armstrong was a large, gel-filled action figure first introduced in 1976 by Kenner.-History:Stretch Armstrong was in the shape of a well-muscled blonde man wearing a pair of swimming trunks. Its most notable feature was that the doll could be stretched from its original size to four or...
action figure, but broadcasting standards prohibited them to show it. During the "Take On Me
Take on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" sequence, Family Guy had obtained full rights to use the "Take On Me" music video completely, but animators re-produced the video to make it easier for production. Originally, a joke had been drafted showing Brian standing next to a tabloid newspaper with a picture of Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
and commenting on her weight, only for her to enter the grocery shop in Godzilla-like size and throw items from the shelves, but the sketch was removed to save time during the episode. The Matisse painting shown in the Griffins' dining room is only animated similar to an actual Matisse painting due to a legal issue with the paintings. The episode production staff spent a lot of time deciding what would be Lois' motivation for stealing en masse.
An unused scene was drafted showing Chris, directly after hearing Lois' prison term, flashbacking back to him watching Six Feet Under, seeing a same-sex couple kissing, and exclaiming "Oh, come on!" The song based around Glen Quagmire was sung and recorded by professional studio singers who sing at events such as the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. The scene following Peter saying to Lois: "I had to do that thing which you usually do for me" showing Peter attempting to give himself fellatio
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
and falling down the stairs was repeatedly fought by broadcasting standards, but they eventually allowed the scene. In the original episode draft, Peter was to be seen falling down the stairs, and Stewie's foot was to be lodged inside Peter's anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
, where he was to lose his shoe. Peter breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
and begins to speak with viewers during his interview with the sumo wrestling employee; Executive Producer David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning an BA in 1984. He was one of the executive producers of Family Guy, beginning its fourth season, joining the show as a co-executive producer in season three...
comments in the episode DVD commentary that this is "one of the few times, maybe the only time, when [the show] can step out of format and point out the format." The "CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Asiantown" logo shown on the Griffins' television was prohibited from broadcast on the televised version of the episode.
Cultural references
Chris is shown participating in the video "Take On MeTake on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" — a song released by a-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
in 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
while fetching milk for Lois. He then breaks out on the other side, with no understanding of what just happened. Lois calls on Brian saying he was too busy eye-balling Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
on Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
magazine. Peter riding Falkor the luckdragon is a reference to fantasy novel The Neverending Story
The Neverending Story
The Neverending Story is a German fantasy novel by Michael Ende, first published in 1979. The standard English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was first published in 1983...
. The chase sequence between Lois and Joe is a reference to a sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
as Joe is pulled along by the attached garden hose and pulls himself under the moving car. Peter goes to a book club while Lois is gone, and it could be seen the members are reading The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
. The Griffins escaping out of their apartment to evade Joe is a reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids was a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1973 for NBC...
, with the rest of the chase through Asiantown being a reference to Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther is the sixth film in the Pink Panther film series. Released in 1978, Revenge of was the last entry featuring series star Peter Sellers, who died in 1980...
. The police helicopter pilot in Asiantown stating he pretends he is shooting at Jamie Farr and Alan Alda when firing rockets is a reference to the actors of M*A*S*H. Joe shooting down two TIE fighters while flying through the sewer is a reference to Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
. Characters from 1985 adventure–comedy film The Goonies
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
are seen talking with the Griffins in the sewer. The episode title is a reference to the song, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."
Also seen throughout the Asiantown is a few misspelled Katakana (One of the Japanese Alphabets) words. However it is close to the english word equivalent and is great for someone learning to read the Kana Alphabet.
Reception
This episode was the most-watched Fox program on its airdate among adults 18 to 49; 5.75 million viewers watched. In his review of the Family Guy volume 3 DVD, Francis Rizzo III of DVD Talk wrote "But if any moment stands out among this run, it's the supermarket scene in "Breaking Out is Hard to Do." When Chris is pulled into the "Take On MeTake on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" video by a-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
, it's a perfect blend of what this show does best, combining nonsense, the '80s and some neat animation. The lead-in, the punchline and the execution of the whole scene is handled so well that it might be one of the show's most memorable ever." In her review of the episode, Kim Voynar of TV Squad wrote "This was, overall, a very funny episode. Lots of funny references—the Trix Rabbit, Karl Malden, MASH, Star Wars, "Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
" The funniest moment for me, was the bit with Stewie walking in on Brian cross-dressing. That alone was worth the price of admission."