Peter's Two Dads
Encyclopedia
"Peter's Two Dads" is the tenth episode of season five of Family Guy
. The episode originally aired on Fox
on February 11, 2007. The plot follows Peter
traveling to Ireland
to find his biological father, after he accidentally kills his stepfather at his daughter's birthday party. Meanwhile, Stewie undergoes a phase of selfishness, believing everything belongs to him. This results in Lois spanking him, which makes him realize he is a masochist.
The episode was written by Danny Smith
and directed by Cyndi Tang
. 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
, Charles Durning
and Fred Tatasciore
. 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 Emmy Awards.
asks Lois
and Peter
if she can have a birthday party
, preferably a teenager-type party with a band
playing at her house. Unfortunately, Peter and Lois don't even know how old Meg is going to be. They have bought sixteen candles, but Meg tells them that she is seventeen years old, and calls them jerks. Meg notices that her birthday party is kiddie-type, with games such as pin the tail on the donkey
. At the party, Peter dresses up as Pee Pants the Inebriated Hobo Clown, and asks Meg for a long scarf, which is attached to his tongue
, which causes him to vomit. Peter hands Meg the long scarf from his tongue, and Meg refuses to hold it. Meg asks her parents if she can open her gifts, and Meg notices Stewie opening most of them. Peter gets drunk, and attempts to ride a unicycle
down the steps, but falls off and crushes his father, Francis, who later dies from the accident. When Francis dies, Francis calls Peter "a fat stinking drunk". Peter is angry since Francis does not care about him. Lois assumes that Francis does not care about Peter since he's a heavy drinker. Peter gives up drinking, and does crack
. Brian visits Peter, notices that he is doing crack, and tells him that crack is not a good substitute for drinking. As a result, Peter sees a hypnotherapist, who helps Peter discover that Francis was not his biological father. Peter confronts his mother, Thelma, who admits she had an affair forty years earlier and that his real father resides in Ireland
.
Brian and Peter travel to a village in Ireland to find Peter's real father. They discover Peter's father is Mickey McFinnigan, the local town drunk
. At first horrified, Peter finds out it is considered an honorable position in Ireland by the locals. McFinnigan refuses to believe Peter is his son, making fun of him. When Peter sees the ghosts of the Yoda
, Obi-Wan Kenobi
, Francis and Hayden Christensen
, the first three call him a "fat stinking drunk", Francis' last words to Peter, which gives him an idea. In an attempt to persuade him, Peter challenges McFinnigan to a drinking contest, which Peter wins. During the contest, Peter and Mickey talk about American looks and diet in a drunk language. After the contest, McFinnigan believes Peter to be his son, as only a member of his family could beat him at drinking. After Mickey says "So what?" to Peter's statement, "You knocked up my mom and never called her again." Peter says "So what? So let's dance!". Peter, Mickey and the Irish crowd enter dancing and singing to "Drunken Irish Dad". During the last few seconds of the dance, Mickey states that the Irish do not tan well.
Meanwhile, Lois spanks Stewie while going through his "it's mine" phase, claiming everything in the house as his own. At first he is traumatized by the ordeal, but he soon comes to realize that he likes the adrenaline rush
that he gets from them, and starts deliberately misbehaving in the hope that Lois will hurt him again, but fails yet realizing he has a problem.
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
. 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 from television, as Peter discusses his genitals and reproductive organs. 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
, actor Charles Durning
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
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.
" where Renton asks Sick Boy where the TV is to which Sick Boy responds "I got a good price for it.".
Peter briefly transforms into Wonder Woman after discovering his biological father is not Francis: this is a reference to Wonder Woman
, and although the show could not receive rights to reproduce the original music, the scene was still broadcast.
When Francis showed up as a ghost along with Yoda
and Obi-Wan Kenobi
, Hayden Christensen
said "And I'm Hayden Christensen", as a reference to the ending of Return of the Jedi in the remastered DVD
. The song Chris and Herbert sing at the party and up in a tree is Friends and Lovers
by Gloria Loring
and Carl Anderson
.
. The episode also acquired a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, being slightly edged out by The Simpsons
, 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
'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
."
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...
. The episode originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on February 11, 2007. The plot follows 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....
traveling to Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
to find his biological father, after he accidentally kills his stepfather at his daughter's birthday party. Meanwhile, Stewie undergoes a phase of selfishness, believing everything belongs to him. This results in Lois spanking him, which makes him realize he is a masochist.
The episode was written by Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
and directed by Cyndi Tang
Cyndi Tang
Cyndi Tang-Loveland is an American animation director. Tang is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and King of the Hill....
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 7.97 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Dan Conroy, Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
, Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
and Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
. 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 Emmy Awards.
Plot
MegMeg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
asks 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...
and 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....
if she can have a birthday party
Birthday party
A birthday party is a party to celebrate the anniversary of one's birth.Birthday Party may also refer to:- Theatre, film, and television :* The Birthday Party , a 1958 play by Harold Pinter...
, preferably a teenager-type party with a band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
playing at her house. Unfortunately, Peter and Lois don't even know how old Meg is going to be. They have bought sixteen candles, but Meg tells them that she is seventeen years old, and calls them jerks. Meg notices that her birthday party is kiddie-type, with games such as pin the tail on the donkey
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Pin the Tail on the Donkey is a game played by groups of children. It is common at birthday parties and other gatherings. A picture of a donkey with a missing tail is tacked to a wall within easy reach of children....
. At the party, Peter dresses up as Pee Pants the Inebriated Hobo Clown, and asks Meg for a long scarf, which is attached to his tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
, which causes him to vomit. Peter hands Meg the long scarf from his tongue, and Meg refuses to hold it. Meg asks her parents if she can open her gifts, and Meg notices Stewie opening most of them. Peter gets drunk, and attempts to ride a unicycle
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
down the steps, but falls off and crushes his father, Francis, who later dies from the accident. When Francis dies, Francis calls Peter "a fat stinking drunk". Peter is angry since Francis does not care about him. Lois assumes that Francis does not care about Peter since he's a heavy drinker. Peter gives up drinking, and does crack
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
. Brian visits Peter, notices that he is doing crack, and tells him that crack is not a good substitute for drinking. As a result, Peter sees a hypnotherapist, who helps Peter discover that Francis was not his biological father. Peter confronts his mother, Thelma, who admits she had an affair forty years earlier and that his real father resides in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Brian and Peter travel to a village in Ireland to find Peter's real father. They discover Peter's father is Mickey McFinnigan, the local town drunk
Town drunk
The town drunk is a stock character, almost always male, who is drunk more often than sober.The town drunk typically dwells in a small enough town that he is the only conspicuous alcoholic...
. At first horrified, Peter finds out it is considered an honorable position in Ireland by the locals. McFinnigan refuses to believe Peter is his son, making fun of him. When Peter sees the ghosts of the Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
, Francis and Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
, the first three call him a "fat stinking drunk", Francis' last words to Peter, which gives him an idea. In an attempt to persuade him, Peter challenges McFinnigan to a drinking contest, which Peter wins. During the contest, Peter and Mickey talk about American looks and diet in a drunk language. After the contest, McFinnigan believes Peter to be his son, as only a member of his family could beat him at drinking. After Mickey says "So what?" to Peter's statement, "You knocked up my mom and never called her again." Peter says "So what? So let's dance!". Peter, Mickey and the Irish crowd enter dancing and singing to "Drunken Irish Dad". During the last few seconds of the dance, Mickey states that the Irish do not tan well.
Meanwhile, Lois spanks Stewie while going through his "it's mine" phase, claiming everything in the house as his own. At first he is traumatized by the ordeal, but he soon comes to realize that he likes the adrenaline rush
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
that he gets from them, and starts deliberately misbehaving in the hope that Lois will hurt him again, but fails yet realizing he has a problem.
Production
This episode marks the third appearance of Francis Griffin. Show creator Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
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
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
. 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 from television, as Peter discusses his genitals and reproductive organs. When Peter comes to the realization that Francis is not his real father and when Stewie dreams about being tortured by Lois, a harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
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 Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
, actor Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Alex Breckenridge
Alex Breckenridge
Alexandra "Alex" Breckenridge is an American film and television actress, photographer and voice artist. Noted for her role as Willa McPherson on the television series Dirt, she also had a supporting role on the short lived series The Ex List...
, Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, writer Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, writer Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
Cultural references
Peter confronts his mother she asks where the television set is, and he states he sold it for crack, which could be a reference to the opening scenes of "Requiem for a Dream" or a scene in "TrainspottingTrainspotting (film)
Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
" where Renton asks Sick Boy where the TV is to which Sick Boy responds "I got a good price for it.".
Peter briefly transforms into Wonder Woman after discovering his biological father is not Francis: this is a reference to Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
, and although the show could not receive rights to reproduce the original music, the scene was still broadcast.
When Francis showed up as a ghost along with Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
, Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
said "And I'm Hayden Christensen", as a reference to the ending of Return of the Jedi in the remastered DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The song Chris and Herbert sing at the party and up in a tree is Friends and Lovers
Friends and Lovers (song)
"Friends and Lovers" is the title of a popular song from 1986. The song was first recorded as a duet by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson in 1985. That recording remained unreleased until the summer of 1986, when it was released shortly after a version by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt hit country...
by Gloria Loring
Gloria Loring
Gloria Loring is an American singer and actress.- Career :Loring began her music career at age 14, singing with a folk group known as "Those Four". Gloria Loring released her first album in 1968. It was titled "Gloria Loring, Today" on MGM Records...
and Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson (singer)
Carl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
.
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 ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The episode also acquired a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, being slightly edged out by The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, while still winning over American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
.
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
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
'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
PTV (Family Guy)
"PTV" is the fourteenth episode of season four of the FOX animated series Family Guy. The episode sees the FCC censor the shows on television after a controversial wardrobe malfunction at the Emmy Awards. Peter starts to create his own TV network which he calls PTV, broadcasting classic shows...
" and "Road to Rhode Island
Road to Rhode Island
"Road to Rhode Island" is the thirteenth episode from the second season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 30, 2000. In the episode, Brian volunteers to bring Stewie home from his grandparents' house in California, but the...
."