Cool Hand Peter

Last updated

"Cool Hand Peter"
Family Guy episode
Episode no.Season 10
Episode 8
Directed by Brian Iles
Written byArtie Johann and Shawn Ries
Production code9ACX05
Original air dateDecember 4, 2011 (2011-12-04)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Amish Guy"		Next →
"Grumpy Old Man"
Family Guy season 10
List of episodes

"Cool Hand Peter" is the eighth episode of the tenth season of the American animated sitcom Family Guy , and the 173rd episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 4, 2011. In the episode, Peter Griffin and his friends Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland (who has returned to Quahog) decide to go on a road trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Whilst driving, they are stopped by a police officer, arrested and thrown in jail by the sheriff who abuses his power, and plants marijuana in their car. The friends then attempt to escape the prison due to their stay being extended indefinitely, and return to Quahog.

Contents

The episode served as a follow-up to the exit of the main character Cleveland Brown, who left Family Guy in order to star in his own Fox spin-off, entitled The Cleveland Show . Main cast member and former series writer Mike Henry returned to the series to provide the voice of Cleveland. The episode also featured a crossover between Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, both of which were created by executive producer Seth MacFarlane, and included cameo appearances by two of The Cleveland Show's main characters.

First announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, the episode was written by Artie Johann and Shawn Ries, and directed by Brian Iles. Critics praised the episode for its structure and humor, but also criticized it for not living up to the 1967 drama film Cool Hand Luke , which the episode was named after. According to Nielsen ratings, it was watched by 7.14 million people in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Ralph Garman, Bob Gunton, Sanaa Lathan, Julius Sharpe, Jennifer Tilly, and Jād Saxton along with several recurring guest voice actors from the series.

Plot

When Cleveland Brown returns to Quahog for a week, he visits his old friends Peter, Joe and Quagmire. When Peter gets tired of his wife, Lois, constantly demanding for him to do chores, he and the rest of the group decide to take a road trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Whilst their husbands are away, Lois, Bonnie and Donna proceed to enjoy "girl time", resulting with them doing wine-induced childish antics which include forcibly dressing Brian in a humiliating bumblebee costume.

While driving through a rural area in Georgia, Peter and his group are pulled over by the local sheriff, and Peter makes every effort to talk as annoyingly and rudely to him as possible. But the Sheriff is more offended by Cleveland's attempt to calmingly explain themselves, punching out their left headlights and then planting a bag of cannabis in their trunk. The group are then sent to a county work camp where they are forced to perform various tasks, including ditch digging and rock crushing. As their stay in the jail supposedly comes to an end, the warden then approaches them and tells them that their stay has been extended an additional thirty days. Learning from another prisoner that they might be locked up forever, the group decides to break out of the prison when the prison guard's eyes are diverted. Successful in their attempt, they soon come across a house where they discover a set of handcuff and shackle keys.

They then discover that they are in the sheriff's home, who returns soon after. Peter tries to pretend to be his wife while hiding in a closet, and he convinces the sheriff to let the fugitives go free. This exchange ends with the sheriff asking for a hug, which makes Peter jump out of the closet and reveal the group, making the sheriff realizing that he doesn't have a wife. The entire police force then comes after them, until they are able to jump on a train and arrive in Quahog, only to be met by the sheriff and his deputies. Joe, however, had called ahead and arranged for the Quahog police department to arrive and rescue them. Joe then wrecks the sheriff's car and shoots him in the kneecap before chastising him for his corrupt actions as a law enforcement officer, demanding he leave Quahog. As the Georgia police force drive away, Joe remarks he is grateful to be in the north, "where people are civilized", only for he and the others to be insulted by Mayor West as he passes by on a bicycle immediately afterwards.

Production and development

Mike Henry returned as Cleveland in the episode. Mike Henry by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
Mike Henry returned as Cleveland in the episode.

The episode was directed by series regular Brian Iles and written by Artie Johann and Shawn Ries, [1] in their first episode of the series. Series regulars Peter Shin and James Purdum served as supervising directors, with Andrew Goldberg, Alex Carter, Spencer Porter, Anthony Blasucci, Mike Desilets, and Deepak Sethi serving as staff writers for the episode. [1] Composer Walter Murphy, who has worked on the series since its inception, returned to compose the music for the episode. [1] The episode saw the re-appearance of former main cast member Mike Henry as the voice of Cleveland Brown. The actor had previously left the role on Family Guy, in order to star as the character in his own spinoff, entitled The Cleveland Show , which was co-created by Henry. [2] Sanaa Lathan, who portrays Donna Tubbs on The Cleveland Show, also guest starred as her character in the episode. [1] "Cool Hand Peter" was first announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2011 by series showrunners and executive producers Steve Callaghan and Mark Hentemann. [3]

In addition to the regular cast and Lathan, actor Bob Gunton, voice actor Julius Sharpe, and actress Jennifer Tilly, who portrayed the sheriff, warden, UPS Guy and Bonnie Swanson, respectively, guest starred in the episode. [4] Recurring guest voice actors Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin, voice actor Ralph Garman, and writer John Viener made minor appearances throughout the episode. [1] Recurring cast members Adam West, and Patrick Warburton also appeared in the episode, portraying the characters of Adam West and Joe Swanson, respectively. [1] Bob Gunton's voicing of the warden is probably a nod to his most famous role, that of the warden in the film The Shawshank Redemption .

Cultural references

The title of the episode is a reference to the 1967 American film Cool Hand Luke . [5] In the opening scene of the episode, while Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire are drinking at the local bar, Peter's wife, Lois, calls him on his phone. The theme song from The Cleveland Show then begins playing as Peter's ringtone. [5] While the group drives to New Orleans, they attempt to pass the time by playing various games in the car. One of the games involves deciding whether to be a "hobo," or former German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. [5] After the group is pulled over by the sheriff, and arrested for drug possession, they are all taken to court, where the jury is revealed to be various characters from the Fox animation series The Simpsons . [5] [6] Peter and Joe then debated over whether the Simpson jurors were actually a jury of their peers. The warden of the prison resembles the warden in the movie The Shawshank Redemption , who is also authoritarian and cruel. In fact, the voice of the warden is the voice of Bob Gunton, the actor who portrayed the warden in the film. After the group escapes from jail, Peter remarks that he is filled with hunger, and would like to stop at a "Burger Queen" or "McDaniels" along the way back to Quahog, a reference to the American fast food restaurants Burger King and McDonald's, [5] as indicated by Quagmire. [1] who expresses his disdain that they are "on television".

Reception

"Cool Hand Peter" was originally broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 4, 2011. It was watched by 7.14 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, despite airing simultaneously with the Desperate Housewives on ABC, The Good Wife on CBS and Sunday Night Football on NBC. The episode also acquired a 3.6/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating Allen Gregory and The Cleveland Show , in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. [7] The episode's ratings increased significantly from the previous week's episode, "Amish Guy". [8]

The episode received mixed reviews, with Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club calling the storyline "disappointing." [5] He wrote of the episode, "At this juncture, disappointment is an expectation, something I have to fight against whenever I sit down to watch the show in an attempt to give each episode a fair shake." [5] He continued, "This week, I was at a bit of a loss, because despite a return to an older, more successful formula, with a clearly plotted path, Family Guy didn't muster up enough material to fill out the A-plot of a half hour." [5] McFarland also stated that the episode did not live up to the 1967 drama film Cool Hand Luke, that the title of the episode was named after. [5] He concluded his review of the episode by giving the episode a grade of C. [5] Terren R. Moore of Ology also found the episode to be unimpressive, noting, "It's good fun while it's on, but nothing here really sticks or adds to anything new to love about Family Guy." [9] Moore also commented, "it's a pretty weak episode of Family Guy, where the most memorable joke of the night involves a thought bubble where Quagmire pulls a string of beads out of a woman's vagina." [9] In the conclusion of the review, Moore gave the episode a 6/10 score. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Griffin</span> Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise

Peter Löwenbräu Griffin Sr. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American animated sitcom Family Guy. He is voiced by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in the episode "Death Has a Shadow" on January 31, 1999. Peter was created and designed by MacFarlane himself. MacFarlane was asked to pitch a pilot to the Fox Broadcasting Company based on Larry & Steve, a short made by MacFarlane which featured a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. For the series, Larry was renamed Peter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Brown</span> Family Guy and The Cleveland Show character

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 deadpan delivery. His established profession was that of a deli owner, before he switched over to being a postal worker after his return to Family Guy.

"Hell Comes to Quahog" is the third episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy, an episode produced for Season 4. It originally aired on Fox on September 24, 2006. The episode follows Meg after she requests her parents to buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter, decides to buy a tank, instead of the car Meg was interested in. Deciding to pay for a new car herself, Meg is able to get a job at Superstore USA, which eventually destroys the local economy of Quahog, and upsets the local community, leading Brian Griffin and Stewie to save the day.

"Whistle While Your Wife Works" is the fifth episode of season five of Family Guy, the last episode produced for Season 4. The show originally aired on Fox on November 12, 2006. The plot follows Peter losing his fingers after an accident while holding fireworks. Behind on his work and threatened with the possibility of dismissal, he asks Lois to catch up on his work for him, to which she agrees. However, he repeatedly attempts to seduce her, eventually succeeding, distracting her from the work. Meanwhile, Brian begins dating a woman named Jillian who, much to Stewie's delight, lacks general knowledge and intelligence.

"Barely Legal" is the eighth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on Fox on December 17, 2006. The plot sees Meg developing an obsession with Brian after he accompanies her as her date for the Junior Prom, eventually leading to her kidnapping Brian in order to rape him. Meanwhile, Peter and his friends join the Quahog Police Department to assist Joe with his work, but find being a police officer is not always about action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meet the Quagmires</span> 18th episode of the 5th season of Family Guy

"Meet the Quagmires" is the 18th and final episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on May 20, 2007. The episode features Peter after he goes back in time to live the single life a little longer, before he meets future wife Lois. This causes Quagmire to make his own move on Lois, and they ultimately end up marrying and having children; Peter is horrified by this "alternate timeline" and resolves to go back in time again and set things right.

"Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air" is the third episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It was an episode produced for season 5. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 7, 2007. Joe Swanson gets the impression that his wife Bonnie is tired of being married to a disabled person, so he decides to get a leg transplant. Excited about his new ability to walk, Joe dives head first into extreme sports and begins to hang around more active friends. Meanwhile, Peter and the guys are upset at how Joe is acting and decide to teach him a lesson. In doing so, he is re-crippled, and he makes amends with his friends.

"Baby Not on Board" is the fourth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 2, 2008. The episode features Stewie after he is accidentally left at home when the Griffins head for the Grand Canyon. The family soon notice his absence and rush home; however, Peter makes it more difficult for his family because of his immature behavior. Meanwhile, Stewie realizes how much he depends on his family while he is alone.

<i>Family Guy</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth season of animated television series Family Guy first aired on the Fox network in twenty-one episodes from September 27, 2009, to May 23, 2010, before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It ran on Sunday nights between May and July 2010 on BBC Three in the UK. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and dog Brian, all of whom reside in their hometown of Quahog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter's Progress</span> 16th episode of the 7th season of Family Guy

"Peter's Progress" is the 16th and final episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 17, 2009. In the episode, a psychic reads Peter's palms and discovers he led a fascinating past life as Griffin Peterson, a dignified gentleman in 17th-century England, who was the original founder of Quahog.

"Pilot" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the animated comedy series The Cleveland Show. Directed by Anthony Lioi and written by series creators Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry and Richard Appel, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009, along with the season 8 premiere of Family Guy. The episode follows Cleveland Brown, and his son, Cleveland, Jr., as they begin their journey across the country, with a final destination of California. The two give a final farewell to their friends in Quahog, Rhode Island, but along the way to their destination, they decide to stop in Cleveland's hometown of Stoolbend, Virginia. While there, Cleveland reconnects with an old crush he had in high school, named Donna Tubbs, and immediately finds love, and eventually a new family. Cleveland and Donna ultimately decide to get married, and the two families begin to accept each other into their new lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spies Reminiscent of Us</span> 3rd episode of the 8th season of Family Guy

"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 Like Us, featuring baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian as they discover that American spies Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd have moved into their neighbor Cleveland Brown's old house; they eventually follow them on a secret mission to Russia. Meanwhile, Peter, Joe, and Quagmire attempt to start an improv comedy group with very little success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Is the New Black</span> 7th episode of the 8th season of Family Guy

"Jerome Is the New Black" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 22, 2009. The episode follows Peter, Joe and Quagmire as they go on a search for a new friend, in the absence of Cleveland. The group eventually decides on Jerome, a hip bar patron, a choice Peter later regrets when he eventually finds out that Jerome and Lois used to date. Meanwhile, Brian attempts to discover the source of Quagmire's personal dislike of him, only to become upset once Quagmire rants at him during a dinner date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quagmire's Dad</span> 18th episode of the 8th season of Family Guy

"Quagmire's Dad" is the 18th episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 9, 2010. The episode features Quagmire after his father, Dan Quagmire, returns to the fictional city of Quahog and comes out as a trans woman. Dan has decided to have gender-affirming surgery and changes her name to Ida. Meanwhile, Brian travels to a seminar and, upon returning, has sex with Ida, who he does not realize is Quagmire's father.

"The Splendid Source" is the 19th episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Brian Iles and written by Mark Hentemann, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 16, 2010. The episode follows Peter, Joe and Quagmire as they set out on a journey to find the ultimate source of all the world's dirty jokes. Along the way, the group is reunited with their old friend, Cleveland Brown, while traveling through Stoolbend, Virginia. Their journey becomes much more difficult than expected when they are kidnapped and taken to a remote island. There, they discover a secret society of the world's greatest geniuses at the center of all the world's dirty jokes. The plot is based on a short story of the same name written by Richard Matheson and first published in the May 1956 edition of Playboy magazine.

"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 citizens of the fictional city of Quahog in the U.S. state of Rhode Island after they are invited by actor James Woods to his stately mansion on a remote island. While there, a series of murders occur, and the group struggles to determine who committed the mysterious acts, before ultimately attempting to escape from the island, and avoid being murdered themselves. The episode borrows its premise and title from Agatha Christie's 1939 murder mystery And Then There Were None, while also serving as a parody of the 1985 film Clue.

"Halloween on Spooner Street" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 2010. The episode follows baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian as they go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Stewie is confronted by bullies, who steal his candy, causing the two to attempt to take the candy back. Meanwhile, neighbors Peter and Joe decide to play several pranks on their other neighbor, Glenn Quagmire, causing him to want to seek revenge on his friends while Meg and Chris attend a teenage halloween party at Connie D'Amico's house. The episode is the first Halloween special of the series as well as one of the only episodes to have three subplots.

<i>Family Guy</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth season of Family Guy premiered on the Fox network from September 25, 2011, to May 20, 2012 with a one-hour broadcast of two episodes. The series follows the Griffin family, a dysfunctional family consisting of father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and the family dog Brian, who reside in their hometown of Quahog, a fictional city in Rhode Island.

"Amish Guy" is the seventh episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy, and the 172nd episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 27, 2011. The episode follows the Griffin family after their car breaks down in Amish country on their way back from a vacation. The family must then learn to adjust to the community for the weekend, until they are able to fix their car at a mechanic's. However, when Meg falls in love with an Amish boy named Eli, and his father forbids the two from ever seeing each other again, a Romeo and Juliet conflict arises between the two families. This results in a battle between the families, with the victor determining Meg and Eli's ultimate fate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumpy Old Man</span> 9th episode of the 10th season of Family Guy

"Grumpy Old Man" is the ninth episode of the tenth season of the American animated sitcom Family Guy, and the 174th episode overall. The episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 11, 2011. The episode follows Griffin family patriarch Lois Griffin's father, Carter Pewterschmidt, after he accidentally falls asleep while driving in a snowstorm. Concerned for his safety, Lois decides to admit him to a nursing home in Florida, in an attempt to help him adjust to life as an older man. Carter is reluctant to live in the retirement community, however, but eventually comes to enjoy the various activities at the home. Six months later, Carter suddenly becomes grumpy, and even more elderly, causing Peter to take him back to his old business and bring him back to normal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Holmquist, John; Hentemann, Mark; MacFarlane, Seth (2011-11-27). "Amish Guy". Family Guy. Season 10. Episode 06. Fox.
  2. ↑ Isler, Ramsey. "Family Guy: "Go Stewie Go" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  3. ↑ White, Cindy (2011-07-23). "Comic-Con: 10 Outrageous Things Coming in Family Guy's 10th Season". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  4. ↑ "Family Guy Episode: "Cool Hand Peter"". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2011-12-04. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 McFarland, Kevin (2011-12-05). "Family Guy – "Cool Hand Peter" Review". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  6. ↑ Hughes, Jason (2011-12-05). "'Simpsons' on the Jury for Peter and the Boys on 'Family Guy'". AOL TV. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  7. ↑ Gorman, Bill (2011-12-06). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time,' 'Housewives,' 'Family Guy' Adjusted Up; 'Pan Am,' 'CSI: Miami,' '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  8. ↑ Seidman, Robert (2011-11-29). "Sunday Final Ratings: Big Adjustment Up for 'Amazing Race'; No Adjustment for 'Once Upon a Time' + Steelers-Chiefs". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  9. 1 2 3 Moore, Terren R. (2011-12-05). "'Family Guy' Recap: "Cool Hand Peter"". Ology. Archived from the original on 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.