Template:Infobox Family Guy episode
Screwed the Pooch is an episode of Family Guy. Guest starring Bob Barker as himself.
Plot summary
The family goes to visit Lois' parents, and Peter finally wins the respect and friendship of Carter Pewterschmidt, Lois's wealthy and elitist father.
The cordiality is destroyed when Brian impregnates Sea Breeze, Pewterschmidt's prize winning, racing greyhound. Brian wants to raise the puppies himself, but Carter disapproves, so Brian escapes with Sea Breeze.
With help from Michael Eisner and Bill Gates, Sea Breeze is tracked down to a motel and the custody case goes to court. Carter brings up sordid details of Brian's past and personality to destroy his chances at trial.
It is decided by the judge that in order to have custody of his puppies, he must get neutered. Brian is finally faced with a tough decision: would he rather have custody of his puppies or keep his testicles? Lois informs him in the nick of time that Ted Turner impregnated Sea Breeze.
Notes
- During the trial, to prove that Brian is a competent father, Peter mentions things that he cannot remember about his children, but Brian does, such as Stewie's favorite book (Goodnight Moon) or Meg's real father (Stan Thompson). When the latter statement is mentioned, Meg is seen listening to music, unaware of the truth.
Cultural references
- The Price is Right host Bob Barker's entire film career is displayed in this episode, as in a brief shot, he fights with Happy Gilmore. Barker plays himself. It should be noted that there is a reference to neutering in the episode, which Barker strongly supports.
- In an attempt to impress his father-in-law, Peter reads a copy of The New Yorker magazine. After being stumped by one of the comics inside for literally days, Peter gives up and asks the newsvendor for a copy of the pornographic magazine Juggs instead.
- After Joe tells Peter to find a common ground with Lois' father, Peter acts upon the advice as if he were Ebenezer Scrooge; he shouts at Bob Cratchit, who's copying letters in the corner, telling him he has to work through Christmas, like in A Christmas Carol. Cratchit asks, "But, sir, what of Tiny Tim?" Peter responds, "Bah, he and his ukulele shall go wanting." (A reference to Tiny Tim the musician, not Cratchit's son).
- Carter mentions that, at a party, Peter approached the Premier of China and said, "Dong, where is my automobile?". The line is a reference to John Hughes's movie Sixteen Candles.
- Bill Gates' signal for a helicopter to pick him up is the Microsoft Windows symbol, and is a parody to the iconic method of signalling for Batman. It should be noted that the colors are swapped between the top and bottom rows.
- Brian having sex with Sea Breeze right on the race track and presumably impregnating her is a possible reference to the The Simpsons' episode Two Dozen and One Greyhounds, with Santa's Little Helper and a female greyhound, though it is so brief and incidental that this is ambiguous. The puppies born with human faces recalls the pig who looked suspiciously like Herbert Garrison in "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig" (South Park).
- Brian turns on World's Sluttiest Dogs on Fox, which is poking fun at Fox's numerous reality and sensationalism shows, like When Animals Attack and World's Wildest Police Chases.
- Brian and Sea Breeze are photographed being discovered in a closet by a soldier, just like Elián González.
- When Peter and Carter are smoking cigars at the greyhound racetrack, the ends of their cigars each glow in the shape of a circle with a diagonal line through it. This appears to be a "No Smoking" reference.
- Linda Blair from The Exorcist is at Brian's trial.
- Brian rented for Peter two Pauly Shore films, Bio-dome and Son in Law after Peter was banned from the video store for taping over their movies. Peter taped over a rented copy of Citizen Kane to let future viewers know Rosebud was "his sled. It was his sled from when he was a kid. There, I just saved you two boobless hours."
- Peter leaves the set of Survivor and trips into the set of The Price is Right. Interestingly, the numbers on the Showcase Showdown wheel are in the correct order.
Trivia
The New Yorker cartoon Peter stares at for days is signed "Hentemann," after Family Guy writer and producer Mark Hentemann.