Brian reconnects with an old friend from his days as a stray, who has become a millionaire. Meanwhile, Lois' new haircut becomes a complete war between her and Peter.
"Short Cuts" contains examples of:
- Berserk Button: Lois really doesn’t take kindly to Peter comparing her to Anne Hathaway.
- Bittersweet Ending: Brian loses one of his testicles, but at least he didn't get fully neutered, and it's replaced... with a jester bell.
- Continuity Nod: This episode brings up Brian's life as a homeless dog prior to being one of the Griffins, first told in "Brian, Portrait of a Dog", and referenced a few times since.
- Everything Except Most Things: Peter, again showing how much of a misogynist he is tells Lois that a woman's hairstyle is the only thing a man can control about women....besides their uterus, how much money they make and every other aspect of their lives.
- Evil Former Friend: George Townshend/Shredder is this to Brian.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Stewie saves Brian from the operation, but still belittles him for his behavior.
- Self-Made Man: George Townshend became this during his pursuit of revenge on Brian. Brian even pointed out that George wouldn't have had the motivation to become successful if it wasn't for him, and that is revenge in itself.
- Series Continuity Error: In this episode, Brian is getting neutered. However, in "Blind Ambition", he already received the operation (and earlier in "Screwed the Pooch", he was about to get neutered under court order until he discovered that Seabreeze's puppies were sired by Ted Turner). However, knowing this show, this may simply be a case of Negative Continuity.
