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Recap / Family Guy S 2 E 4 Brian In Love

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Original air date: 3/7/2000 (produced in 1999)

Production code: 2ACX-01

After finding puddles of urine around the house, Lois thinks Stewie did it and it's time for him to get toilet-trained. But when Brian is out with the family and pees in public, Brian decides to go to therapy to find the cause of it.

This episode is notable for being the very first episode of Family Guy to air on [adult swim] beginning an 18 year-long syndication run that was partially responsible for the show's eventual uncancellation.

This episode contains examples of:

  • Armour-Piercing Question: When Brian tries to convince his therapist that he's not in love with Lois, the therapist responds: "Who are you trying to convince, me or you?". It's at this point that Brian realises that he can't deny it any longer.
  • Bait-and-Switch
    • At the beginning of the episode:
    Chris: (on the phone) So, what are you wearing? (laughs) Wow, I bet you could see right through that.
    Lois: Chris, who are you talking to?
    Chris: (to Lois) Grandma.
    • Later, Peter flashes back to the first time he peed in a toilet. It crossfades to an image of Peter as a child...then pulls out to reveal that it's a photo hanging in the family's living room as Peter runs in, zipping his pants and excitedly telling Lois "I did it!"
  • Bond, James Bond:
    Lois: This could be a nice way for you and Stewie to bond.
    Peter: "Bond"? James Bond. All right, Lois, I'll do it!
  • Domestic Abuse: Implied with the The Jetsons parody, wherein an angry George confronts Jane for not rescuing him from the out-of-control dog-walking conveyor belt (a parody of the original 1960s closing credits), particularly hinted at when Elroy is told to go to his room, Elroy balks and George repeats his demand him more sternly.
  • Dream Within a Dream: Seen in the cold open, where Stewie appears in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and kills everyone, but then he wakes up to find it was a dream. Lois then peels off her rubber mask and wig to reveal Mr. Rogers, and then Stewie wakes up for real (complete with Catapult Nightmare).
  • Go to Your Room!: George Jetson says this to Elroy before he chews out Jane for not rescuing him from the out-of-control conveyor belt.
  • Incest Subtext: When Stewie teases Brian's crush for Lois, he asks for playful innocent kisses from Lois. Then, after Brian leaves, pushes the envelope more by unhooking Lois's bra, which squicks out Lois. He could have wanted to breastfeed on Lois just to spite Brian more.
    Lois: Stewie? Did... did you unhook mommy's bra?
  • Interspecies Romance: Brian has the hots for Lois.
  • Potty Failure: What causes Brian to seek therapy.
  • Sarcasm-Blind: When Stewie refuses to use the toilet:
    Peter: Maybe you don't have to pee. I oughta just give you some beer. Goes right through you.
    Stewie: Wonderful. And while we're at it, we can light up a doobie and watch porn.
    Peter: Y... yeah?
  • Shout-Out: Brian describes one of his dreams to the therapist: It's a parody of Logan's Run. In the same sequence, Brian (who is old enough to be executed) rats on Snoopy:
    Brian: What about him? He's gotta be in his fifties! note 
  • Staging an Intervention: One cutaway features Peter's family and friends having an intervention for his refusal to take off a giant foam cowboy hat.
  • Take That!:
    • In one scene, Peter says, "Lots of crazy people have gone on to lead normal, successful lives." Cue a still shot of Dan Rather.
    • In one of the bits in his traveling montage, Brian accidentally runs over who he thinks is Stephen King with his car; when he finds out it's Dean Koontz, he backs over the body.
    • This line from Peter after Brian wets himself:
    Peter: Jeez, Brian, where do you think you are? Payless?
    • Peter unknowingly does this to himself and Lois. When Brian says he and the woman he loves (who Peter doesn't know yet is Lois) are Better as Friends, Peter responds, "So she dumped you, huh? Ah, to hell with her. She'll probably wind up with some idiot. Serves her right."
  • Talking Animal: Peter flat out forgets Brian can talk in one scene.
    Brian: He [the therapist], uh thinks I'm in love.
    Peter: Oh my God! You can talk!
    (Beat)
    Brian: Nevermind.
  • Toilet Training Plot: Peter tries to toilet train Stewie after he thought he'd peed on the rug when it was actually Brian. Also in this episode, there's a cutaway gag where Charles Lindbergh tries to potty-train his six-month-old son, but the baby gets flushed down the toilet, so Charles lies that the boy was kidnapped.
  • You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Stewie's reaction when Brian pees in the middle of the supermarket, and he realises that he was being blamed for Brian's peeing on the carpet the whole time.
  • You Keep Telling Yourself That:
    Brian: Lois. Well, she's a fantastic woman. She's compassionate and charming, attractive. Well, stunning really. I guess you could say I really-
    Therapist: Love her?
    Brian: No, of course not. Me and Lois? That's sick. Come on, she's my best friend's wife. Look, I love Lois, but I'm not in love with her.
    Therapist: Mm-hm. Who are you trying to convince, Brian, me or you?
    Brian: ...Oh, Brian, Brian. What a mess.

 
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A Mister Rogers Double Dream

Stewie kills Fred Rogers, and wakes up to find it was a dream... but then Lois is really Mister Rogers in disguise! It's another dream!

How well does it match the trope?

5 (8 votes)

Example of:

Main / DreamWithinADream

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