Posted by Sarah
Brian’s essay wins first prize in the Rising Writers contest, meaning that he gets a free trip to Martha’s Vineyard and the chance to read part of the essay at a celebratory dinner. And since Peter’s idiocy has been straining his relationship with Lois, Brian invites them to come along and have a vacation. But who’ll watch the kids? Cleveland’s busy, so they decide on Herbert: “You’ve spent time watching children, right?” “Yes, yes I have.” Herbert’s babysitting stint includes a sponge bath (unfortunately, not by the Griffin kid he’d hoped for), Scattergories, and a perverse reading of Peter and the Wolf that prompts Chris to ask him if he’s a pedophile. ‘Bout time, there, Chris.
At the awards dinner, Peter misses Brian’s reading because he’s drunk. Brian reads anyway, and his essay is a love letter to Lois (which he admits later is mostly ripped off of Summer of ’42). The next morning, Peter’s hung over, so Lois and Brian spend the day doing all the things that a couple would do, while “As Time Goes By” plays in the background. When they get back to the hotel, they find a note saying that Peter’s had to cancel his dinner plans with Lois because he pooped his pants while watching Three’s Company and has to find a cleaner or a pants store. Lois and Brian rent movies and drink together, and when Lois is tipsy, Brian can’t restrain himself anymore. He attacks Lois, kissing her and ruining her good sweater. She knocks him down and puts him outside.
Peter comes back after having married Nathan Lane. He finds Brian in the hotel bar and confronts him about what happened with Lois, and a brawl breaks out (doesn’t it always?). Nathan Lane breaks it up, and Brian goes out to the dock where Lois meets him and says that she’s entertained feelings about Brian, too. The show ends with a rousing dance number about Massachusetts.
This episode had a few good moments:
- Sex Night was preempted by beekeeping
- Cleveland couldn’t babysit because he was on tour with Black Box (cut to Cleveland singing “Everybody Everybody”)
- Peter’s hangover fart
- The boardwalk caricature of Lois and Brian turned out to be Jane Jetson and Snoopy
- Stewie at the Grateful Dead concert: eyes ludicrously dilated, saying “I’ll trade my shirt for a grilled cheese.”
