Dueling Gyllenhaals And ’80s Robots — A “Family Guy” Recap

Posted by Sarah

Peter convinces Brian to move in with his girlfriend Jillian (voiced by Drew Barrymore). It would have been a good idea, had Jillian’s IQ been anywhere near Brian’s instead of wallowing down near Peter’s, but Peter meant well. Brian goes through with it, finds he actually enjoys it, but can’t afford rent and has to accept Stewie — who has taken over Chris’ paper route and is rolling in dough — as a paying roommate. Stewie interferes with the sleeping arrangements in ways that totally cross the line, as usual, and Brian and Jillian break up. Jillian starts dating Adam West, and Brian is left standing in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Meg gets a job at the convenience store thanks to her magazine alphabetizing skills, and gets Chris hired when she finds out he’s ditched his paper route. Chris and the manager spend all their time talking about their favorite movies while Meg does all the work, and when she complains, she gets fired. Chris withholds discussion of Event Horizon until Meg is rehired.

Highlights:

  • The Lifetime original movie “Men Are Terrible and Will Hurt You Because This Is Lifetime,” starring Valerie Bertinelli
  • Stewie’s summary of every Vince Vaughn movie: “Oh, I’m incapable of loving another person! Oh, wait — no I’m not! The end.”
  • Stewie’s attempt at cheering up Brian with Jinx, the robot from Space Camp (which I must have watched 12,000 times as a kid) and the big techno robot from Rocky IV
  • Clash of the Gyllenhaals:
    Maggie: “I’m more off-putting!”
    Jake: “No, I’m more off-putting!”
    (further argument over who’s a bigger box-office drag)
    Dad: “You’re both awful.”
  • And, of course, the reference to Event Horizon, which is a guilty-pleasure favorite of mine.

I give the episode a 7 out of 10, just because the season premiere set the bar so high.