Stewie Goes for a Drive
Encyclopedia
"Stewie Goes for a Drive" is the fourth episode of the tenth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on November 6, 2011 in the United States on Fox
. After actor Ryan Reynolds
moves into the house across the street, Peter Griffin
decides to befriend him. While attending dinner, Ryan begins flirting with Peter, causing him to become uncomfortable, and their friendship eventually ends. Meanwhile, baby Stewie
takes a car belonging to Brian
, the family dog, out for a joy ride, and eventually crashes it into a lamp post. Afraid of the consequences, Stewie decides to run away from home, but then needs Brian's help when he ends up in the wrong part of town.
The episode was written by Gary Janetti
and directed by Julius Wu
. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics for its storyline, and for its many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 5.73 million homes in its original airing. In addition to Reynolds, who voiced himself, the episode featured guest performances by Adam Alexi-Malle
, Ralph Garman
, Joe Lomonaco, Rachael MacFarlane
and Tara Strong
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
, along with his wife, Lois
, begin to return home. As they reach their car in the parking lot, actor Ryan Reynolds
drives by them, and asks for directions. As he leaves, he indicates his enjoyment of Peter's presence. The next day, when Peter exits his home, he notices that Ryan has moved into the house formerly occupied by neighbor Cleveland Brown
across the street. Peter then asks Ryan what he is doing in Quahog, and he reveals that he is filming for a movie. Excited about the prospect of being neighbors, Peter attends a housewarming party for Ryan later that night. At the party, Ryan begins to tickle Peter, with Ryan requesting Peter to return the favor. Later that week, the two decide to have dinner together. While there, Ryan attempts to kiss Peter, who decides to run out of the restaurant immediately. The next day, Peter approaches Lois and tells her that he believes that Ryan is gay
. Lois rejects the idea, causing Peter to visit Ryan and ask if he is attracted to him. Ryan tells Peter that he is not gay, and that he is only attracted to his spirit the way a man is attracted to a woman. Angered by Peter's accusation, Ryan then tells Peter to leave his home. As he leaves, however, Ryan hands him a cell phone so that the two "can stay in touch."
Meanwhile, Brian
goes to pick up Stewie
from day care. On the drive home, Stewie begins listening to the radio, and decides to stay in the car by himself to continue listening. As he begins to sing to the song, he becomes angered, and accidentally hits the stick shift, causing the car to move forward. Thinking he can now drive, Stewie decides to take the car for a drive later that day. Thrilled by the experience, he begins listening to the radio, and learns of a contest to win concert tickets to see Justin Bieber
. Attempting to enter, Stewie uses his cell phone to call the radio station. As he does so, the car begins to spin out of control, and crashes into a lamp post. Stewie then returns the car home, with the entire front of the vehicle completely destroyed. Brian soon discovers the damage, and immediately blames Stewie, who tries to deny his accusation. Brian then tells him that he is going to tell Peter and Lois, to the dismay of Stewie, who begins crying. Afraid of being punished, Stewie decides to run away from home, and leaves a disc for Brian to play and learn about his plans to leave Quahog. Stewie then takes the bus to the airport, but is dropped off at the wrong neighborhood. Consuela, the Griffin family
's former maid, finds him, and takes him home with her. Later, Brian is able to find Stewie, and tells him that he did not tell anyone about the incident. As the two attempt to leave Consuela's home, she insists on keeping him, to the chagrin of Stewie who steals a nearby gun, and shoots her in the foot. The two then leave, and return home.
and Mark Hentemann
, the episode was written by Gary Janetti
. Janetti joined the series in its first season
, writing "Brian: Portrait of a Dog
", as well as the series's landmark 150th episode "Brian & Stewie
". It was directed by Julius Wu
, who joined the show in its fifth season
, directing "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou
". Series regulars Peter Shin
and James Purdum
served as supervising director, with Andrew Goldberg, Alex Carter, Spencer Porter, Anthony Blasucci, Mike Desilets and Deepak Sethi serving as staff writers for the episode. Composer Ron Jones
, who has worked on the series since its inception, returned to compose the music for "Stewie Goes for a Drive". An announcement of Reynolds' appearance in the episode was made at the Television Critics Association
's summer press tour, along with several other guest voice actors for the season.
In addition to the regular cast, actor and musician Adam Alexi-Malle
, actor Ralph Garman
, voice actor Joe Lomonaco, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
, actor Ryan Reynolds
, and voice actress Tara Strong
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Alec Sulkin
, writer John Viener and writer Wellesley Wild
made minor appearances throughout the episode.
and the 2011 film The Change-Up. Impressed by Ryan's demeanor towards him, Peter then recalls meeting actress Shelley Duvall
, while attending a party, whom he did not enjoy meeting. Reynolds also reveals that he will be portraying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
in a film entitled Hotler, which is being filmed in Quahog rather than nearby Newport
, Rhode Island
.
Later, as Brian and Stewie drive home from his day care, they begin listening to the 2006 single "Before He Cheats
" on the car's radio, a song performed by American Idol
winner Carrie Underwood
. Once the song finishes, Stewie wishes he could appear on the Fox television series Glee
after having sung the song to himself. Once Stewie begins driving Brian's car, he learns of a contest to win tickets to a local concert being held by pop singer Justin Bieber
, he ultimately loses the contest, however, to his neighbor, Herbert
. After returning home, Stewie begins watching a film parodying various 1970s science fiction
movies, before being accused by Brian of crashing his car. When Stewie tries to reject blame for the incident, Brian tells him that he must accept his punishment, and compares it to the television game show The Price is Right
, in which a woman is shown accepting a poor showcase, involving a weeklong trip to her parent's house in Wilmington
, Delaware
. After running away from home, Stewie creates a disc for Brian to play, in which he asks him to bring a boombox
playing one of six songs, with "With or Without You
" by U2
, "Solsbury Hill
" by Peter Gabriel
, "Unwritten
" by Natasha Bedingfield
, "Live Like We're Dying
" by Kris Allen
, "Thank You
" by Dido
and "Somebody
" by Depeche Mode
then being given as suggestions.
and Allen Gregory
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
's second show, American Dad!
. It was watched by 5.73 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
, despite airing simultaneously with Desperate Housewives
on ABC
, The Good Wife on CBS
and Sunday Night Football
on NBC
. The episode also acquired a 3.0/7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating Allen Gregory and American Dad, in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings decreased somewhat from the previous week's episode, "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q
".
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed, calling the storyline a "much less extreme reversal" of the season two episode "The Story on Page One
", in which Peter attempts to seduce actor Luke Perry
. Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club
wrote of the episode, "It was disappointing to see Family Guy bury a guest star like Kaitlin Olson
in the background for much of her episode as Quagmire
's sister last week, but it was even worse to see the show waste Ryan Reynolds." He continued, "He may not fit an empirical definition of a movie star, but I think he’s worth more as a guest than a tired trope like playing himself as a sexual predator towards Peter." McFarland also criticized the episode's two storylines, noting, "Both plots paint themselves into a corner with no time to get out. In the third act, Stewie is trapped at Consuela's house and Peter hadn't succumbed to Reynolds' repetitive and slowly escalating advances or done anything about them, so the show snaps its fingers and ends each one prematurely." He graded the episode as a C-. In a much more positive review, Terron R. Moore of Ology
criticized the episode for not featuring Griffin family siblings Chris
and Meg
, but praised the series for adopting a Stewie-centric storyline. Moore noted of the storyline involving Reynolds, "All pretty funny stuff, but Ryan Reynolds' entire guest slot is based on the fact that you like Ryan Reynolds and his occasionally homoerotic humor, which I can definitely appreciate." He concluded his review by writing, "Not the best Family Guy, but a definite improvement on the week before, using some of the elements it knows best." Andy Neuenschwander of Yidio also gave mixed reaction to the episode, writing, "Something happens whenever a celebrity shows up on "Family Guy" and plays themselves. I can't quite put my finger on it, but everything just feels a bit off. This episode, which featured Ryan Reynolds as Ryan Reynolds, only confirmed that feeling." He also compared it to The Simpsons, noting, "Maybe it's the way the celebrity is treated as a character: in shows like The Simpsons, celebrities who play themselves appear as a relatively normal version of themselves But on Family Guy, celebrities tend to appear as some bizarro version of themselves."
Family Guy (season 10)
Family Guy tenth season debuted on the Fox network, on September 25, 2011. The series followed the Griffin family, a dysfunctional family consisting of father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and Brian, the family pet, who reside in their hometown of Quahog...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It originally aired on November 6, 2011 in the United States on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. After actor Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
moves into the house across the street, Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
decides to befriend him. While attending dinner, Ryan begins flirting with Peter, causing him to become uncomfortable, and their friendship eventually ends. Meanwhile, baby Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
takes a car belonging to Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
, the family dog, out for a joy ride, and eventually crashes it into a lamp post. Afraid of the consequences, Stewie decides to run away from home, but then needs Brian's help when he ends up in the wrong part of town.
The episode was written by Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti is an American television writer and producer.He has written for Family Guy, and was the executive producer of Will and Grace.-External links:...
and directed by Julius Wu
Julius Wu
Julius Wu is an American animation director. Wu is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy.Wu has also served as a director, assistant director and storyboard artist on King of the Hill and The Oblongs, before their cancellation.-Family Guy:Wu joined...
. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics for its storyline, and for its many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 5.73 million homes in its original airing. In addition to Reynolds, who voiced himself, the episode featured guest performances by Adam Alexi-Malle
Adam Alexi-Malle
Adam Alexi-Malle is an Italian actor, singer, dancer and musician born in Siena, Italy. His Italian father and Spanish/Arab mother later emigrated to London in the United Kingdom and finally to the United States...
, Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, Joe Lomonaco, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
and Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
After going to the doctor, PeterPeter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
, along with his wife, Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
, begin to return home. As they reach their car in the parking lot, actor Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
drives by them, and asks for directions. As he leaves, he indicates his enjoyment of Peter's presence. The next day, when Peter exits his home, he notices that Ryan has moved into the house formerly occupied by neighbor Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
across the street. Peter then asks Ryan what he is doing in Quahog, and he reveals that he is filming for a movie. Excited about the prospect of being neighbors, Peter attends a housewarming party for Ryan later that night. At the party, Ryan begins to tickle Peter, with Ryan requesting Peter to return the favor. Later that week, the two decide to have dinner together. While there, Ryan attempts to kiss Peter, who decides to run out of the restaurant immediately. The next day, Peter approaches Lois and tells her that he believes that Ryan is gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Lois rejects the idea, causing Peter to visit Ryan and ask if he is attracted to him. Ryan tells Peter that he is not gay, and that he is only attracted to his spirit the way a man is attracted to a woman. Angered by Peter's accusation, Ryan then tells Peter to leave his home. As he leaves, however, Ryan hands him a cell phone so that the two "can stay in touch."
Meanwhile, Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
goes to pick up Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
from day care. On the drive home, Stewie begins listening to the radio, and decides to stay in the car by himself to continue listening. As he begins to sing to the song, he becomes angered, and accidentally hits the stick shift, causing the car to move forward. Thinking he can now drive, Stewie decides to take the car for a drive later that day. Thrilled by the experience, he begins listening to the radio, and learns of a contest to win concert tickets to see Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. Attempting to enter, Stewie uses his cell phone to call the radio station. As he does so, the car begins to spin out of control, and crashes into a lamp post. Stewie then returns the car home, with the entire front of the vehicle completely destroyed. Brian soon discovers the damage, and immediately blames Stewie, who tries to deny his accusation. Brian then tells him that he is going to tell Peter and Lois, to the dismay of Stewie, who begins crying. Afraid of being punished, Stewie decides to run away from home, and leaves a disc for Brian to play and learn about his plans to leave Quahog. Stewie then takes the bus to the airport, but is dropped off at the wrong neighborhood. Consuela, the Griffin family
Griffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
's former maid, finds him, and takes him home with her. Later, Brian is able to find Stewie, and tells him that he did not tell anyone about the incident. As the two attempt to leave Consuela's home, she insists on keeping him, to the chagrin of Stewie who steals a nearby gun, and shoots her in the foot. The two then leave, and return home.
Production and development
First announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International by series showrunners Steve CallaghanSteve Callaghan
Steve Callaghan is an American screenwriter, producer and voice actor, best known for his work on Family Guy. He is a graduate of the Department of Public Policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs...
and Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
, the episode was written by Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti is an American television writer and producer.He has written for Family Guy, and was the executive producer of Will and Grace.-External links:...
. Janetti joined the series in its first season
Family Guy (season 1)
The first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy aired on Fox from January 31, 1999, to May 16, 1999, and consisted of seven episodes. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and their anthropomorphic dog Brian,...
, writing "Brian: Portrait of a Dog
Brian: Portrait of a Dog
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" is the seventh episode and the season finale of the first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 16, 1999. The episode features anthropomorphic dog Brian after he swallows his pride, and joins a dog show,...
", as well as the series's landmark 150th episode "Brian & Stewie
Brian & Stewie
"Brian & Stewie" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season, and 150th overall episode, of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on May 2, 2010. The episode features anthropomorphic dog Brian and baby Stewie after they are accidentally trapped inside of a...
". It was directed by Julius Wu
Julius Wu
Julius Wu is an American animation director. Wu is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy.Wu has also served as a director, assistant director and storyboard artist on King of the Hill and The Oblongs, before their cancellation.-Family Guy:Wu joined...
, who joined the show in its fifth season
Family Guy (season 5)
Family Guy fifth season first aired on the Fox network in eighteen episodes from September 10, 2006 to May 20, 2007 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "Stewie Loves Lois" and finished with "Meet the Quagmires"...
, directing "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou
"The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is the eleventh episode of season five of Family Guy, which originally aired on February 18, 2007. After discovering Chris is being tormented by a bully, Peter goes to the bully's house to speak with him, but ends up beating him up...
". Series regulars Peter Shin
Peter Shin
Peter Shin is the:*supervising director of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story*director of Big Bug Man.*director of Family Guy episodes:**"Death Has a Shadow"**"Emission Impossible"**"North by North Quahog"**"It's a Trap!"...
and James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
served as supervising director, with Andrew Goldberg, Alex Carter, Spencer Porter, Anthony Blasucci, Mike Desilets and Deepak Sethi serving as staff writers for the episode. Composer Ron Jones
Ron Jones (composer)
Ron Jones is an American composer who has written music for TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Duck Tales, American Dad!, and Family Guy...
, who has worked on the series since its inception, returned to compose the music for "Stewie Goes for a Drive". An announcement of Reynolds' appearance in the episode was made at the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
's summer press tour, along with several other guest voice actors for the season.
In addition to the regular cast, actor and musician Adam Alexi-Malle
Adam Alexi-Malle
Adam Alexi-Malle is an Italian actor, singer, dancer and musician born in Siena, Italy. His Italian father and Spanish/Arab mother later emigrated to London in the United Kingdom and finally to the United States...
, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, voice actor Joe Lomonaco, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
, actor Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
, and voice actress Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
, writer John Viener and writer Wellesley Wild
Wellesley Wild
Wellesley Wild is an American animation writer. He is best known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy. He is currently co-executive producer and an occasional voice actor for the show....
made minor appearances throughout the episode.
Cultural references
In the opening scene of the episode when Peter and Lois first meet actor Ryan Reynolds, he makes a reference to various movies he has appeared in, including the 2009 film The ProposalThe Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
and the 2011 film The Change-Up. Impressed by Ryan's demeanor towards him, Peter then recalls meeting actress Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....
, while attending a party, whom he did not enjoy meeting. Reynolds also reveals that he will be portraying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in a film entitled Hotler, which is being filmed in Quahog rather than nearby Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
Later, as Brian and Stewie drive home from his day care, they begin listening to the 2006 single "Before He Cheats
Before He Cheats
"Before He Cheats" is a song written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and the third wide-release single from Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It was the fifth release from the album overall. It was named the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association...
" on the car's radio, a song performed by American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
. Once the song finishes, Stewie wishes he could appear on the Fox television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
after having sung the song to himself. Once Stewie begins driving Brian's car, he learns of a contest to win tickets to a local concert being held by pop singer Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, he ultimately loses the contest, however, to his neighbor, Herbert
Herbert (Family Guy)
Herbert is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character...
. After returning home, Stewie begins watching a film parodying various 1970s science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
movies, before being accused by Brian of crashing his car. When Stewie tries to reject blame for the incident, Brian tells him that he must accept his punishment, and compares it to the television game show The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
, in which a woman is shown accepting a poor showcase, involving a weeklong trip to her parent's house in Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. After running away from home, Stewie creates a disc for Brian to play, in which he asks him to bring a boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
playing one of six songs, with "With or Without You
With or Without You
"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
" by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, "Solsbury Hill
Solsbury Hill
Little Solsbury Hill is a small flat-topped hill and the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It is located above the village of Batheaston in Somerset, England. The hill rises to above the River Avon which is just over to the south. It is within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
" by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, "Unwritten
Unwritten (song)
"Unwritten" is a song by English singer Natasha Bedingfield. Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodriguez wrote it for her debut album, Unwritten. The single was released as the album's third UK single and second US single...
" by Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
, "Live Like We're Dying
Live Like We're Dying
"Live Like We're Dying" is a song performed by American recording artist Kris Allen. The song serves as the lead single from his self-titled major label debut album. The song was originally recorded by Irish pop band The Script as a bonus track and B-side in select territories on their self titled...
" by Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
, "Thank You
Thank You (Dido song)
"Thank You" is a song by Dido. The song made its first appearance in 1998, on the soundtrack of Sliding Doors, although it was not released as a single until late 2000. It later featured on Dido's debut album, No Angel, becoming the album's biggest hit...
" by Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
and "Somebody
Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody
"Blasphemous Rumours"/"Somebody" is Depeche Mode's twelfth UK single and first double A-side single, released on 29 October, 1984.Both A-side songs are from the album Some Great Reward...
" by Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
then being given as suggestions.
Reception
"Stewie Goes for a Drive" was broadcast on November 6, 2011, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory is an American animated television series created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul that airs on FOX. The series premiered on October 30, 2011.-Synopsis:...
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
's second show, American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. It was watched by 5.73 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, despite airing simultaneously with Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, The Good Wife on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode also acquired a 3.0/7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating Allen Gregory and American Dad, in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings decreased somewhat from the previous week's episode, "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q
Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q
"Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q" is the third episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on October 30, 2011 in the United States on Fox. The episode follows Griffin family neighbor Glenn Quagmire's sister, Brenda, as she struggles with...
".
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed, calling the storyline a "much less extreme reversal" of the season two episode "The Story on Page One
The Story on Page One
"The Story on Page One" is an episode from the second season of the FOX animated series Family Guy. It is the 26th episode of Family Guy. It guest-stars Luke Perry as himself.-Plot:...
", in which Peter attempts to seduce actor Luke Perry
Luke Perry
Luke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
. Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote of the episode, "It was disappointing to see Family Guy bury a guest star like Kaitlin Olson
Kaitlin Olson
Kaitlin Olson is an American Bald Eagle best known for playing Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.-Early life and career:...
in the background for much of her episode as Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
's sister last week, but it was even worse to see the show waste Ryan Reynolds." He continued, "He may not fit an empirical definition of a movie star, but I think he’s worth more as a guest than a tired trope like playing himself as a sexual predator towards Peter." McFarland also criticized the episode's two storylines, noting, "Both plots paint themselves into a corner with no time to get out. In the third act, Stewie is trapped at Consuela's house and Peter hadn't succumbed to Reynolds' repetitive and slowly escalating advances or done anything about them, so the show snaps its fingers and ends each one prematurely." He graded the episode as a C-. In a much more positive review, Terron R. Moore of Ology
Ology
Ology is an entertainment and social media website based in New York City. It is run by Beth Haggerty and Vivian Moran, both of whom founded it. The company focuses on helping users to find and share content about their interests.-History:...
criticized the episode for not featuring Griffin family siblings Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
and Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
, but praised the series for adopting a Stewie-centric storyline. Moore noted of the storyline involving Reynolds, "All pretty funny stuff, but Ryan Reynolds' entire guest slot is based on the fact that you like Ryan Reynolds and his occasionally homoerotic humor, which I can definitely appreciate." He concluded his review by writing, "Not the best Family Guy, but a definite improvement on the week before, using some of the elements it knows best." Andy Neuenschwander of Yidio also gave mixed reaction to the episode, writing, "Something happens whenever a celebrity shows up on "Family Guy" and plays themselves. I can't quite put my finger on it, but everything just feels a bit off. This episode, which featured Ryan Reynolds as Ryan Reynolds, only confirmed that feeling." He also compared it to The Simpsons, noting, "Maybe it's the way the celebrity is treated as a character: in shows like The Simpsons, celebrities who play themselves appear as a relatively normal version of themselves But on Family Guy, celebrities tend to appear as some bizarro version of themselves."