The Fried Chicken Flu
Encyclopedia
"The Fried Chicken Flu" is the thirteenth episode of the third season
of the American animated television series The Boondocks
. It first aired in the United States on Cartoon Network
's programming block Adult Swim
on August 1, 2010. In the episode, the Freemans must survive in a post-apocalyptic world after a virus originating from KFC fried chicken
erupts across the country.
The episode was written by Aaron McGruder
and directed by Sung Dae Kang. The episode's plot makes references to the 2009 flu pandemic
, as well as a controversial Kentucky Fried Chicken-Oprah Winfrey
promotion for the former's then-new Kentucky Grilled Chicken product. The episode features Marion Ross
guest-starring as Ms. Marhoven, a resident of Woodcrest. The episode received mixed reviews from critics, who compared its overall quality to an episode from the show's first season
.
and Riley
are in the living room, eagerly watching TV coverage about the latest special at Kernel's Fried Chicken, a new type of chicken with 13 spices. Meanwhile, Huey
and Jazmine Dubois are busy testing out a generator
in the Freemans' garage. The power at the Freeman house then goes out as a result of Huey's generator bursting, causing an infuriated Granddad and Riley to leave for KFC to buy chicken. It is revealed that he has been testing the generator as a part of his survival plan for his family in the event that a pandemic sweeps the nation. Later, Jazmine asks if she can be included in the plan as well, and eventually convinces a reluctant Huey to do so.
At KFC, Granddad and Riley wait for hours in line at the drive-thru, only to discover that the restaurant has run out of chicken. The people waiting are infuriated, and a riot forms, causing the angry customers to barge into the restaurant. Granddad and Riley return home and watch the news, discovering that KFCs all over the country have been running out of chicken, resulting in riots, fires, looting and violence, which in turn result in food, water, and power shortages. At the same time, cases of an new, unknown virus have been reported across the country. Linked to the KFC virus, the virus is dubbed the "fried chicken flu", and by night the number of those infected has reached the thousands. Huey realizes that it is time for his plan to be put in effect, but his instructions are ignored by his family, who all believe they will die.
The next day, Huey's survival plans quickly fall apart. Thugnificent and his roommate Leonard, Granddad's friend Tina, and Jazmine's parents Tom and Sarah all take refuge in the house, though the food and water supply can only support four. More news reports come, predicting that millions will die as a result of the flu, and that the virus has possibly spread to other chicken restaurants. Huey finally gets his generator to work and restores power to the house, but this does not last long, as the house residents quickly use it up. Meanwhile, Uncle Ruckus
has tipped off the residents of Woodcrest that the Freeman house is loaded with supplies, and they demand that they be let into the house. Though they are able to temporarily drive away the residents with tear gas, things turn worse when Tom contracts the flu, as a result of eating buffalo wings
given to him by Leonard (Leonard apparently thought that buffalo wings came from actual buffalo
meat). Thugnificent and Tina are caught having sex with each other, and they, along with Leonard, are promptly kicked out of the house by Granddad. The remaining six realize that they must evacuate the house, and they take off with their supplies just as the Woodcrest residents come back, this time armed with gas masks and armor. This results in a high-speed car chase between the Woodcrest residents' bus and the Freemans' car, which is resolved when Thugnificent uses his UPS
delivery truck to block the bus' path and tip it over, allowing the Freemans' car to escape.
A news crew is then seen reporting outside a KFC restaurant, reporting that the entire situation has been over-exaggerated: no deaths have been reported from the "fried chicken flu" outbreak, which is revealed to have been nothing more than a mild salmonella
outbreak. The news report is interrupted when the Freemans' car accidentally crashes through the doors of the KFC, mirroring a previous scene in the episode. They are all exhausted, but Granddad and Riley finally get to order some chicken, right before they pass out.
and directed by Sung Dae Kang. In an interview preceding the season 3 premiere of The Boondocks, McGruder stated that it would the episode of the season that would most likely get him into a lawsuit.
, who had partnered with KFC. The promotion resulted in shortages of grilled chicken at KFC restaurants, which in turn caused riots. These two situations also take place in the episode.
The "fried chicken flu" pandemic is a reference to the 2009 swine flu pandemic
; Granddad even mentions the swine flu pandemic directly in the episode. The episodes features a satirical animation of American president Barack Obama
(voiced by Cedric Yarbrough) twice in the episode, giving addresses to the people of the United States.
graded the episode a B, writing that although "once the episode finally kicked into high gear at the end it was excellent", it overall "lacked punch" and "was more reminiscent of the slow-building, leisurely comedy of The Boondocks
first season
than the rapid-fire, high-octane excellence of season three
."
The Boondocks (season 3)
The third season of the animated television series, The Boondocks originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim...
of the American animated television series The Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
. It first aired in the United States on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's programming block Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
on August 1, 2010. In the episode, the Freemans must survive in a post-apocalyptic world after a virus originating from KFC fried chicken
Fried chicken
Fried chicken is a dish consisting of chicken pieces usually from broiler chickens which have been floured or battered and then pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior...
erupts across the country.
The episode was written by Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder is an American cartoonist best known for writing and drawing The Boondocks, a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip about two young African American brothers from inner-city Chicago now living with their grandfather in a sedate suburb, as well as being the creator and executive...
and directed by Sung Dae Kang. The episode's plot makes references to the 2009 flu pandemic
2009 flu pandemic
The 2009 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus , albeit in a new version...
, as well as a controversial Kentucky Fried Chicken-Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
promotion for the former's then-new Kentucky Grilled Chicken product. The episode features Marion Ross
Marion Ross
Marion Ross is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Cunningham on the television series Happy Days from 1974 to 1984.-Early life:...
guest-starring as Ms. Marhoven, a resident of Woodcrest. The episode received mixed reviews from critics, who compared its overall quality to an episode from the show's first season
The Boondocks (season 1)
The first season of the animated television series, The Boondocks originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim...
.
Plot
GranddadRobert Jebediah Freeman
Robert Jebediah "Granddad" Freeman is a fictional character in the animated television show The Boondocks, as well as a regular character in a comic strip of the same name. He lives in the suburb of Woodcrest with his two grandsons, Huey Freeman and Riley Freeman...
and Riley
Riley Freeman
Riley Freeman is a fictional character from the syndicated comic strip The Boondocks written by Aaron McGruder and its TV series adaptation...
are in the living room, eagerly watching TV coverage about the latest special at Kernel's Fried Chicken, a new type of chicken with 13 spices. Meanwhile, Huey
Huey Freeman
Huey Freeman is a fictional character of The Boondocks syndicated comic strip written by Aaron McGruder, as well as the main character and recurrent principal narrator of the animated TV series of the same name...
and Jazmine Dubois are busy testing out a generator
Generator
Generator may refer to:* Electrical generator* Engine-generator, an electrical generator, but with its own engine.* Generator , any of several closely related usages in mathematics.Computing:...
in the Freemans' garage. The power at the Freeman house then goes out as a result of Huey's generator bursting, causing an infuriated Granddad and Riley to leave for KFC to buy chicken. It is revealed that he has been testing the generator as a part of his survival plan for his family in the event that a pandemic sweeps the nation. Later, Jazmine asks if she can be included in the plan as well, and eventually convinces a reluctant Huey to do so.
At KFC, Granddad and Riley wait for hours in line at the drive-thru, only to discover that the restaurant has run out of chicken. The people waiting are infuriated, and a riot forms, causing the angry customers to barge into the restaurant. Granddad and Riley return home and watch the news, discovering that KFCs all over the country have been running out of chicken, resulting in riots, fires, looting and violence, which in turn result in food, water, and power shortages. At the same time, cases of an new, unknown virus have been reported across the country. Linked to the KFC virus, the virus is dubbed the "fried chicken flu", and by night the number of those infected has reached the thousands. Huey realizes that it is time for his plan to be put in effect, but his instructions are ignored by his family, who all believe they will die.
The next day, Huey's survival plans quickly fall apart. Thugnificent and his roommate Leonard, Granddad's friend Tina, and Jazmine's parents Tom and Sarah all take refuge in the house, though the food and water supply can only support four. More news reports come, predicting that millions will die as a result of the flu, and that the virus has possibly spread to other chicken restaurants. Huey finally gets his generator to work and restores power to the house, but this does not last long, as the house residents quickly use it up. Meanwhile, Uncle Ruckus
Uncle Ruckus
Uncle Ruckus, also known as Rev. Uncle Ruckus and Rev. Fr. Uncle Ruckus, as well as Uncle Rukus while serving at Robert Freeman's Soul Food restaurant "The Itis" , is a fictional character from the Boondocks comic strip and animated television series The Boondocks...
has tipped off the residents of Woodcrest that the Freeman house is loaded with supplies, and they demand that they be let into the house. Though they are able to temporarily drive away the residents with tear gas, things turn worse when Tom contracts the flu, as a result of eating buffalo wings
Buffalo wings
A Buffalo wing, hot wing or wing is a chicken wing section that is traditionally fried unbreaded and then coated in sauce...
given to him by Leonard (Leonard apparently thought that buffalo wings came from actual buffalo
Buffalo
-Bovine:* African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo * American Buffalo, North American colloquial name for American Bison * Wisent, or Eurasian Buffalo...
meat). Thugnificent and Tina are caught having sex with each other, and they, along with Leonard, are promptly kicked out of the house by Granddad. The remaining six realize that they must evacuate the house, and they take off with their supplies just as the Woodcrest residents come back, this time armed with gas masks and armor. This results in a high-speed car chase between the Woodcrest residents' bus and the Freemans' car, which is resolved when Thugnificent uses his UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
delivery truck to block the bus' path and tip it over, allowing the Freemans' car to escape.
A news crew is then seen reporting outside a KFC restaurant, reporting that the entire situation has been over-exaggerated: no deaths have been reported from the "fried chicken flu" outbreak, which is revealed to have been nothing more than a mild salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
outbreak. The news report is interrupted when the Freemans' car accidentally crashes through the doors of the KFC, mirroring a previous scene in the episode. They are all exhausted, but Granddad and Riley finally get to order some chicken, right before they pass out.
Production
Originally entitled "Kentucky Fried Flu", the episode was written by Aaron McGruderAaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder is an American cartoonist best known for writing and drawing The Boondocks, a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip about two young African American brothers from inner-city Chicago now living with their grandfather in a sedate suburb, as well as being the creator and executive...
and directed by Sung Dae Kang. In an interview preceding the season 3 premiere of The Boondocks, McGruder stated that it would the episode of the season that would most likely get him into a lawsuit.
Cultural references
"Kernel's Fried Chicken" is a reference to fast food restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken. Both restaurants have the same acronyms, and many aspects of "Kernel's Fried Chicken" are based on the real-life Kentucky Fried Chicken, such as the designs of their restaurant buildings, their employees' uniforms, and even their slogan. The episode also references Kentucky Fried Chicken's controversial promotion for their Kentucky Grilled Chicken; free coupons could be printed out on the website of talk show host Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, who had partnered with KFC. The promotion resulted in shortages of grilled chicken at KFC restaurants, which in turn caused riots. These two situations also take place in the episode.
The "fried chicken flu" pandemic is a reference to the 2009 swine flu pandemic
2009 flu pandemic
The 2009 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus , albeit in a new version...
; Granddad even mentions the swine flu pandemic directly in the episode. The episodes features a satirical animation of American president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(voiced by Cedric Yarbrough) twice in the episode, giving addresses to the people of the United States.
Critical reception
Leonard Pierce of The A.V. ClubThe 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...
graded the episode a B, writing that although "once the episode finally kicked into high gear at the end it was excellent", it overall "lacked punch" and "was more reminiscent of the slow-building, leisurely comedy of The Boondocks
The Boondocks
The Boondocks was a daily syndicated comic strip written and originally drawn by Aaron McGruder that ran from 1996 to 2006. Created by McGruder in 1996 for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park, the strip moved from the college pages and was printed in...
first season
The Boondocks (season 1)
The first season of the animated television series, The Boondocks originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim...
than the rapid-fire, high-octane excellence of season three
The Boondocks (season 3)
The third season of the animated television series, The Boondocks originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim...
."