Three Kings (Family Guy)
Encyclopedia
"Three Kings", alternatively spelled "3 Kings", is the fifteenth episode of the seventh season of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on May 10, 2009. The episode is split into three segments, parodying films based on three Stephen King
novels; Stand by Me
, Misery
and The Shawshank Redemption
.
The episode was written by Alec Sulkin
and directed by Dominic Bianchi
. The episode received mostly positive reviews for its break from the usual storyline in the series, in addition to receiving some criticism from the Parents Television Council
. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 6.47 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Richard Dreyfuss
, Roy Scheider
and George Wendt
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
sitting in a study, explaining that "Lois
has been bitching that I watch too much TV and don't read enough books." He then picks out three novels by "the greatest author of the last thousand years," Stephen King
, and proceeds to share them with the viewer.
Stand by Me
In 1955, four 12-year old boys — Petey LaChance (Peter, with Richard Dreyfuss
's voice in his head narrating the story), Quag Chambers (Quagmire
), Joey Duchamp (Joe with Roy Scheider
's voice in his head), and Cleve Brown (Cleveland
) — set out to find a dead body in the woods, following a set of railroad tracks to find it. At the start of their trip, they try going through Old Man Pressman's (Stewie
) junkyard, only to be chased out by Pressman and his dog Chopper (Brian
). As they travel further down the tracks, they are chased across a bridge by a train
, which ends up running over Joey's legs, as does another train that follows closely behind, which effectively cripples him. The others end up going all the way back to Pressman's junkyard to get him a wheelchair
.
Upon finding the body (Meg Griffin
), they are confronted by the town bully Ace (Mayor West
) and his gang, consisting of cartoon characters Beast-Man and Mer-Man from Masters of the Universe
, the character Norm
from Cheers
, who come to take credit for finding the body. Ace threatens the boys with a knife, but Petey pulls out a gun to intimidate Ace, who swears he will come back for revenge and could get a gun tomorrow. However, since their next meeting will be inevitable, as they live in the same neighborhood, Petey lets Ace have the body to avoid further consequences. Upon returning home, the boys go their separate ways; Joey comes to terms with being crippled and creates a new wheelchair rugby
game, Cleve grows up to marry Rebecca Romijn
(who is the real-life wife of Jerry O'Connell
, who played the character of "the fat kid" in the actual film), and Quag grows up to become a famous Hollywood actor who eventually dies of a drug overdose
(a reference to the fact River Phoenix
, who played Chris Chambers in the actual film, went the same way).
) has just finished his latest and final installment in his series entitled Snuggly Jeff, a children's books in which he kills off the titular character so he can focus on more serious work, despite objections from his agent, Marcia (Lois
). While driving through a snowstorm, Paul accidentally hits Stephen King
with his car, causing Paul to swerve off the road and crash into a snowbank (while King, unharmed, is so inspired that he writes a best-selling novel about the incident before he even hits the ground).
Paul is rescued by Stewie Wilkes
(Stewie
), Paul's self-proclaimed number-one fan, who takes the injured Paul to his remote cabin. Upon finding and reading the manuscript of Paul's latest Snuggly Jeff book, Stewie is infuriated about the main character's death and forces Paul to rewrite it and bring Snuggly Jeff back to life, holding him hostage until he manages to do so, and throwing a pack of paper onto his legs to hurt him. When he tries to bring Snuggly Jeff back to life with a child's wish, Stewie says it is insulting to the reader, and talking about the film Contact
, and another spaceship being built on the other side of the world, which Stewie was angry at.
After sending Stewie out for more paper, Paul finds several news articles in an album that imply Wilkes is actually a serial killer
. Just then, the local sheriff (Joe) appears, and is surprised to find Paul there. Before he can help him, however, Stewie blows his legs off with a shotgun
. The sheriff then complains that he will now have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, only to be shot again and killed by Stewie. Paul finally finishes the book and demands Stewie let him go, but Stewie refuses, knowing he will try to turn him in to the police and tell them he kidnapped him, held him hostage, and fondled him in his sleep, which Brian did not know originally. Paul's ultimate fate is left ambiguous as the story ends with a Magnum, P.I.
-style credits roll.
The Shawshank Redemption
Andy Dufresne (Peter
) is sent to Shawshank Prison, though none of the inmates think much of him, particularly Red (Cleveland
, who narrates the story). A month passes before Andy literally says two words to Red, and later asks him for a rock hammer, claiming he carves Star Wars
figurines out of stone. He also suggests in a poorly veiled manner that he will use the hammer to tunnel out of the prison. Andy and Red end up becoming fast friends, and Red provides him with the rock hammer. One day, the prison's stern warden Samuel Norton (Carter) takes a liking to Andy's figurines and offers to sell them so he can take all the money for himself, crippling Bogs (Joe), one of the inmates who had raped Andy in the shower, as a sign of good will (despite Andy saying that he liked him). Andy is then given permission to clean Norton's office, and, while doing so, plays a record of "Hollaback Girl
" across the whole prison, which utterly confuses all the inmates and infuriates Norton, who places Andy in solitary confinement
for two months.
Afterward, Andy grows determined to escape from Shawshank, and informs Red that he is going to Zihuatanejo
in Mexico, telling him that if he should ever get out of prison, he should go to a hayfield in Buxton, Maine
, and there will be a volcanic rock, and a gift for him under it. During an inspection the next day, Andy has disappeared without a trace. In a fury, Norton throws one of Andy's rocks at a suggestive poster of David Cassidy
on the wall of Andy's cell, tearing a hole through Cassidy's rectum. Norton then pulls the poster off, discovering a tunnel that Andy had made his escape through the night before. Andy is then shown breaking into a sewage pipe while Norton is distracted by watching an episode of Friends, allowing him to crawl out to freedom. Sometime later, Red is brought before a parole board
and complains that the concept of rehabilitation
is just a way for the board members to make themselves feel important, and declares he will start killing people as soon as he is released; for no apparent reason, Red is put on parole
anyway and released from Shawshank. Red goes to the field in Buxton with the volcanic rock to fulfill his promise to Andy, finding a box beneath the rock containing money and a postcard asking if he remembers the name of the Mexican village Andy told him about; unfortunately, he does not. Andy is then shown preparing a boat on a beach in Zihuatanejo, eagerly waiting for Red to arrive, though Red never does, and not knowing what to do, as he can't call the Police.
At the end Peter thanks Stephen King and says they'll see him in court
.
In his second episode for the season, the first being "Stew-Roids", the episode was written by series regular Alec Sulkin
, and directed by Dominic Bianchi
before the conclusion of the seventh production season. It was the last episode to be handdrawn in animatics.
The three stories were chosen, according to series creator Seth MacFarlane
, mostly due to their "iconic" movie stature. Before producing the episode, writer Stephen King
was approached by the Family Guy production team to create the episode, and obtain his written permission to create it; with King agreeing to allow the show to create the parody.
In addition to the regular cast, actor Richard Dreyfuss
, actor Roy Scheider
, who recorded his part in the episode shortly before passing away in February 2008, and actor George Wendt
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Chris Cox
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
, and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
, American Dad!
and King of the Hill
. The Parents Television Council
named Family Guy the Worst TV Show of the Week because of the episode's "violence, sexual references and contribution to the coarsening of contemporary culture."
The episode received generally positive reviews from television sources and critics. Ahsan Haque of IGN
rated the episode an 8.4/10, calling the change of pace from the show's usual random storytelling "pleasant." The Misery segment was criticized as being flat, but was made up for by the other two, particularly The Shawshank Redemption. Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
gave it a B+ and called the Stand by Me story "too earnest to turn into much of a comic romp" and that the gags in The Shawshank Redemption were "too expected". He called Misery a "hoot", stating: "Anything where Brian is held in the palm of diabolical Stewie works wonders for me".
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 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...
in the United States on May 10, 2009. The episode is split into three segments, parodying films based on three Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
novels; Stand by Me
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
, Misery
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
and The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman....
.
The episode was written by 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....
and directed by Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi is an American animation director. Bianchi is known for directing multiple episodes of the animated series Family Guy, most notably the show's celebrated 150th episode, "Brian & Stewie"....
. The episode received mostly positive reviews for its break from the usual storyline in the series, in addition to receiving some criticism from the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
. 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 6.47 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
, Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
and George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
The episode opens with 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....
sitting in a study, explaining that "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...
has been bitching that I watch too much TV and don't read enough books." He then picks out three novels by "the greatest author of the last thousand years," Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, and proceeds to share them with the viewer.
Stand by MeThe Body (novella)The Body, or Fall from Innocence, is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in King's 1982 collection Different Seasons and in 1986 adapted into the acclaimed film Stand by Me...
In 1955, four 12-year old boys — Petey LaChance (Peter, with Richard DreyfussRichard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
's voice in his head narrating the story), Quag Chambers (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...
), Joey Duchamp (Joe with Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
's voice in his head), and Cleve Brown (Cleveland
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,...
) — set out to find a dead body in the woods, following a set of railroad tracks to find it. At the start of their trip, they try going through Old Man Pressman's (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....
) junkyard, only to be chased out by Pressman and his dog Chopper (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...
). As they travel further down the tracks, they are chased across a bridge by a train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
, which ends up running over Joey's legs, as does another train that follows closely behind, which effectively cripples him. The others end up going all the way back to Pressman's junkyard to get him a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
.
Upon finding the body (Meg Griffin
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....
), they are confronted by the town bully Ace (Mayor West
Adam West (Family Guy)
Adam West, also known as Mayor West, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. The character, voiced by the actor of the same name, is the eccentric mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the series is set.-Character:...
) and his gang, consisting of cartoon characters Beast-Man and Mer-Man from Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
, the character Norm
Norm Peterson
Hillary Norman "Norm" Peterson is a character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by George Wendt. Norm's real first name was revealed to be Hillary, named after his grandfather....
from Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, who come to take credit for finding the body. Ace threatens the boys with a knife, but Petey pulls out a gun to intimidate Ace, who swears he will come back for revenge and could get a gun tomorrow. However, since their next meeting will be inevitable, as they live in the same neighborhood, Petey lets Ace have the body to avoid further consequences. Upon returning home, the boys go their separate ways; Joey comes to terms with being crippled and creates a new wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
game, Cleve grows up to marry Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
(who is the real-life wife of Jerry O'Connell
Jerry O'Connell
Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
, who played the character of "the fat kid" in the actual film), and Quag grows up to become a famous Hollywood actor who eventually dies of a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
(a reference to the fact River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
, who played Chris Chambers in the actual film, went the same way).
Misery
Famed writer Paul Sheldon (BrianBrian 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...
) has just finished his latest and final installment in his series entitled Snuggly Jeff, a children's books in which he kills off the titular character so he can focus on more serious work, despite objections from his agent, Marcia (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...
). While driving through a snowstorm, Paul accidentally hits Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
with his car, causing Paul to swerve off the road and crash into a snowbank (while King, unharmed, is so inspired that he writes a best-selling novel about the incident before he even hits the ground).
Paul is rescued by Stewie Wilkes
Annie Wilkes
Anne Marie Wilkes Dugan, usually known as Annie Wilkes, is a fictional character and the antagonist/main villain in the 1987 novel Misery, by Stephen King. In the 1990 film adaptation of the novel, Annie Wilkes was portrayed by Kathy Bates, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal...
(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....
), Paul's self-proclaimed number-one fan, who takes the injured Paul to his remote cabin. Upon finding and reading the manuscript of Paul's latest Snuggly Jeff book, Stewie is infuriated about the main character's death and forces Paul to rewrite it and bring Snuggly Jeff back to life, holding him hostage until he manages to do so, and throwing a pack of paper onto his legs to hurt him. When he tries to bring Snuggly Jeff back to life with a child's wish, Stewie says it is insulting to the reader, and talking about the film Contact
Contact (film)
Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
, and another spaceship being built on the other side of the world, which Stewie was angry at.
After sending Stewie out for more paper, Paul finds several news articles in an album that imply Wilkes is actually a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Just then, the local sheriff (Joe) appears, and is surprised to find Paul there. Before he can help him, however, Stewie blows his legs off with a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
. The sheriff then complains that he will now have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, only to be shot again and killed by Stewie. Paul finally finishes the book and demands Stewie let him go, but Stewie refuses, knowing he will try to turn him in to the police and tell them he kidnapped him, held him hostage, and fondled him in his sleep, which Brian did not know originally. Paul's ultimate fate is left ambiguous as the story ends with a Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
-style credits roll.
The Shawshank RedemptionRita Hayworth and Shawshank RedemptionRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a novella by Stephen King, from his collection Different Seasons . It has been hailed by critics as King's "greatest work", and "masterpiece". The novella was adapted for the screen in 1994 as The Shawshank Redemption, itself a lauded film, nominated for...
Andy Dufresne (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....
) is sent to Shawshank Prison, though none of the inmates think much of him, particularly Red (Cleveland
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,...
, who narrates the story). A month passes before Andy literally says two words to Red, and later asks him for a rock hammer, claiming he carves Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
figurines out of stone. He also suggests in a poorly veiled manner that he will use the hammer to tunnel out of the prison. Andy and Red end up becoming fast friends, and Red provides him with the rock hammer. One day, the prison's stern warden Samuel Norton (Carter) takes a liking to Andy's figurines and offers to sell them so he can take all the money for himself, crippling Bogs (Joe), one of the inmates who had raped Andy in the shower, as a sign of good will (despite Andy saying that he liked him). Andy is then given permission to clean Norton's office, and, while doing so, plays a record of "Hollaback Girl
Hollaback Girl
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . As part of Stefani's vision of creating "a silly dance record", the song is influenced by 1980s dance and pop music...
" across the whole prison, which utterly confuses all the inmates and infuriates Norton, who places Andy in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
for two months.
Afterward, Andy grows determined to escape from Shawshank, and informs Red that he is going to Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo...
in Mexico, telling him that if he should ever get out of prison, he should go to a hayfield in Buxton, Maine
Buxton, Maine
Buxton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 7,452...
, and there will be a volcanic rock, and a gift for him under it. During an inspection the next day, Andy has disappeared without a trace. In a fury, Norton throws one of Andy's rocks at a suggestive poster of David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
on the wall of Andy's cell, tearing a hole through Cassidy's rectum. Norton then pulls the poster off, discovering a tunnel that Andy had made his escape through the night before. Andy is then shown breaking into a sewage pipe while Norton is distracted by watching an episode of Friends, allowing him to crawl out to freedom. Sometime later, Red is brought before a parole board
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
and complains that the concept of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
is just a way for the board members to make themselves feel important, and declares he will start killing people as soon as he is released; for no apparent reason, Red is put on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
anyway and released from Shawshank. Red goes to the field in Buxton with the volcanic rock to fulfill his promise to Andy, finding a box beneath the rock containing money and a postcard asking if he remembers the name of the Mexican village Andy told him about; unfortunately, he does not. Andy is then shown preparing a boat on a beach in Zihuatanejo, eagerly waiting for Red to arrive, though Red never does, and not knowing what to do, as he can't call the Police.
At the end Peter thanks Stephen King and says they'll see him in court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
.
Production
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....
, and directed by Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi is an American animation director. Bianchi is known for directing multiple episodes of the animated series Family Guy, most notably the show's celebrated 150th episode, "Brian & Stewie"....
before the conclusion of the seventh production season. It was the last episode to be handdrawn in animatics.
The three stories were chosen, according to series creator 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,...
, mostly due to their "iconic" movie stature. Before producing the episode, writer Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
was approached by the Family Guy production team to create the episode, and obtain his written permission to create it; with King agreeing to allow the show to create the parody.
In addition to the regular cast, actor Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
, actor Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
, who recorded his part in the episode shortly before passing away in February 2008, and actor George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, 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...
, writer Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, writer 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....
, and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
Reception
In its original airing in the United States, "Three Kings" was watched by 6.47 million homes and acquired a 3.2 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating 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...
, 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...
and King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
. The Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
named Family Guy the Worst TV Show of the Week because of the episode's "violence, sexual references and contribution to the coarsening of contemporary culture."
The episode received generally positive reviews from television sources and critics. Ahsan Haque of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode an 8.4/10, calling the change of pace from the show's usual random storytelling "pleasant." The Misery segment was criticized as being flat, but was made up for by the other two, particularly The Shawshank Redemption. Steve Heisler 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...
gave it a B+ and called the Stand by Me story "too earnest to turn into much of a comic romp" and that the gags in The Shawshank Redemption were "too expected". He called Misery a "hoot", stating: "Anything where Brian is held in the palm of diabolical Stewie works wonders for me".