Long John Peter
Encyclopedia
"Long John Peter" is the twelfth episode and the season finale of the sixth season of the animated series Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on May 4, 2008. Written by Wellesley Wild
and directed by Dominic Polcino
, "Long John Peter" served as the final episode of the season, which was cut short due to creator Seth MacFarlane
's participation in the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
. In the episode, Chris
falls in love with a lovely vet intern Anna and turns to Peter for some advice.
"Long John Peter" was watched by 7.68 million viewers in its original broadcast, according to the Nielsen ratings
. Actress Amanda Bynes
guest starred as Anna, and Bryan Cranston
and Mae Whitman
made minor appearances in the episode. "Long John Peter" received generally positive reviews from critics, and was praised for its action sequence featuring Peter and a British man having a pirate fight on their cars.
are waiting for the examination results of Brian
at the veterinary
office of Dr. Jewish, as Brian had apparently had stomach pains prior to the events in the episode. Chris
spots a young intern named Anna and develops a crush for her. While there, Peter
finds a parrot and decides to keep it, leaving a dog wearing a top hat and a mustache in its place. Peter begins taking the parrot everywhere he goes, showing it off to his friends, Quagmire
, Cleveland
, and Joe, who, in turn, begin making suggestions as to how Peter could change his appearance to appear more "pirate-like" because of the resemblance between Peter and a pirate, who are known for keeping parrots as pets. Peter takes the advice given to him by his friends by dressing up in pirate clothing, gathering up a crew of other "pirates", and going by the name "Long John Peter
". Peter begins taking the pirate act to the extreme, even robbing a British man's car filled with sugarcane, tobacco, and spices. In the "battle" for the spices, Peter's parrot is severely injured and eventually dies.
Meanwhile, Chris and Anna begin dating. The relationship goes smoothly until Peter berates Chris for treating her too well. Peter tells him that women like bad boys
, so Chris calls Anna a "bitch" on their next date, thinking that will improve the relationship. Instead, she breaks up with him. After hearing what happened, Lois, furious at Peter, orders him to try and comfort Chris. Peter tries to make it up to Chris by introducing him to several other girls, but with little results. Lois
tells Chris that though his father's intentions are good, the only person he should turn to in this situation is himself. Chris returns to the vet (after beating Brian with a chair) to see Anna and apologizes to her. Anna decides to give Chris another chance while Brian painfully collapses on the floor, and Stewie
comes in and gives Brian his comeuppance by kicking him in the gut.
and directed by Dominic Polcino
. According to consulting producer Tom Devanney, Wild came up with the pirate story when he had been out of work for four weeks. Creator Seth MacFarlane
pitched the structure of the Chris and Peter story, which is, according to executive producer David A. Goodman
, the same story as in MacFarlane's pilot The Life of Larry. Actress Amanda Bynes
guest starred as Chris's love interest Anna, and Goodman praised her performance. Bryan Cranston
and Mae Whitman
guest starred as well, and recurring voice actors and writers Johnny Brennan, Alec Sulkin
, Chris Sheridan and John Viener made minor appearances.
"Long John Peter" contained several pop culture references. When Chris sees Anna for the first time, he starts singing the song "Crazy for You
", which was originally performed by Madonna
in the film Vision Quest
(1985). When Peter is fighting a British man, the title music from The Sea Hawk
(1940), composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
, is used. The episode mocks on what it would be like if Michael J. Fox
, who has Parkinson's disease
, would star as Zorro
. In a trailer for a film, the tune from Coldplay's
"Clocks
" is played.
. The episode finished second in its timeslot, after ABC's
Desperate Housewives
. "Long John Peter" acquired a 3.9 rating/10 share in the 18–49 demographic, and a 4.7 rating/7 share in the 18–34 demographic. The episode dropped in 9% from the previous episode, "The Former Life of Brian
", which received a 4.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic and a viewership of 8.42 million.
Since airing, "Long John Peter" has received generally positive reviews from television sources and critics. Ahsan Haque of IGN
wrote that "Long John Peter" was "thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and is a great way to end this short season on a high note." He praised the action sequence, calling it "truly inspired" and "extremely well scripted", and graded the episode 8.9 out of 10. Brad Trechak of TV Squad stated that "the pirate segment of the episode wasn't very good and seemed out of place", though he also praised the action scene. He enjoyed the plot line about Chris and Anna, and called the episode "a high note". Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club
wrote that "the pirate gag was fine enough, in that it resulted in an amusing land-battle sequence" and "Chris' storyline resulted in some of the best Family Guy laughs I've had in a while". She graded the episode A-.
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 4, 2008. Written by 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....
and directed by Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino is an animation director who has worked on The Simpsons, Mission Hill, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. Dominic worked on the first season of Family Guy, then left to direct for King of the Hill and then returned to Family Guy...
, "Long John Peter" served as the final episode of the season, which was cut short due to 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,...
's participation in the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
. In the episode, 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:...
falls in love with a lovely vet intern Anna and turns to Peter for some advice.
"Long John Peter" was watched by 7.68 million viewers in its original broadcast, according to the 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...
. Actress Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
guest starred as Anna, and Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
and Mae Whitman
Mae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
made minor appearances in the episode. "Long John Peter" received generally positive reviews from critics, and was praised for its action sequence featuring Peter and a British man having a pirate fight on their cars.
Plot
The Griffin familyGriffin 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...
are waiting for the examination results of 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...
at the veterinary
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
office of Dr. Jewish, as Brian had apparently had stomach pains prior to the events in the episode. 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:...
spots a young intern named Anna and develops a crush for her. While there, Peter
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....
finds a parrot and decides to keep it, leaving a dog wearing a top hat and a mustache in its place. Peter begins taking the parrot everywhere he goes, showing it off to his friends, 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...
, 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,...
, and Joe, who, in turn, begin making suggestions as to how Peter could change his appearance to appear more "pirate-like" because of the resemblance between Peter and a pirate, who are known for keeping parrots as pets. Peter takes the advice given to him by his friends by dressing up in pirate clothing, gathering up a crew of other "pirates", and going by the name "Long John Peter
Long John Silver
Long John Silver is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Silver is also known by the nicknames "Barbecue" and the "Sea-Cook".- Profile :...
". Peter begins taking the pirate act to the extreme, even robbing a British man's car filled with sugarcane, tobacco, and spices. In the "battle" for the spices, Peter's parrot is severely injured and eventually dies.
Meanwhile, Chris and Anna begin dating. The relationship goes smoothly until Peter berates Chris for treating her too well. Peter tells him that women like bad boys
Bad boy (archetype)
The bad boy, cad or bounder is a cultural archetype of a male who behaves badly, especially towards women.Being a promiscuous rogue may be as successful a reproductive strategy as the strategy of being a reliable provider. Evolutionary psychologist Professor Bill von Hippel claims that women are...
, so Chris calls Anna a "bitch" on their next date, thinking that will improve the relationship. Instead, she breaks up with him. After hearing what happened, Lois, furious at Peter, orders him to try and comfort Chris. Peter tries to make it up to Chris by introducing him to several other girls, but with little results. 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...
tells Chris that though his father's intentions are good, the only person he should turn to in this situation is himself. Chris returns to the vet (after beating Brian with a chair) to see Anna and apologizes to her. Anna decides to give Chris another chance while Brian painfully collapses on the floor, and 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....
comes in and gives Brian his comeuppance by kicking him in the gut.
Production and cultural references
"Long John Peter" was written by Wellesley WildWellesley 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....
and directed by Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino is an animation director who has worked on The Simpsons, Mission Hill, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. Dominic worked on the first season of Family Guy, then left to direct for King of the Hill and then returned to Family Guy...
. According to consulting producer Tom Devanney, Wild came up with the pirate story when he had been out of work for four weeks. 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,...
pitched the structure of the Chris and Peter story, which is, according to executive producer David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning an BA in 1984. He was one of the executive producers of Family Guy, beginning its fourth season, joining the show as a co-executive producer in season three...
, the same story as in MacFarlane's pilot The Life of Larry. Actress Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
guest starred as Chris's love interest Anna, and Goodman praised her performance. Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
and Mae Whitman
Mae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
guest starred as well, and recurring voice actors and writers Johnny Brennan, 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....
, Chris Sheridan and John Viener made minor appearances.
"Long John Peter" contained several pop culture references. When Chris sees Anna for the first time, he starts singing the song "Crazy for You
Crazy for You (song)
"Crazy for You" is a song by American singer Madonna for the 1985 film Vision Quest. It was released on March 2, 1985, by Geffen Records as the first single from the soundtrack album of the film, and later included on the ballads compilation Something to Remember...
", which was originally performed by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in the film Vision Quest
Vision Quest
Vision Quest is a 1985 coming of age drama film starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, and Ronny Cox. It is based on Terry Davis' novel of the same name. In some countries, it was released as Crazy for You to market on Madonna's emerging fame and the popularity of the song...
(1985). When Peter is fighting a British man, the title music from The Sea Hawk
The Sea Hawk (1940 film)
The Sea Hawk is a 1940 American Warner Bros. feature film starring Errol Flynn as an English privateer who defends his nation's interests on the eve of the Spanish Armada. The film was the tenth collaboration between Flynn and director Michael Curtiz. The film's screenplay by Howard Koch and Seton I...
(1940), composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austro-Hungarian film and romantic music composer. While his compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music has more recently undergone a reevaluation and a gradual reawakening of interest...
, is used. The episode mocks on what it would be like if Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
, who has Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, would star as Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
. In a trailer for a film, the tune from Coldplay's
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
"Clocks
Clocks (song)
"Clocks" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. Built around a piano riff, the song features cryptic lyrics of contrast and urgency themes. Several remixes of the track exist and its riff...
" is played.
Reception
In its original broadcast on May 4, 2008, "Long John Peter" was watched by 7.68 million households, according to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen 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...
. The episode finished second in its timeslot, after ABC's
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...
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...
. "Long John Peter" acquired a 3.9 rating/10 share in the 18–49 demographic, and a 4.7 rating/7 share in the 18–34 demographic. The episode dropped in 9% from the previous episode, "The Former Life of Brian
The Former Life of Brian
"The Former Life of Brian" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on April 27, 2008. It guest stars Harvey Fierstein as the older repulsive Tracy and Chace Crawford as Paul, the ne'er-do-well boyfriend of another woman...
", which received a 4.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic and a viewership of 8.42 million.
Since airing, "Long John Peter" has 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...
wrote that "Long John Peter" was "thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and is a great way to end this short season on a high note." He praised the action sequence, calling it "truly inspired" and "extremely well scripted", and graded the episode 8.9 out of 10. Brad Trechak of TV Squad stated that "the pirate segment of the episode wasn't very good and seemed out of place", though he also praised the action scene. He enjoyed the plot line about Chris and Anna, and called the episode "a high note". Genevieve Koski 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 that "the pirate gag was fine enough, in that it resulted in an amusing land-battle sequence" and "Chris' storyline resulted in some of the best Family Guy laughs I've had in a while". She graded the episode A-.