No Meals on Wheels
Encyclopedia
"No Meals on Wheels" is the fourteenth episode of the fifth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on March 25, 2007. The episode features the Griffin family
opening a restaurant, and eventually become overwhelmed by Joe Swanson and his wheelchair friends. With this, Peter
decides to ban wheelchairs from their establishment, because they are "uncool". This causes Joe, along with his wheelchair-using friends to attempt to take back the restaurant, and prevent Peter from discriminating against them.
The episode was written by Mike Henry and directed by Greg Colton
. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 7.97 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Barclay DeVeau, Keith Ferguson
, Arnold McCuller
and Patrick Stewart
, along with several guest voice actors for the series. "No Meals on Wheels" was released on DVD
along with four other episodes from the season on October 21, 2008.
is annoyed by his friend Mort Goldman constantly borrowing his personal belongings, and eventually decides to create a "Scare-Jew", using his suit, which depicts Adolf Hitler
in an attempt to keep Mort away from his house. Frustrated, Lois
takes him to a clothing store to get a new suit, where Peter finds some flannel pajamas
. While wearing them, he suddenly notices that he can shock people with static electricity
by rubbing his feet on the carpet. Annoyed by this, Lois has the carpet completely removed, which leads the family to find an antique 18th century Rhode Island
ship token, hidden under the carpet, which the family sells for $50,000. With the money, Peter and Lois decide to live their dream of owning a restaurant
, naming it "Big Pete's House of Munch".
After continually rejecting customers, the business begins hemorrhaging money, until Joe promises to bring his friends to the restaurant. Peter is at first excited at the thought of his restaurant becoming the hangout for police officers, but eventually finds that Joe is actually bringing in fellow paraplegics
. The restaurant becomes a huge success among handicapped customers, but Peter is disappointed that what was supposed to be a cool restaurant has become a "cafeteria
at the veteran
s' hospital
." Angered, Peter bans them from entering with a "no shirt, no shoes, no legs, no service" policy. In response, the handicapped unite into a giant robot known as "CrippleTron," which begins attacking the restaurant while Peter, Chris
and Stewie
are on the roof. Stewie eventually takes matters into his own hands and defeats CrippleTron, which falls on Peter, injuring his legs. After being taken to the hospital, Peter needs to use a wheelchair for two weeks. Realizing the difficulty of being handicapped, he decides to apologize to Joe, and the two make amends.
The episode was written by main cast member Mike Henry, who provides the voice for the Family Guy character Cleveland Brown
, among others, and it was directed by series regular Greg Colton
. In animating the Cripple-Tron sequence, Colton largely utilized computer technology
to create the sequence, in addition to traditional animation and computer-generated imagery
.
"No Meals on Wheels", along with the four other episodes from Family Guys fifth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
set in the United States on October 21, 2008. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "100th Episode Special", and a mini-feature entitled Family Guy Live.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, voice actor Keith Ferguson
, singer Arnold McCuller
and actor Patrick Stewart
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
, Johnny Brennan, writer Steve Callaghan
, voice actor Chris Cox
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
The episode opens with the Griffin family watching an episode of Next Top Model
. The show's host, Tyra Banks
, is also shown, becoming furious at a contestant, and a giant iguana emerges from her mouth. After Mort attempts to borrow something from the Griffin family, Peter states that Mort is more burdensome than the Mexican Super Friends
. Deciding to scare him away, Peter then goes on to build a scarecrow that resembles former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
. This causes Mort to be scared from the family's home, and implores other Jews to protect Jon Stewart
, being that he is their "most important Jew."
Annoyed by Peter's constant shocking, Brian professes his discomfort by referencing his anger after O. J. Simpson
was acquitted of charges in the O. J. Simpson murder case
. After Lois expresses her hope for the restaurant to be successful, Stewie sarcastically states that it will be just as successful as Liza Minnelli
's Playboy
photoshoot. Returning home from the restaurant, Peter and Lois decide to watch an episode of Maude
, but the length of the opening theme song causes Peter to become fatigued by the show. Once the restaurant begins hemorrhaging money, Peter decides to shoot a commercial parodying M. Night Shyamalan
's 1999 film The Sixth Sense
. After Joe's handicapped friends take over the restaurant, Peter expresses his discomfort about the restaurant's coolness to Lois. Peter then retrieves a picture of American actor Mark Harmon
and shows it to his wife in an attempt to make her understand his concern.
Once Peter becomes handicapped, a montage of his difficulties as a paraplegic is shown, with Elton John
's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
" playing in the background. In the final scene of the episode, Peter decides to apologize to Joe for attempting to discriminate him for being handicapped. Accepting his apology, Joe invites Peter to join he and Bonnie while watching the ABC
medical drama Grey's Anatomy
.
, in the United States. The episode also acquired a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly edging out The Simpsons
, in addition to significantly winning over series creator Seth MacFarlane
's second show on Fox, American Dad!
, in both rating and total viewership. It was the 35th most-watched episode of the week.
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed, stating that the episode had "its moments, but as a whole, it was somewhat lacking." Ahsan Haque of IGN
found it to be "one of the most bizarre and tasteless episodes of the season." Furthermore, Haque noted, "as with almost every episode of Family Guy, the plot takes many strange twists and turns. That often this leads to a muddled story with no sense of direction." Haque also stated, that he was "amused by Peter's static shocking escapade" and "liked the restaurant themed story angle," saying that it was well executed. Overall, Haque finally noted that the episode managed to recapture some of the show's "so-offensive-you-have-to-groan" feel that was prevalent during the first few seasons. The fight with the Cripple-Tron ranked tenth position on IGN's Top 10 Fights in the show. Brett Love of TV Squad found the cultural references to be a "mixed bag," but noted his enjoyment of the restaurant scenes, as well as Quagmire's brief appearance. In closing his review, Love stated, "Overall, this one just didn't work for me. It's worth a look for a couple of the bits, but not an episode I'll watch when it gets repeated. They can't all be gems."
The Parents Television Council
, which has frequently criticized
the series, named the episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending April 6, 2007, for its insensitivity toward the disabled, as well as its gag depicting Adolf Hitler
as a scarecrow
, or "Scare Jew," as it was referred to in the episode.
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"...
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 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 March 25, 2007. The episode features 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...
opening a restaurant, and eventually become overwhelmed by Joe Swanson and his wheelchair friends. With this, 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....
decides to ban wheelchairs from their establishment, because they are "uncool". This causes Joe, along with his wheelchair-using friends to attempt to take back the restaurant, and prevent Peter from discriminating against them.
The episode was written by Mike Henry and directed by Greg Colton
Greg Colton
Greg Colton is an American animation director. Colton is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy....
. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and 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 7.97 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Barclay DeVeau, Keith Ferguson
Keith Ferguson
Keith James Ferguson is an American voice actor, well known as the voice of Blooregard Q. Kazoo on the Cartoon Network animated series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends...
, Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller is an American vocalist, record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. While establishing his own career as a singer, and working as a very busy session musician, McCuller has become best known for his work as a back-up singer for famous artists with long careers, including...
and Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
, along with several guest voice actors for the series. "No Meals on Wheels" was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
along with four other episodes from the season on October 21, 2008.
Plot
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 annoyed by his friend Mort Goldman constantly borrowing his personal belongings, and eventually decides to create a "Scare-Jew", using his suit, which depicts 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 an attempt to keep Mort away from his house. Frustrated, 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...
takes him to a clothing store to get a new suit, where Peter finds some flannel pajamas
Blanket sleeper
The blanket sleeper is a type of especially warm sleeping garment worn primarily during the winter in the United States and Canada...
. While wearing them, he suddenly notices that he can shock people with static electricity
Static electricity
Static electricity refers to the build-up of electric charge on the surface of objects. The static charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly neutralized by a discharge. Static electricity can be contrasted with current electricity, which can be delivered...
by rubbing his feet on the carpet. Annoyed by this, Lois has the carpet completely removed, which leads the family to find an antique 18th century 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...
ship token, hidden under the carpet, which the family sells for $50,000. With the money, Peter and Lois decide to live their dream of owning a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, naming it "Big Pete's House of Munch".
After continually rejecting customers, the business begins hemorrhaging money, until Joe promises to bring his friends to the restaurant. Peter is at first excited at the thought of his restaurant becoming the hangout for police officers, but eventually finds that Joe is actually bringing in fellow paraplegics
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...
. The restaurant becomes a huge success among handicapped customers, but Peter is disappointed that what was supposed to be a cool restaurant has become a "cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
at the veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s' hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
." Angered, Peter bans them from entering with a "no shirt, no shoes, no legs, no service" policy. In response, the handicapped unite into a giant robot known as "CrippleTron," which begins attacking the restaurant while Peter, 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 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....
are on the roof. Stewie eventually takes matters into his own hands and defeats CrippleTron, which falls on Peter, injuring his legs. After being taken to the hospital, Peter needs to use a wheelchair for two weeks. Realizing the difficulty of being handicapped, he decides to apologize to Joe, and the two make amends.
Production
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,...
, among others, and it was directed by series regular Greg Colton
Greg Colton
Greg Colton is an American animation director. Colton is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy....
. In animating the Cripple-Tron sequence, Colton largely utilized computer technology
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
to create the sequence, in addition to traditional animation and computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
.
"No Meals on Wheels", along with the four other episodes from Family Guys fifth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on October 21, 2008. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "100th Episode Special", and a mini-feature entitled Family Guy Live.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, voice actor Keith Ferguson
Keith Ferguson
Keith James Ferguson is an American voice actor, well known as the voice of Blooregard Q. Kazoo on the Cartoon Network animated series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends...
, singer Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller is an American vocalist, record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. While establishing his own career as a singer, and working as a very busy session musician, McCuller has become best known for his work as a back-up singer for famous artists with long careers, including...
and actor Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
, Johnny Brennan, writer Steve Callaghan
Steve 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...
, voice actor 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...
, 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.
Cultural references
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
. The show's host, Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
, is also shown, becoming furious at a contestant, and a giant iguana emerges from her mouth. After Mort attempts to borrow something from the Griffin family, Peter states that Mort is more burdensome than the Mexican Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...
. Deciding to scare him away, Peter then goes on to build a scarecrow that resembles former 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...
. This causes Mort to be scared from the family's home, and implores other Jews to protect Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, being that he is their "most important Jew."
Annoyed by Peter's constant shocking, Brian professes his discomfort by referencing his anger after O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
was acquitted of charges in the O. J. Simpson murder case
O. J. Simpson murder case
The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
. After Lois expresses her hope for the restaurant to be successful, Stewie sarcastically states that it will be just as successful as Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
's Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
photoshoot. Returning home from the restaurant, Peter and Lois decide to watch an episode of Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, but the length of the opening theme song causes Peter to become fatigued by the show. Once the restaurant begins hemorrhaging money, Peter decides to shoot a commercial parodying M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
's 1999 film The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
. After Joe's handicapped friends take over the restaurant, Peter expresses his discomfort about the restaurant's coolness to Lois. Peter then retrieves a picture of American actor Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon is an American actor who has been starring in American television programs and films since the mid-1970s, after a career as a collegiate football player with the UCLA Bruins. Since 2003, Harmon has starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the CBS series NCIS.-Early life:Harmon was born Thomas...
and shows it to his wife in an attempt to make her understand his concern.
Once Peter becomes handicapped, a montage of his difficulties as a paraplegic is shown, with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by British singer Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica...
" playing in the background. In the final scene of the episode, Peter decides to apologize to Joe for attempting to discriminate him for being handicapped. Accepting his apology, Joe invites Peter to join he and Bonnie while watching the 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...
medical drama Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
.
Reception
In a slight decrease from the previous week, the episode was viewed in 7.97 million homes in its original airing, according to 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...
, in the United States. The episode also acquired a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly edging out The Simpsons
The 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...
, in addition to significantly winning over 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,...
's second show on Fox, 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...
, in both rating and total viewership. It was the 35th most-watched episode of the week.
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed, stating that the episode had "its moments, but as a whole, it was somewhat lacking." 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...
found it to be "one of the most bizarre and tasteless episodes of the season." Furthermore, Haque noted, "as with almost every episode of Family Guy, the plot takes many strange twists and turns. That often this leads to a muddled story with no sense of direction." Haque also stated, that he was "amused by Peter's static shocking escapade" and "liked the restaurant themed story angle," saying that it was well executed. Overall, Haque finally noted that the episode managed to recapture some of the show's "so-offensive-you-have-to-groan" feel that was prevalent during the first few seasons. The fight with the Cripple-Tron ranked tenth position on IGN's Top 10 Fights in the show. Brett Love of TV Squad found the cultural references to be a "mixed bag," but noted his enjoyment of the restaurant scenes, as well as Quagmire's brief appearance. In closing his review, Love stated, "Overall, this one just didn't work for me. It's worth a look for a couple of the bits, but not an episode I'll watch when it gets repeated. They can't all be gems."
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...
, which has frequently criticized
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
the series, named the episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending April 6, 2007, for its insensitivity toward the disabled, as well as its gag depicting 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...
as a scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
, or "Scare Jew," as it was referred to in the episode.