The One About Friends
Encyclopedia
"The One About Friends" is the third episode of The Cleveland Show
. The episode aired on October 11, 2009 on Fox Broadcasting Company
. In the episode, Cleveland, concerned that Cleveland Jr has no friends, invites his neighbor Lester’s son Ernie to their house. Ernie becomes attached to the family and Cleveland calls child services to have Ernie taken back home. When the plan backfires, Cleveland helps Lester get his son back.
The episode was written by Jonathan Green
and Gabe Miller and directed by Oreste Canestrelli. It was viewed by approximately 7.8 million viewers in its original airing.
notices his son, Cleveland Jr. has no friends, and sets out to find him a good friend. However, trying to find a friend for Cleveland Jr. gets a little difficult. Cleveland finds a kid for his son to play basketball with, but instead, the kid throws the basketball at Cleveland, sending him to the ground. Afterwards he runs of with Cleveland's wallet. Another negative setback happens when Cleveland asks another boy to play with Cleveland Jr., while the boy (who turns out to be an undercover cop) thinks that "Cleveland Jr." is Cleveland's nickname for his penis and assumes he his trying to solicit sex.
Finally, Cleveland finds out that Lester's son, Ernie has no friends, which Cleveland realizes is a perfect opportunity to have his son make friends with another friendless child. It goes well, but things take a turn for the worse. Ernie leaves his family and joins the Brown family, much to their dismay. Ernie is unsanitary and disgusting, which pushes Donna to make Cleveland call child services and get Ernie back in his home.
When a child service employee shows up, he brings Ernie back to his family, but instantly takes him away after he finds out how horrific Ernie's home is. Lester finds out that Cleveland called child services on Ernie, which messes up the relationship between the two.
Cleveland decides to get Ernie back, after he finds Cleveland Jr. miserable. Lester takes Cleveland (and some of Lester's redneck buddies) to Ernie's foster home, to get him back. But negotiations quickly turn sour, before matters turn into a shootout, but the foster parents are armed to the teeth. In the midst of the fight, in which most of the rednecks die, Cleveland convinces the child worker that he could check in on Ernie from time-to-time. Unfortunately, the worker was shot by a stray bullet before he could fully sign the release form, though Cleveland finishes signing for him. Though Lester has got legal custody of his son, the fosters outnumber him. Luckily, Cleveland shoots down a chandelier on them, trapping them.
Lester and Cleveland become friends again, and things end happily, despite all the deaths.
Meanwhile, Holt and Tim go to Vegas. Tim the Bear
, who insinuates he is on ecstasy
, has a great time, while Holt is unable to get into the nightclub due to his stature.
graded the episode a B-, stating "Cleveland still seems like kind of an unobtrusive person to build a show around, but if he’s quietly involving himself in the lives of the people in his neighborhood, he could prove to be a good lead".
The Parents Television Council
, a frequent critic
of The Cleveland Shows parent show, Family Guy
, named this episode its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending October 16, 2009, due to sexual humor and extreme violence. In addition to an early scene where Cleveland tries to get a man — who turns out to be an undercover police officer — to "play" with Cleveland Jr. and several scenes where Ernie causes havoc in the household, the PTC cited the climatic scene, wherein Lester organizes an armed posse to "rescue" Ernie from his foster family. "In lieu of actual wit or creativity, MacFarlane’s franchises always fall back on cheap sex and gory violence as crutches to get from one scene to the next", the PTC noted in its review.
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. The episode aired on October 11, 2009 on Fox Broadcasting Company
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 episode, Cleveland, concerned that Cleveland Jr has no friends, invites his neighbor Lester’s son Ernie to their house. Ernie becomes attached to the family and Cleveland calls child services to have Ernie taken back home. When the plan backfires, Cleveland helps Lester get his son back.
The episode was written by Jonathan Green
Jonathan Green
Jonathan Green can refer to:*Jonathan Green , freelance writer of fantasy and science fiction*Jonathan Green , journalist and author*Jonathan Green , , naval surgeon, dermatologist...
and Gabe Miller and directed by Oreste Canestrelli. It was viewed by approximately 7.8 million viewers in its original airing.
Plot
ClevelandCleveland 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,...
notices his son, Cleveland Jr. has no friends, and sets out to find him a good friend. However, trying to find a friend for Cleveland Jr. gets a little difficult. Cleveland finds a kid for his son to play basketball with, but instead, the kid throws the basketball at Cleveland, sending him to the ground. Afterwards he runs of with Cleveland's wallet. Another negative setback happens when Cleveland asks another boy to play with Cleveland Jr., while the boy (who turns out to be an undercover cop) thinks that "Cleveland Jr." is Cleveland's nickname for his penis and assumes he his trying to solicit sex.
Finally, Cleveland finds out that Lester's son, Ernie has no friends, which Cleveland realizes is a perfect opportunity to have his son make friends with another friendless child. It goes well, but things take a turn for the worse. Ernie leaves his family and joins the Brown family, much to their dismay. Ernie is unsanitary and disgusting, which pushes Donna to make Cleveland call child services and get Ernie back in his home.
When a child service employee shows up, he brings Ernie back to his family, but instantly takes him away after he finds out how horrific Ernie's home is. Lester finds out that Cleveland called child services on Ernie, which messes up the relationship between the two.
Cleveland decides to get Ernie back, after he finds Cleveland Jr. miserable. Lester takes Cleveland (and some of Lester's redneck buddies) to Ernie's foster home, to get him back. But negotiations quickly turn sour, before matters turn into a shootout, but the foster parents are armed to the teeth. In the midst of the fight, in which most of the rednecks die, Cleveland convinces the child worker that he could check in on Ernie from time-to-time. Unfortunately, the worker was shot by a stray bullet before he could fully sign the release form, though Cleveland finishes signing for him. Though Lester has got legal custody of his son, the fosters outnumber him. Luckily, Cleveland shoots down a chandelier on them, trapping them.
Lester and Cleveland become friends again, and things end happily, despite all the deaths.
Meanwhile, Holt and Tim go to Vegas. Tim the Bear
TIM
Tim may refer to:Names*Timothy or Tim, for short*Tim , the Australian moviePeople*Tim, the Oldenburg Baby, abortion survivor*Tim , popular K-pop solo singer*Tiny Tim , American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist...
, who insinuates he is on ecstasy
Ecstasy
Ecstasy may refer to:* Ecstasy , a trance or trance-like state in which an individual transcends normal consciousness* Religious ecstasy, a state of consciousness characterized by expanded spiritual awareness, visions or absolute euphoria...
, has a great time, while Holt is unable to get into the nightclub due to his stature.
Cultural references
- Cleveland's shoe shopping spree is set to the 1986 single, "I Can't WaitI Can't Wait (Nu Shooz song)"I Can't Wait" is the title of a song recorded by American group Nu Shooz from the album Poolside. The song was originally recorded the previous year and became a popular radio track in and around the band's hometown of Portland, Oregon...
" by Nu ShoozNu ShoozNu Shooz is an American Freestyle-R&B-Dance group fronted by husband-and-wife team of John Smith and Valerie Day, based in Portland, Oregon. The Shooz released four albums in the U.S...
, the joke stemming from the band's name. - The title is a reference to the TV show FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, a show whose episodes' titles were generally started with "The One". - Cleveland bleached his skin and was planning to visit Lester in his sleep, to tell him he was him from the future, and that Ernie would ruin NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
by making them drive the other way around the track if he did not take his son back, a Back to the FutureBack to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
reference. - The scene where Vincent van GoghVincent van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
discovering the Q-tipCotton swabCotton swabs or cotton buds or ear buds consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around one or both ends of a short rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic...
is a reference to cutting off his own ear. - In the scene where Cleveland, Jr. and Ernie are hanging out, they attach a box set of EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
to a string and pull it away from Holt, as he chases it out of his yard. - When Lester apologizes for being late to the bar, because he was changing Ernie's room back into a panic room, Holt uses the title of the film Panic Room to play a round of 'Six Degrees of Kevin BaconSix Degrees of Kevin BaconSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game...
'. - One of the rednecks in Lester's truck was wearing a Michael RichardsMichael RichardsMichael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
shirt, better known as Cosmo KramerCosmo KramerCosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
on SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, who caused a controversy for shouting racial slurs at a heckler in a comedy club. Another redneck, trying to relate to Cleveland, says "I found Flip WilsonFlip WilsonClerow Wilson, Jr. , known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show...
very funny", "You know who else was classy, Ed BradleyEd BradleyEdward Rudolph "Ed" Bradley, Jr. was an American journalist, best known for twenty-six years of award-winning work on the CBS News television program 60 Minutes...
, Ed Bradley was a class act", and "I once became aroused when I looked at Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
and her breasts." - Cleveland quoted the Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
song "Coward of the County", telling Lester that "quoting Kenny Rogers before he went into the chicken businessKenny Rogers RoastersKenny Rogers Roasters is a chicken restaurant that was founded by country musician Kenny Rogers and former Kentucky governor John Y. Brown, Jr., who had also owned Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1964 to 1971. The menu was originally centered on wood-fired rotisserie chicken. After closing almost all...
and made himself look like an old woman, you don't have to fight to be a man."
Reception
The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
graded the episode a B-, stating "Cleveland still seems like kind of an unobtrusive person to build a show around, but if he’s quietly involving himself in the lives of the people in his neighborhood, he could prove to be a good lead".
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...
, a frequent critic
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....
of The Cleveland Shows parent show, 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...
, named this episode its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending October 16, 2009, due to sexual humor and extreme violence. In addition to an early scene where Cleveland tries to get a man — who turns out to be an undercover police officer — to "play" with Cleveland Jr. and several scenes where Ernie causes havoc in the household, the PTC cited the climatic scene, wherein Lester organizes an armed posse to "rescue" Ernie from his foster family. "In lieu of actual wit or creativity, MacFarlane’s franchises always fall back on cheap sex and gory violence as crutches to get from one scene to the next", the PTC noted in its review.