Mr. and Mrs. Stewie

"Mr. and Mrs. Stewie" is the nineteenth episode of the tenth season of the animated television series Family Guy. The episode originally aired on FOX in the United States on April 29, 2012. In this episode, Stewie finds his perfect match, Penelope, and Peter and Quagmire decide to take their friendship to a new level after Lois buys twin beds. According to Nielsen ratings, "Mr. and Mrs. Stewie" was watched by 5.63 million U.S. viewers and acquired a 2.8/7 rating.

Plot

At a book reading with Brian, Stewie is forced to come along when Brian gets a score with a college girl. To make up for keeping Stewie out all night, Brian takes Stewie to the park where he meets Penelope, a girl who takes revenge on a boy who pushes Stewie. Playing together, Stewie discovers they share a love of mathematics and advanced weaponry. When he discovers that she actually managed to kill her mother, he becomes totally enamored. They continue to spend time together, wreaking havoc through town and the world, such as destroying the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China, causing India and Pakistan to go to Nuclear War with each other, and destroying Copenhagen with a Tidal Wave (with a Roaring 1920's theme). Brian confronts Stewie when the news gets out, trying to convince him that Penelope is bad news. As she plots to kill another teacher, Stewie confronts her, admitting that Brian suggested they take it easy. Angered, Penelope extracts a vow from Stewie to kill Brian. Although hesitant at first due to their friendship, when Brian starts to write Stewie starts but hesitates again after several misfires. After Stewie admits to Penelope that he could not do it, Penelope decides to do the job herself, leaving Stewie to stop her. After thwarting several attempts, Stewie tells Brian about the threat. Penelope arrives and Stewie does battle with her. As they fight, Stewie gets the upper hand on the top of a lorry and she agrees to leave Brian alone. Penelope kisses Stewie goodbye before causing Stewie to be left hanging from a lampost and riding off with a smile with a possibility that she may come back one day. Brian thanks Stewie for saving his life. Meg then comes out and Brian asks her what she has been doing. Before she can say so the credits start.

Meanwhile, when Lois gets tired of being crushed during nights by Peter in bed, she gets twin beds for her and Peter to sleep separately. Unable to sleep alone, Peter proposes that he and Quagmire become bunk buddies, with Quagmire taking up Peter on the offer. As their friendship blooms and Peter starts staying at Quagmire's house, Quagmire eventually gives Peter a "giggity band". Lois asks Peter to return, admitting that she missed Peter too and Peter leaves with a crushed exhaling, disfigured, moaning Quagmire attached to his back, meaning that Peter slept on Quagmire the same way he did to Lois.

Production

Cate Blanchett guest starred in this episode.

This episode was written by Gary Janetti, who has been with the show since its first season when he wrote "Brian: Portrait of a Dog".^[1][2] This episode is Janetti's second writing credit for the season, since he also wrote "Stewie Goes for a Drive".^[3] The episode was directed by Joe Vaux, this being his first directing credit for the series. This episode featured Cate Blanchett as Penelope.

Cultural references

The episode name is a reference to the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.^[4]

Reception

This episode was watched by 5.63 million viewers, airing on the same night with Desperate Housewives on ABC, according to Nielsen ratings.^[5] It has a 2.8/7 rating share in the 18-49 demographic group, losing to Desperate Housewives.^[5] The ratings raised from the previous episode, "You Can't Do That on Television, Peter".^[6]

This episode received mainly positive reviews. Kevin McFarland from The A.V. Club gave a B+ grade.^[4] He liked the humor that is used in the episode, especially for Brian and Stewie's moments, saying "This episode featured a lot of the humor that frequently works for me. It focused on Brian’s snobbery at the book reading, seducing a college creative writing student at a Jonathan Franzen reading. I always like jokes that show Brian as a dog, so I found Stewie using the spray bottle to prevent Brian from hijacking the reading with his own work pretty hilarious."^[4] However, he criticized how the family treats Meg, and disliked the sub-plot with Peter.^[4] Carter Doston of TV Fanatic gave a 3/5 rating.^[7] He enjoyed the Stewie and Penelope fight scene, calling it "entertaining", but said that "it wasn't as long and drawn-out as any of the Giant Chicken fights".^[7]

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: "Mr. and Mrs. Stewie"

• "Mr. and Mrs. Stewie" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Mr. and Mrs. Stewie" at TV.com