The King Is Dead (Family Guy)

"The King Is Dead" is the seventh episode of the second season of the FOX animated series Family Guy. It is the 14th episode of Family Guy to be aired. It was the last episode produced for season one but aired in season two.

Plot summary

Lois is named director of the Quahog Players theater group production upon the previous director's death, and she decides to produce The King and I. When Peter auditions poorly for the show with the theme song to Land of the Lost, Lois names him producer in the hopes of keeping him out of the way, but Peter gradually takes over, radically changing the play. He gets the play mentioned on the news by casting newscaster Diane Simmons as Anna Leonowens, trying his best to make the play perfect for Lois and him.

Peter also adds material inspired by The Jerry Springer Show and Flashdance. Later Lois finds everyone discussing on a "brilliant" idea Peter has had, the Siamese children (being children from Siam) are not children, but aliens. Everyone agrees to the idea, but Lois hates it. It then turns out that Peter's ideas for the play are actually helping its popularity, in fact, the play becomes sold out. Instead of cheering like everyone else, Lois quits out of extreme anger over Peter and leaves him as the director. Lois tries to get back at Peter by making "creative changes" to his breakfast (like adding fish and undone eggs). Peter's constant changes frustrate Diane into quitting, so he plays Anna himself.

Peter’s version of The King and I depicts a post-apocalyptic future set in the ruined world of 2015 after the ninth nuclear world war (Akira reference). The world "is a grim future filled with lots of explosions and partial nudity", ruled by an oppressive King, played by Brian. ANNA is an "Automaton Nuclear Neo-human Android", a robot ninja from the planet England sent to rid the world of the King's tyranny. ANNA, not confused by the bikini-clad Siamese "children's" (actually women) all-female sex orgy, kung fu fights with the King and defeats him, changing Siam into the United States of America.

Lois attends the premiere, but to her surprise, the show is a hit. She then scolds the audience for applauding the show, claiming that the show is an example of pure trash. She seemingly embarrasses Peter, but Peter then lets out an astonishingly long fart on stage that everyone hears, and they clap again, completely ignoring Lois, and making Peter one of the most popular people in Quahog. Later, Peter comes back from a celebration party, but thanks Lois for giving him the chance to express himself and making the show possible (as if she had quit to make him popular, though it is clear that she did this to get him humiliated). Lois, feeling a bit guilty for the way she acted, admits she was not supportive of Peter's work, and also admits that the show must have been good in the way that people found it entertaining. Peter is touched by her words and promises to get her the job as director again next year, then immediately asks, "Hey, were you there when I farted?"

Reception

In his 2008 review, Ahsan Haque of IGN, rating the episode a 9/10, said that "The King Is Dead" is "entertaining from start to finish" and it has "very little filler material". He also noted that the episode contains "countless sight-gags and some subtle references that can only be caught after repeated viewings".^[1]

References

• Callaghan, Steve. “The King Is Dead.” Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1–3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 65–67.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The King Is Dead

• The King is Dead at the Internet Movie Database
• "The King is Dead" at TV.com