A Fish out of Water (''Family Guy'')

"A Fish out of Water" is the tenth episode in the third season of the American animated television series Family Guy, and the 38th episode overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 2001. It guest stars Michael Chiklis, Ralph Garman, Brian Doyle-Murray as Salty, and Lisa Wilhoit as Connie D'Amico.

The episode was co-written by Family Guy stars Alex Borstein and Mike Henry, the only writing credit for both Borstein and Henry in the third production cycle, and is directed by Bert Ring. The episode is rated TV-14-D.^[1] It is notable for being the first Family Guy episode to air after the September 11 attacks. Show creator Seth MacFarlane was supposed to be on American Airlines Flight 11, but arrived at the airport late; the plane was hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center's North Tower.^[2]

Plot summary

After being jobless for two weeks, Peter becomes morbidly obese. On a "walk" on the docks, he is confused with Mercury by Tom Tucker when his son Jake asks him what's "that", and he resolves to lose weight and become a fisherman. He loses the weight without explanation. Joe takes Peter to a police seized-property auction, where Peter buys a boat for $50,000. He names the boat "S.S. More Powerful Than Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk Put Together".

To pay for the vessel, Peter takes out a loan with his house as collateral. The bank (run by Jim Kaplan the conman and is a tattoo parlor in the back) is so certain that Peter will default on the loan that they sell the house to another family and repossess his furniture before the payment deadline arrives, so the Griffins have to share their home with the other family in a redecorated house. Peter must now raise $50,000 before the deadline arrives. Peter's new fishing career does not prove successful. Another fisherman named Hennessey tricks him with a "good fishing spot" at 42 degrees North, 71 degrees West (which likely references Sharon, Massachusetts, a town with a high Jewish population). Peter ends up crushing a clown at a child's bar mitzvah. This is followed by other mistreatment from Hennessey and his fishermen companions.

Rejecting Quagmire's idea of prostituting himself to fat women for quick cash, Peter decides to catch the legendary killer fish Daggermouth for a $50,000 reward. Seamus, the all-wooden-limbed fisherman, warns Peter about the fish. Peter decides to forge on anyway, with Quagmire, Cleveland, and Joe accompanying him.

Meanwhile, Lois and Meg go on spring break to a local spa, but Meg herself would rather be at the Narragansett Beach where the rest of her school is spending the break. Lois tries to oblige by driving her there (though Meg was not meaning for Lois to be there with her). But the morning they arrive, Lois lets her wild side from her younger years get the better of her and, much to Meg’s annoyance and chagrin, fits in better with the teenage party crowd than Meg does, due her more loose and exciting personality compared to her daughter’s more uptight and easily embarrassed demeanor. In a moment of exuberance, Meg accidentally flashes her breasts, but both she and Lois are quickly arrested. They escape from the police car and while returning home, Lois apologizes to Meg for her arrogant and immature behavior, admitting that if she may have ruined the experience for her by having more fun amongst her classmates when Meg should have been the one enjoying herself. Suddenly, a car full of spring breakers Connie D'Amico and her friends pull alongside them, honking and yelling. They are not cheering for Lois, as it first appears, but for Meg. Meg obliges them by flashing again.

The guys spend their time on the boat drinking beer and naming the women they would have got with if they were not married. Joe chooses Mariel Hemingway, Cleveland chooses Margaret Thatcher (because he finds power sexy), Peter chooses "the chick with the three knockers from Total Recall," and Quagmire chooses Taylor Hanson, but freaks out when the others reveal that Taylor Hanson's actually a man and not a woman.

Peter and his friends manage to track the fish to his lair, where they discover Daggermouth is a robotic fish created to generate a demand for merchandise, and its creator, Salty (voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray), is in talks with Nickelodeon for a TV series with Daggermouth. In exchange for his silence, Salty gives Peter $50,000. Peter promptly pays off the loan and buys back his furniture. Later, near the end, Lois and Peter are seen watching Daggermouth and Boom Boom on Nickelodeon. The episode ends with Peter saying "Good night, Lois. Good night, Jim and Abby" (the last two being members of the other family). When the lights are off, Abby blows raspberries on Peter's belly, to which he laughs to and says "Not now, Abby".

Further reading

• S. Callaghan, “Fish Out of Water.” Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1–3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 152–155.

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: A Fish Out of Water

• "A Fish out of Water" on IMDb
• "A Fish out of Water" at TV.com