Lethal Weapons

Lethal Weapons is an episode from the third season of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. First aired August 22, 2001. Written by Chris Sheridan, and directed by Brian Hogan. Guest starring Michael Chiklis as a leafer. Production code 2ACX18. Included in the "Freakin' Sweet Collection".

Plot summary

The quiet of Quahog is disrupted when the leaves start turning fall colors and "leafers" (New Yorkers) invade town. Bonnie invites Lois to a Tae Jitsu class where Lois quickly advances to black belt. Peter exploits Lois's fighting abilities to drive the leafers back to New York. But when Stewie strikes Peter with a baseball bat, Lois resolves to rid the house of anger. Family therapy fails, and so does an attempt by Brian to convince them they've taken mood elevating drugs. The family ends up in an all-out brawl. Finally exhausted, they blame the violence on TV.

Cultural references

• Peter says "brothers and sisters fighting is as natural as a white man’s dialogue in a Spike Lee movie," leading to a cutaway parodying Lee’s movie.
• Lois says she is cutting loose just like "Julie Andrews in that movie where she shows her breasts," leading to a cutaway of Mary Poppins in which Andrews inexplicably opens her blouse. In reality, the movie Lois is referring to is the 1981 film, S.O.B..
• Cleveland says that protesters at the Million Man March set fire to their port-a-potties.
• While voicing the "man-eating tree," Peter claims he ate "insane New York anchorman Dan Rather" and "asexual former Mayor Ed Koch."
• Peter says Lois "floats like a butterfly and stings like when I pee," a reference to Mohammed Ali’s famous quote: "Floats like a butterly, stings like a bee."
• Peter refers to the Tae Jitsu instructor as "Ralph Macchio," the star of The Karate Kid.
• Lucy from the comic strip Peanuts appears and pulls away a football as Lois tries to kick it (as she does to Charlie Brown). Lois then kicks her in the face.
• Among the garbage the leafers dump on the Griffins yard is the publications New York Magazine and The New York Post and the Major League Baseball team the New York Mets.
• Lois suggests they go to the Olive Garden for breadsticks, who then chants "Me likey breadsticks!" as a throwback to an earlier scene in the episode.
• At the bar, Peter says "Krypton sucks," angering General Zod and his partners, the Kryptonian villains from Superman II.
• Lois challenges Jared by saying "Spin the wheel, raggedy man," a quote from the 1979 movie Mad Max.
• Peter watches a fictitious sequel to the movie Speed.
• In Stewie’s fantasy radio program, he interviews deceased variety show host Ed Sullivan and then imitates a commercial for the board game Operation.
• To frighten the therapist, Stewie imitates "Martin Lawrence on a bender," a reference to the comedian’s spouts of violence and supposed drug abuse.
• While under the influence of Brian’s "mood-enhancing pills," the Griffins imitate South African mbube group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
• While the family lists a prerogative terms for a fat person, Stewie shouts "country virtuoso Roy Clark."

Trivia

• A throwaway joke backstory shows Lois was a circus freak as a child in a caveman costume, bouncing on a trampoline and shouting, "Me likey bouncey! Me likey bouncey!".
• In a self-referentional joke, Peter scoffs at the network cutting their budget. He then, in a crudely animated manner, walks out of the room.