E. Peterbus Unum

"E. Peterbus Unum"
Family Guy episode
The flag of Petoria
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 18
Directed by	Rob Renzetti
Written by	Neil Goldman Garrett Donovan
Production code	2ACX13
Original air date	July 12, 2000
Guest stars
Shawn Pyfrom Gary Cole
Episode chronology
← Previous "He's Too Sexy for His Fat" Next → "The Story on Page One"
Family Guy (season 2) List of Family Guy episodes

"E. Peterbus Unum" is the 18th episode from the second season of the FOX animated series Family Guy. It is the eighteenth episode of the series.This episode is rated TV-14 DLS.

Plot

While Peter and Brian take a walk around the neighborhood, Cleveland shows off his new trampoline, which he bought with his tax refund. Joe informs them that he spent his refund on a digital TV with surround sound while Quagmire spent his refund on an electronic sex doll. Jealous of his friends, Peter plans to build a backyard swimming pool with a tax refund, but is dismayed to discover that he is instead being audited by the Internal Revenue Service. Peter still attempts to build his pool, but once he comes across an underground power cable (which he mistakes for a rubber tree root), he splits it with his shovel, knocking out electricity across Quahog. As a result, he attempts to acquire a zoning variance from City Hall. However, as he and Mayor West examine the map of Quahog, they discover that the Griffin's property is actually not incorporated into Quahog, nor the entire United States.

In response to this discovery, Peter declares his house to be the new micronation of "Petoria" (he explains that he was going to call it "Peterland", but "that gay bar down by the airport already took it"), which he claims is an oligarchy. As first lady, Lois proceeds to give a tour of the nation, remarking that they are "a clean, industrious people, mostly white." She proceeds to explain that Chris has become head of Petoria's space program (His attempts at "reaching the moon" involve literally attempting to grab it from a tall tree in the backyard), and that Peter is spending the night on a "goodwill mission" in Quahog (drinking with his buddies at the Drunken Clam). Peter flaunts his diplomatic immunity by refusing to pay his bar tab and engaging in public drunkenness before breaking into an impromptu parody of MC Hammer's song "U Can't Touch This" (entitled "Can't Touch Me"), during which he proceeds to engage in several more crimes, such as littering, jaywalking, public urination and sexual harassment.

While representing Petoria at the United Nations, Peter is humiliated by Kofi Annan and shunned by most of the other representatives. During lunch, he is approached by another ambassador, who informs him that his country faced similar ridicule until it invaded Kuwait. Following his advice, Peter proceeds to annex Joe's swimming pool, incorporating it into the province of "Joe-hio." In response, President Clinton and the Joint Chiefs of Staff agree to impose sanctions upon Petoria. Days later, when Chris tries to go to school, he is turned away by the United States Army who have surrounded and blockaded the Griffin property as part of "Operation Desert Clam." As a result, the Griffins are forced to endure life without utilities such as heat and electricity, while Lois homeschools Meg and Chris. Despite all of these difficulties, Peter flatly refuses to return Joe's pool, and is ecstatic to receive letters of support from nations such as North Korea and Libya. In response, Peter proceeds to invite the leaders of several countries hostile to the United States (Including Slobodan Milošević, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Fidel Castro) over for a pool party and barbecue, infuriating Lois. After she catches Stewie imitating a battle cry with an Arab sheikh, she angrily informs Peter that she and the kids are abandoning him to the U.S. Army, and defect back to the United States. Despite Brian's pledge to remain by his side, Peter is finally forced to surrender when he faces an American tank barrel at point blank range.

At the negotiating table, Peter is forced to unconditionally surrender, resulting in the return of Joe's pool, and the annexation of Petoria into the United States. Peter is depressed, having lost his newfound power, but Lois makes it up to him and promises to scratch his back with a matchbook every night. It is then revealed that the events of the episode were part of a film being shown to social studies students 200 years into the future, explaining the brief history of Petoria. The teacher asks her students if they have any questions concerning the video, to which a pupil asks if the Griffin family can actually understand Stewie or not, before the episode abruptly ends.

Cultural references

The Petoria territory name Joe-hio is based on the name of the US state Ohio.

Among the anti-American politicians who visit Petoria and give it support are Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Muammar Gaddafi and Slobodan Milosevic.

Reception

In his 2009 review, Ahsan Haque of IGN, rating the episode a 9/10, called "E. Peterbus Unum" a "great episode" and stated that "the over-the-top political satire" is "some of the best" in the series.

References

• S. Callaghan, “E. Peterbus Unum.” Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1–3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 112–115.

External links

• E. Peterbus Unum at the Internet Movie Database
• "E. Peterbus Unum" at TV.com

Preceded by He's Too Sexy for His Fat

Family Guy (season 2)

Succeeded by The Story on Page One