Family Guy/Saving Private Brian

Saving Private Brian
Season 5, Episode 4
Airdate	November 5, 2006
Written by
Directed by
← 5x03 Hell Comes to Quahog	5x05 → Whistle While Your Wife Works
Family Guy — Season Five

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Saving Private Brian is the fourth episode of the fifth season of Family Guy, and the eighty-fourth episode overall.

This episode, a satire on the state of the United States military in Iraq, follows Brian and Stewie after they unwittingly are enlisted in the Army and find themselves on the front lines. Meanwhile, Chris (who is disappointed that he didn't get to enlist) starts a gothic rock band and winds up adopting said lifestyle. 

Guest stars

Guest Stars:

Plot Overview

At a school assembly, an Army recruitment offer shows a video (promising money and scantilly clad women, and little else) to entice students to sign up for the Army. That night, Chris shares his experiences with the family; Peter interjects by alleging that Army officers get to rape women, while Lois immediately expresses disgust and Brian outrage at the Army's recruiting tactics. The next day, Brian goes to the recruitment office to protest, but when he leaves Stewie alone for a moment, an officer offers the baby a pistol in exchange for signing recruitment papers. As a joke (and to collect a $100 bonus), Stewie signs Brian's name alongside his. Brian is shocked, to say the least, when he returns to finish his speech.

Brian and Stewie begin basic training, but Brian becomes stressed with Army discipline after failing to complete a marathon. He prepares to leave but is stopped by Stewie, who tells him that he has backed out of everything in life and he should stick with the Army; Brian concedes and stays, and the two are soon deployed to Iraq. There, they are caught up in a terrorist attack.

Wanting to get out of Iraq with their lives, Brian and Stewie try a number of tricks to get discharged, including pretending that they are gay (a superior officer identifies himself as homosexual) and shooting each other in the foot, only to learn that the Army now takes anyone no matter what, even if the soldier is dead. Finally, the two are told that democracy has kicked in and the war is over, and a relieved Brian and Stewie return home.

Subplot

Meanwhile, Peter decides he agrees with Lois about joining the Army and tries to sway Chris' attention to other extracurricular activities. In the band room, Peter oafishly tips over a piano on Chris' foot, causing his son to scream out in pain. Several members of a gothic rock band — who are seeking out a lead singer — overhear this and take Chris' cries for help as singing talent. Chris quickly develops an anti-social and rude attitude, significantly changing his appearance and adopting a goth lifestyle.

Peter and Lois grow concerned about Chris, and upon searching his room and finding a Marilyn Manson poster (similar to the Mechanical Animals cover and explicit CD lyrics, decide to confront Manson about it. When they find Manson at a Grammy Awards show, an angry Peter assaults him, and Lois begins screaming charges of ruining Chris' life at the rock star. Manson laughs it off and agrees to speak with Chris, telling him to respect his parents, eat a healthy breakfast and spend more time with his father. Peter and Lois are impressed and forgive Manson, and Chris returns to normal.

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