Brian Goes Back to College

Season 4, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

After writing a story for a local magazine, Brian gets a job at The New Yorker. He admitted that he didn't graduate from college and lost his job. So he went back to college. In the end, he failed.
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Fan Episode Reviews (24)

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  • Boring

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 10, 2011 Report Abuse
    After writing a story for a local magazine, Brian gets a job at The New Yorker. He admitted that he didn't graduate from college and lost his job. So he went back to college. In the end, he failed.

    Brian's plot was boring, once again.

    But I liked the A-team plot

    3/10

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  • great

    8.0
    "Great"
    By futuramarama, Jul 23, 2011 Report Abuse
    What I liked: Chris' "I hate you!" at the end, everyone telling Brian he should have cheated, "Nobody at the New Yorker has butts", Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland as The A-Team, amongst other things.

    Decent episode. It's not one of their funnier episodes but it did have a decent amount of humor. And the story was decent. B- or so as my final grade, I think is fair.

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  • brian goes back to college

    8.0
    "Great"
    By thefanof, May 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    At first I was not really a fan of this episode but looking back on it there were a lot of quality moments and laughs here. As a college student the scenes at at Brown were both humorous and relatable, and the workout scene at the end, parodying Rocky was a great capper.

    The A-Team storyline also seemed dumb at the beginning, the first time I watched it, but thanks to repeats I have come to appreciate it. They brought back the series as a movie, I believe purely based on the success and popularity of this Family Guy episode.moreless

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  • Season 4, Episode 15.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By Wanted23, Oct 02, 2008 Report Abuse
    Very cool episode. I don't think I've seen this episode many times before. Stewie goes into Meg's room, and sees her in a bra, and he falls to the ground and begins to have a seizure. LMAO! Great part! That girl that sprayed Brian with pepper spray was hot! "I'm not going to rape you." "I might." LMFAO! Great quote! I loved Stewie's answering machine recording. The A-Team spoof rocked. I liked when the tree was shot down and it crashed on the family's house. "Get off my property!" Haha! I liked this episode a lot and Family Guy only gets better. :)moreless

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  • The "B" story was the only thing that put this episode to slightly above average.

    7.9
    "Good"
    By Iverson82094, Feb 02, 2008 Report Abuse
    Peter, Joe, Cleveland, and Quagmire attend a costume contest at the Quahog convention center, entering as characters from The A-Team. When inside, Peter and his friends see Brian, who is there to write an article for the local newspaper. Peter and his friends win the costume contest (described by the announcer as "The A-Team with the real black guy"), much to Peter's delight. After the article is published, Lois compliments Brian about the quality of the article. Stewie then tells him (in a high pitched voice) that "he should spend more time working on that novel", a book which Brian has been reportedly writing for approximately four years, as commented in the episode "Brian the Bachelor." Brian is then contacted by Welslie Shepherdson (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) from The New Yorker, who informs Brian that he would be a good contributor for the magazine.

    Brian is given a warm welcome by staff of The New Yorker, and Shepherdson takes a liking to him. Meanwhile, Peter is upset at not being The A-Team figures anymore. However, after he and his friends help a man at the bar, they decide to help their community further by continuing to act like the A-Team. The A-Team introduction sequence then follows, featuring Peter, Quagmire, Joe and Cleveland. Meanwhile at The New Yorker, the writing staff discusses what Ivy League school each of the writers went to for college. Everyone but Brian went to Harvard University, who is mocked for attending Brown University. It at this point that Brian also admits to Shepherdson that he never officially graduated from college, which results in his dismissal from the magazine. After encouragement from Lois, however, Brian returns to Brown to complete the last course he needs to obtain his degree. Stewie decides to go with him, stowing away in his bag. When Stewie saves Brian from having to share a room with a goth, he decides to allow him to stay. Stewie is then replaced in the Griffin household by Gary Coleman (as "he owed me a favor"). Meanwhile, Peter and his friends paint a van with the distinctive orange A-Team stripe, and leave the house in order to begin. Brian arrives back at Brown University standing before the Van Wickle Gates.When Brian arrives at Brown, his new teacher instantly dislikes to him, after he asks his peer to borrow a pencil. Because of this, his new teacher tells him that if he does not pass an upcoming test, he will be removed from the class. Meanwhile, Peter's A-Team mission starts off negatively, after he attempts to rescue a cat from a tree. He ends up shooting the tree that the cat is stuck on, which causes it to collapse on to a house, much to its occupant's anger. Meanwhile, Brian, not wanting to fail the test, becomes worn-out at revising heavily, so Stewie provides him with the answers quickly. He then decides to go outside and play Frisbee; however, he accidentally throws it through the window and it hits his newly purchased picture, "Crazy Stairs". Brian, unsure as to whether or not to cheat and use Stewie's answers, decides it is his favored option, which results in him getting the highest mark in the class. This makes his teacher feel bad for doubting his ability, but Brian begins to feel guilty for cheating. Later, he attends a party after being invited by his teacher, who is holding it for the full class. His teacher then engages in an argument between his wife, who is also in a wheelchair. Peter and "the A-Team" discover that Roger Williams Park is due to be knocked down, so he decides to stop the workmen doing this. Peter and his friends go and attempt to scare the workmen away, only to end up engaging in general conversation. After going to confess about cheating in the exam, his teacher interrupts him, telling him he was so depressed that he was planning to kill himself until he met Brian. Brian then comes to the conclusion that the only way he will succeed in his exams is if he cheats, so he decides to return home.

    Upon returning home, Lois forces Brian to study and to go back to college the next day to take the test by chasing him with the vacuum cleaner. However, he ends up exercising for hours, with Stewie as his mentor. Brian begins to become stressed at the realization he will be late for his exam due to his excessive working out, but Lois encourages Peter and the rest of the A-Team to get Brian there, after they lost hope of being a real A-Team. Brian makes it to the exam, but fails. However, he is proud of himself because he didn't quit. However, when telling the family, they are displeased and tell him he probably should have cheated. The episode ends with Chris screaming "I hate you!" at Brian before running out of the room.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Stewie's shirt says "Amateur Gynecologist", though the staff originally wanted it to say "Free Mustache Rides" Edit
    • Brian is scared of the vacuum in this episode, but he isn't scared of the vacuum in Fore, Father. In fact, he's even seen vacuuming in that episode. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The full title of this episode is Brian Goes Back To College (And Stewie Goes With Him For Obvious Comedic Reasons). Edit
    • When Peter falls out of the jeep during the A-team parody, he does the same moaning and gasping maneuver he did in Wasted Talent after the tripping following the Willy Wonka parody. Edit
    • Brian's professor at Brown uses the keys on his wheelchair to talk, but there are clearly only 20 keys, too few for all of the letters in the alphabet. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Stewie (After throwing a frisbee through the window): Oh no! Did that hit crazy stairs? Edit
    • (Peter shoots the ceiling and Chris falls through) Chris: Hi, Dad! Peter: Go to your room. Chris: OK! (Chris runs upstairs only to fall back through the hole) Edit
    • Stewie: (To Brian): I read your article too Brian. Seems to me you should spend less time working on the paper and more time (High Pitched) working on that novel you've been working on. You know, the one... (Brian hits him) Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Rocky IV When Brian is training in the arctic weather. This is a reference to Rocky IV, He even calls out "Drago!" Rocky's opponent. Edit
    • Ol' Man River In the Ashlee Simpson flashback, when the wrong record is played, the song is "Ol' man river", performed by Paul Robeson, a singer from the early 20th century. Edit
    • Quagmire (while dressed as Faceman) reacts to a Cylon from "Battlestar Galactica". Faceman, on "The A-Team", was played by Dirk Benedict, who also played Starbuck in the original series of Battlestar Galactica. Edit

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