Brian: Portrait of a Dog

Season 1, Episode 7, Aired
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Episode Summary

When a heat wave hits Quahog, Peter gets Brian to enter a dog show to win $500 so that the family can get a new air conditioner. When they argue over a trick gone bad, Brian walks out on the family and Peter replaces him with a cat. Brian struggles to assert his civil rights and soon ends up at the pound. Luckily, Peter is able to bail him out by bribing the judge.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (28)

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  • A perfect episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By fsaenz0125, Jan 01, 2012 Report Abuse
    When a heat wave hits Quahog, Peter gets Brian to enter a dog show to win $500 so that the family can get a new air conditioner. When they argue over a trick gone bad, Brian walks out on the family and Peter replaces him with a cat. Brian struggles to assert his civil rights and soon ends up at the pound. Luckily, Peter is able to bail him out by bribing the judge. This episode was perfect. Some humor include the beginning, Chris noticed that he saw Diane Simmons' nipple, Stewie's appearance (almost all of them he is in), most of the cutaway, and the ending. Overall, a perfect episode of Family Guy. 10/10moreless

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    0 0

  • The worst Season 1 episode, still a good episode though.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By jmbsonic555, Sep 30, 2011 Report Abuse
    When a heat wave hits Quahog, Peter gets Brian to enter a dog show to win $500 so that the family can get a new air conditioner. When they argue over a trick gone bad, Brian walks out on the family and Peter replaces him with a cat. Brian struggles to assert his civil rights and soon ends up at the pound. Luckily, Peter is able to bail him out by bribing the judge.

    What I liked- Dianne simmons saying "freak", the Pillsbury Doughboy, Peter staring at the dog showing her boobs, and Peter bribing the judges

    An okay episode, but not my favorite Season 1 episode.

    7/10moreless

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  • One of the best episodes of Season 1

    10
    "Perfect"
    By tigerdude22, Jun 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    I thought that this was an excellent Season 1 episode of "Family Guy". The plot was well written and it had very funny moments. The cutaway with Peter hitting the deer was hilarious. The cutaway with Peter also trying to take the candy from the baby was also hilarious. Stewie's part in this episode was very funny as well. The Griffin's air conditioner broke and the house is very hot so they want to enter Brian in the dog show so they can use the money to buy a new air conditioner and even though Brian doesn't like dog shows, he decides to enter the dog show. The dog show turns into a bust when Brian didn't want to do that trick with the doggy treat. Brian's part in this episode was very funny and it was political like he is in the later "Family Guy" episodes which are still good but I can do without Brian being political about everything in the later "Family Guy" episodes. Chris, Meg, and Lois' confession was very funny. It was also funny when Brian is allowed to drink from the water fountain. The ending was sweet and hilarious at the same time when Brian licked Peter (like a real dog) and tells Peter "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you". Overall, an excellent Season 1 episode of "Family Guy". 10/10moreless

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  • Awesome episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By fenway98, Jan 22, 2011 Report Abuse
    Being in the dog show so Peter can get a new air conditioner is degrading enough. But when Peter wants Brian to try to get the dog treat off his nose, that crosses the line. Brian decides to move out on the streets, and he becomes a pathetic homeless dog. He gets taken to the pound for biting people, and he is going to get put down, unless he can make a good case in court. Brian wins, and dosn't have to get put down.

    This was the best episode of season 1. There were many great flashbacks, like The old time cartoon, Peter crashing into the deer, and Brian singing.
    I also loved the cat

    Overall Grade: 100%/A+++moreless

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  • Great first seaosn finale

    10
    "Perfect"
    By danbanana, Oct 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    Quahog is in the grip of an unusual heatwave and, not having air conditioning, the Griffins are suffering. Peter learns of an upcoming dog show offering a top prize of $500, which he sees as the perfect way to buy an air conditioner. He persuades a reluctant Brian to participate. Before the dog show, Brian acts like the director, Joe Gideon, in All That Jazz, using eye drops, taking a deep breath, and then saying "Showtime!" Brian performs his tricks at the dog show and almost wins first place for the family. Peter puts a bone biscuit on Brian's nose; Brian finds this demeaning and becomes angry because he refuses to "perpetuate the stereotype of the 'good dog.' " Brian subsequently exits in a huff. Peter and Brian performing at the dog show.On the way home, Peter and Brian argue until an angry Brian gets out of the car. The police give Brian a ticket for violating the local leash law, which Peter has to pay, only further widening their rift. When Peter and Brian get into another argument, Peter mentions that he found Brian on the road (as a stray dog). Angry that Peter brought that up, Brian leaves the house, whereupon he is treated badly and unfairly by the community, and ultimately forced to sleep at the bus station. Peter buys a new cat, which turns out to be mischievous, abusing the Griffins to no end; they get rid of it and search for Brian. By the time Peter decides to apologize to Brian, Brian has hit rock bottom, has been kicked out of a restaurant, out of a public store, and chased by the police when they find him drinking from a water fountain. Brian becomes a homeless person; having actually attacked a man on the street for treating Brian as a drunken hobo and not believing that Brian was a good dog. He is subsequently taken away by the police. Peter writes to MacGyver asking him to save his dog; he sends him a drinking straw, a rubber band and a paper clip, referencing the character's ability to concoct ingenious uses for mundane household items.

    At the pound, Brian is sentenced to be put down, while Peter works on Brian's appeal. Brian decides to study the laws as much as he can and goes to court to defend his own case, but when he finally gets the chance to plead his case, the court decides that it's stupid to listen to a dog. During Brian's parole hearing, he references the court case Plessy v. Ferguson, an infamous U.S. Supreme Court case that approved segregation in 1896. Just when he's about to be dismissed, Peter steps in and delivers a last-ditch emotional appeal on his behalf; his speech deeply moves his family to confess some of their own personal crimes (Chris stole $10 from Meg, who stole that money from Lois, who had actually counterfeit it). The people still aren't on Brian's side, but Peter promises to give them $20 which convinces them to free Brian. The charges against Brian are finally dropped and the town shows him new respect, allowing him to finally drink out of a water fountain, showing his equality amongst the other citizens of the community. The final scene, in which Brian drinks from the "people" water fountain, is a reference to the ending of the novel and TV movie, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, in which the title character, a black woman in the segregated South, does the same at a "white" water fountain. Back at home, when the two are alone, Brian licks Peter's face in a dog gesture, and tells Peter that if he tells anyone about that, he will kill him.My Fav refrence was the family watching Murder, She Wrote Peter exclaimes, "Ah ha! So she's the murderer!"moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The magazine that Brian reads is Barely Legal Bitches, All Models Over 3. Edit
    • When writing to MacGyver, Peter writes on the envelope 725 Spooner Street. In later episodes, it is revealed that the Griffins live on 31 Spooner Street. Edit

  • Notes

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    • The "Oh! What Is diarrhea?" joke first appeared in Seth MacFarlane's 1995 short "The Life of Larry". Edit
    • After the "Murder, She Wrote" parody (in which Jessica admits to having an abortion) the FOX syndicated version of the episode removes Peter's line "Aha! So SHE'S the murderer!" while the TBS/Adult Swim versions air the punchline intact. Edit
    • Most of the contestants at the dog show are animated versions of the show's writers and their dogs. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Police Officer: The fine is ten dollars. (To Brian) Now you behave little fella. Brian: Oh Lordy, Lordy I'll never roam again! (The police man leaves) Jackass. Edit
    • (on Murder, She Wrote) Jessica Fletcher: Charles Montrose, after all these years. Charles Montrose: Jessica Fletcher, why I haven't seen you since you've had the, the uh... Jessica Fletcher: You can say it Charles. I'm not ashamed. Abortion. Peter: Aha! So she's the murderer. Edit
    • (on commercial) Girl: Mom, have you ever had a problem with freshness? Woman: What do you mean honey? Girl: You know, have you ever felt, not so fresh? Woman: I'm-I'm not sure what you're get-I don't follow you. Girl: Umm, have you ever felt like you're, you know, dirty, down there? Woman: Oh. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! God no! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • When Meg comes in saying "It's so hot out there" and the family says "How hot is it" it's a reference to Match Game. Edit
    • The title is a reference to the movie Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Edit
    • Brian: Portrait of a Dog This is a reference to James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the story of a young Stephen Dedalus growing up in Ireland, trying to find his identity. Edit

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