The Thin White Line (1)

Season 3, Episode 1, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Taking his therapist's advice, Brian starts helping others by doing volunteer work. Peter wins a paid vacation at work, and the family prepares for going on a cruise. Noticing that Brian's nose has great strength, Joe offers him a job as a police dog to search for drugs. Brian becomes a successful drug-sniffing dog for the Quahog police department, but along the way he gets addicted to cocaine. Because of Brian's cocaine problem, Lois insists on canceling their family vacation in the Bahamas to help support Brian while he's in rehab. Peter is disappointed that the vacation has been canceled, so he decides to tag along with Brian when he sees the beautiful clinic. A therapist at the clinic tells Brian that Peter is a bad influence on him. Although Brian defends Peter and leaves rehab in protest, Brian thinks that he needs time away from the Griffin family to find himself, and leaves Quahog for parts unknown.moreless
8.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
451 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Netflix
Subscription
Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy
Comcast
Subscription
Hulu Plus
Subscription

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (20)

See All

  • Kinda funny

    7.5
    "Good"
    By jmbsonic555, Oct 10, 2011 Report Abuse
    Taking his therapist's advice, Brian starts helping others by doing volunteer work. Peter wins a paid vacation at work, and the family prepares for going on a cruise. Noticing that Brian's nose has great strength, Joe offers him a job as a police dog to search for drugs. Brian becomes a successful drug-sniffing dog for the Quahog police department, but along the way he gets addicted to cocaine. Because of Brian's cocaine problem, Lois insists on canceling their family vacation in the Bahamas to help support Brian while he's in rehab. Peter is disappointed that the vacation has been canceled, so he decides to tag along with Brian when he sees the beautiful clinic. A therapist at the clinic tells Brian that Peter is a bad influence on him. Although Brian defends Peter and leaves rehab in protest, Brian thinks that he needs time away from the Griffin family to find himself, and leaves Quahog for parts unknown.

    What I liked
    -Put down the fork, FACE

    7/10moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • good

    7.0
    "Good"
    By futuramarama, Jun 29, 2011 Report Abuse
    Brian feels like he is in a rut, so he joins the police force, because he can sniff out things. He sniffs out various coke, but he soon starts becoming addicted to it. He goes to rehab, where Peter shows up and convinces him to do a stupid stunt that involves 15 premature births at a pregnancy hospital. Brian leaves rehab and leaves Quahog all together, so he can go find himself.

    It was alright. There were some laughs but it was really rushed; Brian just decides to leave really abruptly. I know that is the cliffhanger obviously, to set the stage for part two, but I just can't enjoy something that is so rushed, so my final grade is a solid C.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • 301

    8.5
    "Great"
    By thefanof, May 15, 2010 Report Abuse
    "Everybody this is Tina!"

    I thought for sure this episode would not be good, Brian-centric episodes are usually spelled for disaster, but this was a good one tonight.

    We had some great lines from the entire family (I long for the days when Meg was just a regular teenage girl and not the pariah) and the supporting cast contributed as well.

    While the episode sort of fell apart in the second half (usually a problem with newer episodes and not the older ones) this was still a solid half hour of laughs from top to bottom. One of the better season premieres for the show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Nothing too special here, but it was still good!

    8.0
    "Great"
    By amazing_race, Nov 27, 2009 Report Abuse
    Anothee episode of Family Guy, but sadly, this one is not one of my favorites. Nevertheless, it still was exciting to watch the first time round.

    I really loved it when Brian got a job in narcotics on the police force, and used his great sense of smell to make a name for himself in the business!

    However, I thought the episode became slightly stretched out and closing in on boring as it carried on.

    I didn't enjoy the last parts of the episode, and that is why I don't rate this episode as highly. Still, a good episode (the first part) of a great show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • A smart, funny and memorable episode.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Yianni96, Feb 17, 2009 Report Abuse
    A great episode. At a company picnic, Mr. Weed, Peter's boss, announces a competition, in which he will hunt down the employees, with tranquilizer darts. Mr. Weed says he has enough tranquilizer darts "to take down Robert Downey, Jr." Weed's audience reacts with umbrage to the remark, sympathizing with Downey's drug problems. Peter is the last one standing and wins a paid vacation.
    As the family gets ready to go on a cruise, Joe recognizes the strength of Brian's nose and offers him a job as a police dog to look for drugs. Brian proves instrumental in busting a midget gang's drug ring.
    When the cops go to the airport to greet Quagmire (who had been making love with two Filipino women and a man (who Quagmire thought was another woman), Brian sniffs out a bystander who is secretly carrying cocaine and his reputation grows. But when Brian scents the drugs, he accidentally inhales them and becomes addicted.
    When Lois discovers that Brian got addicted to drugs and goes to rehab, she insists that the family has to cancel the vacation to help Brian. Peter, however, joins Brian at the rehab center because he couldn't go on vacation. Peter causes chaos and distress, such as causing premature births in pregnant teens by sticking their hands in warm water.
    After leaving the center, Brian stuns the family when he announces that he is leaving Quahog, to move in with his cousin, Jasper, in California. Though appalled by this no one actually tries to stop him except for Stewie who looks like he's going to stop him but actually spits on him. This sets the stage for the next episode, "Brian Does Hollywood."
    [edit]moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The Griffins are shown in Purgatory saying "not that good, not that bad". Purgatory is a horrific place, used to cleanse souls for their entrance into heaven. The Griffins would actually be in Limbo, the place reserved for "righteous pagans and children who have died before baptism", where there is no torment but pleasure is withheld. Edit
    • The sign in front of the rehab clinic reads: Providence Rehab Clinic Because, dude, it's time. Edit
    • On the newspaper that shows Brian in his ticker tape parade, a headline reads "Scientist Mystified By Paper Rain." Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Cut for time, Gerald the Happy and Abstinent Police Clown originally sang a song about Gonorrhea (a.k.a. The Clap) sung to the tune of If you're happy and you know it. Edit
    • The writers originally wrote this episode to be a season finale, which is why it ends in "to be continued..." However, because of the constant scheduling changes by FOX, it never happened. Edit
    • The opening credits has the line "Laugh and Cry" rerecorded so people don't keep thinking it's "Eff'n Cry" Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Rehab Counselor: Wait a minute, Brian, you have a pre-existing relationship with this degenerate? Peter: A degenerate, am I? Well, you are a festisio! See? I can make up words too, sister. Edit
    • Brian: So I see you got a new receptionist. Nice little body on her, huh? Therapist: That's my daughter. Brian: Well, we could probably call this an early day, huh? Edit
    • Greased Up Deaf Guy: You're never gonna catch me! You're wasting your time! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Stepford Wives Brian refers to Lois as a Stepford Wife, referencing the novel about a town filled with synthetic submissive wives. Edit
    • Don't Move, Dirtbag! This line is taken from the Police Academy movie. Edit
    • CHiPS The music played when Brian catches his first drug dealer is taken from this iconic cop show starring Erik Estrada. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Family Guy Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 3 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
When You Wish Upon a Weins...
Ep 21
Family Guy Viewer Mail No. 1
Ep 20
Road to Europe
Ep 19
Stuck Together, Torn Apart
Ep 18
From Method to Madness
Ep 17
Brian Wallows and Peter's ...
Ep 16
A Very Special Family Guy ...
Ep 15
Ready, Willing, and Disabled
Ep 14
Peter Griffin: Husband, Fa...
Ep 13
Screwed The Pooch
Ep 12
To Love and Die in Dixie
Ep 11
Emission Impossible
Ep 10
Fish Out of Water
Ep 9
Mr. Saturday Knight
Ep 8
The Kiss Seen Around the W...
Ep 7
Lethal Weapons
Ep 6
Death Lives
Ep 5
And the Wiener is...
Ep 4
One If By Clam, Two If By Sea
Ep 3
Mr. Griffin Goes to Washin...
Ep 2
Brian Does Hollywood (2)
Ep 1
The Thin White Line (1)

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use