Ep 15. Brian Griffin's House of Payne

Brian Griffin's House of Payne is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated sitcom Family Guy. The episode was first aired on March 28, 2010, on the Fox television network. The show is created by Seth MacFarlane and follows the dysfunctional Griffin family.

In this episode, Brian decides to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a television writer and sells his pilot script to a network. Excited by his success, Brian moves to Los Angeles to oversee the production of his show, which turns out to be an African American family sitcom called "Class Holes".

However, Brian quickly realizes that the network has made major changes to his script, turning his intelligent, witty humor into trite and stereotypical gags. He also discovers that the show is being produced by an African American comedian named "Tyrese, Cletus Jeffers and Sister Mary Clarence" who is known for his controversial and offensive stand-up comedy.

The episode explores themes of race, writing, and censorship in the television industry. In one subplot, Peter becomes fascinated with the idea of owning a black woman as a slave after watching a historical miniseries. He convinces his friend Quagmire to join him in a bid to purchase a slave at a plantation auction in the deep south. The two are involved in a comedic and absurd plotline as they try to outbid each other and eventually end up getting stuck in a pre-Civil War era.

Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Brian struggles with his conscience as he sees his script transformed by the network into an offensive caricature of black families. He confronts Tyrese about the changes and they get into a heated debate over what constitutes good writing and social responsibility. Eventually, Brian decides to sabotage the show by sneaking in his original script into the teleprompter and causing chaos on the set.

The episode ends with Brian's show being cancelled and him feeling frustrated and disillusioned with the television industry. However, he is cheered up by his friends who suggest that he starts his own web series where he can produce and write whatever he wants without fear of censorship.

In conclusion, Brian Griffin's House of Payne is a thought-provoking episode that tackles sensitive issues like race and censorship with humor and wit. It also shows the importance of staying true to oneself and not compromising one's values for the sake of success. The episode is a standout in the eighth season and is recommended for anyone who appreciates intelligent and socially relevant comedy.