[S8E3] Spies Reminiscent Of Us
"Spies Reminiscent of Us" is the third episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 11, 2009. The episode pays homage to the 1985 comedy film Spies Like Us,[2] featuring baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian as they discover that American spies Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd have moved into their neighbor Cleveland Brown's old house; they eventually follow them on a secret mission to Russia. Meanwhile, Peter, Joe, and Quagmire attempt to start an improv comedy group with very little success.
[S8E3] Spies Reminiscent of Us
The four spies head to City Hall to warn Mayor West about the sleeper agent, but they discover that the mayor is the sleeper agent when Aykroyd inadvertently uses the trigger phrase. During the ensuing fight, Aykroyd plants a homing beacon on Mayor West's leg. West escapes to Russia and the four follow him. However, they immediately stand out as US agents, and are subsequently arrested and brought into the office of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who explains that the sleeper agent plan would be an embarrassment to their government if revealed to the public. He offers to help them stop West from fulfilling his pre-programmed mission by providing them transportation. When the four find West, they see him launch a nuclear missile aimed at the United States before he snaps out of his trance. Mayor West holds himself responsible for America's fate, though Brian comforts him with the knowledge that he was not in control of his actions, having been brainwashed by the Soviets. Aykroyd realizes that he can hack into the missile's guidance system. This allows him to aim the missile's warhead high above the Earth's atmosphere and harmlessly explode, saving the US. The fuselage, though, crashes into Cleveland's house in Stoolbend, Virginia, while Cleveland was taking a bath, eliciting confusion from his neighbor, Tim the Bear. The episode ends with Brian and Stewie in the family living room as they recount their adventure and repeat the activation phrase, which reveals Meg to be another sleeper agent, but she is told to shut up by her contact.
The episode was largely based upon the 1985 film Spies Like Us, which starred Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd,[8] and the movie is mentioned in the episode itself.[9] The episode was also based on the 1977 spy film Telefon about brainwashed Russian spies in the U.S. who can be activated by a special code phrase. When Peter has to go to the bathroom, he runs to Cleveland's empty home, which has been put up for sale since he left to live in Virginia with his new family. A montage of Peter going to the bathroom is shown, while Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud" plays. When Peter becomes aware that Cleveland's house is being rented by actors Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, he mentions that he is honored to have dinner with "two of the three Ghostbusters." Chase then replies that he was not in that movie; Peter also notes that he is honored to meet "two of the Three Amigos," a movie starring Chase but not Aykroyd. After dinner, Stewie is seen drawing and coloring Sebastian the crab, a character from the Disney film The Little Mermaid. When Aykroyd and Chase ask Stewie and Brian if they want to be "spies like us", Stewie asks if they can be "spies like them" and points to Black Spy and White Spy from Spy vs. Spy, one of the head comic strip features of MAD magazine. When Aykroyd and Chase explain to Stewie and Brian how they were recruited as official spies by Reagan, a cutaway is shown of an event in which 1985 is awarded the "Awesomest Year of the 80's" prize and all characters spontaneously start dancing to the 1983 song "(Keep Feeling) Fascination." Later, Brian and Stewie agree to become agents, and Stewie asks if "Ron Howard's weird-looking brother is here."[3] There is a cutaway to The Brady Bunch, in which it is revealed Mike Brady killed his first wife, and housekeeper Alice walks in and demands a raise.
Brian and Stewie find both celebrities sudden appearance to be suspicious and decide to investigate. After activating a Pepsi machine in the house, it becomes an elevator which plummets them down a long shaft into a secret underground base called D.U.M.P.F. (or Deep Underground Military Protection Facility - the F is silent) where Chevy and Dan come clean as spies for the federal government, as a result of being commissioned by President Ronald Reagan, who loved their performance in Spies Like Us. They are tasked with finding a "sleeper agent" who resides in Quahog, and they enlist Brian and Stewie's help.
Meanwhile, Stewie and Brian find it suspicious that Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase would move in next door and to spy at their house and find themselves in the middle of a big spy base. Soon, the boys discover the famous actors are actualy undercover spies like their movie Spies Like Us. The guys are on a mission in Quahog to find the undercover Russian spy, who turns out to be Mayor West. Once West is reactivated as a spy when the guys say the secret phrase, he heads to Russia, and the spies, plus Stewie and Brian, head to Russia after them. They manage to catch Adam West, but it's too late, he's launched an old Soviet missile at the US, but the boys reprogram it and the day is saved.
Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase move into Cleveland's old house. Brian and Stewie learn that they are actually spies trying to track down a Soviet sleeper agent in Quahog. Meanwhile, Peter, Quagmire, and Joe start an improv group.Tropes: As Himself: Both Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase voice themselves.
Bilingual Bonus: Meg's Russian dialogue is unsubtitled when she's triggered by the phrase. The translation is "Agent 2476 is aware and is awaiting for instructions from our side. Please wait for us to call you."
The Cameo: Even after moving to Stoolbend, Cleveland just can't take a bath without his house being destroyed.
Cloudcuckoolander: After launching the missile, Mayor Adam West snaps out of his trance and, upon seeing that he's in the middle of snow-covered Siberia, wonders if he has bitten into a York Peppermint Pattie.
Crossover Punchline: After foiling the plot in the nick of time, Dan expresses hope the fuselage will fall in a spot where it won't cause much damage. It crashes into Cleveland's house in Stoolbend, sending him and his bathtub falling to the ground.Tim the Bear: [walking out and facing the audience] I-I don't get it.
Implacable Man: Mayor Adam West turns into one of these once he's awoken as an agent.
Improvised Weapon: Stewie stabs Adam with a shard of broken window glass.
Lame Pun Reaction: One of the improv groups that Quagmire was a member of was called "Three-Smile Island." He notes how much this actually dates him.
After Putin does the three Stab the Salad gags, Stewie remarks that he was "Putin them on," to no laugh from Dan or Chevy.
Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Whilst Peter's impression gets a genuine laugh out of people, it's basically all he knows, failing to comprehend the comedy exercises Quagmire brings up nor the more subtle humour of other comedians. Yet he considers himself the funniest man on God's Green Earth.
Locked Out of the Loop: Tim the Bear doesn't get the Running Gag of Cleveland's house getting destroyed and him falling out while he's in the tub.
Manchurian Agent: Mayor Adam West is a sleeper agent for the KGB who gets activated when the trigger phrase is activated by Dan by mistake. During the end credits, it's revealed Meg is one as well.
Not So Above It All: After agreeing to provide the group with anything they'll need, Putin asks Stewie if he can introduce a Russian cutaway gag and then does so.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Vladimir Putin, of all people, agrees to help the group track down West, as the activation of a Cold War sleeper agent would be an embarrassment to his government.
Russian Bear: After arriving in Russia, Stewie and Brian are surprised to find the stereotype is true.Stewie: Wow, those are the Russian people? I mean, you do think of bears on unicycles when you think of Russian people, but... THEY'RE ALL BEARS ON UNICYCLES!? Dan Aykroyd: Bears on unicycles, every one of them.
Shout-Out: Doubling as an Actor Allusion, Dan uses a PKE Meter to track Mayor West.
Stab the Salad: After the group is arrested by the Russians, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin does this three times in a row. First he takes out nunchucks, then uses them to hang his coat (in a Shout-Out to Raiders of the Lost Ark). Then he pulls out a crossbow, and uses it to hang his necktie. Then he assembles an AK-47, and uses it as a cigarette lighter.
Super Window Jump: Mayor Adam West does this to escape once he's been compromised as a sleeper agent.
Trigger Phrase: Brian and Stewie learn from Dan and Chevy that the phrase to activate a sleeper agent is "Gosh, that Italian family at the next table sure is quiet."
Whole-Plot Reference: Of Spies Like Us.
You Are Number 6: Even as a Russian sleeper agent, Meg gets the "Shut up, Meg" bit, only her number is 2476.
Stewie and Brian are suspicious when two guys move into Cleveland's old house, and when they find out Dan and Chevy are spies and they have dossiers of all the people in Quahog they follow them on a mission to Russia and end up in hot water . 041b061a72