Family Guy Season 22 Episode 2 Review: Supermarket Pete

Family Guy Season 22 Episode 2, “Supermarket Pete,” is an episode that features relatively amusing plots focused on beloved characters.

This episode, written by Seth MacFarlane, David Zuckerman, and Joanna Quraishi, is an improvement in quality from the season premiere, Family Guy Season 22 Episode 1, “Fertilized Megg.” Additionally, this latest installment contains two main plots that are mostly unrelated but still reasonably enjoyable. 

Family Guy’s characters are at their zaniest, which helps this episode feel fresh and interesting.

After over two decades, Seth MacFarlane and Co. have shown new sides to these characters we’ve known so well while giving them fresh (or new-ish) experiences. 

It makes sense that Lois would be annoyed that Peter is now working at the grocery store, which she calls “my domain.” This leads to more of the typically excellent voice work from Alex Borstein, who previously earned Emmys for the role (and deservedly so). 

Fortunately, this episode is much lighter on cutaways than the season premiere, which was too plentiful.

One is an “In Memorium” for the “Grocery Store Oscars.” This bit is very clever, primarily as it uses Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” and shows Lois being presented after Betty White. The show is unlikely to return to this bit, but it’s unique and exciting. It would be great to see if the joke could show back up during later episodes in another form. 

This episode also features plenty of digs at Stop & Shop and WeWork.

Here, “Stop & Shop” has become “Stop ‘N Shop,” which is slightly different. It may have been better to choose a grocery store name that wasn’t so obvious. 

On the other hand, Family Guy’s direct digs at the company WeWork are funny and clever, and there was no need to change the name. This episode even pokes fun at the owner of WeWork, who says, “Don’t Google me.” 

The show has never been afraid to satirize and fully lambast certain people and companies, and this episode is no exception. 

And as we’ve seen throughout the long run of Family Guy, characters have paired up for various reasons over the years. However, the pairing featured on this episode is one we’ve probably never seen before.

Brian and Joe are a uniquely fun (and strange) pairing for “Supermarket Pete” to explore. Their obsession with true crime is relatable and fits their characterizations wonderfully.

This plotline is relevant to 2023, especially regarding the tendency for people to turn disturbing stories into sensationalized fiction — for money and entertainment. 

Perhaps the episode’s highlight is the fight involving the podcaster, journalist, and “NPR ladies with lisps.” It takes fighting for a newsworthy story to another level and is a topical reminder that some people will do whatever it takes to get a good story. 

What makes the Brian and Joe story particularly memorable is that they become more self-aware by the end of the episode — well, at least, one of them does.

Sure, Family Guy often wraps things up pretty quickly, but it’s not the kind of show that needs to have a cliffhanger; it’s one where every episode should have a beginning, middle, and end.  

This episode contains several pop culture references, including one from Curb Your Enthusiasm. That one feels a little dated, as the show hasn’t been on the air for a couple of years at least. 

That said, the political references mostly land. While the show has mostly leaned left politically, this episode includes Chris saying, “Thanks for nothin’, Sleepy Joe,” referring to President Biden. 

Another political joke is a knock on the “Blue Lives Matter” movement. So, the writers aren’t afraid to poke fun at liberals and conservatives. 

The other cutaway involves Peter’s tap dancing, which hadn’t previously been mentioned. Regardless, it does fit in with his zany, creatively inclined (but not necessarily adept) personality. 

Speaking of Peter, he flirts with Lois when she starts working at the Drunken Clam — not knowing it’s his wife — and, while this is disgusting, it’s the behavior we’ve come to expect from him. 

Stray Observations:

• Peter’s boss quickly mentions a “lady chef” who only prepares vegan food, a remark that might elicit chuckles because that’s similar to how a higher-up might describe it in real life. 
• Brian prides himself on being a know-it-all, yet his claim to Joe that Kokomo doesn’t exist is invalid. 
• The stereotypical stay-at-home bits with Lois and Bonnie are things we’ve seen before on the show, but they’re still funny. 
• Having the brewery be shut down and then returned to normal seemed like a wasted opportunity to switch up the location and give Peter and his colleagues something new to do.

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Family Guy airs Sundays at 9:30/8:30c on Fox.

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