Household Man’s ‘Street To…’ Episodes, Ranked From Worst To Greatest

“Household Man” has parodied loads of tales through the years. Certainly one of creator Seth MacFarlane’s favourite episodes, “And Then There Had been Fewer,” pays homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Had been None.” Naturally, the present parodied the unique “Star Wars” trilogy, with every movie getting its personal elongated episode. Nonetheless, probably the greatest parodies the present continuously dabbles in is its “Street To…” sequence the place Brian and Stewie, each voiced by MacFarlane, journey to numerous locales to get into varied misadventures and study a bit one thing about each other. 

The installments are based mostly on the “Street To…” films that had been distinguished within the Forties starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour. Every movie roughly has the identical gimmick the place the primary characters would have a motive to journey someplace, however the plot does not matter an incredible deal. The journey is usually an excuse for Hope and Crosby to get right into a bunch of comedic mishaps and sing songs, with one of the best of the bunch being 1942’s “Street to Morocco,” which ranks as one of many greatest highway journey films of all time. The “Household Man” episodes with this format are largely the identical, however that does not imply they’re all equal in high quality. 

As a long-time “Household Man” fan, I’ve taken it upon myself to rank each “Street To…” episode from worst to greatest based mostly on the standard of the jokes and musical numbers. If a present goes to parody one thing, it solely appears acceptable to guage how profitable they’re by pulling off a narrative that does justice to the supply materials.

“Street to India” is the newest “Household Man” “Street To…” episode on the time of writing, and it aired all the way in which again in 2016. Given the way it was obvious the gimmick was working on fumes, maybe it is for one of the best the installments have been paused in the meanwhile. On this episode, Brian falls in love with an Indian girl named Padma (Sheetal Sheth), so he and Stewie journey to India in order that he can meet her. 

Proper off the bat, “Street to India” will get some factors knocked off as a result of we do not actually get to see the pair journey, which is normally one of the best half. They simply wind up there, eliminating any journey gags. On this method, the story does not actually really feel like a “Street To…” episode, and if it wasn’t for the particular title card designating it as such, I truthfully would’ve forgotten to incorporate it on this record. There’s additionally the driving drive of the episode, which is whether or not Brian and Padma will wind up collectively. Given the established order nature of sitcoms, we already know they cannot, so it is a bit of a moot level. 

The jokes are additionally exactly what you’d count on from “Household Man” with this premise. Many jokes come on the expense of Indian tradition, and despite the fact that “Household Man” can nonetheless get away with being controversial, it does not at all times imply the gags land. The perfect a part of the episode is the musical quantity impressed by Bollywood dance routines, which is pretty ingenious, nevertheless it’s not sufficient to avoid wasting the episode as an entire. 

The second “Street To…” episode, “Street to Europe,” proves there have been nonetheless some kinks to work out. At the very least with this one, there’s an precise journey, as Stewie stows away on a airplane in order that he can get to London to hitch the forged of his favourite present, “Jolly Farm Revue.” Brian tags alongside, and so they need to get inventive upon realizing their airplane took them to the Center East. Some stereotypical moments apart, there are many nice bits as soon as they arrive in Europe, from knocking over the pope in a scorching air balloon to feeling a bit humorous in an Amsterdam cafe. 

The tune, “You and I Are So Awfully Totally different,” is completely appropriate. This was again when making homosexual jokes towards Stewie was nonetheless pretty new, even when it is since grow to be previous hat at this level. However the primary motive why this episode falls so low on the record technically has nothing to do with the “Street To…” story itself. It has to do with the B-plot involving Peter (Seth MacFarlane) and Lois (Alex Borstein) going to a KISS live performance. That storyline is nice, and it is the one I most affiliate this episode with.

The perfect elements of the episode are in that storyline, like Peter getting right into a KISS trivia contest with a nudist and Lois off-handedly mentioning how she additionally slept with J. Geils along with KISS. All in all, it is an incredible episode, however the “Street To…” points merely get overshadowed by the KISS story, so it has to rank a bit decrease. 

By season 11, it is truthful to say that “Household Man” wanted to vary issues up with its “Street To…” sequence. “Roads to Vegas” is an interesting effort, as Stewie and Brian determine to teleport to Las Vegas to see Celine Dion carry out. Nonetheless, they get caught in Quahog and need to journey usually whereas the teleportation machine creates clones of them that wind up in Vegas and have one of the best luck conceivable (to an extent). As soon as our Brian and Stewie get there, they lose all their cash and run afoul of a mortgage shark. It is a massive swing you possibly can’t assist however admire. 

The largest drawback with this episode is that there isn’t any musical quantity, which feels prefer it must be a requirement. It is much more ridiculous, seeing as they traveled to Las Vegas, which is understood for having a ton of nice artists with residencies through the years. Heck, Brian and Stewie particularly journey there to see Celine Dion, and despite the fact that, she usually does not have songs that lend themselves to the kind of parodies featured in “Street To…” installments, they may’ve finished one thing. 

As an alternative, the episode descends into a fairly darkish place when the mortgage shark murders the clone of Stewie. With none cash, the unique Brian jumps off a constructing to his dying, so on the episode’s conclusion, we’re left with the primary Stewie and a clone of Brian. Yup, from this episode ahead, we’re not really seeing the Brian we had grow to be accustomed to for years. Enable that to unsettle you whichever method you see match. 

When Brian by chance sells Stewie’s teddy bear, Rupert, the pair journey to Aspen, Colorado, to get him again in “Street to Rupert.” It is a strong “Street To…” outing that is most likely greatest recognized for that includes a dance sequence from “Anchors Aweigh,” which ranks amongst Gene Kelly’s 10 greatest films. The unedited scene sees Kelly dance with Jerry from “Tom and Jerry,” however right here, the mouse is changed with Stewie dancing alongside him. It is probably not a straight-up tune that is anticipated in “Street To…” episodes, nevertheless it’s fairly neat all the identical. 

I will be sincere; one of the best a part of this episode is the bit the place Stewie and Brian are hitchhiking and Brian begins singing “Take Me Dwelling, Nation Roads.” Stewie asks who sings the tune, with Brian replying, “James Taylor,” and the joke concludes with Stewie saying, “Let’s hold it that method.” This episode got here out once I was in highschool, and my mates and I believed “Let’s hold it that method” was tremendous humorous. Anytime one in every of us randomly sang one thing, we might at all times ask who sang it earlier than concluding with “Let’s hold it that method.” It is a strong joke. 

The B-plot with Meg (Mila Kunis) driving Peter round after he will get his driver’s license suspended is okay, if not an indication of issues to come back with the Griffins abusing Meg in more and more violent methods. General, it is a first rate episode with sufficient going for it to make it a spotlight of season 5. 

“Household Man” confronted backlash for the season 3 episode “When You Want Upon a Weinstein,” attributable to Peter expressing varied Jewish stereotypes. The sitcom makes enjoyable of everybody and anybody, nevertheless it’s been recognized to cross the road of fine style once in a while. The present sending one in every of its solely Jewish characters, Mort Goldman (Johnny Brennan), again to Nazi-occupied Europe circa 1939 appears like it might be rife with bad-taste jokes, nevertheless it really does an honest job of toeing that line. 

“Street to Germany” begins with Mort by chance entering into Stewie’s time machine, so Stewie and Brian return to return him to the trendy day. The episode correctly decides to forgo any B-plot in order that we will focus solely on the WWII journey, and there is loads to love with that sole story. The trio will get right into a “Again to the Future”-style chase, and the Hawk Males from “Flash Gordon” present up throughout an aerial battle. The episode has ample jokes, nevertheless it’s additionally fairly spectacular how they’ve a ton of motion sequences with a ton of transferring elements. Some kudos undoubtedly exit to the animators who needed to convey all these wacky set items to life. 

“Street to Germany” does not have a tune, however that is okay, too. Because the fourth installment within the “Street To…” sequence, audiences most likely anticipated one, however proper earlier than Stewie and Brian are about to interrupt into one, Mort yells at them, “Will you two simply get within the f***ing time machine!?” It is an ideal fake-out, and it is one thing future “Street To…” episodes missing a tune ought to’ve utilized. 

“Street to the North Pole” is an hour-long “Household Man” particular that works nice as each a “Street To…” installment and a vacation episode. Stewie feels ripped off by his native mall Santa, so he and Brian go to the North Pole in order that he can precise revenge. However once they get there, they uncover that Santa welcomes the candy embrace of dying, as he and his inbred elves detest Christmas now that the world has grow to be so grasping, demanding increasingly more from them. 

It is a incredible reversal, with Stewie initially searching for revenge after which attempting to persuade Santa that Christmas continues to be probably the most magical vacation. There are literally a couple of musical beats within the episode, however “Christmastime Is Killing Us” is well the standout. It has the jaunty tones of a traditional vacation tune, however the lyrics and dancing showcase the grim actuality Santa is underneath. You may suppose the episode goes downhill after that, however then, Stewie and Brian attempt to hold Christmas happening their very own, just for the primary home to have all the things go improper. 

It sounds cynical, nevertheless it really ends on a fairly heartwarming be aware, with Stewie and Brian displaying the world how their greed is killing Santa. Everybody agrees to ask for rather less. Whereas the episode’s ample darkish humor is par for the course for “Household Man,” it is the form of Christmas particular you really need to watch yearly across the holidays to take pleasure in a fairly spectacular journey. 

“Street to Rhode Island” is the primary “Household Man” “Street To…” episode, and it additionally form of perfected the system. Brian travels to Palm Springs, California, to choose up Stewie, however when he loses the airplane tickets, they need to get inventive to make it again to Rhode Island. What’s most astonishing about this episode is that it helped show that Stewie and Brian work nice collectively as a duo. Keep in mind: This episode got here out within the second season when Stewie was principally attempting to kill Lois and Brian was the voice of motive. They by no means had a ton of time collectively, so giving them their very own A-plot was a dangerous gamble that in the end labored out, as the 2 have grow to be inseparable in later seasons even outdoors of the “Street To…” installments. 

The musical quantity, additionally referred to as “Street to Rhode Island,” is available in towards the tip however has an incredible old-timey really feel to it to actually think of these previous Bing Crosby and Bob Hope numbers. There are some nice jokes, like Stewie believing his house cellphone quantity is 867-5309 (just like the tune), however there’s some actual emotion right here, too, as Brian visits the farm he was born at, solely to find his mom has died and been stuffed.

The B-plot is nice, too, with out distracting an excessive amount of from the A-story, as Lois makes Peter watch relationship movies to bolster their relationship, just for them to be pornographic in nature. Truthfully, it is only a good episode of “Household Man” that does not overstay its welcome. 

“Street to the Multiverse” is not simply one of the best “Street To…” episode of “Household Man.” It is one of many greatest traditional “Household Man” episodes ever, with Stewie inventing a tool that enables him to journey to parallel worlds with Brian tagging alongside. The issue is the machine cannot routinely convey them again to their universe, so that they need to hold going from universe to universe till they discover the trail house. This can be a nice set-up for an episode, because it permits ample gags with every actuality having one thing off about it, from a world the place everybody’s scorching to a actuality the place humanity is rather more technologically superior.

One memorable set piece transports them to a Disney universe, resulting in the tune, “It is a Fantastic Day for Pie.” It is truthfully an incredible try on the form of inane tune one may discover in early Disney work earlier than it takes a disturbingly darkish flip. There’s additionally an intriguing reversal of fortunes once they go to the universe with probably the most display time — one by which canines rule all whereas people are their pets. 

The multiverse could also be previous hat at this level, nevertheless it’s the right platform for this type of story. Quickly going from one actuality to the subsequent permits for ample cutaway gags which might be concurrently random but work throughout the plot. It is a incredible episode the place the writers actually get to stretch their creativity, and if we ever get one other “Street To…” episode, hopefully, it is on par with this.