Ep 14. Peter-assment
- TV14
- March 21, 2010
- 21 min
-
7.3 (1,613)
In "Peter-assment," the fourteenth episode in season 8 of Family Guy, Peter becomes the target of a workplace harassment lawsuit brought against him by a female coworker named Gretchen. The episode begins with the announcement that Happy-Go-Lucky Toys, Peter's employer, is preparing to downsize its operations. In anticipation of this, Peter begins to frantically search for a new job so that he can provide for his family, but his efforts are in vain.
Eventually, Peter's desperation leads him to take a position working for Happy-Go-Lucky's human resources department. His job is to review employee performance evaluations and make recommendations as to who should be laid off. However, Peter's behavior quickly becomes inappropriate when he begins flirting with Gretchen, whom he finds attractive. Despite Gretchen's repeated rejections, Peter continues to make unwanted sexual advances towards her.
Gretchen eventually reports Peter's behavior to the company's boss, Mr. Weed, who responds by filing a harassment lawsuit against him. Peter is now forced to defend himself in court against Gretchen's accusations, with the entire Griffin family on hand to cheer him on.
Throughout the course of the trial, various witnesses are called to the stand to testify in support of Peter or Gretchen. Chris and Meg both testify that they have never seen their father behave inappropriately towards women, while Quagmire and Joe present evidence of Peter's lewd behavior. Meanwhile, Stewie becomes increasingly bored with the trial and begins to plot his own revenge against Gretchen.
As the trial progresses, tensions between Peter and Gretchen continue to mount, with both of them becoming increasingly agitated and hostile towards one another. Eventually, the judge (voiced by David Strathairn) orders Peter to undergo therapy in order to help him overcome his predilection for sexual harassment.
Peter's therapy sessions are initially unsuccessful, as he continues to make inappropriate comments and gestures towards Gretchen. However, with the help of his therapist (voiced by Drew Barrymore), Peter is able to gain a deeper understanding of the harm that his behavior has caused, and begins to make amends with Gretchen.
In the end, Peter and Gretchen reconcile, with Peter promising to never again engage in sexual harassment. The case against him is dropped, and he is able to return to his job at Happy-Go-Lucky Toys. The episode ends with Stewie congratulating Peter on his victory, before revealing that he has planted a bomb underneath Gretchen's car.