Emmy-Winning Episode

Plot

As the Griffin family watches Vedder Call Saul, Peter is displeased that Family Guy hasn't won a single Emmy since it debuted in 1999, and the crossover with The Simpsons didn't help (in reality, the show had won six by the time the episode aired). Lois mentions they shouldn't do another episode with The Simpsons because it only helped the other show (or made Family Guy look bad when fans condemned The Simpsons for agreeing to the crossover at all).

Peter then embarks on his own For Your Consideration campaign by spoofing other shows who won the award. He first targets Best Comedy, parodying Modern Family, Girls, and Transparent, with Sofía Vergara taking Lois's role, Lois portraying a delivery person, Chris acting like Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, a pass-by from Tracy Morgan, and Peter playing a transgender character. Outside the Drunken Clam, Peter meets Louis C.K., who remarks that his career has cooled enough for him to appear.

Inside, the bar patrons greet Peter in the style of Norm Peterson from Cheers. Later, Dr. Hartman comes in to change Peter's sex; Peter insists it was just a gag, but Hartman continues anyway. Peter's final narration states, 'And that's how I became your mother.' The comedy submission fails, and the Emmy producers say Family Guy now owes them an Emmy.

Brian suggests trying Best Drama, leading to spoofs of Breaking Bad, The Wire, Homeland, The Sopranos, Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards, and Game of Thrones, ending with the Night King about to attack Peter with an undead dragon. The sketch is watched by two people and a dragon, who feels he and his fellow dragons were accurately represented. The drama submission also fails, and the Emmy board demands Peter stop. He continues with spoofs of stunts, documentaries, reality shows, and castings, including an interaction with live-action Asa Akira.

After a Daily Show parody, Bill Maher tells Peter that Family Guy will never win an Emmy because the same shows win every year. Peter goes to the library and sees many names and shows that have won Emmys. He returns home to tell Lois, where she reveals a selection of Emmy winners visiting: Louis C.K., Alec Baldwin, Julie Bowen, Tina Fey, Kelsey Grammer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Shonda Rhimes, and Aaron Sorkin. They pick at the show's faults: constantly plagiarizing other media, many minority characters voiced by white actors, contrived episode wrap-ups, and that the show is a complete waste of time.

Peter gives up and is happy to have his family as his award. An email from a chemotherapy patient mistakes the show for The Simpsons, saying he liked the episode where Homer stays home from church. Peter ends with a live-action sequence of Ty Burrell fighting and strangling a rubber chicken. An unidentified man presents him with an Emmy Award, but Burrell says he does not have any more room in his house for it.

Reception

The episode was watched by an audience of 2.80 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched show on Fox that night after Ghosted, The Simpsons, and Bob's Burgers. Jesse Schedeen, a staff writer for IGN, gave the episode a 7.6/10. He noted that Family Guy kicked off its new season with a themed episode and emerged the clear winner over The Simpsons' season opener. He praised the first and second acts but criticized the third act.