Original air date: July 17, 2005
While out shopping for groceries, Lois goes to put back a ham — and ends up stealing it. Soon, she becomes a kleptomaniac and lands in prison, where her family break her out during a visit and the Griffins end up starting a new life in Asiantown.
This episode contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: The Trix Rabbit was usually portrayed as a Butt-Monkey in the Trix cereal commercials, but his Asian incarnation strikes back and beat up two kids and snap another kid’s neck after they refused to share the cereal with him.
- Affably Evil: The child kidnapper shown at the grocery store at the beginning sort of treats his attempts at abducting a kid like a joke. The kid’s mother even treats it as such.
- Bowdlerization: The DVD version (and versions shown on cable reruns and streaming) has an extra scene after the clip from Three's Company: Asiantown of the CBS eye logo turning into a slanted, East Asian eye. According to the DVD commentary, it was cut on FOX for being racially offensive.
- Corny Nebraska: Stewie recalls his trip to Nebraska where the guys he was talking with at a diner had not seen anything interesting lately, but they had a lot to talk about regarding corn.
- Crossdresser: A cutaway features Brian in a dress and high heels. Stewie walks in and it gets awkward.Stewie: All right, so I'm just gonna go out in the hallway and throw up about something else.
- Disproportionate Retribution:
- The judge extends Lois's sentence to three (nearly five) years in prison just because he was upset that Peter sneezed during the trial. Ironically, Peter calling the judge a douchebag actually reduced the sentence from five years to three.
- Peter slaps Meg across the face just for asking where is the family going.
- The Asian Trix commercial has the Trix Rabbit assaulting the children after they refuse to give him the cereal.
Child: Silly wabbit! Twix are for kids!Trix Rabbit: You share! - Five-Finger Discount: Lois goes on a shoplifting spree and becomes addicted to the sheer thrill of stealing until she is arrested and sentenced to three years in prison.
- Heh Heh, You Said "X":Lois: I guess I was stealing, because I was so sick of the same old routine. I felt like I had a void in my life. Like, there was a secret hole in me.
(Quagmire appears in the background)
Quagmire: (excitedly) Oh, God!
Lois: And I was trying to fill that hole with all kinds of expensive objects and things.
Quagmire: Oh, God!
Lois: And I felt wonderful with all those things filling that hole.
Quagmire: Oh, God!
Lois: I did this to myself so I'm just gonna have to lay back and let the penal system teach me a lesson.
Quagmire: That one is also sexual. - Hypocritical Humor: Peter makes Chuck of The Goonies fame do the "truffle shuffle", then laughs and comments on his "childhood obesity". Flashbacks show that Peter was also a heavyset kid growing up.
- Men Can't Keep House: After Lois' arrest, the house pretty much goes to hell, with garbage all over the place, Stewie not getting a diaper change in so long that he hasn't eaten in days (because he "can't fit any more in there"), and wild animals coming into the house. It currently provides the page image.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: After giving an apologetic speech for committing theft to the judge in court, the judge almost lets her go free, only Lois decides to try to steal the judge's gavel, causing him to imprison her for years (five because Peter sneezed).
- Prison Episode: Lois's shoplifting spree, plus stealing the judge's gavel, earns her three years in prison. Brian speculates with good behavior, she could be out within two, but Peter decides to sneak her out, forcing the family to go on the run in Asiantown.
- Racial Face Blindness: Played with. Immediately upon entering Asiatown, Peter assumes every man is Jackie Chan. One of the people actually is Jackie Chan, he immediately assumes everyone is either Ethan Hawke or Frankie Muniz.Jackie Chan: Oh my God, it's Malcolm in Middle!
Meg: I'm not a boy.
Jackie Chan: (angrily) Yes you are... - Rotoscoping: Used to recreate the "Take On Me" video. The creators were offered the opportunity to simply alter the original footage, but decided recreating it with a new rotoscope model would be easier.
- Sex Sells: During the cutaway on The Age of Innocence:Newland: It is settled, May. Our parents have consented and you and I are to be married on the first warm, sunny day of spring.
May: That would be most good, Newland, most good.
Daniel Day-Lewis: (breaking character) I am sorry, but she is just awful. Is there any way I mean, can we add, like, a topless scene, or something?
Off-screen director: Yeah.
Daniel Day-Lewis: Really?
Off-screen director: Yeah.
Daniel Day-Lewis: We can? Great. All right, we got a movie! - Shout-Out:
- The chase scene in Asiatown is accompanied by music from a chase scene in Revenge of the Pink Panther.
- Early in the episode Chris gets pulled into the "Take On Me" Music Video.
- In the sewer, Joe blasts some Tie Fighters.
- In the sewer, the Griffins come across the kids from The Goonies. Peter asks Chunk to do the "truffle shuffle".
Peter: Hehehehe, childhood obesity. - Take That!: To Winona Ryder's infamous shop lifting incident and her Bad "Bad Acting" in The Age of Innocence (and how the film was salvaged because of her topless scene).
- Tempting Fate:
- When Lois agrees to return everything she stole, Brian comments it's a good thing she stopped her thievery before the police caught onto it. Immediately after, Joe shows up to arrest her.
- In the "He's Quagmire!" cutaway:
Man: I do hope nothing happens to spoil this fancy dinner party.
(Quagmire comes in and starts dancing in a speedo) - Very Special Episode: The episode deals with shoplifting and the effects it has one and their family.
- Year Outside, Hour Inside: It's implied to be this as when Chris finally gets out of the "Take On Me" by A-Ha music video universe, his mother asks him where has he been as he has been gone for a long time in the real world while Chris has only been in "Take On Me" universe for only a few minutes.Lois: Chris, where have you been?Chris: I don't know!!
