Airdate: October 26, 2008
At the Griffins' house, everybody watches the Oscars being hosted by Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi (with comically over-sized teeth) when Mort Goldman desperately needs to use the bathroom. Since Meg's already using it, Mort ends up in Stewie's time machine, mistaking it for a portapotty. Brian goes to check on Mort, and Stewie realizes that Mort used the time machine, which he invented after growing bored with a European Speak-And-Say. Stewie then gets Seymour Krelborn and his back-up singers to explain what happened to Mort, and he and Brian use the time machine and find him in Warsaw, Poland on September 1st of 1939, which was not only the day of Mort's paternal grandparent's wedding, but the day that the Nazis invaded Poland.
Now Brian and Stewie have to save Mort and flee Warsaw. Unfortunately, they come across more Nazis with their submarines docked. The three hijack a submarine to escape to London, England and find that they're out of uranium to fuel their means to go back to the present, prompting them to go to Berlin, Germany. The guys then get on a plane with several British soldiers when the Nazis outnumber them. Luckily, the Hawkmen come to their rescue and take down the Nazis. Finally, the trio arrives in Berlin, where they disguise themselves to get uranium, and Stewie disguises himself further as Adolf Hitler and gets his uranium, but the real Hitler appears, and is fooled at first, but then Stewie taunts him and Hitler demands for the trio's execution...unless they do a musical number. But Mort can't take another second and they all go back to the present, or rather, 30 seconds before Mort used the time machine, destroying it with their Mort inside.
"Road to Germany" contains examples of:
- All Jews Are Cheapskates: When Mort gets sent back in time, he initially mistakes the presence of his relatives for heaven, going out of his way to point some of his relatives, such as, "My frugal Aunt Ruth, my thrifty Uncle Isaac, my bargain-hunting
Aunt Flo, and my great-aunt Vera, who didn't like to spend a lot on anything." - Artistic License – History: There are several historical inaccuracies in this episode. For example:
- Although the Nazis did invade Poland on September 1st of 1939 (considered to be the "official" start of WW2), they didn't actually reach Warsaw until September 8th. In addition, the invasion began in the early morning.
- The two German soldiers that shoot at Stewie and Brian in the alleyway use MP-40 sub-machine guns, which weren't available until 1940. In addition, the standard German sidearm was the Karabiner 98k.
- The spitfires used in the aerial battle were Mk.IX Spitfires, which weren't developed until much later in the war. The Avro Lancaster bombers also would not be introduced until later.
- Brian says that England is the only place where Mort will be safe from the Nazis, but at that time, no other Allied countries had been invaded. In addition, London is depicted as being bombed out, even though the Blitz (the German air campaign against British cities) didn't start until September of 1940.
- The SS-uniforms are in black, but gray was the uniform color of the German Army at this time—black uniforms were only worn by tank crewmen.
- When Brian, Stewie and Mort finally reach Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate can be seen, but the Reichstag and the Siegessäule are missing, and the gate itself is shown from the wrong way.
- At one point, Stewie wonders why Germany is building weapons of mass destruction and America isn't stopping them. Brian looks at the camera and says "Maybe because they don't have any oil." Actually, America had all the oil it needed and didn't have to rely on foreign imports. In fact, America was able to supply nearly all the fuel needed for the Western Allied war effort (Russia had their own considerable oil fields). It was the Axis countries who invaded for oil during the war. But knowing Brian it could be a Take That! to the The War on Terror: some people have claimed that oil was an underlying motivator for American military intervention in the Middle East.
- Artistic License – Ships:
- The inside of the U-boats used by Brian, Stewie, and Mort, along with the Germans chasing them are shown to be large and spacious like modern day submarines. In reality, most WWII era subs were extremely small and cramped with only enough room for one person at a time to move about.
- They're also shown using Active sonar. While some WWII submarines did have Active sonar, it was almost never used because it gave away the subs position to the enemy. Submarines instead relied on Passive sonar which didn't reveal your position.
- Hands Go Down: When Brian and Stewie are looking for Mort at his grandparents' wedding:Stewie: Uh, excuse me. We're looking for a Mr. Goldman.
(Every man raises their hand)
Brian: Mr. Mort Goldman.
(Half the men lower their hands)
Stewie: He's a small business owner. Tends to whine a lot, kind of a hypochondriac.
(The half that lowered their hands raise them again)
Stewie: No, no! You can't put your hand back up after you've put it down...you know what, never mind. - Lame Pun Reaction: Stewie has this to Brian's Obligatory Joke about "when we are."
- Law of Time Travel Coincidences: Brian and Stewie travel back in time to Warsaw, Poland (though how they got to Poland from Rhode Island is never explained), September 1st, 1939, the date that Germany invades Poland and kicks off World War II (the Germans did not reach Warsaw until a week later). They have time for one Jewish wedding before tanks start rolling in.
- Mistaken for Toilet: The plot kicks off by Mort mistaking Stewie's time machine for a porta-potty.
- Musicalis Interruptus: Brian and Stewie begin a musical number to save themselves from being killed by Hitler before Mort tells them to get back in the time machine. This is probably an allusion to the fact that this was the first "Road to..." episode not to be directed by Dan Povenmire, who was a whiz at directing musical sequences.Brian and Stewie (now with hats and canes): Whenever-
Mort: Dammit, will you two just get in the fucking time machine?! - Obligatory Joke: Brian asks "Or when we are?", much to Stewie's displeasure.
- Oddball in the Series: Despite being labeled as a "Road to..." episode, this lacks a few trademarks the previous "Road to..." episodes included:
- This was the first "Road to..." episode directed by Greg Colton, since Dan Povenmire left for Disney to co-create Phineas and Ferb.
- Mort joins Brian and Stewie on their adventure even though previous installments focused solely on Brian and Stewie. And speaking of which...
- This is the first "Road to..." episode not to have a subplot involving Peter and/or Lois.
- This is the first "Road to..." episode not to have a central musical number performed by Brian and Stewie. Though they attempt to start one, they are interrupted by Mort.
- Oh, Crap!: Mort, when he, Brian and Stewie, disguised as Hitler, run into the real Hitler.
- The Peeping Tom: Quagmire when he records Meg using the bathroom.
- Pooping Where You Shouldn't: Mort has to use the bathroom really badly after he's had some laxatives, but Meg's occupying the Griffins' only bathroom, so he finds Stewie's Time Machine. He does his business in there, which results in him being sent back to when the Nazis took over Poland. At the end of the episode, this is undone when Brian and Stewie go back to before he used the time machine, and he soils himself after they refuse to let him go in there.
- Potty Failure: Mort ends up soiling himself at the very end of the episode, after Brian and Stewie refuse to let him use the time machine as a toilet.Mort: Can I poop in here?Brian and Stewie: NO!Mort: ...too late.
- Shout-Out:
- The little musical number done by the people from Little Shop of Horrors.
- The scene where Stewie and Brian are in an aerial dogfight and are suddenly backed up by the hawk-men from Flash Gordon. Complete with BRIAN BLESSED letting out an epic battle cry.Vultan: STAND BY, MY HAWK-MEN! DIIIIVE!!!!!
- One of the projects by the Nazi scientists was to create a display of 100 red balloons, but then one of them pops.
- Silly Animal Sound: As Stewie learns from his "See And Say" toy, European cows go "Shazoo!"Stewie: It most certainly does not!
- Take That!: The Nazi uniform that Stewie wears has a "McCain/Palin '08" button on it.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Subverted and averted. Mort Goldman is fat and homely with bad teeth and thick glasses while his grandparents (as we see on their wedding day) were drawn much more attractively
. - Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Mort going into the time machine (having mistaken it for a portable toilet) is what sets off the plot of the episode.
