38. Ready, Willing & Disabled
Season: 3
Episode: 15
Original Air Date: December 20th, 2001 Another episode dedicated almost solely to offending the physically handicapped, this one sees Peter convincing Joe to enter the Special People's Games, after Joe falls into a bit of an emotional funk after being unable to chase down a thief and quitting the police force. At the Games, Joe encounters his biggest rival, a man whose character is clearly based off of Stephen Hawking, who continuously, and hilariously, trash talks using his voice synthesizer. After Joe gets off to a slow start, Peter slips him some steroids without his knowledge, and of course, this changes everything. It leads to Joe winning the Games and becoming a new local hero, which brings him back out of the funk. Appearances in television commercials and the rights to a movie about his life have Joe flying high. Feeling jealous, and then left out as Joe continues to dismiss Peter's training as part of his success, Peter has to fight with going public about Joe's steroid use, even if it would deprive Quahog of the hero they need so badly. Peter goes back and forth between being the jealous, selfish friend and being someone that you feel bad for, as Joe continues to grow into his d**chebag ways. That's much better character layering than Family Guy usually sees, so it stands out a bit.