If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'

"If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" is the ninth episode of the second season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 4, 2000, and was written by Chris Sheridan and directed by Swinton Scott III. The episode follows Peter as he gains a reputation as a healer after healing Chris' fictional condition (which Peter makes up) and people start worshiping him as a god. Infuriated by Peter's actions, the real God sends six plagues upon his house. Peter admits that he is not God, thus ending the plagues.

Plot

Peter becomes very upset when NBC cancels his favorite show, Gumbel 2 Gumbel Beach Justice, a sitcom starring sportscasters Bryant Gumbel and Greg Gumbel. Lois suggests he use the series' cancellation to help Chris improve his study habits. To get the show back on the air, Peter decides to tell the Grant-A-Dream Foundation (a parody of the Make-A-Wish Foundation) that being able to watch the show is Chris's dying wish. He makes up a disease called "tumasyphilisitisosis," the symptoms of which include growing extra nipples, faked with pepperoni slices, across Chris's torso. An agreement is made between Grant-a-Dream and NBC in which Gumbel will be put back on the air if NBC can get the film rights to Chris's death. When Gumbel 2 Gumbel is put back on the air, Peter panics upon learning that people think Chris is dead as mourners hold a funeral on their front lawns for Chris' death.

When Peter finds out that NBC aired a film adaptation based on Chris' fictional condition, he sues NBC for defamation. When the network comes to claim their part of the deal in court, Lois finds out about the scam behind it and tells Peter to tell the truth, but he could possibly face jail time for fraud. Acting out of desperation, he claims to have cured Chris and gets commuted of his fraud charges. As a result, Peter gets a reputation for being a healer, and people start worshiping him as a god. Infuriated, the real God sends six plagues upon his house. When Chris is crushed by a giant golden statue of Peter during the final plague involving the death of the first-born son, Peter admits that he is not God, thus ending the plagues and saving Chris' life. He then foolishly attempts to say he is god again but stops the moment the plagues return.

Production

"If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" was written by Chris Sheridan, who also produced the episode. Sheridan wrote the episode while attempting to come up with a plot for the episode "Da Boom", which ultimately went to Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan. Sheridan was then chosen to write the previous episode "I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar" and this episode. "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" was originally pitched by Ricky Blitt, who previously wrote "The Son Also Draws" and has done extensive voice acting for the show. Blitt had written many scripts for upcoming episodes; the second script he wrote was chosen for this episode by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin" was directed by Swinton Scott III. "If I'm Dyin, I'm Lyin'" was Scott's first episode he directed for the second season. He also helped animate the backgrounds—which parody the backgrounds of a number of films—such as Double Indemnity, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Predator—and oversaw production for the episode. At the episode's beginning, Scott is credited as an executive producer.

Reception

In its original airing on Fox in the United States on April 4, 2000, "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" had a 4.68 Nielsen rating and was viewed in approximately 6.24 million homes. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week, finishing 114th in the ratings for the week of March 27 – April 4, 2000. Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. In 1998, TV Guide listed it in its list of top twelve Family Guy episodes, calling it "an overly observant, hilarious, perfect time capsule that tells one of Peter's ridiculous and absurd adventures." In 2007, Family Guy cast member Alex Borstein named "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" as one of her favorite episodes of the series.

References

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