Extra Large Medium is the 12th episode of the eighth season of the
animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by John Holmquist and
written by Steve Callaghan, the episode originally aired on Fox in the
United States on February 14, 2010. In "Extra Large Medium", the
show's main character, Peter, discovers that he has supposedly
developed "extrasensory perception" (ESP) after his two sons, Chris
and Stewie, go missing during a family hike in the woods. Soon after
being rescued, Chris decides to ask out a classmate at his school,
named Ellen, who has Down syndrome, and eventually takes her on a
romantic date, which he goes on to regret. Meanwhile, Peter begins
performing psychic readings, but is eventually discovered to be faking
his ability once he is approached by the town's police force.The
episode generated significant controversy. Former Governor of Alaska
and 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who is
referenced briefly in the episode as being the mother of Ellen, took
offense to the episode's portrayal of Down syndrome, due to her son
being diagnosed with disorder. Andrea Fay Friedman, who was also
diagnosed with Down syndrome and portrayed the character of Ellen,
publicly refuted Palin, instead supporting executive producer and
series creator Seth MacFarlane, who defended the episode, and was also
supported by Bill Maher, the host of Real Time. The episode got more
criticism from the Parents Television Council during its original
broadcast.Despite the controversy, critical responses to the episode
were mostly positive; critics praised its storyline, numerous cultural
references, and its portrayal of a person with Down syndrome.
According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 6.42 million homes in
its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by
Jennifer Birmingham, Jackson Douglas, Andrea Fay Friedman, Phil
LaMarr, Michele Lee and Nana Visitor, along with several recurring
guest voice actors for the series. It was nominated for a Primetime
Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, for the
episode's song entitled "Down Syndrome Girl", at the 62nd Primetime
Emmy Awards. Both Walter Murphy and MacFarlane were recognized for
their work on the music and lyrics. "Extra Large Medium" was released
on DVD, along with 11 other episodes from the season, on December 13,
2011.When the Griffin family decide to go for a hike in the local
woods, Chris and Stewie get lost while chasing after a floating
butterfly. As a result, they go missing for several days, with only
limited supplies. As Lois is at her wits' end, she decides to see a
psychic medium who assures her of the children's safety and well
being. Eventually the boys are found and rescued by Bruce, and
returned to their home in Quahog which only furthers Lois' psychic
obsession to the annoyance of a skeptical Brian. In defiance of Lois'
assertion that extrasensory perception exists, Brian has Peter perform
a cold reading on a passerby in the park in order to demonstrate that
psychic readings are purely an act, and not real. However, Peter is
struck by his success as a medium, convincing himself that he actually
has extrasensory perception, and decides to capitalize on it by
opening his own psychic readings business and performing in front of a
live audience. Soon after, Peter's bluff is finally called when Joe
requests his help in a frantic search for a missing person who has
been strapped to a bomb. Peter stalls for time during the search (as
he just wants to feel the victim's daughter's breasts), eventually
resulting in a gruesome death when the bomb explodes, prompting Peter
to flatly admit that he actually has no psychic powers whatsoever. Extra Large Medium Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter