In an attempt to retrieve him, Stewie and Brian discover that the family Rupert was sold to are former neighbours who had since moved to Aspen, Colorado.
The episode feature guest performances by Max Burkholder, Phil LaMarr, Rob Lowe, Ted McGinley, Stephen Stanton, Connor Trinneer, Audrey Wasilewski, George Wendt and Dave Wittenberg.
After a box falls out of the moving truck, they discover the buyer, Stanford Cordray (Rob Lowe), now resides in Aspen, Colorado.
Not wanting to lose either Brian or Rupert, Stewie has his personal butler Crohn throw a cup of hot tea on Stanford's son Timmy's face, forcing him to drop the bear.
The two grab Rupert and make a run for it, and carjack a passing driver at gunpoint in the city and drive the 2112 miles back to Quahog.
Lois mocking Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005) (or, as it is called in the scene, Stymie Gruffin: The Untold Story), citing the movie as a "middle finger to the fans" by only being three episodes slapped together under the guise of a movie (followed by Brian calling in two bodyguards in suits to take Lois away) was edited on TV for time reasons.
[3][4] The scene of Stewie getting high on NyQuil to cope with losing Rupert and mistaking a throw pillow for a cat was cut from TV airings for time reasons.
[3] Every frame when Stewie is dancing in a montage of Anchors Aweigh took a large amount of work to produce.
[3] The My Black Son opening theme parodied a number of 1970s and 1980s television programs, these being Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties, Punky Brewster, Laverne and Shirley, Perfect Strangers, Three's Company, Who's the Boss?
While entering the dollar bill Brian sold the bear Rupert for into the FBI database, it can be seen as being reported that antagonist watches Cold Case, Without a Trace, and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
[5] Hitchhiking to Colorado, Stewie and Brian catch a ride with Smokey and the Bandit co-stars and former couple Sally Field and Burt Reynolds.
The entire scene of Stewie singing and dancing in order to secure rental of the helicopter is a reference to the 1945 musical film Anchors Aweigh.
In a slight improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 8.8 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratings.
"[7] IGN commented that, "...for Family Guy to have a great episode, it takes a good story and humorous "manatee" gags.