| "Partial Terms of Endearment" | |
|---|---|
| Family Guy episode | |
 DVD cover | |
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | Joseph Lee |
| Written by | Danny Smith |
| Production code | 7ACX10 |
| Original air dates | June 20, 2010 (BBC Three)[1] September 28, 2010 (US, DVD) |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Partial Terms of Endearment" is the 21st and final episode of the eighth season of the animated sitcom Family Guy. Directed by Joseph Lee and written by Danny Smith, the episode originally aired on BBC Three in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2010, and has not been allowed to air in the United States on Fox, the original television network of the series, due to its controversial nature. This is also the last episode to be presented in standard format, before the series switched to high-definition format, and it is the final episode to feature the opening sequence that was updated during the second season.
In the episode, Lois is approached by an old friend from college who asks her to become a surrogate mother. After arguing with her husband Peter who is against the idea, Lois agrees and undergoes in vitro fertilization. However, while Lois is pregnant, the biological parents are killed in an automobile accident. Lois and Peter have to decide whether to abort the fetus, or carry it to term and give the baby up for adoption. Peter attempts to persuade his wife to get an abortion but changes his mind after anti-abortion activists convince him that abortion is murder. Despite Peter's objections, Lois goes ahead with the abortion.
The episode was banned from airing on the Fox network due to concerns over its portrayal of the controversial subject of abortion. This is the second episode of Family Guy to be prevented from airing during the episode's respective regular season run; the first episode was the third season's "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein". Unlike that episode, Cartoon Network's adult-oriented block Adult Swim refused to air "Partial Terms of Endearment" upon Fox's request. The episode has never aired on any network in the United States. The episode was first announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con.
Critical responses to the episode were mostly positive; critics praised the storyline, cultural references and its assessment of the subject of abortion. The episode was watched in just under a million homes in its original airing in the United Kingdom. Guest performances included Gary Beach, Jackson Douglas, Phil LaMarr, Will Sasso, Julia Sweeney, Wil Wheaton and Michael York, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Partial Terms of Endearment" was released on DVD in the United States, along with Seth and Alex Almost-Live Comedy Show, on September 28, 2010. Even though this episode was placed at the end of season 8, the episode was placed between "Go Stewie Go" and "Peter-assment" in the UK.