Livin' on a Prayer

"Livin' on a Prayer" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. The episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 29, 2012. In this episode, Stewie befriends another boy named Scotty. When Scotty falls ill, Peter and Lois take him to the hospital. His parents disagree with this action, due to their religious beliefs. The episode was well received by critics for its cutaway gags, cultural references, and themes. This episode was written by Danny Smith and directed by Pete Michels. The episode features guest performances from Max Burkholder, Gary Cole, Rob Corddry, Judy Greer, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Kevin Michael Richardson, Sage Ryan, Tara Strong, Nicole Sullivan, and Josh Robert Thompson along with several recurring voice actors for the series. This episode was named after the Bon Jovi song of the same name. Plot The Griffin family goes to the Quahog Public Library for the Children's Sing-a-long activity held by Bruce. While there, Stewie meets a boy named Scotty Jennings and his parents Ben and Hope, whom Lois and Peter befriend. Both Lois and Hope organize a play date for both their sons. Everything goes well until Scotty suddenly falls ill whilst playing with Stewie and passes out, so Lois and Peter rush him to the hospital. At the hospital, Dr. Hartman tells them that Scotty has Hodgkin's disease and needs urgent treatment or else he will die. When Scotty's parents Ben and Hope arrive, they confess that they already knew their son had cancer, but do not use modern hospital treatment due to their religious beliefs as Christian Scientists, stating that they use their faith as a medicine. Lois, with her contrasting religious beliefs, tries to convince them to let Scotty receive medical treatment. However, Ben and Hope remain hopeful that continuous prayers will save their son. Lois then seeks help from Joe, but he says the police are unable to intervene, as it would be a violation of Hope and Ben's right to practice their religion.