In the wake of losing his job, Peter applies for welfare. A mistake leaves him with far more money than anticipated, which ends up getting him in trouble with the law.
When Peter accidentally cuts off the cable reception for the entire town, he has to deal with the angry townspeople on top of his own struggle with life without television.
After sabotaging Stewie's birthday party, Peter scrambles to make amends. Meg is courted by a cult that puts her life in danger.
An outburst at a soccer game leaves Peter under house arrest. To pass the time, he turns the basement into a bar, which ends up causing unexpected chaos in the family's life.
When he causes his company's softball team to lose a player, Peter is forced to recruit his neighbor to join the team instead, only to become jealous when the disabled Joe unintentionally shows him up.
Desperate to meet his father's expectation, Chris struggles to reveal that he has no desire to be a scout and instead has an artistic interest.
With Brian growing resentful of how the family is treating him, his rebellion against being treated like a dog leaves his life hanging in the balance.