Family Guyis truly a cartoon juggernaut. The show has 22 seasons under its belt and shows no signs of slowing down (there’s allegedly evena movie in the works). The series is like an amalgam ofThe SimpsonsandSouth Park, with a decidedly madcap sense of humor and iconicly ridiculous main characters. Not everyone likes its cutaway joke style (indeed, they’re sometimes grating) or its myriad pop culture references, but, at its best,Family Guycan go toe-to-toe with any animated comedy out there.
Several of the show’s episodes have been critically acclaimed. Episodes like ‘And Then There Were Fewer’, ‘Road to the Multiverse’, and ‘Back to the Pilot’ are often cited as contenders for Family Guy’s best episode. However,there are also a lot of episodes that flew under the radar or are not that well-remembered which are actually solid.These episodes may have been somewhat overshadowed, but they’re definitely worth watching.
Family Guy
10"Brian & Stewie"
Season 8, Episode 17
“It’s my own fault for thinking I could have pretty things.” “Brian & Stewie” is something of an outlier amongFamily Guyepisodes because it dials back the humor and gets pretty serious. It’s a bottle episode featuring justthe two title characters, who get trapped together in a bank vault over a weekend. They first bicker and fight, but eventually open up to one another, and bond in the process.
This is the only episode in the series that doesn’t use music or cutaways.Instead, the story is driven by the conversations between Brian and Stewie. It builds up to Brian’s dark confession about the real reason why he owns a gun. His monologue is poignant and well-written, thoughtfully approaching difficult issues. This radical break from the show’s usual rhythms is a refreshing change of pace and makes ‘Brian & Stewie’ one of the most memorable in theFamily Guycatalog.
9"The D in Apartment 23"
Season 16, Episode 6
“Nobody on the internet ever takes the time to ask themselves ‘Is this worth freaking out over?'” In this one, Brian makes an edgy tweet aboutRide Along 3that backfires when it’s labeled as racist and quickly goes viral. Despite Brian deleting the tweet and his entire social media presence, the Griffins become outcasts in Quahog. As a result, they decide to kick the dog out of the house until the controversy dies down.
Thematically, the episode looks at edge-lord comedy and mob justice online.The scenes of pariah Brian living alone in his dingy apartment are pretty grim, while the ones involving the persecution of the Griffins get wild. The highlight is Chris and Meg being forced to recreate the iconic church massacre sequence fromKingsman. The episode then builds up to a climactic but ill-fated speech from Brian, that only makes things worse.Family Guylikes to inflict misfortunes on its characters, and it doesn’t get more unfortunate than this.
8"Roads to Vegas"
Season 11, Episode 22
“How does it feel to be the least cultured person at a bus station?” This is the seventh of the “Roads to…” episodes, themselves parodies of aBing Crosbyfilm series. Each takes Brian and Stewie to a different location where they usually encounter characters and scenarios lifted from fantasy or science fiction. The episodes come with their own special title sequence, adding to their unique, standalone feel.
This one gets creative, including teleportation devices, cloning, murder, and loan sharks.The zaniness extends to the style as well, with the episode heavily using split-screen to follow multiple characters and their duplicates at once. It makes for perhaps the darkest “Roads to…” episode, but alsoone of the most entertaining. The recipe for Brian and Stewie plus an outrageous situation is a winning one. The two characters bounce off one another comedically, and there’s usually a lot of character development that goes along with their adventures as well.
7"Baby Not On Board"
Season 7, Episode 4
“Did I tell you I was getting a spin-off?“Stewie is the focus of this episodeafter he’s accidentally left at home alone when the rest of the family sets off on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. They try to get back to him, but all manner of obstacles naturally arise to thwart them. Though Lois is worried sick, Stewie actually has a great time at home, using the privacy and space to his advantage.
Quagmire and Cleveland arrive at the house, but Stewie mistakes them for intruders. From here, “Baby Not on Board” morphs into an even more anarchic take onHome Alone. Stewie takes some extreme measures to protect himself, and Peter’s bumbling friends are no match for his intellect.The episode also gets a little meta, with some of the jokes referencing the show itself, alongside a plethora of other movies and TV series. The episode received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it pointless, but that was intentional. The mayhemisthe point.
6"Love Blactually”
Season 7, Episode 1
“This evening is rueened! The whole evening is rueened!” While buying a copy ofThe God Delusionat a bookstore, Brian meets Carolyn, an atheist who is also looking for the same book. He becomes interested in her, and they start dating. At Stewie’s behest, Brian decides to take things slow with Carolyn, only to find out three weeks later that she has started dating Cleveland.
This is the setup for all the episode’s drama and comedy, and it works like a charm. “Love Blactually” serves up gag after gag, held together by a genuinely engaging plot.The dialogue is also punchy and memorable, with Cleveland receiving most of the great lines. (“Boom goes the dynamite!” he declares at one point.) Indeed, Cleveland is really the main character here, and the episode gives him a lot more depth than usual. This is because Cleveland’s voice actor,Mike Henry, wrote the episode. He clearly understands what makes the character tick.
5"Girl, Internetted”
Season 17, Episode 19
“Girl, Internetted” is a send-up of millennial online culture, in which Meg is the star and the butt of the joke. After attending a Vidcon-esque convention about screens, Peter encourages his daughter to become an internet celebrity. She quickly finds fame as “Refrigerator Meg”, promoting an unhealthy diet to her adoring fans. However, her health quickly deteriorates from her new lifestyle, leading to some terrible consequences.
In other words,Meg’s story here is a simple but effective parable about the dangers of degrading oneself for views.The commentary about social media isn’t especially nuanced, but that’s ok - this isFamily Guy, after all. The show tends to approach issues with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Brian fares little better than Meg in this episode, crashing his Prius and becoming hooked on the sense of power he gets from the Hummer is loaned as a replacement. Indeed, like ‘The D in Apartment 23’, ‘Girl, Internetted’ seems to take delight in the characters’ troubles.
4"Dog Bites Bear"
Season 16, Episode 11
Yet another great episode centering on Brian and Stewie that gets more touching and emotional than usual. Brian jeopardizes his friendship with Stewie when he destroys Stewie’s beloved teddy bear, Rupert, due to feelings of envy. To mend their relationship, Brian and Stewie journey to Vermont to scatter Rupert’s ashes. Wrings quickly go awry, as one would expect, pushing both characters to the brink.
The two characters complement each other perfectly.They need each other. They’re just not as funny or interesting without the other there to argue or crack wise. But “Dog Bites Bear” also proves that, despite all the squabbles, their friendship is deep and unshakable. When Stewie says that Rupert meant so much to him because he’d been there from the very beginning, he’s really talking about Brian. The episode cements their status as an iconic cartoon duo, up there with Rick and Morty and Tom and Jerry.
3"Back to the Woods"
Season 6, Episode 9
“You’re in a lot of trouble Griffin, you motherf—er!” This one focuses on the bizarre rivalry between Peter and actorJames Woods. After being locked in a crate, Woods returns to exact revenge on Peter by stealing his identity. He legally takes over as head of the Griffin household, forcing Peter off his own property. Determined to reunite with his family and save them from James' abuse and manipulation, Peter decides to turn the tables by stealing Woods’s identity as well.
Sure, some jokes fall flat, but a few are fantastic, like the one about Spider-Man’s love life. Then there’s also a sight gag of Peter performing magic tricks for blind people that is darkly, awkwardly funny. This episode was made during the 2007-2008 writers' strike, which is probably why it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. Nevertheless,it’s still entertaining and sure to please fans ofFamily Guyat its most unhinged.
2"The Former Life of Brian"
Season 6, Episode 11
“I don’t know, Brian. Raising a child is a very rewarding experience.” Where ‘Baby Not on Board’ focused on Stewie, this one centers on Brian. He learns to his surprise that he has a teenage son named Dylan. Brian tries to bond with him, but the kid is surly and difficult, and there’s endless conflict between them. Nevertheless, they make progress, leading to some reconciliation.
‘The Former Life of Brian’ is further proof thatFamily Guyis at its best when it actually has a cohesive storyline, rather than just stringing together a bunch of cutaway gags. In fact, the plot in this one, and the genuine dilemmas it poses for Brian, is more compelling than the comedy (especially the manatee jokes). Despite a few scenes that fell a little flat, this episode is one of the strongest of Season 6 and a fine moment for the dog dad.
1"Play It Again Brian"
Season 6, Episode 10
“Well, you know, Lois, you mean a lot to me.” On the tenser end of the spectrum is ‘Play It Again, Brian’, which sees things getting awkward in the household. Brian begins having romantic fantasies about Lois, leading him to make a hapless pass at her that she rejects. Lois tells Peter what happened, leading to a confrontation and brawl between the two characters.
Their conversation is bruising and honest, with each poking at the other’s biggest weaknesses.Brian says that Peter isn’t good for Lois; Peter says that Brian’s never had a successful long-term relationship with anyone. By the end of it, though, the pair are pals once again and agree that their friendship is worth holding on to. This ending works, but it’s just a little too tidy and feel-good. Despite this narrative stumble, ‘Play It Again, Brian’ is a highlight of Season 6, and one of the most overlookedFamily Guyepisodes around.
