Family Guy - TV Fanatic

Family Guy Review: Blasphemy! Heresy! Sodomy!

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:37:34 EST

Family Guy returned on a somber note via "Livin' On A Prayer," which delivered as earnest a message as I’ve ever seen on the irreverent show, proving that perhaps some things are sacred.

Lois’s plea to save Stewie's new friend, little Scotty, was not only heartfelt but an appeal to all religious zealot parents everywhere who believe that only the power of prayer can heal their children. In the end, Lois’s earnest entreaty about the power of medicine and God convinced Ben and Hope to let Scotty receive medical help.

Even tackling serious religious issues, Family Guy managed to insert some comical moments, of course. The highlight was definitely Peter dressed as Harry Potter in his attempts to be “sneaky.”

The icing on the cake was their mocking of famous drama-thriller movies and their sneak attacks. Mission Impossible and Ocean’s Eleven will never appear the same again.

As a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie (the books, not the television series), I appreciated the opening credits and the Griffin family’s frolic through the fields. I always love it when they switch up the credits and look forward to their next installment.

While it was lacking in LOL moments, this week’s Family Guy made up for it with a genuine message. What did you think about the sitcom's foray into the serious side? Be sure to check out some of tonight's best Family Guy quotes and sound off now

Family Guy Review: Disabled Ladies Night

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:35:32 EST

Although the majority of "The Blind Side" was all about Brian and his never-ending saga to find a girlfriend, I was more focused on other matters. For starters, Family Guy does not like True Blood; in fact, this is the second time that popular series has been lampooned this season alone.

Secondly, Stewie is simply epic. To wit:

1,2,3,4 I'm dancing from my vagina.
1,2,3,4 I'm grinding, I'm grinding.
Orgasm-eyes, Orgasm-eyes, and we're done. | permalink

Enough said.

I’m going to ignore the part where Peter fell down the new stairs repeatedly because I didn’t find it funny or relevant to the story. And I almost forgot that Marlee Matlin was part of "The Blind Side" at all. To give such a prominent deaf actress a few paltry lines in the beginning was a waste of talent.

The bulk of the actual story fell on Brian and his wooing of Kate. Did anyone think that Brian’s ruse with Stewie would pan out? Considering that Brian beat up a rug and a ham leg and convinced Kate that he took her to the Eiffel Tower, I thought perhaps he would get away with it.

Tonight’s Family Guy reminded me why I loved it so much in the first place. Stewie is one of the best and most unique characters ever to grace our television. The best of Stewie here included his Qi-Gong, roller-derby names, interaction with Batman, and, of course, the choreography to Showgirls. When he showed up as a nurse to Brian, I just about lost it.

What did you think?What was your favorite Stewie moment? Catch the best of Stewie and everyone else, updated each week in our section of Family Guy quotes.

Family Guy Review: MQ2

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:40:47 EST

Although Stewie may forever be a baby, Meg became an adult on this week's Family Guy. The Griffins celebrated such momentous steps into womanhood by taking their daughter to the Teen Choice Awards and attempting to preserve her childhood.

I have to congratulate Family Guy for its awesome parody and homage to the said awards. Having been a teenager not too long ago, I can appreciate how it must appear to those without the raging hormones of teen-dom. From the host “Lady Hair Douche-ton,” to the psychotic teenage girls drooling over Robert Pattinson, the Family Guy version was pretty accurate.

I absolutely loved tonight’s focus on "Meg and Quagmire," two characters who seldom interact but are hilarious together. Meg as the desperate, lonely teenager starved for male attention, and Quagmire as his womanizing self, was a dynamic combination that didn’t take the creep factor too far.

Quagmire’s text-seduction of Meg and his impressive ability to act like a generic teenager was both unnerving and funny. After all, doesn’t modern teenage romance happen over Facebook and texts these days? Is it weird that Quagmire (and Family Guy) knows that? Maybe a little... but Quagmire the “Vagician” is all about adapting to the situation.

It was a nice touch for the show to involve more of the Griffins in the budding affair. In contrast to their normal lack of affection for Meg, both Lois and Peter acted like good, concerned parents tonight. Peter was up in arms at the thought of his daughter dating a “wiener” like Quagmire, while Lois played her “wise mother” card.

The show is off to a strong start in 2012. What did you think about Meg's foray into adulthood? Be sure to check out some of the best Family Guy quotes of the night and react now!

Family Guy Review: Slightly Open Robery

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:27:16 EST

Carter Pewterschmidt may be a "Grumpy Old Man," but at least he’s a hard worker. He represents the heart and soul of American capitalism, God bless him.

On tonight’s Family Guy, Lois and Peter convinced Carter to retire after he crashed the car with Stewie inside. In a hilariously gruesome scene, the doting grandparents also managed to pierce their baby’s ears with Bab’s knitting needles.

Peter’s wiles to trick Carter into enjoying retirement proved to be quite effective, but also ended up backfiring on the family when Carter became the stereotype of a retired old-timer.

In the end, his son-in-loaw saved the day by going against the ethics of Carter’s corporate empire, rousing Carter from his retirement coma.

Some of the best laughs of the night came from a number of cameos by Family Guy favorites like Death, who was trumped by Super Death. I got a reluctant chuckle out of their politically incorrect “Chinese baby girl” exchange. Consuela was also involved in the Pewterschmidt accident but saved her airbag by cleaning up her own blood.

Family Guy's obvious satire of the Florida retirement home and the retirement lifestyle was at its best during the tour. From unappreciated Avatar at the retirement residence to shopping at "Slightly Open Robery," Peter really showcased retirement at its best. After all, don't we all know old people like that?

Although tonight wasn’t the strongest of Family Guy episodes, I enjoyed watching Carter’s attempts to be the “cool retired guy.” I love Lois’s parents and the love-hate relationship between Peter and Carter.

What did you think of the 2011 finale? Browse some of the best quotes of the night and tell us in in the comments!

Family Guy Review: Prison Break

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:58:51 EST

Family Guy went for its own unique version of The Hangover in "Cool Hand Peter." With Cleveland's return to Quahog, Peter and company decided to have an adventurous boys' road trip to New Orleans.

Of course, things went horribly awry after they made a wrong turn and ended up in the deep south. Poor Cleveland, only moments after returning to Family Guy, he gets harassed for being black by his friends and the racist southerners.

Family Guy has been on a welcome streak with coherent, focused storylines lately, and I’ve been really enjoying the interactions between the core characters. Although Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland have always been important folks, the four male friends haven’t been featured in a lot of plotlines together. Tonight was definitely a nice change of pace.

Poking fun of racist southerners gave us plenty to chuckle at. Peter’s attempts to mimic the high-brow “Northern speak” with his Harvard sweater and his subsequent attempt at “Southern speak” were both hilarious. Guess there isn’t as much love for William H. Macy as he anticipated.

The meta moments of tonight’s episode was comedic gold as well, as the quick flash of the Simpson jurors was just enough, while Quagmire’s irritation at his friends’ refusal to name “McDonalds” and “Burger King” was awesome. Oh come on, they don’t own French fries! You tell them, Quagmire!

As much as I enjoyed the guys' night out, I would still have to hand the best one-liner of the night to Stewie as he pulled out his revolver and uttered: “All right, I guess this is the night b*tches die.” Ha! Stewie hasn’t lost his edge.

Next up, ladies night out? For some reason, I expected the women's gathering to be much more promiscuous and wild... but only Brian got the worst of it with his adorable bee outfit.

What did you think about tonight’s Family Guy? Browse through some of the best quotes of the night here!

Family Guy Review: Amish Guy

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:46:01 EST

Family Guy went Amish this week, as the Griffins stumbled into unfamiliar territory after Peter’s attempts to ride a roller coaster.

When Peter discovered that he's far too fat to enjoy these rides, he decided to go on a diet with the help of Quagmire and Joe. This plotline could have been a hilarious episode all on its own. The vicious, sentient pie that Peter tried to resist was hilarious.

Although Peter didn't lose any weight, he squeezed into a corset and conned his way into the “Holocaust.’” Feel free to weigh in about this week’s most offensive joke, readers. Is it ever okay to joke about the Holocaust? Did the show take it too far?

The bulk of "Amish Guy" was based around the relationship between the Griffins and the Amish community. It was fun to see Meg take center stage, as she does so rarely, getting a Romeo and Julie storyline. It was also nice to see Meg get support from Lois and Peter instead of being relegated to her normal punching bag status.

Unfortunately for smitten Meg, Peter’s actions got the group kicked out and ignited a war with the “Outsiders” and the Amish. The Amish fared surprisingly well, considering that Peter and Co. were decked out in full army gear.

One of the best gags of the episode was Eli’s iPhone comment about “Amish Farms.” When that giant red Google pin came down, I actually LOL-ed. It was such a clever way of highlighting Google and Apple’s pervasive influence.

What did you think about tonight’s episode? Did Family Guy represent the Amish properly? Tell us in the comments and browse this week’s Family Guy quotes!

Family Guy Review: Will the Real Kevin Please Stand Up?

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:13:56 EST

Did anyone else know that Joe and Bonnie had a son named Kevin? I sure didn’t. In fact, I couldn’t remember him during "Thanksgiving" at all and had to go back and check to see if he wasn’t just a jump-the-shark character that Family Guy made up. Turns out, he’s been mentioned and seen before, although presumed dead for at least three seasons.

The Griffin’s dysfunctional Thanksgiving dinner brought all of Quahog together, reminding us that most of our main characters are tied together closer than before. Lois’ sister Carol is now the wife of Mayor West, while Brian had a fling with Ida, Quagmire’s transsexual father.

Having so many of the characters together in a majority of the scenes was unique for Family Guy, but it would have been much funnier to see more interaction between the characters than listen to Kevin’s war story.

That said, I must give the sitcom props for rehashing old inside jokes, such as Meg’s obsession with Kevin - which was quickly shot down - and Brian’s affair with Ida. It was brilliant to see Ida again so unexpectedly after her big debut as Quagmire’s father and I wish she had a bigger role.

Although I wasn’t overwhelmingly excited to see Kevin again (considering I had forgotten all about him), it was refreshing to have the entire Family Guy family under one Griffin roof. The ending with the other Kevin Swanson was kind of awesome; I would love to see that actually unfold.

What did you think about Family Guy Thanksgiving? Was it as dysfunctional as you expected or too tame for your tastes? Browse this week's Family Guy quotes for more politically incorrect hilarity!

Family Guy Review: Back to the Beginning

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:44:33 EST

I must confess: I haven’t seen any of the old Family Guy episodes, you know, before it got renewed and got popular. To see the classic animation and former Meg (with Lacey Chabert )was just as jarring for me as it was for new Brian and new Stewie.

"Back to the Pilot " was a great meta episode. From poking fun at its own flaws in the original series to acknowledging how silly the cutaway gags can be, Family Guy shone at its layered best tonight.

Treating its animated characters like real actors was a nice touch as well. Watching the original family showed how much the individuals have evolved and changed throughout the series’ long run.

And what do real actors do during cutaway scenes anyways? Witnessing the Griffins standing like zombies was one of my favorite scenes of the week.

“Back to the Pilot” also provided some classic time-traveling adventures between Stewie and Brian. Not only did we get to see old diabolical Stewie, who I miss dearly, but also Brian’s secret dreams of preventing 9/11 and usurping J.K Rowling as the author of Harry Potter.

While I personally wasn’t offended by the 9/11 satires, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people were. Was the high-five celebration after successfully reinstating 9/11 inappropriate? Definitely. But even they acknowledged that “it didn’t look good out of context.”

I found the seceding of the south at Bush’s behest hilarious and fitting. Their jokes about the 2004 election and the post-apocalyptic result in the future were awesome. Terminator Joe and Frogmire? So plausible

Let’s hope that if Family Guy runs for five more years, it won’t be the strange 3-D future that Stewie and Brian saw. Say what you will about the Griffin family, but they really look better animated.

What did you think about Family Guy tonight? Did you find the 9/11 jokes to be completely unpalatable or well done? Be sure to check out some of the best Family Guy quotes from the episode now!

Family Guy Review: Hotler

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:02:25 EST

Family Guy solved the secret to ScarJo and Ryan Reynold’s marriage in this week's "Stewie Goes for a Drive." How else do you explain two hot young stars breaking up? It’s because Reynolds wants his spirit in another man’s energy, of course.

In an awesome guest voice role, this actor brought some life to Quahog. As sexy in cartoon form as he is in real life, he successfully tricked Peter into falling in love with him.

When Peter attempted to tell Ryan that he’s not gay, Reynolds turned the tables around and informed narrow-minded Peter that he isn’t gay, either - he just surrounds himself with different spirits and energies. Well, excuse us for not knowing better!

The secondary plot of Stewie and Brian was pretty entertaining as well. Although Stewie-the-baby driving is no more unlikely than Brian-the-dog driving, the former got into trouble with the latter by crashing his car.

The best part of the Storyline B was easily Stewie gunning down everyone at Consuela’s house. As someone who harbors an irrational dislike for Consuela, I thought it was kind of awesome that Stewie taught them all a lesson. You don’t mess with Stewie!

The recurring theme of the episode was how well everyone made fun of pop culture. From Stewie’s reference to Carrie Underwood and Glee to Ryan Reynolds making fun of his own movies, Family Guy proved that it’s still a satirical gold mine.

Did you enjoy Ryan Reynold’s pit stop at Quahog for “Hotler?" Weigh in now and then read through the latest Family Guy quotes.

Family Guy Review: The Story of Brenda Q

mooncake421@gmail.com (Kate Moon) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:35:54 EST

Family Guy was very strange was awfully strange this week. Not strange in the incoherent sense that Family Guy often tends to be, strange in that "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q" felt like it was trying to tell a morality tale in a twisted fashion.

That isn't the craven Family Guy most of us know and love, is it?

"Screams of Silence" mainly centered on the return of Quagmire’s sister, Brenda, who is still with her abusive boyfriend, Jeff. With the episode focused on such a dark, tragic theme - with moments of harrowing beating in between, no less - I was afraid that Family Guy would go too far with its jokes. Fortunately, it didn’t. At least not to me. But it did take the alternate route of simply not being very funny.

They could have made such a smart, satirical episode that seriously addressed the issue of domestic abuse. Was that too much to expect from a sitcom like Family Guy? Perhaps. But then what’s the point in creating an episode revolving entirely around that topic? Without the irony, without the light-heartedness, it just became a depressing half hour that put me on edge.

It was nice to see some resolution with Brenda’s storyline, and refreshing to witness Quagmire take a protective attitude towards his beloved sister. While it was kind of awesome that he ended up killing Jeff, the last scene with Jeff’s “farewell letter” left a bitter taste in my mouth. Must Family Guy resort to poor jokes just to conclude the episode on a lighter note?

I appreciated the effort, but the writers failed to master the balance of real issues with real humor this week. What did you think? Browse through the few winning Family Guy quotes of the night now.