Preview of TNG episode of Family Guy

[Ro_Laren]

Oh, BTW I TiVoed the episode, but it got cut off. I saw the two peeps in their beds (stupid) and then I cut to live TV and was able to see the end when the cast was transported away. Were the two peeps (Adam West and Rob Lowe) talking about anything important or did they just babble about nothing and then cut to commercial?

 

[CommodoreKong]

Due to Team Fortress 2 I missed the first few minutes and tuned in around the time Stewie accidentally beamed over Glenn, but from what I saw of this episode it was awful. The TNG parts were pretty funny, but there wasn't nearly enough of them. Having the entire cast of TNG on the show and making them the B story was incredibly stupid.

I'm not a religious person at all (pretty much the only time I've ever been in a church is for funerals) but I found the Meg storyline to be horribly offensive and just not funny. I guess Seth McFarlane is so creatively bankrupt these days the only thing he can do is make fun of Christianity and republicans. It's just not funny and feels as preachy as those stupid anti-smoking ads that make me want to smoke.

 

[Praetor]

I didn't care for the cheap shot at the beginning about the death of William Shatner's wife..for a Star Trek fan I was surprised that Seth MacFarlane went there.

That was too cheap a shot, IMO.

This is why I don't like Family Guy. Jokes that go nowhere, or get too damn repetitive really fast, and all the build-up for that? The TNG parts were pretty good, but as a Catholic, I actually found that episode kinda offensive. I like South Park, but I know they are going to attack everyone, and not just the Catholic church. Seeing the scene where Brian just get's into the whole thing about atheism was a big turnoff for me. Also, what was up with the live bit with the two guys in bed. And I missed the ending dialog scene when Stewart was going to say what he shared with LeVar. Anyone remember the quote.

It was ok I guess, but man I wish this had been more about the TNG cast than what was led on.

I'm not a religious person at all (pretty much the only time I've ever been in a church is for funerals) but I found the Meg storyline to be horribly offensive and just not funny. I guess Seth McFarlane is so creatively bankrupt these days the only thing he can do is make fun of Christianity and republicans. It's just not funny and feels as preachy as those stupid anti-smoking ads that make me want to smoke.

Well said, Kaijufan. I would top this off by saying that I've read that Seth McFarlane was raised as a Catholic and I think that a lot of his bitterness towards Catholocism and Christianity in general comes from bad experiences with it. Every time they make a religious joke on the show, I note his special place in Hell must have just gotten a little more hot. Clearly he does not care.

I would also agree that McFarlane doesn't seem to get what makes FG work anymore. I'd argue he just caught lightning in a bottle somehow, and is just repeating the same, basic, crap formula that he was doing when they were cancelled in the hopes people keep watching and FOX keeps renweing them. What was funny to me about FG initially was (1) that they pushed boundaries and therefore pushed buttons, and (2) the non sequiturs/absurdist humor. Now they're just going for shock value and repeating the same lame jokes week after week.

Yet on 'American Dad' they actually write a coherent, linear (and I'd daresay traditional) story, push boundaries in a way similar to how FG used to, with only occasional overt 'shock factor' and IMO make a much funnier show.

I do not understand it.

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

I recall hearing somewhere: (Maybe a myth)

That several years back where the TNG was gathered together for an episode viewing or something or other some kind of event?
Wil Wheaton and Marina Sirtis had a VERY uncomfortable moment more for Marina than Wil, Marina accidentally sat in Will’s lap as a result Wil had an erection. A depiction of that would have been funnier that most of what we got.

 

[Praetor]

So much for everyone always saying Wil is gay.

Oh sorry, I meant Hwil.

 

[RikerLover]

I wasn't overly impressed with this episode. I was expecting much more than the B story for the TNG cast. As for the Meg/Brian story, as a Christian was offended by it.

 

[flux_29]

Nice.

 

[Malleus]

- Gates McFadden didn't really sound like Gates McFadden, did she?

If you see convention videos of her on YouTube, you might think otherwise (given her age).

 

[warriorsfan]

No offense, but if you some of you had skin any thinner, you'd be translucent. It's just a cartoon. Do you guys realize how ridiculous you sound when you get offended over a CARTOON?

 

[Peach Wookiee]

warriorsfan, Seth MacFarlane used his freedom of speech to be insulting and crass to religious faith. We are disagreeing with his choice of words per our right to free speech. And his argument was also insulting to women if you think about it.

 

[Michael]

I haven't seen the episode (it will take a while until it airs in Germany), so what was so offensive about this episode?

 

[SiorX]

^Plus, intolerance doesn't happen in a vacuum. It might be 'just a cartoon', but one of the differences between a cartoon and an extended philosophical treatise is that people are actually going to watch the cartoon.

WRT the episode, I'm wondering why they went to the effort of getting the whole cast on board to make so little use of them. Mind you, I thought much the same thing about the TNG movies.

 

[Daneel]

I didn't care for the cheap shot at the beginning about the death of William Shatner's wife..for a Star Trek fan I was surprised that Seth MacFarlane went there.

That was too cheap a shot, IMO.

Agreed.

I'm not a religious person at all (pretty much the only time I've ever been in a church is for funerals) but I found the Meg storyline to be horribly offensive and just not funny. I guess Seth McFarlane is so creatively bankrupt these days the only thing he can do is make fun of Christianity and republicans. It's just not funny and feels as preachy as those stupid anti-smoking ads that make me want to smoke.

Well said, Kaijufan. I would top this off by saying that I've read that Seth McFarlane was raised as a Catholic and I think that a lot of his bitterness towards Catholocism and Christianity in general comes from bad experiences with it. Every time they make a religious joke on the show, I note his special place in Hell must have just gotten a little more hot. Clearly he does not care.

Actually, that part I had no problem with, but that may have something to do with the fact that I too am a slightly bitter ex-Catholic, and I agreed with pretty much everything Brian said. I can see how others might be a little offended, but I think they should be able to shrug it off fairly easily. And if they can't, well, then as warriorsfan said, they need thicker skin.

I would also agree that McFarlane doesn't seem to get what makes FG work anymore. I'd argue he just caught lightning in a bottle somehow, and is just repeating the same, basic, crap formula that he was doing when they were cancelled in the hopes people keep watching and FOX keeps renweing them. What was funny to me about FG initially was (1) that they pushed boundaries and therefore pushed buttons, and (2) the non sequiturs/absurdist humor. Now they're just going for shock value and repeating the same lame jokes week after week.

Agreed again. To be honest, though, I never thought FG was that great (the random gags and non sequiturs were wearing thin for me a while ago), but at least it could sometimes be funny. Lately, however, it's just gotten bad... really bad.

Yet on 'American Dad' they actually write a coherent, linear (and I'd daresay traditional) story, push boundaries in a way similar to how FG used to, with only occasional overt 'shock factor' and IMO make a much funnier show.

I do not understand it.

Agreed once more.

Overall, I was very disappointed. I think I may just sit the rest of the season out. Let me know when "Something, Something, Something Dark Side" airs, though, would you?

 

[Count Zero]

I'm surprised people are actually offended by this. It was pretty lacklustre and clichéd, although maybe that was the point (it's possible that this was some sort of meta-humour, but I'm not sure since I don't follow the series). Anyway, it's not too far off because these things happen in the name of God, though not necessarily in the USA (however, atheists seem to have a difficlut standing there). Anyway, getting offended about this would be like me getting offended because someone used the Germans=Nazis stereotype in a cartoon.
I've never gotten into Family Guy and I thought the non-TNG parts of the episode were a bit boring and stupid but I found the TNG parts hilarious.

 

[Michael]

^ Where have you seen it?

 

[Count Zero]

On YouTube, but it won't last long there, I'm afraid.

 

[Michael]

Okay, I've just seen it (thanks to a poster who might want to remain unnamed ), but I still don't get what was so incredibly offensive about anything in that episode. From what I've read here and in the thread in General Trek I thought this would be much more extreme. In my opinion these were just some innocent jokes about some of the more extreme believers out there. (And believe me, I've met people in RL who actually acted like Meg in that episode, trying to convert others and so forth).

Now, I've never been a big fan of Family Guy (I'm more into The Simpsons and South Park), but I also thought this was really funny in some moments. Especially the segments with the TNG cast. ('Hwil Hweaton.' – ingenious!) So I don't even see why people think the quality is declining. (But then again, that's not the first time I find myself in disagreement with the majority of the board; I still can't understand why people think South Park went downhill for the last few seasons, when I think it's never been better.)

 

[Too Much Fun]

Pretty stupid episode and a waste of the TNG cast, but that's to be expected from "Family Guy", which hasn't been good since its first three or four episodes after returning from cancellation. I gave up on it way back then before watching it for the first time in awhile because I wanted to see what it would do with the TNG cast. There were a few cute moments like Michael Dorn always having to pee, which I guess is supposed to be funny because he always played a tough guy, but there should have at least been some clever inside jokes for Star Trek fans like "Futurama" did with stuff like William Shatner's karaoke, Walter Koenig hating being asked to say "nuclear wessels", etc. in their episode that reunited a Star Trek cast. Here the only references we got to the series were Denise Crosby getting killed right away and I supposed Wil Wheaton being bullied, which could be considered a reference to Wes.

I'm not offended by the religion part as a religious person (I'm not religious), I'm offended by it as an insult to my intelligence. In its own way, the episode is just as shallow, grating, and immature as the religious fanaticism it criticizes. If you're going to criticize something, you should do it with wit and subtlety. The way it criticizes religion and everyone who believes in it was just heavy-handed and unfair. Its depiction of someone being brainwashed by religion was pathetically unconvincing too. They don't even bother to show how the person is converted, they just say she watched TV, then have her act like a religion-hating person's idea of a "Jesus freak" stereotype.

It's unfortunate that the TNG cast find themselves now associated with an episode that has one of the most poorly-conceived episodes in the show's history, with a preachy, cloying main plot, and a subplot that gives them nothing interesting to say or do and completely fails to exploit the comedic possibilities of featuring the cast of a franchise with such a rich history. Oh well, at least it was nice to hear the voices of Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden again. It was also strange how Brent Spiner seemed to have the smallest role and the fewest lines in a production involving Star Trek for once . I think the novelty of Patrick Stewart voicing an animated character with comedic dialogue for laughs is totally gone. It was great when he did it on The Simpsons circa 1995 and I even liked some of his work on "American Dad", but 'dignified, Shakespearean British actor does cartoon character with funny lines' just isn't that special anymore.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

Oh, BTW I TiVoed the episode, but it got cut off. I saw the two peeps in their beds (stupid) and then I cut to live TV and was able to see the end when the cast was transported away. Were the two peeps (Adam West and Rob Lowe) talking about anything important or did they just babble about nothing and then cut to commercial?

Adam West mentioned how great it was to be a big Hollywood star, and pounded fists with Rob Lowe (each in his own bed).

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

and I supposed Wil Wheaton being bullied, which could be considered a reference to Wes.

haha yeah, wasn't it in the S1 episode "Datalore" when Picard told Wesley to "Shut up!" followed shortly thereafter by his own mum telling him the same thing?