Family Guy character killed off (spoilers)

[Alidar Jarok]

If this sticks...what a dumb move, kill off worthless characters like Lois, Chris or Meg if you need to kick the show into gear.

The show's sputtering so much that I'm not sure killing a worthless character would make much of a change. That being said, there's an interesting quote recently from Seth McFarlane about how he expected people to be sick of the show by now and is disappointed that there are so many that don't want it canceled. Maybe he just wants to kill off those who have any interest in it. Although, unless the future episode titles are misdirection, I suspect Brian will be back.

That being said, I haven't watched the show in years and anything they do now won't diminish the show's quality when it actually had some quality, so I'm relatively indifferent to this whichever way they go.

 

[DonIago]

I liked Brian as a character, but I'm willing to give TPTB points for being willing to take a risk, even if it ultimately backfires.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

The riskiest episode IMO was arguably when Stewie and Brian spend the entire episode locked in a bank vault. THAT was ballsy.

The show ignores its own continuity as much as anything animated on Fox. I think in its second season Family Guy had an episode involving a Y2K apocalypse, which was not remedied by the end of the half hour; they even mention that next week it'd all be back to normal, and it was. No, Brian'll be back before we know it.

Mark

 

[RoJoHen]

Remember when South Park killed Kenny "for real?" Even he eventually returned.

 

[doubleohfive]

I imagine Brian will be there next episode, as if nothing happened as in Lois' death a few years back.

Nope. He's not coming back.

Ummm... there's absolutely nothing in that link to support that statement. Time merely acknowledges the events of last night's episode, but offer nothing whatsoever to imply that future episodes won't simply reset the situation. And, as others have pointed out, we already know that Brian isn't long gone, as there are already synopsis out of several future episodes that feature Brian.

You're right - I pasted the wrong link in. My bad.

He's dead, Jim.

Now, granted, they don't say specifically "Brian is dead and he's never coming back," but the implication is there as they already have in mind plans for his replacement. And while it's not impossible to have Brian be resurrected, that doesn't seem to be the direction the show is going in, at least according to the press the writers are giving in response to everyone's reaction. YMMV

 

[bigdaddy]

The press reaction to me is that he will come back, they are saying "No comment" so that is a "yes he will be back before the season ends".

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The riskiest episode IMO was arguably when Stewie and Brian spend the entire episode locked in a bank vault. THAT was ballsy.

The show ignores its own continuity as much as anything animated on Fox. I think in its second season Family Guy had an episode involving a Y2K apocalypse, which was not remedied by the end of the half hour; they even mention that next week it'd all be back to normal, and it was. No, Brian'll be back before we know it.

Mark

I thought it was shown to be a dream, a la the old Dallas season (in fact, they had Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal in a live-action sequence at the end.)

But yes, the show plays fast and loose with continuity. It's a comedy, not a serial drama.

Also, no way Brian stays dead. Without Brian, Stewie's pointless, and without Brian and Stewie, who's left? Meg and Chris aren't funny, neither is Lois, Peter's extremely hit and miss.

Then again, I rarely see this show anymore. I like the occasional experimental episodes (like the bank vault one) but in general, the show is lame and stale.

 

[BillJ]

I quit watching a few years ago as the show got more violent and gory.

No, I'm not a prude who detests violence and gore. It just isn't what I want from an animated family comedy.

 

[Guy Gardener]

This dog, who I do not like, has to one up Brian immediately and sleep with Lois successfully.

"Lois" is the lead in a new HBO comedy.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

There's nothing wrong with a show changing things up to redo the formula. Just, if you do that, you have to come up with a new formula which is better than the original one. The Family Guy writers are simply not capable of that, all they do is mix random pop culture references with dickishness and shock value.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Family Guys job is to make Southpark look good.

 

[Davros]

Without Brian there is very little reason to continue watching the show. It had a good run.

 

[RoJoHen]

The Stewie/Brian relationship was only remaining things I liked about this show. Get rid of that, and I pretty much have no reason to watch it anymore.

 

[Teelie]

Stewie and Brians road trips were among the best things in the show. I'm doubting the death is permanant or will be long lasting. Either Brian will return in a few episodes or at the start of a new season.

 

[Beagleman]

He'll make a full recovery in Tahiti...

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Most of the family never had much characterization besides, well, only Brian.

I liked Meg at the very beginning of the show where she was 'The average, unremarkable girl'. Then that quickly turned into outright child abuse. Chris is pretty much just stupid jokes, Peter is pretty much just stupid jokes and fat jokes. Lois started out as Marge Simpson and then became really hypersexual for some reason. Stewie was fun when he was 'Baby Bond villian', then became 'Gay two year old' and just wasn't funny at all.

 

[Sephiroth]

I applaud them for the decision, should they make the death permanent, but Family Guy, outside of their "Road To" episodes, and the random episode like the one where Stewie and Brian get locked in a bank vault, have been nigh on unwatchable, mostly for the reasons Jirin said.

 

[1001001]

The Stewie/Brian relationship was only remaining things I liked about this show. Get rid of that, and I pretty much have no reason to watch it anymore.

Agreed. The friendship that developed between the two was really the heart of the show.

Without that...meh....

 

[Triskelion]

Lots of deaths have occurred in the series. Peter shot himself in the head over the boredom of collecting stamps; he broke his own neck rather than join Lois' book club. Brian drank martinis with Kurt Cobain, Van Gough and Hemingway in heaven - (he ate chocolate out of the trash can); Stewie got Brian to jump off a balcony in another time travel episode, Road to Las Vegas. Death has visited Peter on numerous occasions (not this time though)?

This episode should be advertised as "Next time, on a very special Blossom...." Because suddenly we're all supposed to take it seriously.

I'd love it if serial dramas had sitcom episodes. "Next time, on a very special Law and Order Special Victims Unit - Detective Munch agrees to help out a friend by posing as a head chef and becoming the favorite cook for a mobster with a spicy appetite. Will too many cooks get his goose cooked?"

 

[Amaris]

I haven't seen the episode, but I can thank dozens of websites for immediately telling me just hours after the episode aired (and without spoiler warnings, of course). Still, if this sticks, it's just proof that Seth wants the show dead, and is trying to make it happen. I love Family Guy because it's both funny and offensive at the same time, but offensive and tedious? Nah, I'll pass. If this is permanent, the show will sink. As much as I laugh at Peter (not so much Lois, Meg, or Chris), Brian and Stewie make the show. If half of that duo is gone, it's just meh from now on.