Family Guy 906 - "Brian Writes a Bestseller"

If Seth McFarlane wanted to kill off a core Family Guy character, I'm convinced that this is how he'd do it.

Welcome to my FIRST TV Show Review. These are going to be freeform and shorter than other reviews, but will still maintain a "Perspective rather than simple point by point review" type of Review. I don't like SPOILERS, so for the most part, I will usually only address sweeping plot points or character developments. You can read my reviews and still go see the episode "fresh".

Brian - A Perspective

Family Guy used to be one of my very favorite shows. I've been a devotee of many animated series, including some of the more edgy, and even the downright MILITANTLY offense, such as South Park. Family Guy USED to be a very clever, witty, and funny show. It used to be unpretentious, simple, good fun.

Then it set it's eyes on South Park.

Let's be honest, NOTHING is South Park aside from South Park. Matt and Trey are brilliant, educated, multi-talented, and BAT CRAP CRAZY. For 13 solid years they have bent over and sh%t on every religion, race, gender, group, and organized THING in existence, and done it all as nonpartisan as it is possible to be. Everything that I am and believe in has at some point been hoisted on a poorly drawn petard and bled a humiliating death at the hands of masters.

Seth McFarlane is ALSO brilliant, funny, and creative. He is not however able or willing to go to the edge of sanity, lean over the side, and take a big dump on it. Because of this, he can never be Matt & Trey. This has not stopped him from trying however.

Recently, we have seen some attempts at sweeping political humor, a mastery of South Park, as well as poop jokes, such as Brian being forced to eat Stewie's poop, in episode 817 - Brian and Stewie ( Clever title! ). Family Guy was already on a downswing by that point but this episode was so uncomfortable to watch, I actually stopped it for a while. It was sick and disgusting, but it was neither funny nor clever. Matt and Trey may be the sickest, most degenerate minds alive, but you forgive them because they make you laugh WHILE you're throwing up. Seth just cannot match that level of humor to debauchery ratio, and he SHOULD NOT TRY.

Over the years, South Park and Family Guy have taken direct shots at each other, both with valid points. Early Family Guys had too many "cut away gags" and not enough meat to the story. They seem to have grown out of that for the most part, but now things are a bit muddled.

Brian Dies . . .

I will say it right now. I am SICK TO DEATH of Brian. His undeserved sense of pride, his pretentious lip flapping, uneducated ranting about politics and everything he knows nothing about have taken him so far from the portrait of the original character that I just want him to die a horrible, flaming death. Every time he opens his mouth, I want him to bleed. This is not a character I enjoy seeing any more of.

I get the feeling that Seth feels the same way.

Brian is so cynical about the public that he writes an entire book in three hours, with nothing but empty buzzwords and emptier promises. The public eats it up. On this, at least; we can agree. Where it goes wrong is his attitude as it unfolds. I won't spoil the actual plot. As with most of my reviews of such material, I'll leave it to you to gain some enjoyment both from the material AND my perspective of it without resorting to simply regurgitating the plot and telling you "it was good" or "it sucked". You'll get none of that from me folks.

If Seth wanted to make Family Guy more like South Park, does that mean that we can make Brian the new Kenny? Can we see Brian die a horrible, flaming death EVERY episode? Sure, South Park grew out of that, but then, Family Guy is about 13 years behind South Park in Social Commentary and Shock Value anyway, so why not?

Brian is the new Meg!!- I mean Kenny!