My wife often accuses me of getting movies on Blu-Ray/DVD, and watching them once and then leaving them on a shelf to collect dust. In an effort to prove her wrong and to also at the same time annoy her, I’ve decided to watch every episode of Family Guy I own. And I own all of them on DVD. All 16 seasons. Plus the Stewie movie and the Star Wars Parodies. I will also review watch episode and share my thoughts here. Each article will most likely be a different length due to not knowing how many I will watch at any given time. I will be watching them in order as well so this should be really fun for me, not my wife.
Season 1, Episode 3 “Chitty Chitty Death Bang”
All Lois wants is to have a special first birthday for Stewie. Lois feels like this is her last chance to share something special with her son. So she makes the mistake of sending Peter to Cheesie Charlie’s (a Chucke Cheese knockoff) to pay the deposit for Stewie’s birthday party.
Peter soon learns that Cheesie Charlie’s is great fun. Peter plays the claw machine and doesn’t win. So he reaches up through the prize door in an attempt to get a prize, which makes him lose his watch. When a little boy wins Peter’s watch, Peter tries to take it from the boy. Peter is reprimanded by the manager who quickly changes his tune when he finds out Peter has a reservation, Peter however says that he will not celebrate Stewie’s party at Cheesie Charlie’s and his reservation is quickly taken.
Stewie believes that his birthday is no more than an attempt to place him back in his mother’s womb by the man in white.
All this plus Meg joins a cult.
A lot is going on in “Chitty Chitty Death Bang” and a lot of it works. Peter’s recollection of how he was treated at Cheesie Charlie’s is hilarious and so too is Stewie as he recounts his “escape” from Lois. Meg’s plot about the Cult has its moments as well but not quite as strong as the rest of the episode.
Grade B+
Season 1, Episode 4 “Mind Over Murder”
Stewie is teething and in pain. Lois tells him that the pain will go away soon. This prompts Stewie to want to build a time machine.
Lois asks Peter to drive Chris to his soccer game, and quickly come home to watch Stewie. When Peter gets to Chris’ game Quagmire is there and tempts Peter to stay because he has beer. It works. Soon Peter gets into a fight with a woman who he confuses for a man. Peter punches her and learns that she is also pregnant.
Peter is placed under house arrest and builds a bar in his basement. Lois is at first annoyed but when she performs a song, she’s a hit. She soon becomes a star where all the men in Quahog come to Peter’s bar to see Lois.
Stewie is successful is making is time machine and learns he must use it to go back in time instead of forward because of a fire at Peter’s bar.
This is by far the best episode so far. Lois finally finds a voice, instead just reacting to Peter. Cleveland makes his first real appearance and Quagmire says “Alright” for the first time. Stewie is also starting to develop more as a character as Seth MacFarlane really starts to “get” Stewie’s voice.
Grade: A
Season 1, Episode 5 “A Hero Sits Next Door”
Mr. Weed, Peter’s boss at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory, introduces a ringer for their company softball team, Guillermo, a handsome and stud softball player. During practice Peter pitches a ball to Guillermo and hits him in the knee, injuring him. Mr. Weed tells Peter he needs to find a suitable replacement for Guillermo or he is fired.
Lois and Stewie soon meet Bonnie Swanson, their new neighbor. Peter however wants nothing to do with the husband Joe. While in bed Lois tells Peter that Joe used to play college baseball. Peter returns to the Swanson’s and sees all of Joe’s trophies. He excitedly asks Joe if he would join his softball team, Joe agrees.
When Joe arrives at the softball game we learn that he is in a wheelchair. But don’t judge a book by its cover as Joe is still a world class athlete and scores the winning run for Peter’s softball team.
Peter overcome by jealousy soon starts resenting Joe. Not only is Joe popular with everyone in Quahog, he becomes popular with the Griffins as well.
Peter wanting to be a hero like Joe attempts to thrawt a bank robbery. However it’s Joe who is able to get the robbers to surrender to an adoring crowd. The Griffins tell Peter it’s ok because he is their hero.
Another really strong episode for Family Guy. Joe Swanson’s introduction is great. His story about how he became disabled, fighting the Grinch on a rooftop as he attempts to steal Christmas gifts from orphans, is funny and sweet. Family Guy is really hitting its stride with the past two episodes.
Grade: A