Family Guy, once a beacon of animated comedy set in the quirky town of Quahog, Rhode Island, has unfortunately delivered an episode that leaves much to be desired. While the show is known for its absurd humor and cutaway gags, this particular installment veers into territory that feels more tragic than comedic. By the episode’s end, the prevailing sentiment is one of disappointment and a heavy sigh for a show that was once genuinely hilarious.
The episode opens with a misleading preview hinting at a crossover with Hank Hill from King of the Hill and characters from American Dad. This, we quickly learn, is a belated April Fool’s joke from the producers. While intended to be amusing, it sets a strange tone right from the start. The episode itself begins with a Stephen Hawking gag featuring reporter Tricia Takanawa. The joke, involving a line about Hawking being “the first white man I’ve ever met that knows math better than me,” is mildly amusing, eliciting a slight smile. However, this brief moment of potential is immediately undercut when Hawking jumps up, insults Tricia, and abruptly goes surfing. This sequence, while bizarre, isn’t inherently terrible, but it signals a descent into less inspired humor.
What follows is a rapid decline in comedic quality. The narrative loosely revolves around two main segments. The first involves Peter being summoned for jury duty, a subplot that is quickly abandoned and serves little purpose other than to shoehorn in a brief rendition of Peter’s beloved “Surfin’ Bird.” Admittedly, the timing of “Surfin’ Bird” is somewhat humorous, providing a fleeting chuckle. However, this plot thread is swiftly replaced by the outlandish premise of a black hole threatening to destroy the world. This impending doom induces widespread panic and triggers an onslaught of random cutaway gags. The sheer volume of these cutaways becomes overwhelming, even by Family Guy‘s standards. Many of these jokes fall flat, ranging from mediocre to outright awful. The reference to the Battle of Hastings, for instance, feels particularly out of place and unfunny. One of the few exceptions is Quagmire’s scheme to seduce Bonnie, a subplot that manages to retain some of the character’s signature, albeit slightly worn, charm. Quagmire remains one of the few consistently amusing elements in what has been a season of declining quality for the show set in Quahog.
The episode’s comedic missteps continue with a particularly jarring cutaway gag where Peter shoots the head off a Native American woman with a musket. This moment isn’t dark comedy; it simply lacks comedic value altogether. It’s a bizarre and uncomfortable sequence that exemplifies the show’s increasingly erratic and often unsuccessful attempts at humor. Another example is a brief clip of “the first televised footage” accompanied by a scrolling subtitle that reads, “please stand by for 80 years of crap.” While perhaps intended as self-aware irony, in the context of such a weak episode, it comes across as unintentionally accurate.
After the black hole is revealed to be yet another April Fool’s prank, the episode transitions to its second half. Peter confesses his disinterest in his children, finding them boring. This leads to a plotline where Peter attempts to become a better father, but his efforts are largely unfunny and unsuccessful until the very end. The episode concludes with a brief moment of engagement when the Xbox 360 is introduced, featuring footage from Modern Warfare 2. This fleeting reference to popular culture provides a momentary spark, but it’s too little, too late to salvage the episode.
Further criticisms could be leveled at predictable gay baby jokes involving Stewie and his action figures, as well as half-hearted attempts at humor with Brian’s prayers. The list of shortcomings could continue, but dwelling on the negatives of Family Guy, a show that once held significant comedic appeal, is not enjoyable. It is sincerely hoped that future episodes will mark a return to form for this once-beloved animated series and its familiar setting of Quahog.
