Really? REALLY? They took a throwaway joke from a couple of seasons ago and stretched it over a half-hour? REALLY?
And I don't know how many times I'm going to make this complaint about this show, but they tried way too hard to play this plot completely straight. They didn't try to play this plot for humor at all, aside from Peter's random quips ("So you like to get beaten, huh? Well, why don't you smoke this whole carton of cigarettes?!"). Now of course, there's really no way they COULD play a plot like this for humor, which begs the question of why they bothered in the first place.
Where this episode did shine, however, was with the random manatee gags. Clown porn, Rock Lobster, and soliciting a rooster were all great.
Overall...this show really needs to stop taking itself so damn seriously.
Another "Family Guy" special brand of episode - in other words, a joyless thud. Absolutely no funny was brought. Even "Iraq Lobster" felt like a retread of the LAST time Peter sang "Rock Lobster."
At least when Family Guy used to be offensive, there was some funny to go along with it. I just felt dirty watching this episode, and there was too little humor to even things out. Just cringe-inducing.
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Can we just finally agree the show was funnier with the manatee jokes. I hate these plot stories. I am glad that at least ended it with the guy dying in a horrifying way. When does American Dad come back?
The Wee Baby Sheamus.
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Someone on twitter said that Family Guy really brought the funny on this episode. Given the trajectory of the series, I assumed that this was likely sarcasm. In reality it was actually super-duper-oh-my-fucking-god-surely-my-time-is-worth-more-than-this sarcasm.
I truly have no idea what this episode or even this show is trying to achieve. If one was to watch a web cam of me watching this show, I can only imagine it was 22 minutes of me staring at the TV with a glassy eyed, slack jawed look of incredulity.
For aire long episodes I’ve thought that the creative staff has ceased giving a shit and is just running with the first half arsed idea they can come up with before they enjoy their breakfast gin. I’ve refrained from stating this publicly before, as creating choad TV in reality probably takes almost as much effort as good TV. I worried that if a Family Guy writer happened upon a fat Australian on the internet calling them lazy, they may descend further into madness and feel compelled to shoot up a nearby Outback Steakhouse. I can’t have that on my conscience, so I’m not going to say it.
I think this show became too self-aware during Season 6, after it came back from cancellation. I see the Stewie killed Lois episodes (while being great & entertaining in their own right) as the point of roll off where they commenced breaking down the wall of being TV characters and started being too clever. I remember taking particular offence to an episode that attempted self-deprecating humour. The episode presented itself as being a “Meg” episode, at which point Peter said words to the effect of Yep, it’s a Meg episode, go on, it’s right there motioning towards a remote. Now we all know how self-deprecating humour works, but you can’t infer that your show is going to be shit and boring and then deliver, what we can only assume is deliberate, a shit and boring show. This one moment sums up to me what every episode has now become.
Many TV series have descended into crap, but you can usually still see what they are trying to do. With Family Guy I honestly cannot see it. They have actively removed depth from the main characters, and they’ve also actively removed depth from the supporting characters, where they haven’t written them out entirely. Are Chris and Meg even going to school anymore? What’s Peter’s job these days? I’m starting to wonder whether they’re just pulling some sort of contractual swindle, Sex Pistols style. I cannot picture a post-production meeting where the parties involved honestly think: “Yes, this is quality work. Seriously funny stuff!”
This show really feels like that relationship you have where you get together when you’re both party animals. You move in together, buy furniture etc.. But you also age, and inevitably change. And at some point you’re both completely different people and everything the other person says deeply irritates you and you think it has to be deliberate. You don’t leave because you know it will be really messy and you’re still kinda, sorta in love with the memory of how it used to be and you hope that one day it will return. So you say you’re going out to play some poker but end up sitting in a strip club by yourself wondering whether or not you’ll swing by a brothel on the way home.
Originally posted by Big GSomeone on twitter said that Family Guy really brought the funny on this episode. Given the trajectory of the series, I assumed that this was likely sarcasm. In reality it was actually super-duper-oh-my-fucking-god-surely-my-time-is-worth-more-than-this sarcasm.
Ooh, was that me? It sounds like me. I'm glad you read that tweet, because I'm sure Seth MacFarlane didn't (even though I @mentioned him and everything)
I haven't watched the show yet but it sounds like they took a small joke (and a bad one to boot) and totally stretched it out in both length and sensitivity. At some point, it needs to stop being offensive just for the sake of being offensive. They're not even trying to be funny anymore while Seth seems to not give a shit about anything other than his 'outside' projects and it's killing it's legacy. I used to think FG was one of the best animated shows of all time and now within the span of about two seasons, I can barely get worked up to watch a new episode at all. At least when the Simpsons got tired to watch, it still had new nuggets to keep you interested from time to time so that you still wanted to watch it here and there. All FG does is piss me off these days and it's to where I don't know if it's worth seeing another episode ever again.
Originally posted by Big GThis show really feels like that relationship you have where you get together when you’re both party animals. You move in together, buy furniture etc.. But you also age, and inevitably change. And at some point you’re both completely different people and everything the other person says deeply irritates you and you think it has to be deliberate. You don’t leave because you know it will be really messy and you’re still kinda, sorta in love with the memory of how it used to be and you hope that one day it will return. So you say you’re going out to play some poker but end up sitting in a strip club by yourself wondering whether or not you’ll swing by a brothel on the way home.
Wow, I feel bad for y-, um, I mean your hypothetical couple.
I don't know of any other show that has so actively set out to piss out it's viewers like Family Guy. It's like they have an office pool to see how horrible and unfunny they can make a show and still retain viewers. "I know, let's make our 30 second musical into four minutes of singing" "But still in a comical way?" "Nope, just the characters signing a Broadway tune" "Brilliant! I love it!"