WhileFamily Guy’s most pointless twist was always unpopular, one of the show’s most widely hated episodes made its reception even worse in retrospect. AsFamily Guyseason 23’s release date nears, it is fair to say that the series is doing fine. The long-running animated comedy series has maintained a stable fan base despite its perceived critical decline and, while someFamily Guymoments made viewers tune outfor good, the show is still going strong. However, one reason the series is unlikely to regain its peak popularity is its most questionable twist and the subsequent backlash.
Family Guy’s New Network Restores My Confidence After Season 23’s Surprising Change
While Family Guy season 23’s surprising change might have seemed worrying, recent news of the show’s future is reassuring for longtime viewers.
In season 12, episode 6, “Brian Dies,”Family Guykilled off Brian Griffin despite his status as one of the show’s most popular central characters. This seemed like a massive creative risk for the series, as Brian’s sardonic commentary often made him the show’s voice of reason. Inevitably, Brian was brought back only two episodes later in episode 8, “Christmas Guy,” and it became clear that the entire plot was a ploy for ratings. Creator Seth MacFarlane laughed off the idea thatFamily Guywould ever have killed off Brian permanently, but the stunt still left a bad taste behind.
Family Guy’s Herpes Plot Made Brian’s Death Even More Pointless
Brian’s Fake-out Death Lost Any Lingering Poignancy Mere Episodes Later
This bad taste became immeasurably worse only a few episodes later whenBrian and Stewie’s worstFamily Guyplot arrived soon after Brian’s fake-out death. In season 12, episode 16, “Herpe the Love Sore,” Brian and Stewie became blood brothers, but their plan soon went horribly awry thanks to Brian. Brian gave Stewie herpes because he was too embarrassed to tell him he had the STI before the duo became blood brothers, resulting in a disturbing string of jokes about Stewie suffering from a gruesome sore. Despite trying hard to shock, the subsequent episode was an outright flop.
The storyline felt flat as it had little to offer beyond empty shock value.
Although Brian and Stewie sharedsome ofFamily Guy’s best moments, “Herpe the Love Sore” was a low point for the series. Stewie’s ailment was tough to look at, andFamily Guymade the most of its gross-out impact. However, the storyline felt flat as it had little to offer beyond empty shock value. Brian and Stewie’s friendship had been well established by this point and the pair were central to many classicFamily Guyplots, so the story had some potential. However, the combination of the one-joke premise and Brian’s ridiculous thoughtlessness made the outing a chore.
Brian Giving Stewie Herpes Was A Family Guy Low Point
“Herpe the Love Sore” Is Often Listed Among Family Guy’s Worst Episodes
Whether it is by fans onRedditor by critics across various websites, “Herpe the Love Sore” is frequently singled out as one of theworstFamily Guyepisodes ever. This is no surprise since the outing was not only unfunny but also made Brian’s death even more pointless. Only seven episodes earlier, Stewie was willing to do anything to get his friend back. In “Herpe the Love Sore,” Brian wasn’t even considerate enough to ensure Stewie didn’t contract his STI. Even by Family Guy’s standards, this gag was too cynical and bleak not to hurt the pair’s shared dynamic.
