by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Family Guy used to be REALLY funny. Like so funny that it had religious groups up in arms about every little joke they made. Everyone could catch hands from creator Seth MacFarlane: politicians, celebrities, actors, historical figures, and especially aforementioned religious groups. The writing staff behind the Griffin family had no chill. Sometimes one could say that the show has gone too far with how often they go after people, but that crassness is what endeared the show to many over the years. But those peak years have come and gone. With MacFarlane only on the show as a voice actor and not a writer, its soul is missing. Nowadays, there are multiple crass cartoons competing for your attention that have either already peaked, are peaking currently, or just starting to peak. Rick and Morty, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, Archer,and South Park all have the same kind of irreverence that once made Family Guy great, and when Family Guy makes those terrible jokes now, it’s just par for the course. But there’s still something charming about the show that keeps you coming back.
Honestly, there is nothing to sum up here in terms of story. There’s no overarching adventure for the drunk and stupid Peter (MacFarlane). Brian (also MacFarlane) and Stewie (still MacFarlane) bicker and argue and make cracks at each other like it’s 2007. Lois (Alex Borstein), Meg (Mila Kunis), and Chris (Seth Green) still get an episode or two to take center stage and make the show not about whatever idiocy Peter has gotten into. Blah Blah Blah. The show is so formulaic that even if the insanity gets cranked up to an 11, it can be a bore to watch.
Some episodes surprise, though. Like “White Meg Can’t Jump,” which deals with Meg going out for the basketball team and turning into Kyrie Irving whenever Peter berates her from the stands. We get a few wisecracks about her that make us laugh, and some fun basketball animation (which will easily will keep me interested). “Vat Man and Rob ‘em” is the standard party and drinking story for this show. Probably the high point for the season, though, is “Munchian Candidate,” where Lois get Peter hypnotized so she can get some special treatment in the bedroom.
Let’s go back to MacFarlane here. That vocal master actually feels tired in this season. You can really hear it in his performance as Peter. Inflections are lower energy, the delivery is slower, and honestly, I can’t blame him. He’s still filming episodes of this and The Orville, and doing vocal work for all the other characters on this show and American Dad. The dude is busy. At this point, it feels like he’s stretched too thin. None of his other roles suffer in my opinion, but there’s something about Peter that just sounds off to me. You can’t let your main protagonist slide if your show is going to stay high quality.
There are still good things to say about the show in general. I appreciate that the current animation has grown vastly over the original style. It has a much cleaner and less hand-drawn feel. The higher production value now versus what the show had in 2005 is easily discernible. Some of the characters, like Quagmire (STILL MACFARLANE, as if anyone else voices anyone on this show), are little less one-dimensional now, as he’s a little more focused as a pilot and friend of Peter’s. Joe (Patrick Warburton) and Mayor Wild West (Sam Elliot) get some fun lines every now and then, too.
Honestly, this is less of a review of the new season and more of a question about why this show is still on the air. I really don’t know what creative reason keeps it going. They have done everything from parodies of Oscar Winners, to a crossover with The Simpsons, to a literal commentary episode. What new ground could they break that is not just a parody of a movie or another TV show? I know there’s been rumors of a Family Guy movie for years, and if that’s true, then perhaps there’s an under-the-table deal to have the show keep going until then. But with MacFarlane’s busy schedule, I don’t know when he’s going to find the time to write that. But here’s hoping, because if a Family Guy movie can get his full attention, I imagine that it could be fantastic.
Score: 5/10
Family Guy is currently streaming on Hulu
You can read more from Samuel Nichols, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd