As much as I tend to criticize Family Guy, there’s always been one aspect of the show that brings me back: Brian Griffin. Essentially serving as Seth MacFarlane‘s voice among the cast, a lot of the show’s best storylines and episodes tend to revolve around Brian (and usually Stewie) because of just how layered they are as characters. Family Guy has never had what I would call the greatest level of respect and care for their characters, but Brian always seemed to be the most complex and well-developed person (or dog, technicaly) on the show.
If you missed last Sunday’s episode, slight spoilers here: Brian dies after getting hit by a car, and Stewie can’t bring him back because he dismantled his time machine. It was honestly a great episode, and they did a great job toeing the line between their style of humor and straightness with which they played Brian’s death. They really showed how amazing the show can be when it restrains itself a little bit. Anyway, a lot of the fans were pissed about Brian’s death, and have since petitioned the show to bring him back. Via E! Online …
“Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experience,” Thompson wrote on the site. “He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show.” The petition links to a Facebook page dedicated to the late character (RIP Brian Griffin From Family Guy), which has already gained more than 91,000 likes.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Brian didn’t come up. He’s my favorite character, sure, but bringing him back to maintain the status quo would cheapen the show a bit, and there are definitely some rumblings that MacFarlane is trying to put the show out to pasture. Family Guy may be a frustratingly uneven show, and it may resort to inconsistent characters and story lines to get to a joke, but it can still reach some pretty staggering highs when it puts its head down and goes for it. Letting it go out on a high note may be for the best.