At Least It Doesn't Suck As Much As The Cleveland Show: FAMILY GUY!

[Reply #160 on:]

I heard that Ryan Reynolds was going to become obsessed with Peter.

I was hoping that he'd become absolutely fascinated with him as a character and sort of enjoy him like the audience enjoys the show, if you get me. All very meta. Maybe seeing through him somewhat like Frank Grimes did with Homer Simpson.

Instead he just had gay feelings for him which wasn't as interesting or clever or even funny as the story I'd created in my head, so I was sorely disappointed by it all.

Ugh, I hated Homer's Enemy, and I would hate it even more if Peter replaced Homer.  I can see what they did, and I have to admit the idea of subverting the usual "Happy ending" with a downer and how a realisticish human would survive (or not) in Springfield, it just ended up being excessively humorless and mean spirited, black comedy without the comedy.   Watching Homer essentially destroy what little another human being had left (both literally and metaphorically) wasn't good or funny viewing.  Whenever I ever see that episode, I just think Frank Grimes shouldn't have even bothered saying Homer's life, because the latter is just so ridiculously selfish and buffoonish in a (then) OOC way.  (in fact it I now view it as a prematurely early sign of the show's decline: randomly abrupt ending, sacrificing heart for cheap, unfunny gags, and Homer being a ridiculously selfish, moronic buffoon rather then an inept but sweet natured idiot whose heart is always in the right place).  And considering how Peter is like Homer's negative traits times 10, watching a "Peter's Enemy" would make me want to throw my television set out the window.  

I do agree with you about the gay part though.   Why the hell would any attractive, handsome man be ever interested in a complete failure as a human being as Peter?  (At least Lois makes sense because she's a complete bitch now, and is a chubby chaser).

[Reply #161 on:]

You wouldn't have to throw it out the window, just prop a mirror up in front of it and make the TV watch itself.

[Reply #162 on:]

Make the tv commit suicide out of despair at itself and explode?  Now that's deliciously dark.  I like your style.

[Reply #163 on:]

You know what's even worse than that?  Put another mirror behind it and cause infinite recursion.

[Reply #164 on:]

I heard that Ryan Reynolds was going to become obsessed with Peter.

I was hoping that he'd become absolutely fascinated with him as a character and sort of enjoy him like the audience enjoys the show, if you get me. All very meta. Maybe seeing through him somewhat like Frank Grimes did with Homer Simpson.

Instead he just had gay feelings for him which wasn't as interesting or clever or even funny as the story I'd created in my head, so I was sorely disappointed by it all.

Ugh, I hated Homer's Enemy, and I would hate it even more if Peter replaced Homer.  I can see what they did, and I have to admit the idea of subverting the usual "Happy ending" with a downer and how a realisticish human would survive (or not) in Springfield, it just ended up being excessively humorless and mean spirited, black comedy without the comedy.   Watching Homer essentially destroy what little another human being had left (both literally and metaphorically) wasn't good or funny viewing.  Whenever I ever see that episode, I just think Frank Grimes shouldn't have even bothered saying Homer's life, because the latter is just so ridiculously selfish and buffoonish in a (then) OOC way.  (in fact it I now view it as a prematurely early sign of the show's decline: randomly abrupt ending, sacrificing heart for cheap, unfunny gags, and Homer being a ridiculously selfish, moronic buffoon rather then an inept but sweet natured idiot whose heart is always in the right place).  And considering how Peter is like Homer's negative traits times 10, watching a "Peter's Enemy" would make me want to throw my television set out the window.   

I do agree with you about the gay part though.   Why the hell would any attractive, handsome man be ever interested in a complete failure as a human being as Peter?  (At least Lois makes sense because she's a complete bitch now, and is a chubby chaser).

I'm not someone who thinks that Homer's Enemy is one of the best episodes of 'The Simpsons' by any means - but like you, I appreciate the concept and I thought something similar with Ryan Reynolds not just taking Peter for granted, but being fascinated with how bizarre he is could have made for a brilliant episode. In fact, I still do.
I certainly think it would have been better than what we got.

[Reply #165 on:]

Oh, I agree.  Like him going: "You are a horrible person, you treat everyone around you like dirt, and you seem determined to make your daughter want to kill herself, and seem to derive a sociopathic, gleeful delight in that.   Nobody ever calls you on it, even when they're not joining in your singleminded persecution of her.  Why do people like you and why do you have a hot wife, despite you taking absolutely no care of your body and you treat her like a comfortable armchair, at best?"  Like not in a malicious "you suck" kind of way, but the way a meterologist might be fascinated by ball lightning or st elmo's fire or a particually unusual aurora.  

Great concept, really bad execution in every way.  Watching Homer destroy a human being, especially one who was as decent and nice as Frank Grimes (despite him having absolutely no reason to be anything other then a jerkass) made for uncomfortable viewing, at best. If the perspective was swapped, we would be rooting for Homer to drink the wall dissolving acid or choke on his lobster, the fat idiot.   Black comedy is fine, but there wasn't really enough humor to sweeten the bile and the fact that Homer's genuine decency/heart of gold was on vacation just threw dirt on an already shut coffin. (pun intended.)

Okay.  Got (most) of that out of my system, but I would say it's one of only two episodes episode of the "classic" run that I actually disliked, let alone loathed.

[Reply #166 on:]

 What was the other one?

[Reply #167 on:]

There's only 2 episodes of the classic run I dislike and those are 'Another Simpsons Clip Show' and 'Dancin' Homer'.

[Reply #168 on:]

So, they go back to the first ep, eh?...

[Reply #169 on:]

Yup and I'll be watching it online tommorow!
Can't wait!

[Reply #170 on:]

I'm going to watch it in an hour, I'll write what I think of it tomorrow.

[Reply #171 on:]

As it will be a while before I see this, I await the responses with feverish anticipation!...

[Reply #172 on:]

I'm going to watch it in an hour, I'll write what I think of it tomorrow.

Oh god Americans are Super Ultra lucky!

[Reply #173 on:]

Yes, we exchange health care and public safety for being the first to see the new Family Guy.

[Reply #174 on:]

Yes and we Brits have to wait till May..
SO UNFAIR

[Reply #175 on:]

Yes and we Brits have to wait till May..
SO UNFAIR

And I have to wait an hour, so EVEN MORE UNFAIR

[Reply #176 on:]

I thought it would be OK to double post because it's the next day.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Show spoiler

Anyway, the new episode pulled it off pretty well.  You can clearly tell the difference between today's bright colored and shadowed characters and the characters from the first episode, who look like some demented kid's drawings.  Also, apparently five years in the future, Family Guy will be animated in a 3-D style, and The Cleveland Show will be canceled (But who DIDN'T know that).  Also there's some stuff involving 9/11, The 2nd Civil War, the Harry Potter series, and the Confederate president George Bush.

But I'll let you watch that for yourself.

[Reply #177 on:]

Sounds like a good concept. Might have to give this a watch.

[Reply #178 on:]

OMG That episode was amazing!

[Reply #179 on:]

My major complaint is that they changed this episode to a "Road to" episode when it wasn't really. It didn't have the opening titles, the musical number, wasn't directed by the usual guy and so forth - it just felt like a normal episode... but a great normal episode, so I guess, fair enough.

It was a bit of a missed opportunity in that it could have been outstanding, but it was still very good. All the of the stuff that took place in the pilot episode was hilarious, from the 4:3 aspect ratio to the line about Stewie looking like a prize at a Mexican carnival. I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much at an episode of any of Fox's Sunday lineup.

And I'm a sucker for time-travel stories so although it did nothing particularly new, I still enjoyed what we got as well as the fun of the CGI sequences - which looked surprisingly good, I have to add.

So yeah, not one of Family Guy's all-time greatest episodes, but still very, very good and their best episode in a long, long while.

[Reply #180 on:]

good, not great. The concept could've been much better than the exection. Liked the callback to the shitty stock friends and the Al Harrington joke. Nothing cringe worthy, but nothing super memorable.

[Reply #181 on:]

I loved that Seth just practically making fun of himself in every way.
It was also funny seeing stuff from earlier episodes in a new prospective.

[Reply #182 on:]

Looking at peoples reactions, glad it didn't disappoint. So it's a Road To ep eh? Interesting. I always love the Brian and Stewie eps, especially time travel eps...

[Reply #183 on:]

So am I the only one who found the episode to be completely predictable and always had the feeling "that has been done so many times before"?

[Reply #184 on:]

Yup it appears so..

[Reply #185 on:]

There's only 2 episodes of the classic run I dislike and those are 'Another Simpsons Clip Show' and 'Dancin' Homer'.

Just what I was about to say!  I hated Dancing Homer.  Oh well... three actually.  The third is that stupid baseball one.  At least I can appreciate the concepts and ideas behinds Homer's Enemy despite their horrible execution.  The other two are a bit like having teeth pulled out and being sewn on to your eyelids.

I thought the first half was pretty solid and some of the best writing we've had in ages.  Things kind of fell apart in the second half, I think they were just trying too hard to be clever.  Still an alright episode though.   Plus the idea of them being able to avert 9/11 made me feel sad I suppose... I know if I could go back to 2001 I would try and avert that.

And save the Yellow Power Ranger.

[Reply #186 on:]

So is anyone going to make a barber shop pole Brian and Stewie animation?

[Reply #187 on:]

There's only 2 episodes of the classic run I dislike and those are 'Another Simpsons Clip Show' and 'Dancin' Homer'.

Just what I was about to say!  I hated Dancing Homer.  Oh well... three actually.  The third is that stupid baseball one.  At least I can appreciate the concepts and ideas behinds Homer's Enemy despite their horrible execution.  The other two are a bit like having teeth pulled out and being sewn on to your eyelids.

The idea was pretty stupid but the jokes worked out for it!

[Reply #188 on:]

So am I the only one who found the episode to be completely predictable and always had the feeling "that has been done so many times before"?

Of course it was predictable this is Family Guy, there's nothing groundbreaking here. I liked the episode ok, interesting idea executed pretty well. I makes me miss the old Brian though, especially his relationship with Peter. I like how self-aware the episode is and how it makes fun of its own style, the cutaways were great here what with everyone spacing out for a few minutes. Funniest episode I've seen all season, and one that I wouldn't mind watching again.

[Reply #189 on:]

I loved that Seth just practically making fun of himself in every way.

It was more like Mark Hentemann making fun of Seth... or better yet, It was more like Family Guy making fun of itself in every way.

Looking at peoples reactions, glad it didn't disappoint. So it's a Road To ep eh? Interesting. I always love the Brian and Stewie eps, especially time travel eps...

Its title was changed from 'Back to the Pilot' to 'Road to the Pilot', but it seems like they changed it back to 'Back to the Pilot' at the last minute... probably because it's not a true 'Road to' episode and they didn't want it diluting them so to speak.


And to be fair to the episode, I'd say its overall concept of "Let's make fun of how the show has changed" is quite original. Yes, the time-travel story added nothing new, and 'Back to the Future: Part II' re-treaded the events of the first film in detail, but they didn't do it with the intent of making fun of changes, otherwise there'd be jokes about the actress playing Marty's girlfriend changing and whatnot.

[Reply #190 on:]

I really hope we have a new song soon.  I just want to hear more of Seth McFarlane's buttery molasses baritone.  It's just liquid sex, as far as I am concerned.

[Reply #191 on:]

ROAD TO PILOT my ass.  They only saw the pilot for like the first act, and after they do the same thing they did in Meet The Quagmires.  I usually love the Road to episodes, but after the Brian stopping 9/11 sequence it goes a little downhill.  I was hoping we'd get to see more of Brian and Stewie in the past making fun of how much the show has changed. 

[Reply #192 on:]

I do think it was a shame that the show's focus was the time-travel rather than the pilot episode. I think a plot where classic era Stewie tries to kill modern Stewie and Brian because he's unhappy with how 'gay' he becomes, causing some big chase throughout the pilot would have been more interesting, but all the scenes set in the pilot were still gold.

[Reply #193 on:]

I think that idea of classic era Stewie chasing modern Stewie and trying to kill him is a great idea. I for one would support that as a potential plot. Obviously now the moment has kinda passed, but had that been done, it'd have been really cloolsome ...

[Reply #194 on:]

To be fair fryfanspyorama, the 'Road to...' episodes haven't had musical numbers in them since Road to Rupert.

[Reply #195 on:]

'Road to the North Pole' had two.

[Reply #196 on:]

So is anyone going to make a barber shop pole Brian and Stewie animation?

This would be awesome if made.

[Reply #197 on:]

This week's episode was pretty good if you as me. Not as good as last week's, but the story held together, there were plenty of jokes and a lot of them were genuinely funny.

I hope the show keeps this quality up.

[Reply #198 on:]

You think the next episode will continue off the end with the whole

Show spoiler

"that's not me, it's an impostor!" thing?

[Reply #199 on:]

I'd be amazed if it did. I think it was just a throw-away gag, referencing 'The Principal and the Pauper' episode of 'The Simpsons' or more likely, some war movie that Simpsons episode was spoofing that I'm unaware of.