# Major character killed of on Family Guy (kinda spoiler-ish)



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 24, 2013)

So, word got out that a major family member on Family Guy dying soon. 

Turns out, it was Brian.



> Family Guy, one of FOXs most popular Sunday night cartoons, has taken a bold step and killed off veteran character Brian Griffin.
> The average person would likely not think of death and drama when thinking of the show Family Guy. The popular cartoon, which has been on and off of FOXs Sunday night lineup since its original debut in 1999, is known for its adult comedy, frequent attacks on popular culture, politics, and celebrities, and of course the seemingly meaningless but often hilarious cutaway gags. They've also been a controversial topic in the media on numerous occasions over the years, most recently for making Sarah Palin's special needs daughter a love interest of one of the main characters.
> But show creator Seth McFarlane and other members of the Family Guy staff have been trying to shake things up a bit recently. And their most recent shake-up was the biggest thus far. They decided to kill off veteran character Brian Griffin, the family dog who has been in every episode of the show since the pilot episode, Death Has a Shadow.
> On the November 24th episode of the show, Brian Griffin was getting ready to play a game with Stewie, the family's baby, when he was hit by an oncoming car. He was then rushed to the veterinarian where he later died after telling the Griffin family that he loved them all.
> ...


----------



## dedsouth333 (Nov 25, 2013)

No. Fvcking. Way.

I missed the episode so I'm gonna have to look it up but all I can really think is, "I wonder what Stewie's reaction was."


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 25, 2013)

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Family Guy, but I didn't think they would go all-out and kill someone as major as Brian. I thought they'd kill off Chris or Meg.


----------



## dedsouth333 (Nov 25, 2013)

Or even Quagmire or Joe or somebody but Brian? Damn. I never would've seen that coming (which I'm sure was there intention but damn).


----------



## Daf57 (Nov 25, 2013)

That's crazy! What purpose is that going to serve?? Where did this mandate that a major character had to die come from - it's not like it's going to free up some cash from the payroll? I don't get it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 25, 2013)

Just a bit of speculation, but maybe they killed him off to surprise everyone, hoping that people will watch the rest of the season in hopes of Brian coming back somehow. 

At least, I guess that's whats happening.

EDIT: Not to mention that there's a few future episodes that will feature Brian, but no work on how he'll return. I wonder if it'll be in flashbacks, as Stewie's conscious, or Stewie may have found a way to get his time machine working again. 

Also, why would Seth McFarlane want to kill off his favorite character so suddenly?


----------



## Rick (Nov 25, 2013)

I saw a youtube clip of the sequence of him dying and I started crying.


----------



## TheDeathOfMusic (Nov 25, 2013)

He'll probably come back.


----------



## Preacher (Nov 25, 2013)

The suggestion thrown around my office today is that Mcfarlane doesn't want to do family guy anymore, but focus on American Dad and films. However Fox don't want to let one of their more popular shows off the air when it is still ridding high so Mcfarlane is deliberately trying to sabotage the show to tank the ratings freeing him up for other work. Having seen the man in interviews I reckon he is egotistical enough to do that instead of handing the reigns over to someone else.


----------



## Xaios (Nov 25, 2013)

It's a bold move. Brian has always more or less been a proxy for Seth McFarlane's "normal" persona, and often served as the straight man. While it remains to be seen if they can pull it off, if they can find new and inventive ways to get the comedy across without being able to rely on the presence of a normal figure, it'll be a welcome change.

But then, I'm still not particularly optimistic. Personally, Family Guy hasn't been funny for a *very* long time.


----------



## OrsusMetal (Nov 25, 2013)

Fry's dog Seymour dying cannot, and will not be matched. Ever.


----------



## BIG ND SWEATY (Nov 25, 2013)

Rick said:


> I saw a youtube clip of the sequence of him dying and I started crying.



same here, that was fu_c_king awful to watch


----------



## dedsouth333 (Nov 25, 2013)

Rick said:


> I saw a youtube clip of the sequence of him dying and I started crying.





BIG ND SWEATY said:


> same here, that was fu_c_king awful to watch



Oh god. Not so sure I even want to bother now. I don't feel like bawling over *another* cartoon dog. I haven't done that years (excluding Seymour).


----------



## BrailleDecibel (Nov 25, 2013)

Just read the news about this, and haven't seen the episode, but if that wasn't bad enough, I then read this:



> Brian, whose shocking death (it&#8217;s a comedy, Seth MacFarlane!) appears to be a permanent storyline change, has already been replaced in the Griffin clan by Vinnie, a tough-talkin&#8217; pooch the Griffins purchased at a pet store. Italian-American Vinnie, like Brian, also talks, and bears a striking resemblance to a New Jersey gangster (he&#8217;s being voiced by &#8220;Sopranos&#8221; alum Tony Sirico)



I could be wrong on all of this, but this just doesn't seem like a character that would gel very well with the "family", so to speak, and seems like an overall inferior character to Brian, or at least that's how it looks to me. I hope I'm wrong, as I really like this show and don't wanna see it start tanking.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 25, 2013)

Some people are saying that the car that ran over Brian was a Prius, so it was most likely Stewie or a future Brian killing the past Brian for whatever reason.


----------



## downburst82 (Nov 25, 2013)

They will be bringing him back for sure as was allread stated you can see brian features in some of the future episode titles (check wiki,other sources)
*Upcoming episodes*

Production Code Title BACX08 Peter Problems[204] BACX09 Grimm Job[205] BACX?? Peter and Lois Open a Store[206] BACX?? He's Bla-ack![207] BACX?? Secondhand Spoke[208] BACX?? The Most Interesting Man in the World[209] BACX?? Fresh Heir[210] BACX?? Mom's the Word[211] BACX?? Brian's a Bad Father[212] BACX?? Baby Got Black[213] BACX?? Meg Stinks![214] BACX?? Herpe the Love Sore[215] BACX?? Chap Stewie[216] BACX?? Brian's Got Back[217]

Also in this episode stewie mentiones going to the future to see/return? his presents so he doesnt have to wait for them...maybe stewie runs into his future self as uses the ruturn pad to go back and save brian?


----------



## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 25, 2013)

Pretty funny when the chicken said "Don't talk to me, you have a bad reputation in the chicken community", but yeah it was a sad episode though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 25, 2013)

Family Guy - Brian DIES - (Family Guy Brians Death Scene) - YouTube

The scene if anyone is curious.


----------



## wilch (Nov 26, 2013)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Some people are saying that the car that ran over Brian was a Prius, so it was most likely Stewie or a future Brian killing the past Brian for whatever reason.



Definitely not a Prius.


----------



## Daf57 (Nov 26, 2013)

There's a petition to bring him back...
https://www.change.org/petitions/se...ompany-bring-brian-griffin-back-to-family-guy


----------



## Robby the Robot (Nov 26, 2013)

Almost cried when I saw him ran over. Found out via Facebook last night then found the clip on Youtube. Indeed a bold move for a guy who used to write Johnny Bravo episodes.  Though Family Guy hasn't been funny for a really really long time, it just got less funny with my favorite character off the show.


----------



## ridner (Nov 26, 2013)

haven't watched the show regularly in years....RIP Brian


----------



## Rev2010 (Nov 26, 2013)

Word from Seth is that it's a permanent thing to give the show somewhat of a new direction, but I think that's all BS and they'll bring him back, it's far too easy to. Stewie can rebuild the machine at some point, or run into his past self travelling in the future and have him change time, or he can simply clone him like in other episodes... there's just too many easy ways to do it.

But, I find the italian wiseguy talking new dog's voice just sooo damn annoying that I think this whole change of direction might be just enough for me to stop watching the show. It hasn't been funny for way too long now but I've always just watched in hopes of a good laugh and to pass time. Unfortunately 2 or three chuckles a show plus that annoying voice on the new dog just really isn't much reason to keep watching. Meh, I could always go back and watch them later anyhow.


Rev.


----------



## zappatton2 (Nov 26, 2013)

I wasn't terribly saddened watching the episode, because the whole time I just figured Stewie would rebuild his time machine and bring him back. When the credits rolled, I had a WTF moment.

Still, yes, the episode of Futurama with the dog dying really was the saddest cartoon moment for me, I can't even bring myself to watch that episode again.


----------



## Zado (Nov 26, 2013)

OrsusMetal said:


> Fry's dog Seymour dying cannot, and will not be matched. Ever.


and Seymour appeared (alive) in how many episodes? one IIRC. Still better stuff than twil..err family guy.

Pretty smart to get rid of one of the very few interesting characters in the show just because "hey,there's something new in town"


Also,why is the other dog italian? I mean...really? we do already have an awful rep at the moment,WHY U DOIN DIS U EVL PREEKS!





> Still, yes, the episode of Futurama with the dog dying really was the saddest cartoon moment for me, I can't even bring myself to watch that episode again.


----------



## straightshreddd (Nov 26, 2013)

I hadn't seen Family Guy in a while, so I looked up some new episodes. Christ, that show got lame. It used to have me laughing to the point of tears, but now the jokes feel far too contrived.


----------



## Marv Attaxx (Nov 26, 2013)

It seems like Seth likes killing dogs in his shows. In American Dad a puppy was killed (and brought back in a horrible way). That episode made me never watch American Dad again (saw it shortly after my own puppy had died).


----------



## fps (Nov 26, 2013)

Makes sense. Brian Griffin is one of the only eloquent characters, and the writers haven't been able to pull off wit in a long time. I don't think that's a controversial thing to say, they're still good at pulling out shock jokes and sight gags, but the current writers clearly don't have any good one-liners in them. As seen by how dumbed down Stewie has become. I miss when the show had good writing, this means the absence of wit won't be missed as much, as it's not expected from anyone else except Stewie, who no-one understands anyway. "Is it just me or is rap music getting lazier" had me laughing for DAYS.


----------



## fps (Nov 26, 2013)

Marv Attaxx said:


> It seems like Seth likes killing dogs in his shows. In American Dad a puppy was killed (and brought back in a horrible way). That episode made me never watch American Dad again (saw it shortly after my own puppy had died).



That was a terrible episode. American Dad lost its entire raison d'etre and edge sometime in the middle of the 4th season. Now it's a strange cross of the simpsons and family guy, and has no purpose any more. I wish they'd kept it political, there's so much to talk about, and not just bashing the right either, that show could have hit other targets really hard.


----------



## Randy (Nov 26, 2013)

Marv Attaxx said:


> It seems like Seth likes killing dogs in his shows. In American Dad a puppy was killed (and brought back in a horrible way). That episode made me never watch American Dad again (saw it shortly after my own puppy had died).



That's the spirit of American Dad, in general. There's the episode with the two birds and all their kids (including a newborn) that burn to death, there's the episode where Francine drowns a songbird, there's the episode where Steve raises a bunch of chickens and they're all run over infront of him, there's the episode where Stan is trying to assassinate a guy an he instead kills an entire pod of dolphins (including a baby dolphin), there's the episode where Steve is supposed to a shoot deer and decides to let it go but instead it gets impaled by another deer falling from a tree, and there's the time Roger mentions having a litter of puppies he neglected and it pans over to a cage of puppy skeletons. Those just a few that come to mind but yeah, American Dad and Family Guy both have leaned more and more toward cruelty to either get a laugh or make a point. American dad in particular, it's kinda become the "thing" to take something cute and figure out a way to kill it; infact, I don't really know which character in that show is supposed to be a 'straight man' protagonist a la Brian... maybe Klaus? 

That said, I think I felt a little more emotional during the episode where Brian volunteered to die having his kidneys taken out to give to Peter. I don't know if it's a Seth McFarlane or one of the writers, but they do a lot of 'dramatic episodes' in the last few years. The vault episode carried it off really well, and like I mentioned earlier, I also enjoyed the kidney episode but in general (even including humorous episodes), I think my biggest issue with the show is that it tries to hard to make grand statements or elicit a reaction from the audience. I mean, kudos to Seth and the writers if they want to make a program that does those things but considering the general format of the show (an idiot and his hot wife, talking baby, talking dog, etc.), it feels really forced.


----------



## synrgy (Nov 26, 2013)

They establish that Stewie can't build another time machine. 

In the episode, Stewie - in hopes of rebuilding the time machine - goes to see his black-market connection - Yusef - who explains that the guy who made the titanium-thingy 'disappeared' after drawing Muhammad. He even adds "I don't think he even meant to; he was just doodling.. But, it was Muhammad, so.. You know.."


----------



## Rev2010 (Nov 26, 2013)

synrgy said:


> They establish that Stewie can't build another time machine.



Yes, but in the beginning of the episode they clearly make a point that Stewie uses his time machine to jump forward to Christmas time to get his toys early. He can always intercept his past self traveling forward and alert him what happens, problem solved. Plus, it's a cartoon bro... they can come up with a million different things.


Rev.


----------



## synrgy (Nov 27, 2013)

I didn't mean to imply it wasn't possible. I was just clarifying that they did at least write a scene to address the obvious "why didn't he just build another one?" questions that would have arisen otherwise.

Plus, I loved the gag about the guy disappearing after accidentally doodling a prophet.


----------



## Ralyks (Nov 27, 2013)

Rev2010 said:


> Yes, but in the beginning of the episode they clearly make a point that Stewie uses his time machine to jump forward to Christmas time to get his toys early. He can always intercept his past self traveling forward and alert him what happens, problem solved.


 
I can see this happening. Probably even at a TOTALLY random point in an episode. Kind of make sense, seeing as Brians name is in the title of more than one episode in the season we're on.


----------



## wilch (Nov 27, 2013)

Seth MacGoneTooFarlane

...the man wears too much make up. Nuff said.


----------



## Ralyks (Dec 7, 2013)

So I can't link it now because work won't let me get to IGN, but it looks like Brian is indeed coming back sooner than later, and killing Brian was a stunt.

Not surprised whatsoever...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 7, 2013)

Saw the same thing. May be coming back the Sunday after next (15th).


----------



## wankerness (Dec 7, 2013)

Randy has the best avatar on the internet. That is all.


----------



## Ralyks (Dec 7, 2013)

It's been confirmed so much, I just saw it on the news scroll at my job


----------



## Daf57 (Dec 8, 2013)

Geez - I guess I didn't think they would ever have to pull something like that. Ratings must be pretty bad?


----------



## Rev2010 (Dec 16, 2013)

So they did it just like we were saying, future Stewie saw past Stewie when he traveled ahead to get the Christmas present. 


Rev.


----------

