Top 10 Worst Family Guy Episodes
It might be one of the most successful cartoons in history, but it's not without its missteps. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Family Guy Episodes.
For this list, we'll be looking at episodes from the animated sitcom that famously failed to generate laughs, connect with fans or impress critics.
#10: "Brian & Stewie"
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This episode is what is what we call a “bottle episode” - which means it takes place in one location. In a comedy series, it’s often done to save money, but you’d THINK, given that Family Guy is an animated series, they wouldn’t have to worry about paying for a location. That leaves us with no option but to assume that this was a creative choice. Well... based on the end result, it was bad one. The episode centers around Brian and Stewie trapped in a bank vault, meaning that it’s really just Seth MacFarlane talking to himself for 22 minutes. The episode drones on, a jokeless, overly emotional mess.
#9: "April in Quahog"
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Listen, we know Peter Griffin is designed to be a mean character. He abuses his kids, makes fun of his wife, treats his friends like trash, destroys the town every chance he gets, etc, etc. However, deep down, he’s always seemingly loved his family and would do anything to protect them - or so we thought. All that is tarnished in this episode when he admits that he in fact hates spending time with his children. So much for the idiot with a heart of gold! Don’t worry, he buys his kids’ love back with an Xbox. Oh, and they bring back Surfin’ Bird again. Hilarious.
#8: "Brian Griffin's House of Payne"
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Where do we begin on this bowling ball sized ball drop? Possibly with the “B” story, which explores the incredibly irresponsible sides of Chris and Meg. In this episode, they accidentally push their little brother down the stairs, causing a massive head wound. Instead of bringing their injured sibling to the hospital, they cover it up for weeks! When Peter finds out, he informs them that this is a regular occurrence and eventually helps them blame Lois for the whole ordeal. It’s as bad as it sounds and the “A” story is no better either. Truly a disappointing episode.
#7: "Stewie Is Enceinte"
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Taking a step up from bowling ball, this is a 9 months pregnant sized ball drop. What we mean by that is in this episode… Stewie gets pregnant. Taking his implied obsession with his “friend” Brian to a whole new level, Stewie uses some scientific mumbo-jumbo to impregnate himself using Brian’s DNA. While that is certainly a visual we never asked for, the babies they produce are even worse! It all caps off with them leaving the abominations at a local animal shelter and everything returning to normal. But it will never be normal again, will it? Some sights can never be unseen, no matter how many times you wash your eyes.
#6: “Brian's a Bad Father"
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Yes, we know it’s the name of the episode. Yes, we know eventually Brian and his estranged son Dylan eventually make up. But the lead up to all this is so cringe-inducing, so forced that the ends hardly justify the means. Brian even uses STEWIE to apologize for him when Dylan demands space from his father, all this after Brian used the son he never wanted to further his writing career. Meanwhile, the typically wacky antics of Peter and his friends are replaced by arguing, betrayal and shooting each other in the face. This episode really knows how real life, relatable families and friendships work!
#5: “Herpe the Love Sore"
From babies getting pregnant to babies getting herpes, this Family Guy episode sets a new low for the series. Brian and Stewie become blood brothers, but Brian fails to mention to his infant friend that he has herpes. This causes Stewie to get the disease too and after some pitiful attempts at revenge, the two end up reconciling. Brian tells Stewie that the reason he didn’t tell Stewie about the herpes was that he was “embarrassed”. And, as if that was an acceptable excuse, Stewie forgives him and just accepts the fact that he has herpes for the rest of his life now. Alright, no more. Just talking about this episode makes one need a shower.
#4: “Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q"
Do you know what Family Guy, the cartoon featuring an effeminate, evil mastermind baby and a talking, alcoholic dog needs? A serious story about abuse, of course! This episode is littered with head shaking moments, like the scene where Quagmire’s sister is being beat by her husband and everyone in the neighbourhood is awake to hear it! A scene that plays out in excruciating detail, one that just makes you wince and ask: why? While the episode ends on a positive note for Brenda Quagmire, it teaches the audience that the best way to deal with abuse is revenge and ultimately murder. You know, classic comedy!
#3: “Life of Brian"
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A universally hated episode and the one with the lowest IMDB score on our list, this one is despised by fans especially. Not only did they take one of the most lovable characters and replaced him with the quote unquote“HILARIOUS” Vinny, but they did it just to “shake things up”. Not only were viewers shocked by this overly-emotional, lame episode but the actors were too, apparently. What surprised them even more was the fan’s reaction and creator Seth MacFarlane is quoted as saying: “We were all very surprised, in a good way, that people still cared enough about that character to be that angry”. What? Caring when a funny character is replaced by one that’s lame? Get outta town!
#2: “Fresh Heir"
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Alright, here comes the meteor sized ball drop. Collectively, the worst part about this episode is all the uncomfortable incest jokes. From Carter giving his grandson… um… hand pleasure to Peter attempting to marry his son, one may notice the absence of laughter and the rise of sounds like “ooh” and “er… wow”. Feel that chill down your spine? That’s your brain trying to escape your body and hide from this episode. Peter tries to marry Chris so that he can steal the money Carter left to him. Pay attention to this recipe, people— one cup of incest, one cup of ugly motivations and a whole lot of awkwardness make for a perfectly terrible episode! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Quagmire's Dad" “Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" “Vestigial Peter"
#1: “Seahorse Seashell Party"
Here it is folks, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs sized ball drop - the worst Family Guy episode of all time. This one is a doozy too, drawing bad ideas from the others on this list. It’s a bottle episode with more drama than comedy that focuses yet again, on abuse! While we have to give Meg some kudos for finally standing up for herself, she completely goes back on it all by deciding to be the family’s martyr. We get that Family Guy likes to make taboo jokes and take controversial angles, but the ending pretty much communicates that people in abusive relationships should stay there - and there’s nothing funny about that.
