Family Guy did something breathtaking and crazy fun when they killed off fan favorite character Brian Griffin a few weeks back in a gruesome death scene. We were among those who gasped and screamed at Family Guy creators for murdering Brian in a mystery hit-and-run. Then, just three weeks after his death, Family Guy brought Brian Griffin back to life for Christmas. We found ourselves more angry about his resurrection than when they killed him in the first place!
The problem, to us, is that you can’t take something so dramatic and controversial as killing off a beloved character (even in an animated show) and make it trite and trivial by just cancelling it out a few weeks later. It’s like that whole crap about Pam Ewing dreamed the whole ninth season of the original Dallas and Bobby Ewing came back to life. That was a total sellout to the fans who mourned for Bobby’s character.
In the same way, bringing Brian back to life is a cheap trick as well. Family Guy creators launched this huge freakout from fans by brutally offing Brian. It was brilliant and outrageous, brought them tons of publicity, and made the show kind of exciting again. And then they just took it all back with an “oh we were just kidding” revival story line. Plenty of Brian lovers out there are oh so happy to see the little white talking dog back, but we’re still kind of pissed about it all.
Family Guy creator and Brian Griffin voice actor Seth MacFarlane tweeted after Brian returned that this “endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for granted, for they can be gone in a flash.”
We pretty much knew Brian would not be gone for long, since Family Guy creators had made it obvious that Stewie would time machine back somehow and save him. Still, we think it would have been far more awesome and meaningful if Brian had stayed dead. After all, in real life, we don’t have time machines to go back and save those we love when we lose them.
It’s a freakin’ cartoon. What meaning is there in a cartoon. Offing Brian was lazy not creative – considering they replaced him with another dog, what was the point. Watch South Park if you are that disappointed.
All in a bit of fun. 🙂