Top 10 Family Guy Moments That Shocked Everyone

“The Simpsons Guy”
Of course we were expecting a lot of clever material throughout the “Family Guy”-“Simpsons” crossover, but nothing like this! The Griffins visit Springfield and run into the Simpsons, but the meeting ends in disaster when the patriarchs do battle. In a showdown modeled after the famous chicken fights, Peter and Homer brawl in the street, on a school bus, and inside the nuclear power plant before turning into superheroes. And that’s not even the end of the fight! The very idea of Peter and Homer finally sharing the screen left us amazed, but this sequence left us speechless. Not only is it beautifully animated, but it honors the history and lore of both shows.

“Road to the North Pole”
Only “Family Guy” could warp bright Christmas cheer into gloomy misery. Despite its rather jolly holiday theme, “Road to the North Pole” is undeniably one of the show’s darkest episodes. Brian and Stewie discover that the North Pole is an industrial wasteland filled with mutated elves, carnivorous reindeer, and a sick Santa Claus. Vowing that he is not fit to deliver the presents, the duo do it themselves, but end up committing a violent home invasion. Yes, the episode has a happy ending, but both we and the characters have to endure a lot before we get there.

“New Kidney in Town”
Season nine offers a devastating one-two punch in “Road to the North Pole” and its immediate follow-up, “New Kidney In Town.” Peter becomes addicted to energy drinks and attempts to make his own using kerosene, believing that literal fuel is what gives its drinkers energy. Well, it doesn’t, and Peter immediately collapses from kidney failure. Wanting to save his best buddy, Brian decides to sacrifice himself and donate both of his kidneys. It’s an incredibly touching sentiment, and one we never thought we’d see on “Family Guy.” Things get even more emotional when Stewie kidnaps Brian, not wanting to lose his trusty canine companion. For such a goofy show, this episode packs a lot of heavy material.

“Back to the Pilot”
“Family Guy” has always been very creative when it comes to time travel, and it has never shied away from poking fun at itself. Both combine in amazing fashion with season ten’s “Back to the Pilot.” Brian and Stewie travel back to January 31, 1999, the day that “Family Guy” premiered. While there, they remark on the shoddy animation, the awkward use of cutaway jokes, and Meg having a different voice actress. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as Brian and Stewie continuously interfere with the episode’s events, like stopping the Kool Aid Man from bursting through the court room wall. “Back to the Pilot” is smart, inventive, and hilarious.

“Road to the Multiverse”
Forget time travel - let’s talk multiverse! “Road to the Multiverse” opened the eighth season in breathtaking fashion, with Brian and Stewie traveling through a number of parallel universes. The result is not just comedy gold, but a smorgasbord of visual delights. They travel to a number of unique locales, each one more imaginative and impressive than the last. Some are done for laughs, others purely for style - like the Disney universe that could easily pass for a long-forgotten film pried from the vault. And it’s not just devoted “Family Guy” viewers who loved it - the episode won the Emmy for Individual Achievement in Animation, the ultimate seal of approval.

“Adam West High”
“Family Guy” doesn’t often get sentimental, but when it does, it does so surprisingly well. Season seventeen closes out with “Adam West High,” in which the beloved Mayor West passes away. The episode aired nearly two years after the real Adam West died and served as a tribute to the late actor. As the title implies, James Woods High School is renamed to Adam West High, and the episode ends with a montage of live action footage honoring the beloved performer. It’s a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much to the show. and a great way to say goodbye to a legendary character.

“Stewie Kills Lois” & “Lois Kills Stewie”
There was a time when Stewie repeatedly tried to end Lois. While this subplot has long been abandoned, it was a major driving force of the early seasons and culminated with this two-part television event. The first half, “Stewie Kills Lois,” seemingly ends the subplot when Stewie takes down Lois with gunfire. But Lois survives the attempt and reciprocates, resulting in a battle for the ages. Of course, we didn’t actually think that Lois was dead, and besides, the ending reveals that this was all a computer simulation concocted by Stewie. But we still couldn’t believe that the show went there.

“And Then There Were Fewer”
It’s not rare for “Family Guy” to do themed episodes, and season nine opened with a parody of classic murder mysteries - specifically Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” And like all great murder mysteries, it ends with a startling twist that leaves our jaws on the floor. Lois discovers that news anchor Diane Simmons was behind the killings, and she in turn is killed by Stewie when she attacks Lois. The twist was great, but what left us truly speechless were the deaths. Unlike the other themed episodes, this one took place within the show’s actual continuity.

“Brian & Stewie”
The dog and the baby have always been a popular duo, and they are often the subjects of their own storylines. “Brian & Stewie” is an experimental chapter of “Family Guy,” without cutaways but with a heavy dose of drama. The titular characters undergo significant development, with Brian revealing some dark secrets and Stewie coming into his own as a friend and companion. In a surprisingly tender moment, the baby admits that he loves Brian and would be lost without him. It’s always a shock when “Family Guy” plays sentimental, and it’s even more of a shock hearing it come from Stewie, of all people. The episode’s dramatic tone was widely praised, and it’s due to unforgettable moments like this.

“Life of Brian”
This show had us going for a while. Season twelve’s “Life of Brian” is perhaps its most infamous half hour, featuring the startling death of Brian Griffin. The dog is hit by a car while playing street hockey with Stewie, and he later dies in the hospital, after saying goodbye to the family. Not only is the moment played completely straight, but it’s a realistic scenario that many people have been forced to endure. The episode ends with the Griffins adopting a new dog, leading some viewers to believe that he was permanently gone. Of course, that wasn’t actually the case, as Stewie brings him back to life just two episodes later.