Christmas Guy

Last updated
"Christmas Guy"
Family Guy episode
Episode no.Season 12
Episode 8
Directed byGreg Colton
Written byPatrick Meighan
Production codeBACX07
Original air dateDecember 15, 2013 (2013-12-15)
Guest appearances
Joshua Rush as Boy
Tony Sirico as Vinny
Lucas Van Wormer as Kevin McCallister
Robert Wu as Asian Man
Uncredited in Deleted Scenes:
Rachael MacFarlane as Girl in Hot Tub #2
Patrick Stewart as Susie Swanson
Fred Tatasciore as The Grinch
Mae Whitman as Girl in Hot Tub #1
Kari Wahlgren as Girl in Hot Tub #3
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Into Harmony's Way"		Next →
"Peter Problems"
Family Guy season 12
List of episodes

"Christmas Guy" is the eighth episode of the twelfth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the 218th episode overall. It aired on Fox in the United States and Canada on December 15, 2013, and is written by Patrick Meighan and directed by Greg Colton. [1]

Contents

The episode features the return of Brian Griffin (who had died two episodes earlier in "Life of Brian") after Stewie travels back in time to save him. [2]

Plot

The Griffin family goes to Quahog Mall for the annual Christmas Carnival, but they find the festivities have been cancelled, causing Stewie to go on a destructive rampage. Vinny learns that Carter, Lois's father, canceled the carnival. Peter confronts Carter, who tells him that it was cancelled because he despises the Christmas season. Peter vows to help Carter find his Christmas spirit. Peter tries a fake story letter, making Carter drink egg nog in a hotel room, and having him masturbate, to no effect. The turning point comes when Peter slyly tells a horrified Carter that people in Quahog are wondering if Carter is Jewish, which makes the grumpy old man reverse his position and green-light the carnival's return.

Despite being re-established at the Quahog Mall, the Christmas Carnival fails to raise Stewie's spirits. When the Mall Santa Claus asks Stewie what he wants for Christmas, Stewie realizes he wants Brian back. Vinny pretends to be Brian, acting like an intellectual and a writer, but fails to cheer up Stewie. Trying to raise his spirits, Vinny and Stewie return to the Quahog Mall, where Stewie spots his past self from a cutaway gag from a previous episode time travelling to purchase a gift. Remembering the time travel occurred prior to Brian's death, Stewie realizes he can use Past Stewie's return pad to save Brian. Vinny appeals to Past Stewie's vanity to obtain his backpack, and brings it to Present Stewie. Stewie says goodbye to Vinny, whom he and the family will no longer have met if Brian lives.

Stewie arrives in the past, saving Brian from being hit by the car. After explaining the situation to Brian, Stewie sends the return pad back to his past self in order to prevent a temporal paradox. Now unable to return and having altered his past, Stewie fades from existence as Brian thanks him for his actions. Unaware of what occurred, Past Stewie comes out of the house and wonders who Brian was talking to. In the present on Christmas Day, Brian is still alive and well, thanks to Stewie's time traveling skills. Grateful to him for saving his life, Brian thanks Stewie, who remains oblivious to his averted death, as well as his alternate self's actions.

Reception

Eric Thurm of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, saying "Admittedly, the sweetness is undercut a bit by all the jokes about how the Griffins didn't really care about Brian, even at the end. But too much 'Christmas special' shoehorned spirit would have been empty and hollow, the way most Family Guy 'emotional' resolutions are—even leaning on the show's most compelling relationship, the whole three-episode story is a bit forced. It worked well enough for me, though. Maybe it's best to close the book on this weirdly controversial time in Family Guy history. Maybe this sort of storytelling isn't sustainable for a fan base that (not without reason, especially for Family Guy) wants similar episodes every week without being too surprised. But it'd be cool to see another show at least give it a shot, and perhaps find an audience willing to follow it to some weird places. And at the very least, I'm glad Family Guy tried something at least a bit different." [3]

After Brian returned, Seth MacFarlane said: "Thanks for caring so much about the canine Griffin, he is overcome with gratitude." MacFarlane also said that "we'd have to be fucking high" to kill Brian permanently, hinting that killing off Brian was a gag all along. [4]

The episode received a 3.0 rating and was watched by a total of 6.37 million people. This made it the second most watched show on Animation Domination that night, beating American Dad! and Bob's Burgers but losing to The Simpsons with 8.48 million. [5] Including DVR playback (which added 2.21 million viewers) the episode was watched by 8.58 million viewers, and received an 18-49 rating of 4.3. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Griffin</span> Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise

Brian Griffin is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom Family Guy. He is one of the main characters of the series and a member of the Griffin family. Created, designed and voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is an anthropomorphic white labrador retriever who is Stewie Griffin's best friend and comic foil with the ability to speak, drive, and stand on two legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North by North Quahog</span> 1st episode of the 4th season of Family Guy

"North by North Quahog" is the fourth season premiere of the animated television series Family Guy, and it's the 51st episode overall of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 1, 2005, though it had premiered three days earlier at a special screening at the University of Vermont, Burlington. In the episode, Peter and Lois go on a second honeymoon to rekindle their marriage, but are chased by Mel Gibson after Peter steals the sequel to The Passion of the Christ from Gibson's private hotel room. Meanwhile, Brian and Stewie take care of Chris and Meg at home.

"Hell Comes to Quahog" is the third episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy, an episode produced for Season 4 and it's the 83rd episode overall of the series. It originally aired on Fox on September 24, 2006. The episode follows Meg after she requests her parents to buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter, decides to buy a tank, instead of the car Meg was interested in. Deciding to pay for a new car herself, Meg is able to get a job at Superstore USA, which eventually destroys the local economy of Quahog, and upsets the local community, leading Brian Griffin and Stewie to save the day.

"Boys Do Cry" is the 15th episode of the fifth season of the American animated sitcom Family Guy, and it's the 95th episode overall of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2007. The episode follows the Griffin family after Lois gets a job as an organist at the local church, and she insists that the rest of the family go to church with her. This eventually leads to Stewie drinking and throwing up during a sermon, which causes a mob to form around the Griffin household. In an attempt to prevent the town from supposedly exorcising the devil out of Stewie, the family escape and seek refuge in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffin family</span> Fictional family in the Family Guy series

The Griffin family is a fictional family and main characters in the animated television series Family Guy, and who also appear in The Cleveland Show. The Griffins are a dysfunctional family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. Their family car resembles a red seventh-generation Ford Country Sedan. They were created by Seth MacFarlane, in model of his two animated films, The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve. The family and the show itself debuted on January 31, 1999, after Super Bowl XXXIII, in the episode "Death Has a Shadow".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not All Dogs Go to Heaven</span> 11th episode of the 7th season of Family Guy

"Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" is the 11th episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009. The episode was directed by Greg Colton and written by Danny Smith. In the episode, Quahog hosts its annual Star Trek convention and the cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation are guests. After he was unable to ask the actors any questions at a Q&A session, Stewie builds a transporter in his bedroom to beam the cast over and spend the day with them. Meanwhile, Meg becomes a born-again Christian and tries to convert the atheist Brian to Christianity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter's Progress</span> 16th episode of the 7th season of Family Guy

"Peter's Progress" is the 16th and final episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 17, 2009. In the episode, a psychic reads Peter's palms and discovers he led a fascinating past life as Griffin Peterson, a dignified gentleman in 17th-century England, who was the original founder of Quahog.

The "Road to ..." episodes, also known as the Family Guy Road shows, are a series of episodes in the animated series Family Guy. They are a parody of the seven Road to... comedy films, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road to the North Pole</span> 7th episode of the 9th season of Family Guy

"Road to the North Pole" is the seventh episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and co-written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. In "Road to the North Pole", Stewie and Brian go on an adventure to the North Pole so that Stewie can kill Santa Claus. They discover a dreary, polluting factory full of inbred elves and carnivorous, feral reindeer, along with a sickly, exhausted and suicidal Santa. Stewie and Brian take pity on him and decide to fulfill Christmas by delivering gifts to the entire globe, albeit unsuccessfully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to the Pilot</span> 5th episode of the 10th season of Family Guy

"Back to the Pilot" is the 5th episode in the 10th season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 13, 2011. In "Back to the Pilot", two of the show's main characters, Stewie and Brian, both voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane, use a time machine to travel back in time to the first episode of the series, "Death Has a Shadow". Trouble ensues, however, when Brian tells his former self about the September 11 attacks, causing the present to be dramatically changed, and ultimately resulting in an apocalyptic second civil war. The two must then prevent themselves from travelling back in time in the first place, but soon realize that it will be much more difficult than they had originally thought.

<i>Family Guy</i> season 12 Season of television series

The twelfth season of Family Guy aired on Fox from September 29, 2013, to May 18, 2014.

"Brian's Play" is the tenth episode of the eleventh season and the 198th overall episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 13, 2013. It was written by Gary Janetti and directed by Joseph Lee. In the episode, Brian writes a play that becomes a hit in Quahog, but loses his confidence when he finds that the play Stewie wrote is better than his. But when Stewie sees how upset Brian is, he decides to make things right.

"12 and a Half Angry Men" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season and the 204th overall episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on March 24, 2013, and is written by Ted Jessup and directed by Pete Michels. In the episode, Mayor Adam West is brought on trial for murder. Brian Griffin is on the jury and tries to clear his name. The episode was inspired by the 1957 film classic 12 Angry Men.

"Farmer Guy" is the twenty first episode of the eleventh season and the 208th overall episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on May 12, 2013, and is written by Patrick Meighan and directed by Mike Kim. In the episode, after Peter buys a farm to get away from Quahog's rising crime problem, he becomes a meth dealer.

"Roads to Vegas" is the twenty-one episode of the eleventh season, and the 209th overall episode, of Family Guy. It follows Brian and Stewie as they head off to Vegas using a teleporting machine, which malfunctions and creates clones of themselves. The episode, which is the seventh in the series of Road to... episodes, originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 19, 2013, airing before the episode "No Country Club for Old Men". Together, the two episodes were promoted as being the season finale.

"Mom's the Word" is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the 222nd episode overall. It aired on Fox in the United States on March 9, 2014, and is directed by John Holmquist and written by Ted Jessup. In the episode Peter's mother, Thelma Griffin, dies of a stroke. After the funeral, Thelma's friend Evelyn arrives to support Peter, but ends up kissing him. The episode marked Lauren Bacall's final television role.

Life of Brian (<i>Family Guy</i>) 6th episode of the 12th season of Family Guy

"Life of Brian" is the sixth episode of the twelfth season and the 216th overall episode of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States and Canada on November 24, 2013, and is written by Alex Carter and directed by Joseph Lee.

"Brian's a Bad Father" is the eleventh episode of the twelfth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the 221st episode overall. It aired on Fox in the United States and Canada on January 26, 2014, and is directed by Wendy Wilson and written by Bruce Johnston.

<i>Family Guy</i> (franchise) American media franchise

Family Guy is an American animated comedy franchise created by Seth MacFarlane and originally developed for Fox. Consisting of two television series: Family Guy (1999–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–2013), the franchise primarily focuses on the Griffin family and their friends and associates. The franchise also shares a fictional universe with American Dad! (2005–present), another series developed by MacFarlane with the same art style, to which it features numerous crossovers and shared characters.

References

  1. ↑ "Family Guy Episode Guide 2013 Season 12 - Christmas Guy, Episode 8". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  2. ↑ Jess Denham (2013-12-16). "Brian Griffin returns: Cartoon dog back from the dead". Independent. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
  3. ↑ Ryan, Kyle (December 15, 2013). "Family Guy: "Christmas Guy"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Scott (2013-12-16). "Family Guy: Seth MacFarlane Reveals He Killed Brian Griffin To Teach Fans A Lesson". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  5. ↑ "Sunday Final Ratings: '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down, No Adjustment for 'Revenge' or 'Survivor'". Tvbythenumbers. 2013-12-08. Archived from the original on 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  6. ↑ "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Tops Adults 18-49 & Viewership Gains, 'Grimm' Leads Percentage Increase in Week 12". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2012-01-07. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.